I'm interested in any experience or knowlege about this company, their rifles, their acuracy, funcion and over all fit and satisfaction or disaticfaction. I'm seriously considering one but am unsure on my choice of model and options. I thought I'd put out my goal first and then share my story and I'd like to get some advice before I invest in a serious rifle with in the next price tag bracket.

OK, I've got a CZ in 375 H&H. It's a great rifle with a nice stock and shoots 1-2" groups. It's my first 375/ real heavy game rifle.
I recently found out about the montana company and read a lot of reviews about the outstanding accuracy and function customers were getting.
Needless to say, I started evaluating my rifle. If I'm going to have a go to rifle for life, I'd like to go behond great and get awsome

There are some things I would have different about my CZ.
1. feeding could be smoother.
2. it could be 1 to 1/1/2 pounds lighter
3. the action could be a little smoother
4. the iron sites could be more easily adjusted and better regulated with a better site picture.
5. i like the safety better when it's a smooth 3 position safety and not a roughs 2 position safety like on my CZ.

I got the CZ in 375 h&h as a gun I would keep through everything I sell. I think if I'm going to have a life long gun I should splurge and get something with a little more quality.

After carrying my CZ this deer season. I soon thought it would be handier with a little less weight and a little less over all length. So I started thinking a sub moa action and barrel similar to the winchester model 70 that's stainless in a synthetic stock for best accuracy in different temps (the High Country Series Summit). Thats until I saw the stock on the (Classic Series Woodland). Now I'm torn between the best for all weather and a beauty.

Are the montana's as great as they seem?
Should I go with all weather stainless & synthetic or a classic blued and awsome walnut?
Does anyone have any good or bad experience with these rifles or barreled actions?
Are they a great quality for the price?
Should I go with 375 h&h or 375 Weatherby?
Any other responses are also very welcome in helping me choose the best rifle for me.
Thank you.

Oh, I'll be hunting in -20 to possibly 130 degrees, in rain, sun, snow, frost, dust, sand, and mud & acuracy and function are a little more important to me than good looks, but If I can have both, the better.

I'll be the first of I'm sure many, many people to say, send your gun to AHR and spend 500$ Everyone thats done it here seems to have nothing but the highest praise and satisfaction in the finished product. These guys are CZ550 specialists!

quote:

Originally posted by MileHighShooter:
I'll be the first of I'm sure many, many people to say, send your gun to AHR and spend 500$ Everyone thats done it here seems to have nothing but the highest praise and satisfaction in the finished product. These guys are CZ550 specialists!

Thank you for such a quick response and honest. I've looked at that option seriously, but the montana reviews have hooked me after reading about 1/2" or less groups or 1" or less groups with every powder. I'd like to hear from some people who have any experience with Montana, but would still like to hear other as well. After my nerves have settled, I may well go with the AHR option but I'm going to observe more responses, so I am sure I'll invest in a rifle I will be completely happy with. Right now my thoughts are towards the Montana, but my thoughts change frequently, so Keep at it.
Again thanks.

The Montana makes a nice place for your smith to start. In my experience, the CZ is better finished out of the box(by a large margin). Another feature, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, the CZ if machined from a forged billet and the Montana is an investment casting by Pine Tree Investment castings(Ruger). I have owned many Rugers and think highly of them, especially the revolvers and they are all cast the same way, but a forged action is superior. Take a look at the finished rifles that Montana has and look at the cost, then send your CZ to AHR and you have that life long rifle you mentioned.

There are some things I would have different about my CZ.
1. feeding could be smoother.
Polish the feed ramp

2. it could be 1 to 1/1/2 pounds lighter
Re-stock it

3. the action could be a little smoother
mother's billet polish

4. the iron sites could be more easily adjusted and better regulated with a better site picture.
New England Custom Gun or better yet, the Hex system from Jim Brockman

5. i like the safety better when it's a smooth 3 position safety and not a roughs 2 position safety like on my CZ.
Simple switch to a bolt shround mounted three position, an AHR standard feature.

Joe seems to have summed it up well, especially since you already own the CZ.

From what I have read here if you are keeping the CZ the improvments are spot on. If what you want is another (I won't say new) 375 for my $ I would point you to a model 70 in stainless. Yes it will cost around 1k right now, but it would give you what you are looking for in smothness of action, weight, etc and althogh the montanas are ok rifles they are not winchesters, just copies. The only changes other than shooting it that would be required is possibly new sights and that is debateable if you are going to scope the rifle. Over the last 15 or so years of buying, building, and selling rifles I have found that you spend cheap $ many times, but the right $ once.

BTW I would bet $s to donuts that the list of 375 H&Hs that wont shoot into less than 2" (most better) is less than 10%. The cartridge is very accurate on its own regardless of who tries to screw it up.

MRC makes a nice product but I would not take "less than half inch with every rifle" as fact, much less onr inch with every powder. That capability isn't inherent to any design, much less a Model 70 clone. I doubt they would make that claim, either.

Their actions are very true, straight from the factory and are a good platform to build on, none the less. But I have to agree that unless you just want a second 375, you can get the same general quality from a re-worked CZ at AHR for less cash than starting over.