OK guys.. don't laugh at this Bonehead...

Last week I posted a note lamenting my sticky bolt problem after I mounted a scope on my .416. I just couldn't figure out why every time I tightened down my bases my bolt got so sticky I could hardly cycle it. It was the darndest thing.

Thanks for all of your responses but we all missed the obvious...

I took the gun to my 'smith on Saturday and he took it in hand and said... no problem, I can fix this for you... I said what? What's the issue? He simply replied, "The bolt handle is hitting the scope and I'll just cut a bit off of the bolt and re-blue it... That's a better option than getting higher scope mounts on this rifle." Duhhhh. I was so fixated on the bases I didn't even notice the bolt hitting the scope. I knew it was close but it never even crossed my mind that this issue would happen. I mean isn't this a design issue for either the bases or the bolt?

So a word to the wise... If you have a CZ 550 Magnum and Warne low QD mounts... you may not be able to cycle your bolt without a little rework.

No laughing here -- I've made some mistakes that I will not post here myself!

Did you buy the Warne QD low mounts recently? I was told that they had stopped making them for the CZ in "low" (because the bolt handle hit the scope).

I'd love to get a set of "low" QD's if I could find them (and I don't mind a bit of bolt handle modification -- I like my scopes LOW!).

jpb

I actually picked up the bases from my 'smith about a year ago and there's no telling how long he had them sitting around. It's good to hear they recognized the problem.

I just had the bases sitting on a shelf and shot it with the open sights since the scope I wanted to mount on it was on my .375 and I didn't have a replacement for it until recently.

Well, duh, we all have done something similar. Sometimes you have to put the rifle down for a few days and take another look, or let someone else look at the problem.

One of my favorites is big objective bell scopes, with the front bell touching the barrel. Groups walk all over the target.

Use eyes ... engage brain ... use eyes. Most faults are obvious. Darned I wish I could remember those words most of the time!

When I built my 500 A2 on a CZ550 I ran right into the same problem with the bolt handle hitting the scope. It was not subtle at all! Rather than grind the bolt handle, I chose to reshape it by using a Oxyacetylene torch and heat absorbing paste. This way you can bend the handle down more and you don't wind up with a bolt handle that's obviously been ground. I also re-hot blued the bolt! As little as a 1/4 inch more clearnce will easily solve the problem. Higher rings are another option. Brownells has a good assortment of Warne QD's.-Rob

The Leupold 2.5X M8 has the smallest occular bell of any Leupold currently made. It will work with the Warne QD lever low rings on a CZ 550 Magnum with unaltered bolt. No other scope that I have will. I have that setup on a 45 Lapua, and it is sweet-and-low. Also, the levers being on the right side do not interfere with the working of the bolt no matter which way they are set, on a CZ 550 Magnum.

Thanks for the info.

Are you Crosshairs or Crosseyed?

Sorry, hoss, just couldn't help it.

The only difference between you and me is, I'm just too damned embarrassed to post all my bonehead moves.