Well shock of all shocks, my wife walked on while I was talking to one of the 'Smiths working on my custom 6.5X55SE and said to me "when do I get a rifle?" Well, I started thinking about a light handy 6.5 in wood. She loves the wood and not the Tuper. How about a 6.5 Grendel? What action for it? Probably mostly targets, but blacktail deer, black bear, and feral pigs could all be on the ticket too.

The CZ527 would be a natural.

How much you looking to spend? Montana is good, CZ is good, remington is good. BAT is fantastic, Nesika is fantastic.

Don't feel bad, I owe my wife a 243 win (or 6 mm win, I would put it on the barrel but I could see problems).

John

Personally, I'd build another 6.5X55 for her. The Swede is one of my favorite cartridges and it's also what my kids shoot most of the time. It's a very flexible cartridge - especially for a handloader. There's no need to complicate matters if you already have a 6.5X55 for yourself.

Another bit of advice would be to have the chamber on your wife's rifle cut with the same reamer as was used on your rifle. Then there should be no need to segregate brass when it comes to reloading.

As to which action to use, it depends on what you want to spend and on how far out the "custom" spectrum you want to go. An easy route to go is the CZ or find a M70 Featherweight Classic or Remington 700 Classic in 6.5X55. Each of these could be dressed up enough to suit almost any shooter.

The perfect action would be a small ring M98, or a Husky action. With one of these you could build a beautiful full-custom for her. A large ring M98 wouldn't be too bad either. If she's not going to carry the rifle a lot, the extra weight would be nice for dampening recoil at the target range.

6.5X47 Lapua would fit the bill nicely.

If my wife requested my input on a custom "deer" rifle, which I seriously doubt, I would recommend a 6mmRem, 6.5x55 or 7x57 on a Mexican Mauser or G33/40. Or a factory Brno 21/22 in 7x57 or a Savage 99 250-3000.

well she might just get a 6.5X55. I have another blank cut from the same tree as mine. How is montana riflemen doing these days?

I wonder if you could get that 6.5 x 55 to fit in a 70 Classic Short Action. If so, there isn't a whole lot to do to make them real nice. Change out the bolt knob and maybe put one of Triggerguards new fancy bottom metals on it. Nice light little gun. Or if you want to wildcat it, neck a .308 or 7-08 down to 6.5 on that same action. Elenor O'Conner hunted big game all over the world with a VZ-33 custom chambered in 7 x 57.

6.5x55 for sure. Do I hear "matched pair"!?

It would be cool in a Mauser 98 also!

quote:

The CZ527 would be a natural.

I would agree with that plan. There's nice Turkish walnut hiding under the urethane.

And the 6.5 Grendel fits, Brockman has been doing them.

Or just a CZ 550 American or FS in 6.5x55 and use that as the base for the custom.

Get some of these guys to post pics of the CZ's they've rehabbed. Especially the wood.

The CZ might just be here starting point. I like the looks, but she likes the Euro stock of the regular model.

It would be a very good starting point.

Ed Lapour makes a very nice 3-position safety for the CZ 550.

Talley rings with a Leupold 2.5-8x.

I think she'd be very happy.

Isn't that CZ pretty heavy?

quote:

Personally, I'd build another 6.5X55 for her. The Swede is one of my favorite cartridges and it's also what my kids shoot most of the time. It's a very flexible cartridge - especially for a handloader. There's no need to complicate matters if you already have a 6.5X55 for yourself.

My vote, great cartridge, mild recoil, killing power way out of proportion to case size and recoil.

I built my wife a nice light (under 7#) 7x57. She now uses it for everything from varmints to Elk. She took a gold metal Gemsbok in May. One shot dead in it's tracks. My second choice would be the 6.5X55.

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
Isn't that CZ pretty heavy?

The CZ 527 will make up into a relatively light rifle. It balances well with the shorter barrel you'd want on the grendal.

6.5X55 or the 7X57 sounds about right. My new 250-3000 is doing good work also. The barreled action is your choice. The best I ever got was from McGowan. roger

+1 for ForrestB's comments.

cz 527 carbine in 7.62x39 converted to 6.5 grendal is a fine little rifle if you keep it to carbinr leingth and match bbl profile you will have sights to put on bbl as well nice looking great handling rig

OK, I'm getting ready to be on. I built up a rifle for use by 7 grandsons and 2 granddaughters using a Rem 700 short action, a light fiberglass stock, a lightweight wood stock, a #1 profile Shilen barrel, and lightweight mounts with a Leupold scope. Why two stocks? Can you say "Granddaughter" and "little finger wrapper?" Each carried the rifle more than shot it. That's why the light weight. At the bench and when position shooting, they used Past recoil pads (and went from light plinking loads up to full power ones). Oh, you want to know caliber? A factory round, .260 Rem. They use 100gr bullets for antelope, 120-130 for deer, and 140 Nosler partitions for elk.
I have a problem, though. Seems everyone who handles the rifle wants to borrow it...I've even been known to take it out and I'm left handed.

My wife likes the idea of cutting her teeth on the CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62 x 39 Russian. I think it will work fine. I have a Leupold Custom Shop 4x being made for it. However, I have got to do something about that front sight and she needs more LOP so a new pad.

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
My wife likes the idea of cutting her teeth on the CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62 x 39 Russian. I think it will work fine. I have a Leupold Custom Shop 4x being made for it. However, I have got to do something about that front sight and she needs more LOP so a new pad.

333

I have a feeling the problems you have a lot of guys on here would love to have.

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
My wife likes the idea of cutting her teeth on the CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62 x 39 Russian. I think it will work fine. I have a Leupold Custom Shop 4x being made for it. However, I have got to do something about that front sight and she needs more LOP so a new pad.

333

I have a feeling the problems you have a lot of guys on here would love to have.

It is a bitch to be married to a supportive nearly 6 foot tall redhead that gives me heart palpitations everytime she walks by!

+2 on ForrestB

I wish I could talk my wife into her own rife.
She likes my favorite 270.

So I showed her. I built another 270 for me. Going to range this weekend to wring it out.

The CZ 550 action weighs the same as a 98 and model 70. At least that's what gunmaker told me while playing with my 550 that he's turning into a 9.3x64 Brenneke.