offshore44
11-15-2012, 12:42 PM
I currently have a Parker-Hale (PH) Mauser in 308 that I'm thinking of upgrading / replacing for various reasons. I've been shooting cast and paper patched with some success; but frankly, the PH is going to need some extensive work to get it to shoot to the level that I would like.
Going through the build / buy decision process led me to the CZ 550 Varmint rifle in 308. It is about 90% of what I want to end up with, for less than modifying the PH.
The questions that I have are:
Does anyone in the clan shoot cast out of this rifle? What can you tell me about your experiences with fitting cast boolits to this rifle? I am especially interested in chamber and bore dimension oddities. The PH has an over sized chamber neck and a tight throat, even for a 308. Fitting boolits can be interesting, to say the least. How does the CZ removable magazine work out for cast? How about the Kevlar stock versions? Does it have a decent Length of Pull and good contours?
I have a CZ 550 American Safari in 458 Win Mag that has never seen a j-word, except at the factory. It is a really nice example of the rifle maker's art, and shoots cast and paper patched great. It regularly shoots five shot groups that are half of what the factory three shot target is. I especially like the single set trigger for target work, and it is pretty good to great when used in normal mode for snap shots. If I can expect similar results out of the 550 Varmint, I'd be tickled.
This wouldn't really be a walk-about rifle, so the fact that it weighs in at nine and a half pounds dry isn't an issue for me.
With a 12 twist, 25" barrel it seems that it would be a pretty good cast shooter with slower powders.
What say ye?
Going through the build / buy decision process led me to the CZ 550 Varmint rifle in 308. It is about 90% of what I want to end up with, for less than modifying the PH.
The questions that I have are:
Does anyone in the clan shoot cast out of this rifle? What can you tell me about your experiences with fitting cast boolits to this rifle? I am especially interested in chamber and bore dimension oddities. The PH has an over sized chamber neck and a tight throat, even for a 308. Fitting boolits can be interesting, to say the least. How does the CZ removable magazine work out for cast? How about the Kevlar stock versions? Does it have a decent Length of Pull and good contours?
I have a CZ 550 American Safari in 458 Win Mag that has never seen a j-word, except at the factory. It is a really nice example of the rifle maker's art, and shoots cast and paper patched great. It regularly shoots five shot groups that are half of what the factory three shot target is. I especially like the single set trigger for target work, and it is pretty good to great when used in normal mode for snap shots. If I can expect similar results out of the 550 Varmint, I'd be tickled.
This wouldn't really be a walk-about rifle, so the fact that it weighs in at nine and a half pounds dry isn't an issue for me.
With a 12 twist, 25" barrel it seems that it would be a pretty good cast shooter with slower powders.
What say ye?