"Hogback" stocks

[longhorn]

Anyone have any experience with the evidently typical Germanic "hogback" (Bavarian maybe?) rifle stocks? They certainly look odd to my eyes, but I'm wondering about shooting comfort--"classic" stocks, especially the Rugers, tend to really pound my cheekbone; I'd rather shoot 10 factory loads through my .458 M70 than 3 through my .300WM #1. Besides, I'm beginning to want all over for a little break-open stalking rifle......

[dubber123]

I have 2 CZ rifles with this style stock. One is a .416 Rigby that runs my 400 gr. handloads to 2,595 fps. average, and I don't recall any cheek bruising. Bruising elsewhere, but not my cheek. I know what you mean about some stock designs, I have a litte 21" barreled .54 BP carbine that pounds my cheek unmercifully.

[9.3X62AL]

Lots of time with hogbacks here. 2 Mannlicher-Schoenauers (1903 and 1908) got me started, then along came Steyr-Mannlichers......didn't buy any, but lusted after them in large portions, and got to fire a couple. Loved them! One of STUPIDEST moves I EVER made was "passing" on a S/M Professional in 8 x 57 Mauser. The S/M's went nuts price-wise soon thereafter, and ideas about S/M's in 6.5, 8mm, and 9.3 Mauser went from "possible" to "dream sequence" post haste. These hogbacks aren't specifically "Germanic", it's more like "Central European".

When CZ-USA started bringing in their Model 550 bolters, I saw that some interesting metric calibers were among the offerings--my long-sought-after 9.3 x 62 was among them, so I snagged one in 2002--a Lux model. If I hadn't gotten back the Ruger 77R in 6.5 x 55 of known accuracy a couple years ago, a full-stocked 550 in that caliber would have found room in the safe. I've raved and ranted here about the 9.3 x 62 caliber for five years, so I'll spare you all that species of proselytizing. A SUPERB cast boolit and redcoat caliber......there I go again.

The CZ website doesn't show "Lux" models per se, but some still come in. They didn't sell as well as the "American" with the slick barrel and straight-comb stock. The Full Stock (Mannlicher pattern) has a hogback and iron sights, as do a couple other big-bores (550's). Small bore and rimfire variants have the hogback available, too. I believe the Central Europeans take their iron-sight hunting pretty seriously--the front sight blade is removable (a lot like Ruger front blades), and CZ-USA offers FOURTEEN different sight heights. I have #1, #7, and #14. There is a lot of elevation adjustment in the rear sight, too.

Every time I start talking about the CZ, it turns into Tolstoy's "War and Peace". Sorry. That hogback stock handles the substantial recoil of the 286 grain Partitions departing at 2400 FPS quite well, I think. I can only imagine the entertainment the lighter Full Stock model would provide.

[Phil]

They are VERY comfortable to shoot. I've owned, I think, four of them. Brownells sells different height scope rings for them. I wish they would make the receiver top plain so more common, and cheaper, rings would fit. I also wish CZ wouldn't use the sides of the receivers for billboards. Any more, all that writing sort of ruins it for me.

Cheers,

Phil

[Halfbreed]

My CZ-550in 458 win mag has the hogback stock on it, 465 grainers at 2300fps is quite easily handled for about 30 rounds off the bench, and never had any cheek slap, or bruising, including the shoulder either.
John