Any Experience With Zastava M808 or M70?

[Themoose]

I've got cabin fever and am thinking about getting into longer range shooting/hunting and stepping up to a bolt gun chambered in .300 WinMag...I have had a couple of CZ rimfire rifles built by Zastava that I really enjoyed... thinking of looking at Zastava's Model M808(appears to be a plain jane version of CZ 550 Ultimate Hunting Rifle) and the M70. Any firsthand knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

TheMoose

[.30-06 fan]

I have a Zastava 30-06 that has been very good. Excellent bluing, the action has smoothed out nicely, sub moa with handloads. Replaced the stock with a boyds thumbhole.

All in all i would not hesitate in the purchasing the zastava.

[RustyReel]

I have a couple (few) M70 Zastavas. Nice basic Mauser. Some complain they are a little rough but they smooth out with a little use. Really don't like the stock style of the ones available in the US but that is just personal preference. Also have a couple of Mark X rifles. I think they are a little nicer in quality but basically the same rifle. If you like Mausers, you will like the Zastava's.

[roysha]

Well, I'm not sure but I don't think CZ and Zastava are the same. If I recall correctly CZ is Czech and Zastava is, or was, Yugoslavia. I believe the 808 is just a modern version of the Mark X which, as far as I'm concerned was as good as any of the commercial Mausers including the Husqvarnas and FNs. However, I may be incorrect and I'm sure someone will straighten me out if such is the case.

Oh yeah, I own 2 Mark Xs and a REM 799 (made by Zastava) and think highly of them. My only complaint is the bolt handles on the Mark Xs are a bit short and when using a scope the ocular bell just clears the handle. Remedied that by heating the handles and flattening the curve a bit and repolishing them. Checkered the bottom of the knob after filing a flat to accept the checkering while I was at it.

[Themoose]

roysha,

I do stand corrected, CZ and Zastava are not the same... I just went downstairs do work on some brass and looked at empty shipping cartons for rifles.. and Zastava was not on the exterior... my old age and slow thinking kept me from taking a paper and pencil from writing it down... but it is clearly from the chezch republic not yugoslavia... but glad to hear they are well built rifles...

[vmathias]

I have zero experience but I do like the looks of these rifles. I am yet to read a negative comment about them. Was in the market for a Weatherby or tikka in 308. I am strongly considering one of the Zastava's

[Huffmanite]

I live in the south and there is a chain of stores across it called Academy Sports and Outdoors that sells guns and stocked the M70 Zavasta rifles. A couple of months ago Academy put the M70s on clearance for around $350 (plus tax). Gent I shoot with bought several of them and I would buy one myself a few weeks ago. Decent mauser action rifles. My friend bought his to mostly use the actions in them to build on. He did shoot one of them just to see how it shot. Accuracy was decent to him and he was pleased the bore did have any signs of copper fouling. He played with one of his M70 triggers and got it down to around 1 Lb. Trigger in the M70 is adjustable. I adjusted mine down to around 2 Lbs. What my benchrest shooting friend did to get to 1 Lb, don't know, but am sure he took it apart and made some changes. Me, I just backed out the trigger pull screw. Finish on the M70 stock leaves a lot to be desired....to me anyways. My impression is the walnut wood is just dunked in an oil bath of some kind, soaked well, execess wiped off and then allowed to air dry. I've redone one of my buddies M70 stocks and mine. Just scrapped off the surface of the wood, steel wooled it and then applied 4 or so coats o Minwax Wiping Poly to them. Nice grain revealed in both of the stocks. Neither of us had any complaints about the metal finish on our rifles. Sorry, weather has been poor here, so other than being able to zero the scope and shoot around 18 rounds with the rifle, haven't don't presently have valid opinion on accuracy of my .308 M70. I like to shoot 40-60 rounds down a new rifle with various reloads before making comments on accuracy.

[35 shooter]

Having one in .308 shipped to my local Academy Sports from another one of their stores.
All they had locally was a .243. Can't wait for it to get here. For the price it's a no lose situation in that it cheap enough to use for a build or rebore or keep it as is!!8-)

[3006mv]

wait for the set trigger or double trigger to become available in the US

[TXGunNut]

OK, so why is Academy clearing them out?

[35 shooter]

OK, so why is Academy clearing them out?
I asked them that very question....Low sales was the reply i got.
Seems like the Savage Axis and Ruger American and the like are what's hot on the market right now. I did ask if they had any problems with them(Zastavas)and he said none he was aware of. There may be some other reason too, but this is what i was told.
He also said if they saw them selling again in the future for someone else, they might pick them back up. Of course this was just a floor salesman saying all this...not management.

[Huffmanite]

OK, so why is Academy clearing them out?

Agree with 35 shooter. But, Academy store I shop basically only stocked .270 and 30-06 M70 rifles. Never saw another cartridge M70 in the store, but my buddy did find a 7mm-08 there when they went on clearance. When I first noticed them carrying the M70, asked the clerk to check their warehouse for it in 7.62x39 and it was not shown in their system. Rats!!!! Told the clerk, Academy missed the boat by not stocking the M70 in 7.62x39.