Closer to making rifle purchases - can ya'll look & comment?

[DaveInGA]

Lately, I've been reviewing the firearms I own for suitability with what I want to do and how I'm shooting/living my life, including mixing in real life needs vs. wants/dreams. I also looked into what I had when I took those pictures for the "black rifle" thread. (I kinda cheated though and put some dark stained ones in there. )

As I was pulling those rifles out, I discovered things I did not have and things I would like to have. I noticed I am short an AR upper and have just the upper to shop for. I also have a bunch of rifles to restore, repair and sell I need to get done with. There's enough in the "just get done refinishing" category I'll be on them soon.

My plan is to get rid of a couple of my cheaper gunsafes, upgrade to bigger and better ones as well as sell off some of my milsurp stuff I don't really plan to shoot. I want to then add in a handful of bolt action rifles, with iron sights, that fill niches, replace things I don't have or are things I'm curious about. For instance: Because of my shoulder joint "gravel" issues, I am unable to shoot a high power bolt action rifle such as a .308, 30.06, .303 Brit and larger calibers without pain, regardless of shooting skills. So I sold off my .270 Rem 700 last year and need a replacement I can shoot that's suitable for deer hunting. I had an old Swede Mauser I loved shooting I sold off when I needed college money a few years back and while I didn't do much load development, I know my shoulder can handle the recoil pretty well, especially if I add a quality butt pad like RD just did. (as nice a fixture as he's got, I may mail mine too him with a check and a note with some begging. )

Okay, after all that windbagging, here's three rifles I'm looking strongly at:

The solution to my 7.62 X 39MM problem. She has a .311 bore, so she accepts commie ammo and should do great with oversized cast bullets that I already have molds for:

Specs:
Product Name - CZ 527 Carbine
SKU - 03071
Chambering - 7.62x39
Rate Of Twist - 1:9 in
Magazine Capacity - 5
Magazine Type - Detachable
Stock Turkish Walnut - Carbine-Style
Length Of Pull - 13.46 in
Sights Fixed - Integrated 16mm Scope Bases
Barrel - Cold Hammer Forged
Length - 18.5 in
Overall Length - 37.4 in
Weight 5.87 lbs
Trigger Mechanism - Single Set Trigger
Safety - Two Position

Here's a sweet, petite .223. She is chambered to CIP specification, so she accepts both 5.56 and .223 and you get a barrel twist of 1:9 Problem is, do I match with my molds I have or fit the rifle into a slot in my lineup? Right now, the lightest mold I have is 55 grain, but I'll have to feed the .22 K Hornet I would get as it's companion rifle:

Product Name CZ 527 Carbine
SKU - 03071
Chambering - .223 Rem.
Rate Of Twist 1:9 in
Magazine Capacity 5
Magazine Type Detachable
Stock Turkish Walnut, Carbine-Style
Length Of Pull 13.46 in
Sights Fixed, Integrated 16mm Scope Bases
Barrel Cold Hammer Forged
Barrel Length 18.5 in
Overall Length 37.4 in
Weight 5.87 lbs
Trigger Mech Single Set Trigger
Safety Two-Position

And their cousin in .22 Hornet (Easily rechambered to .22 K hornet w/a finish reamer), she was standing there with them wearing a 1:16 twist:

Specs:
Product Name CZ 527 American
Chambering .22 Hornet
Rate Of Twist 1:16 in
Magazine Capacity 5
Magazine Type Detachable
Stock Turkish Walnut, American-Style Length Of Pull 13.5 in
Sights No Sights, Integrated 16mm Scope Bases
Barrel Cold Hammer Forged
Barrel Length 21.9 in
Overall Length 40.4 in
Weight 6.34 lbs
Trigger Mech Single Set Trigger
Safety Two-Position


And here's a really fine creature that walked by while I was talking to the .22 girls and this gal flashed her you know what's at me while smiling with a really wicked smile, knowing I don't have a high power hunting rifle at the moment due to my shoulder issues. Her caliber would be ideal to replace my .308 I had to sell due to gravel in my shoulder joint. She is just the type of gal that's the death of you, but you go down smiling all the way:

Specs:
Product Name CZ 557 Carbine
SKU 04854
Chambering 6.5x55
Rate Of Twist 1:8.6 in
Magazine Capacity 4
Magazine Type Hinged Floorplate
Stock Turkish Walnut, American-Style with Cheekpiece, Oil Finish
Length Of Pull 13.75 in
Sights Iron Sights, Integral 19mm Dovetails
Barrel Cold Hammer Forged Barrel
Length 20.5 in
Overall Length 41.5 in
Weight 7.25 lbs
Trigger Mech Fully Adjustable
Safety Two-Position, Push-To-Fire

Having spent time stationed in Germany while in the service of our country, I know a little bit about European girls and there are some really fine ones out there if you're the discriminating type and don't jump at the first thing that's offered up.

There's what I'm looking at right now. I have a lead on the .223 and the 7.62X39MM guns right now and I can get them at darn near wholesale if I jump on it. I will have to wait until after shot show on the other two if some are to come into stock. I know I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy the 557, but wanted to hear arguments/comments on other possible "gentle" calibers and other bolt actions I should look at and consider before buying these.

[Ranch Dog]

Get the CZ! .... oh, which one?

Definitely a quality firearm and I like the thought of just buying them all.

Okay, still no help but I know you will end up with them all. I would jump on the two good deals.

[akuser47]

Cz 527 I'm still waiting on a Kevlar version as I don't want a pretty one I want it to be field use able without worry of dings n scratches. Lol

[RBHarter]

I'm partial to 7x57 for a heavier rifle and for all of the same reasons most 6.5x55 shooters love them . The available 7mm bullets are a plus as well as all the moulds .

I think I would go for the 223 of the other 3 over the 762 x39 especially if you have a 30-30 available.

[farmerjim]

I like the 223 and the 7.62.
Have you considered a muzzle brake on a 30-06 or .308. I have shot a7mm mag with a brake that had less recoil than a .223

[DaveInGA]

Get the CZ! .... oh, which one?

Definitely a quality firearm and I like the thought of just buying them all.

Okay, still no help but I know you will end up with them all. I would jump on the two good deals.

My FFL buddy did some checking and after doing the math, he's figured out the cheapest way to buy them is for him to send a copy of his FFL to Buds Gun Shop online, let me send them a check and him just receive them. Otherwise, he has to charge me tax and that blows the deal. Buying from Bud's and paying the FFL a receiving fee is the least expensive way to buy a rifle these days apparently, unless the LGS bought a big shipment and have them on the shelf cheap to start with.

I'm lucky in that my buddy won't take my money, so only way I can pay him back is to buy him something or take him hunting, fishing or some such, which is a win-win for me.

[DaveInGA]

Cz 527 I'm still waiting on a Kevlar version as I don't want a pretty one I want it to be field use able without worry of dings n scratches. Lol

I guess I'm old school. I prefer a good looking walnut stock and blued steel. Partly for the looks, partly for the feel, partly for the weight, all kinds of things. They have synthetic stocks, but they don't do anything for me, which is odd, because I love an AR rifle. I just love a wood stocked rifle as well. Walnut is lighter than laminate, but I'd like laminate too, they just don't offer it. I'm also not afraid to scratch a pretty walnut stock, because I prefer a oil finish and if the wood is scratched, no bigs, I can clean it up and re-oil. Now they do have a shiney finish on some of the CZ's, but if it isn't oil, I'll likely strip it and put oil on.

All that said, I have learned the art of protecting my rifle in the field. It'll often look spotless, while I myself will look like a drowned, wet, muddy rat.

[DaveInGA]

I'm partial to 7x57 for a heavier rifle and for all of the same reasons most 6.5x55 shooters love them . The available 7mm bullets are a plus as well as all the moulds .

I think I would go for the 223 of the other 3 over the 762 x39 especially if you have a 30-30 available.

RB, could you talk more on the 7 X 57 vs the 6.5 X 55? I like the bullet availability, but the biggest animal I'm looking at shooting is a Southeastern White Tail Deer out to 400 yards. In all honesty, the deer are so small and ranges are typically much less than 400, close to 100 or less most times, so it's not really going to take much rifle to accomplish that. I cast lead bullets and have a healthy supply of lead, so commercial availability is not as important to me as the comfort of my old shoulder. I would be shooting .308 if my shoulder was healthy, but it's never going to be again.

On the 30-30, I don't have one available, so the 7.62 X 39MM would probably fill that niche for me. I had looked strongly at buying an older Marlin 336 in that caliber, but the local swap & sell board here in Georgia, while very active, has raised prices to the point now they're pretty close to new retail, even on older weapons that are like new. No good deals to be had. I can buy the CZ brand new, with warranty, for a rifle that's close to the same weight, maybe even less and easier to mount a scope on for me. I haven't used my new "laser corrected" eyes enough with iron sights to know for sure if I can do without a scope like I used to.

[Steve]

All that said, I have learned the art of protecting my rifle in the field. It'll often look spotless, while I myself will look like a drowned, wet, muddy rat.

I got my feet tangled in some weeds in a marshy area, fell forward and wound up face down looking at my Winchester 22 mag still in my hands and covered with about 8 inches of water. I'll never forget that sight. Rifle got it's best cleaning ever when I got home.

[DaveInGA]

All that said, I have learned the art of protecting my rifle in the field. It'll often look spotless, while I myself will look like a drowned, wet, muddy rat.

I got my feet tangled in some weeds in a marshy area, fell forward and wound up face down looking at my Winchester 22 mag still in my hands and covered with about 8 inches of water. I'll never forget that sight. Rifle got it's best cleaning ever when I got home.

I bet it did. That would aggravated me good.