CZ, Sako, Ruger, Kimber?

Ryanlo · Jan 25, 2018

Starting to look around for another rifle. Have a CZ 404. No problems with it feeding but see it a lot on here. Not sure what Cal yet but want something bigger. Wanting to hear some thoughts on a nice handling factory rifle.

ve7poi · Jan 25, 2018

Sako 85 500 Jeffery or 416 Rigby both have easy to see iron sights and my 500 I put a mercury tube in when I lengthened pull balances perfectly now befor slightly nose heavy.

cpr0312 · Jan 25, 2018

Sako and Kimbers are nice rifles! Are you parting ways with the .404??? Let me know if you do and call me :A Callme:

!

wesheltonj · Jan 25, 2018

SAKO, one piece bolt, barrel that does not require a break-in, out of the box accurate without having to work on the gun.

BenKK · Jan 25, 2018

I love my Sako .500J! Just getting a better recoil pad put on, and a finer front bead.

But killed six buffalo and a few pigs with the rifle as standard.

Ryanlo · Jan 25, 2018

reedy0312 said:
Sako and Kimbers are nice rifles! Are you parting ways with the .404??? Let me know if you do and call me!

Nope keeping it. It’s to fun to shoot. If I ever do sell it I will be sure to post it on here

matt85 · Jan 26, 2018

i vote none of your options... go with AHR! http://americanhuntingrifles.com/?page_id=33

if i could swing for another rifle it would be an AHR in 458 Lott. i had one of their rifles in 505 Gibbs and it was a fantastic rifle! sadly it ended up getting sold to help fund my double rifle but some day i will buy another.

-matt

Tokoloshe Safaris · Jan 26, 2018

I am very "sold" on cz 550s but not as the come from the factory or even the custom shop. AHR puts out a fine product & customer service is #1. How to improve on the .404 J thats a tough one. I love .416 Rigby, but not much difference.

matt85 · Jan 26, 2018

a less expensive option is to buy a CZ 550 and send it to AHR for his upgrades. but personally I would spend the extra $$ and get a rifle made from the ground up by him... you wont regret it!

if your moving up from the 404 Jeffery then id suggest the 458 Lott. the Lott is a very versatile cartridge and can be loaded up or down to meet your desired performance and the bullet selection for .458" is excellent.

-matt

Philip Glass · Jan 26, 2018

Can go wrong with Ruger. I have both .375 and .416. I’ve seen CZ’s have feeding issues in bad situations.

Custom · Jan 26, 2018

The suggestion for an AHR is a good one. Also, the comments about 416 vs 404 are true, not much difference. I'm partial to model 70s and you could step up to a 458 win. Also 416 Rem, but as was said, no real gain over the 404. Having said all that, I have a 404 and 416 in M70, and 416 Rigby and 458 Lott in Ruger RSM. Why? Just because! I just had the 404 custom stocked and it is far and away my favorite med/big bore.

mdwest · Jan 26, 2018

I dont think you would be wrong for picking any one of those options.. its really just a matter of preference..

for me personally.. I like rugers and winchesters..

But I wouldnt cry over getting a good deal on a kimber, sako, or CZ..

If you really like the CZ platform, and are already familiar and comfortable with it.. IF your new rifle did end up having some feeding issues (or any other issues), I've never seen a CZ that couldnt be taken to a competent gunsmith and have any/all issues worked out.. AHR could certainly do it for you (and would be reasonably affordable)..

ChrisG · Jan 26, 2018

I second the AHR recommended by @matt85 . They are so reasonable priced for what is essentially a custom rifle built on a CZ550 magnum action. You can go all the way up to .600 Overkill. I would recommend something in the .500 Jeff-.505 Gibbs. I know the Jeffrey is the powerhouse and has the "normal" .50 cal bullet diameter making bullets easier to come by for reloading... but that .505 is just a sweet looking shell! Without at rebated rim to boot!

matt85 · Jan 26, 2018

Custom said:
I'm partial to model 70s and you could step up to a 458 win.

no offense intended to you Custom, but the least comfortable factory gun ive ever fired was a Winchester M70 in 458 WM. the M70 is fantastic in 375 H&H and 416 RM (i own one in 416 RM and love it) but they did not make the 458 WM heavy enough or balanced well enough to be shootable. i would rather fire 10 rounds from a 600 NE in rapid succession then fire 3 rounds from a Winchester M70 in 458 WM.

-matt

Red Leg · Jan 26, 2018

I love my two Sako's (Arctos in 9.3 and '06). HOWEVER, you put Kimber on your list, and I think the Kimber Caprivi is the finest factory made DG rifle built in the last 30 years - at least until the Rigby Big Game was introduced (at a whole different price point). Modeled on the classic English big game rifles of the Golden Years, it has modern dimensions configured for a scope or its excellent open sights. It is available in .416 and .458 (along with the excellent .375 version). http://www.kimberamerica.com/caprivi

BenKK · Jan 26, 2018

matt85 said:
no offense intended to you Custom, but the least comfortable factory gun ive ever fired was a Winchester M70 in 458 WM. the M70 is fantastic in 375 H&H and 416 RM (i own one in 416 RM and love it) but they did not make the 458 WM heavy enough or balanced well enough to be shootable. i would rather fire 10 rounds from a 600 NE in rapid succession then fire 3 rounds from a Winchester M70 in 458 WM.

-matt

I had a Model 70 .458WM and it was a dream to shoot!

fourfive8 · Jan 26, 2018

Could be a slightly different stock geometry or even the recoil pad. I know that a worn out "honeycomb" recoil pad or a thick, very soft pad can be worse than no pad. IMO the hard portion of the butt then gets a kinetic energy run at the shoulder- ouch! Also the drop at comb and length of pull have a lot to do with "felt" recoil. Put the wrong shaped stock for an individual's physical geometry on a heavy recoiling gun and both the shoulder and cheek get a beating simultaneously. With all other things being equal, a light gun will recoil more and have more felt recoil than a heavy gun. But a 458 Win mag firing a certain weight bullet at a certain velocity cannot defy the laws of physics.

matt85 · Jan 26, 2018

the Win M70 I shot was a brand new gun, the owner was just breaking it in... or trying to before the sharp pain to the shoulder stopped him. he had both me and another shooter (both very experienced with heavy rifles) try the gun and we agreed it was horrible. perhaps the gun fits some people just right and doesn't feel bad to shoot or perhaps people are putting a very heavy scope on it (the gun I tried was just iron sights).

I cant comment on the Kimber Caprivi other then that its VERY LIGHT. I handled a Caprivi in 458 Lott at the Dallas gun show and it was under 8 pounds which was just silly for its chambering.

-matt

Red Leg · Jan 26, 2018

matt85 said:
the Win M70 I shot was a brand new gun, the owner was just breaking it in... or trying to before the sharp pain to the shoulder stopped him. he had both me and another shooter (both very experienced with heavy rifles) try the gun and we agreed it was horrible. perhaps the gun fits some people just right and doesn't feel bad to shoot or perhaps people are putting a very heavy scope on it (the gun I tried was just iron sights).

I cant comment on the Kimber Caprivi other then that its VERY LIGHT. I handled a Caprivi in 458 Lott at the Dallas gun show and it was under 8 pounds which was just silly for its chambering.

-matt

I am surprised. I don't own one, and of course, I don't carry a scale with me, but the design weight of the Caprivi - without ammo or scope - is 8 lbs 10 ounces. That means it is a nine pound rifle all decked out for the prom. Again, I haven't weighed one, but 0ver the last decade I have shot two in .375 and one in .416 and had someone asked me, I would have said they were in that weight class. Recoil was what I would have expected in those calibers. All three, like all Kimbers I have seen, were supremely accurate, with perfect trigger pulls.

I think from a manufacturing, finish, and reliability perspective the Caprivi is in a class well above Ruger and CZ. As DG rifle, its mauser action is superior to Sako - and I note again - I am a Sako fan.

matt85 · Jan 27, 2018

Red Leg said:
I am surprised. I don't own one, and of course, I don't carry a scale with me, but the design weight of the Caprivi - without ammo or scope - is 8 lbs 10 ounces. That means it is a nine pound rifle all decked out for the prom. Again, I haven't weighed one, but 0ver the last decade I have shot two in .375 and one in .416 and had someone asked me, I would have said they were in that weight class. Recoil was what I would have expected in those calibers. All three, like all Kimbers I have seen, were supremely accurate, with perfect trigger pulls.

I think from a manufacturing, finish, and reliability perspective the Caprivi is in a class well above Ruger and CZ. As DG rifle, its mauser action is superior to Sako - and I note again - I am a Sako fan.

its likely the Caprivi uses the same barrel profile for all its chamberings (just like Winchester). this would mean the gun could weigh 8 pounds 10 ounces when chambered in 375 but when chambered in 458 it would weigh much less. the Win M70 i fired in 458 WM was around 8 pounds (didnt weigh it but it was light).

the proper weight for a 458 Lott should be 10+ pounds empty. if i were to have a 458 Lott made for me, i would have it weigh 11 pounds empty because i would use the irons. a 458 Lott generates about the same recoil as a 500 NE so i treat it as such.

-matt

CZ, Sako, Ruger, Kimber?

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