Got the CZ blues

Mark Biggerstaff said:

Feel your pain. I am dealing with one in 458 Lott. Been to CZ once. At Waynes for second time now. Issue it is having can not get a scope to zero at 100 yards. Run out of elevation in scopes trying to zero.

I would first try contact CZ about it.

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Mark, what rings are you using? I use Talley QD low rings and have no issues.[/QUOTE]

I help out with the PH shooting exams in Zimbabwe. I have seen at least 100 rifles of all makes, CZ, Winchester,Whitworth, Remington and Weatherby. Wichester and CZ are most common. Only seen a couple of push feeds and both the guys were well practised and flew through the exam.Rifle malfunctions occur in all actions-particularly with flat nose solids. I reckon of the guys doing their exam, 70 % will have a rifle feed issue. It may be magazines pushing out two rounds or jams. I worked on my rifle until it will feed a bullet seated backwards in a Lott but Win Mag still jams occassionally, especially with 450 gr bullets. 480 gr are better but still not 100 %

So whatever the action, test your rifle with various ammo UNDER PRESSURE until you are sure it works. Do drills against the clock. Andthen get a gunsmith to fix it if it doesn'tfeed flawlessly. And hunting videos will also back me up. Go watch a few buffalo hunts and see how much fumbling there is on the second shot.

Lastly, Woodleigh solids are the best feeding solids bullets IMHO. Avoid anything with a meplat.Softs-Swift A-Frames are a good choice. The spitzer curve rides in off the chamber mouth. (Your bullets are sticking on the corner of the chamber mouth from the look of those points and the Swift will slide in and is a good bullet as well)

I would start by trying to find 3or4 loaded Lott cartridges and load them in the mag they won’t chamber all the way but should show you if feed improves. My second step would be to purchase a new follower spring and install that. Third find a gunsmith.

Scott Talley QD 30 mm. Swarovski Z6i 1-6
Scope bottomed out on elevation and is 12 inches low at 25 yards. 26 low at 100. This time around. Wayne had me send it to CZ and they said the fixed it. Worse now. Was only 10 low at 100 when I sent it to them. Thats why Wayne has it back now. Gun was new and sent to Wayne for a #1 and barrel shorten. He set up open sights and a Kahles red dot on it. No problems. Then I decided to scope and thats when the trouble started. Would not sight in with a scope. He said send to CZ. Well they made it worse. So Wayne has it now.

I just don’t understand a company that apparently is perfectly content regularly shipping rifles that don't function properly - particularly rifles that may be used for dangerous game. What is even more perplexing, is a consumer base that continues to reward them by buying the things.

Sure, if the plan from the beginning is to buy the rifle and hand it over to Wayne (now there is a smart businessman) along with more money (sometimes a lot more money) to create a dependable rifle - then fine. I have an extensively reworked CZ action incorporated into one of my finest custom rifles.

Unfortunately, a lot of hunters who are planning for their first African experience, instead see the CZ as what it supposedly is marketed to be - an affordable, out of the box ready rifle. The rifle they get turns out to be anything but safari ready. It provides frustration, delay, and additional expenses. There are other choices out there. Heck, for the cost of the rifle and repair (I'm sorry - "tuning" ) there are several other choices - the vast majority of which operate exactly as advertised out of the box.

I have had a Winchester shotgun jam bad on a problem bear. It really sours one on a brand when one has problems, especially in a tense situation. I don't own Winchester's now.

I have seen two sako rifles with troubles, and I have only ever been around those two sakos. One fired when closing the bolt, and another one had a bad jam.

I have had a jam and a light primer strike in a marlin 45/70. I do not trust that rifle unless hunting deer or chickens.

I have never had a jam , or any problems with my CZ 375. My other cz rifles I have not had a track record long enough with them to say.

Trust is earned in rifles, and once you lose it in a rifle it is hard , if ever , to get it back.

Red Leg said:

I just don’t understand a company that apparently is perfectly content regularly shipping rifles that don't function properly - particularly rifles that may be used for dangerous game. What is even more perplexing, is a consumer base that continues to reward them by buying the things.

Sure, if the plan from the beginning is to buy the rifle and hand it over to Wayne (now there is a smart businessman) along with more money (sometimes a lot more money) to create a dependable rifle - then fine. I have an extensively reworked CZ action incorporated into one of my finest custom rifles.

Unfortunately, a lot of hunters who are planning for their first African experience, instead see the CZ as what it supposedly is marketed to be - an affordable, out of the box ready rifle. The rifle they get turns out to be anything but safari ready. It provides frustration, delay, and additional expenses. There are other choices out there. Heck, for the cost of the rifle and repair (I'm sorry - "tuning" ) there are several other choices - the vast majority of which operate exactly as advertised out of the box.

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Couldn't agree more. Let me preface that I LOVE CZ rifles. I'm still upset I got rid of my CZ 550 UHR in .300 Win Mag. But I cannot stand how gritty and rough the actions are. I've owned a 550 Safari in 375 H&H and 416 Rigby and both had horridly gritty actions, as did my 550 UHR which was a "custom" rifle. It didn't bother me on the UHR because that was basically for deer and elk. But I can't imagine using a stock one on DG and having to worry about the action binding up.

It's disappointing because I love the actions in terms of their strength; and I love everything else about the 550 rifles: set trigger, cold hammer forged barrel, magazine capacity, iron sights, nice wood, accuracy, etc.

In contrast I love my Model 70 in 416 Rem Mag, and the 375 variant I previously owned. The action on the new Model 70s is smooth as glass on an oil slick and I've never had feeding issues with any type of bullet. I just trust it way more than the CZ offerings for DG.

Honestly if CZ just tweaked the action and smoothed it up some I'd prefer it over the Model 70, and I am a Model 70 fanboy.

Agree, Wayne will put his lovely single stage match trigger, an M70 type safety and straighten and fill the bolt for a very reasonable cost (CZ #1 upgrade) AND fix your feeding/functioning problems. Well worth it. He did the CZ #1 upgrade for my 500 Jeffery

colorado said:

Agree, Wayne will put his lovely single stage match trigger, an M70 type safety and straighten and fill the bolt for a very reasonable cost (CZ #1 upgrade) AND fix your feeding/functioning problems. Well worth it. He did the CZ #1 upgrade for my 500 Jeffery

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Problem is OP is in Ontario, Canada and AHR is in Montana, US. Adds yet another layer of cost and headache to fixing something that shouldn't need to be fixed.

Best bet may be to either sell with full disclosure of issue or beat the bushes in Canada to locate a smith familiar enough with CZs to take on the project.

I think if he had some loads with swift a frames, nosler partitions, woodleighs, Barnes TSX , he may find it feeds just fine. Not sure if he loads his own or not.

Well guy's, now i feel a little better. Picked up the box of Nosler 500g solids and put the box thru the cycle 3 times. 60 rounds and not a hiccup. I know that proves very little and i made arrangements to get the gun to a smith that has CZ experience, but at least i know all is not lost. Thanks again one and all.

Actually going to do my own reloads. That is how i wound up with the 450g softs. Bought them on a private deal for more or less the cost of the brass. Figured i would use them at the range, then have the brass to reload. Going to hold on to them and if the smith can smooth the gun up, then i will stick to my original plan. Shoot them, then reload with 500s.

That's great news! Hopefully it works as well as your Rigby.

I had a factory mannlicher stocked CZ 550 .308. Trigger sucked. Replaced it with a Timney. Action was rough, Polished it up. Magazine had issues. Sold it. Guy who bought it from me cracked the stock within a week of owning it. Learned lesson. Buy Model 70s. Don’t buy CZs. One man’s opinion.

Mark Biggerstaff said:

Scott Talley QD 30 mm. Swarovski Z6i 1-6
Scope bottomed out on elevation and is 12 inches low at 25 yards. 26 low at 100. This time around. Wayne had me send it to CZ and they said the fixed it. Worse now. Was only 10 low at 100 when I sent it to them. Thats why Wayne has it back now. Gun was new and sent to Wayne for a #1 and barrel shorten. He set up open sights and a Kahles red dot on it. No problems. Then I decided to scope and thats when the trouble started. Would not sight in with a scope. He said send to CZ. Well they made it worse. So Wayne has it now.

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Wow, what a mess. Sounds like when the barrel is put in that it is pointing down and away from the action and square bridge? Or maybe the square bridge is tweaked downward? Weird. Have you tried low, medium and high rings?

Scott CWO said:

Wow, what a mess. Sounds like when the barrel is put in that it is pointing down and away from the action and square bridge? Or maybe the square bridge is tweaked downward? Weird. Have you tried low, medium and high rings?

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Ring height does not matter. Wayne thinks a barrel to bridge alignment issue

Ooops. Doubme posted

Polish the feed ramp and rails . Are there any scuff marks on the brass?

Or find a ZKK602......

Red Leg said:

I just don’t understand a company that apparently is perfectly content regularly shipping rifles that don't function properly - particularly rifles that may be used for dangerous game. What is even more perplexing, is a consumer base that continues to reward them by buying the things.

Sure, if the plan from the beginning is to buy the rifle and hand it over to Wayne (now there is a smart businessman) along with more money (sometimes a lot more money) to create a dependable rifle - then fine. I have an extensively reworked CZ action incorporated into one of my finest custom rifles.

Unfortunately, a lot of hunters who are planning for their first African experience, instead see the CZ as what it supposedly is marketed to be - an affordable, out of the box ready rifle. The rifle they get turns out to be anything but safari ready. It provides frustration, delay, and additional expenses. There are other choices out there. Heck, for the cost of the rifle and repair (I'm sorry - "tuning" ) there are several other choices - the vast majority of which operate exactly as advertised out of the box.

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+1 @Red Leg
Pay now or pay later...the choice is yours.
Pay now - buy a semi-custom rifle that is DG ready out of the box for about $4K.
Pay later - buy a CZ and have it worked over to be DG ready for about $4K.

When it comes to CZ, if you don't have the necessary skills...have a pro look at it.
I've heard @One Day... talk about how he can slick up a CZ500.
But without the requisite knowledge & skills, you could just be damaging your rifle.
If not AHR, find someone in Canada who knows what they are doing.
Trying to save a few pennies can end up costing you hundreds of dollars.

Changing ammo is a temporary solution to a problem that will come up again.
And it will never happen at a good time either.
You need the problem corrected, not a band-aid.