DmacD
AH enthusiast
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2016
- Messages
- 352
- Reaction score
- 630
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Media
- 47
- Hunted
- Canada, U.S.A., Namibia, England, South Africa
Well, since it is a rainy day here, and the list of manufactured priorities my wife left for me is now completed, I thought I would take the opportunity to post a review of some new (to me) BRNO rifles and Meopta scopes that I have added to the fold.
First, the rifles. I acquired this BRNO ZKK-600 last fall. Too late for the deer season, but I have been making up for that by regularly ringing gongs and punching holes in paper ever since. Chambered in 7x57 Mauser, the first I have ever owned or shot for that matter, I find it very mild in recoil. Accurate, not amazingly so, but it does group around an inch at 1oo meters consistently. It likes the 174 grain ammo weight the best. Unlike some CZ 550's that I own, it does not have a set trigger. The date of manufacture looks to be 1988 by the stamp. I took a chance, for the first time, and bought the rifle in an online auction sight unseen. Normally that makes me cringe with the feeling that I am about to be duped into buying a pig-in-a-poke, but I got lucky I think. It was advertised as a 9/10, and I would totally agree. Whoever owned it before me either never shot it, or was very particular about it's maintenance.
Next up, another BRNO, this time a ZKK-602 chambered in .375 H&H Magnum. Oh boy, I think I now understand what all this big bore fuss is all about! Talk about a gateway drug, I have been scouring my usual haunts looking for more of this stuff ever since I took her home!
Anyway, I bought this BRNO, partly because of the recent reports of the CZ 550 ceasing production, and partly because ever since I got back from my first safari I have been scheming about justifying my triumphant return. Buffalo, perhaps............?
The recoil is...... stout, but not obnoxious. I have a 550 in 9.3x62, and find the recoil of that comparable to a 12 gauge waterfowl load, while the .375 feels like a full strength turkey load to me. This one has the hogs back, or Bavarian style stock (like the 9.3) which seems to fit me very well. There is also the matter of the safety, forward for safe, rearward for fire like the other BRNO in 7x57. I treat it like the hammer on an old coach gun, and that seems to work for me. Iron sights only so far, but I can ring the 100 meter gong off the sticks, so I am pleased.
This .375 has a set trigger, not like the ones on a CZ 550, but a set trigger nonetheless. The trigger on the 55o, in my mind is fantastic. I have a full stock 550 in 6.5x55 Swedish with a set trigger that is astonishing, and the one on the 9.3x62 is almost as good and could be made as good as the Swede if I spent some time on it I think. This BRNO rifle has a little more life experience than the other one, with a few more scratches and stock dings, maybe a 7/10, but I still consider it to be in very good shape. Looks like a 198o vintage.
Now for the glass. Meopta is rare in my neck of the woods, like, Mr. Snuffleupagus rare. Tales have been told that it exists, but so far, no one has actually looked at one. People have seen videos on YouTube, and maybe seen an advertisement or two in an American hunting magazine, but that is it. I have been a Leupold man, as Leupold has been considered the creme of the crop where I come from. They are rugged, quality optics, and I own two VX-R's, one in 2-7, and one in 3-9, and I love the red dot and German #4 reticle on them.
I have however, been in the mood to change things up, and set my sights on Meopta, due to online research and YouTube searches. The problem is, that here in Canada, if you can even find one, the tariffs tacked on make them much too expensive an option. The solution came on a trip to the U.S.A., and a chance encounter with a retail store that was having a blow-out on Meopta optics. I walked out of there with three scopes, two Meopro 6x42 fixed power with the German #4, and a Meopro 3.5-10x44 RD (red dot, not unlike the Leupold) with what Meopta calls a BDC reticle. Not as nice as a German #4 in my mind, kind of like the Leupold Duplex with fine hairs in the centre.
One 6x42 sits on the BRNO 7x57. The glass is exceptional, great in low light, and the German #4 reticle really draws the eye to the target. I have not hunted with it yet, but I am certain that it will work beautifully here in the deer woods, where most shots are taken at either first or last light within 200 meters.
I was wondering if perhaps the other fixed power should be mounted on the .375 H&H? I would think that it would work nicely for an eventual Buffalo hunt, with the reach for additional plains game within reasonable distances?
The 3.5-10x44 now sits atop the CZ 550 9.3x62. Perhaps a little overkill in the magnification, but what a piece of glass! Again, range work only so far, but very happy with it. The red dot is activated by a dial on the left side, unlike the push button of the Leupold. I find this to be more user friendly, turn the dial to activate the red dot, the next position turning it off, turn again to increase the intensity, then off again.
That's it for now, thank you all for indulging me in my rainy afternoon time killing session. Hopefully in the future, I can post some pictures of these rifle and scope combinations out in the field, laying across a animal or two destined for the grill.
First, the rifles. I acquired this BRNO ZKK-600 last fall. Too late for the deer season, but I have been making up for that by regularly ringing gongs and punching holes in paper ever since. Chambered in 7x57 Mauser, the first I have ever owned or shot for that matter, I find it very mild in recoil. Accurate, not amazingly so, but it does group around an inch at 1oo meters consistently. It likes the 174 grain ammo weight the best. Unlike some CZ 550's that I own, it does not have a set trigger. The date of manufacture looks to be 1988 by the stamp. I took a chance, for the first time, and bought the rifle in an online auction sight unseen. Normally that makes me cringe with the feeling that I am about to be duped into buying a pig-in-a-poke, but I got lucky I think. It was advertised as a 9/10, and I would totally agree. Whoever owned it before me either never shot it, or was very particular about it's maintenance.
Next up, another BRNO, this time a ZKK-602 chambered in .375 H&H Magnum. Oh boy, I think I now understand what all this big bore fuss is all about! Talk about a gateway drug, I have been scouring my usual haunts looking for more of this stuff ever since I took her home!
Anyway, I bought this BRNO, partly because of the recent reports of the CZ 550 ceasing production, and partly because ever since I got back from my first safari I have been scheming about justifying my triumphant return. Buffalo, perhaps............?
The recoil is...... stout, but not obnoxious. I have a 550 in 9.3x62, and find the recoil of that comparable to a 12 gauge waterfowl load, while the .375 feels like a full strength turkey load to me. This one has the hogs back, or Bavarian style stock (like the 9.3) which seems to fit me very well. There is also the matter of the safety, forward for safe, rearward for fire like the other BRNO in 7x57. I treat it like the hammer on an old coach gun, and that seems to work for me. Iron sights only so far, but I can ring the 100 meter gong off the sticks, so I am pleased.
This .375 has a set trigger, not like the ones on a CZ 550, but a set trigger nonetheless. The trigger on the 55o, in my mind is fantastic. I have a full stock 550 in 6.5x55 Swedish with a set trigger that is astonishing, and the one on the 9.3x62 is almost as good and could be made as good as the Swede if I spent some time on it I think. This BRNO rifle has a little more life experience than the other one, with a few more scratches and stock dings, maybe a 7/10, but I still consider it to be in very good shape. Looks like a 198o vintage.
Now for the glass. Meopta is rare in my neck of the woods, like, Mr. Snuffleupagus rare. Tales have been told that it exists, but so far, no one has actually looked at one. People have seen videos on YouTube, and maybe seen an advertisement or two in an American hunting magazine, but that is it. I have been a Leupold man, as Leupold has been considered the creme of the crop where I come from. They are rugged, quality optics, and I own two VX-R's, one in 2-7, and one in 3-9, and I love the red dot and German #4 reticle on them.
I have however, been in the mood to change things up, and set my sights on Meopta, due to online research and YouTube searches. The problem is, that here in Canada, if you can even find one, the tariffs tacked on make them much too expensive an option. The solution came on a trip to the U.S.A., and a chance encounter with a retail store that was having a blow-out on Meopta optics. I walked out of there with three scopes, two Meopro 6x42 fixed power with the German #4, and a Meopro 3.5-10x44 RD (red dot, not unlike the Leupold) with what Meopta calls a BDC reticle. Not as nice as a German #4 in my mind, kind of like the Leupold Duplex with fine hairs in the centre.
One 6x42 sits on the BRNO 7x57. The glass is exceptional, great in low light, and the German #4 reticle really draws the eye to the target. I have not hunted with it yet, but I am certain that it will work beautifully here in the deer woods, where most shots are taken at either first or last light within 200 meters.
I was wondering if perhaps the other fixed power should be mounted on the .375 H&H? I would think that it would work nicely for an eventual Buffalo hunt, with the reach for additional plains game within reasonable distances?
The 3.5-10x44 now sits atop the CZ 550 9.3x62. Perhaps a little overkill in the magnification, but what a piece of glass! Again, range work only so far, but very happy with it. The red dot is activated by a dial on the left side, unlike the push button of the Leupold. I find this to be more user friendly, turn the dial to activate the red dot, the next position turning it off, turn again to increase the intensity, then off again.
That's it for now, thank you all for indulging me in my rainy afternoon time killing session. Hopefully in the future, I can post some pictures of these rifle and scope combinations out in the field, laying across a animal or two destined for the grill.
). We will see how she does this winter but my blued guns are still coming out to hunt. And if I had only 1 rifle, there would be no question about it. 
