CZ 527 American in 6.5 G

[JDHasty]

I just got my annual CZ catalog/magazine and they have two listed.  One w/24 inch barrel. 

I have four 527s and all are 1/2 inch five shot group capable. 

[wadu1]

Played with one at the ShotShow this past week, it was sweet. I have 4 CZ's as well all shoot lights out, the best is my 6.5X55 Sweed.

[jay.sharkbait]

Gun tinkerers have been doing this for a while.

[JDHasty]

Played with one at the ShotShow this past week, it was sweet. I have 4 CZ's as well all shoot lights out, the best is my 6.5X55 Sweed.

I am not aware of another offering that is not a step up that shoots the way these 527s shoot out of the box.  I have found that getting the bullet right up close to the lands is all it usually takes.   I think a lot of it has to do with the hammer forged barrels they use on them. 

But it does have to do with the action itself, I cannot begin to remember how many friends tried to get Mini Mark X rifles to shoot, and even with a premium barrel and bedding the action they were all still mediocre at best.  I used to sell a few Mini-Mark X rifles and always told prospective buyers that they should expect a couple inches, and be thrilled if you get an over-achiever that will give up an inch and a quarter groups.  If I know they were going to ho to herioc measures I always tried to get them to spend the money up front and get a Sako A1 rifle or a Kimber Mod 84 instead of chasing a dream spending the same in smaller increments and still being half-satisfied.  This was long before the ban was lifted and Bruno/CZ could come in except through Canada. 

I would say that yote hunters were usually satisfied with a Mini-Mark X, once they got the action slicked up and the bolt could be worked w/o binding.  Prairie dog shooters never had what they wanted in a "walking varmint rifle" with them though.

BUT, they do have a hinged floor plate and staggered magazine and that was a big plus.  Once they were slicked up they did feed better than any 527 I have ever used.   

Sure wish detachable magazines weren't "all the rage" currently and the Howa Mini I just bought had either a blind magazine or a hinged floor plate instead of a magazine hanging down.  With my 22 inch #2 barrel, and I suspect the heavy barrel even better, the Howa magazine location, combined with the Hogue hollow but on the stock does allow carry by holding it in front of the mag though.  The 20" # 1 barrel it is not going to balance there though, and before anyone puts a Boyd's laminated stock on one they should be aware that it is going to shift the balance back and you don't have any wiggle room with a 22 inch #2 barrel.

[yorketransport]

Good to see CZ listening to it's customers! The little 6.5 Grendel is a great fit in the 527. Perfect for a compact hunting rifle.

[JDHasty]

Good to see CZ listening to it's customers! The little 6.5 Grendel is a great fit in the 527. Perfect for a compact hunting rifle.

It is long over due.  The 6.5 G is better than anything else mini-action currently offered.  Howa got out in front of this and offers a good, solid rifle that feeds well, the CZ magazine doesn't.  But today the Howa is dropping the mag with anything more than 223.

IDK how I would proceed, but the CZ stock is alluring, as opposed to the Hogue Howa offers.  It is about first shot accuracy and CZ hammer forges their barrel and Howa short draws theirs and both are as good as any custom barrel on the market today. 

I don't have a preference, except for the 24 inch barrel CZ offers, but given the case capacity I may be way off base thinking that that is an advantage.  Unless I do the research and find that powders are available that make that an advantage.

As it stands today:  Same price, I go with CZ because their stock is SO MUCH nicer.   I like a good looking gun, all else being equal.   

[JDHasty]

And York.  If it were not for people, like you, who actually put your money where your mouth is, and showed how great this option can be... we would not be having this discussion. 

Not that I did not recognize it, and recommend it to CZ two plus years ago, but what I was going on was just the numbers.

I hunt medium and big game with my old, tried and true,  348 mod 71 and my oldy and moldy 300 WBY, and they suit me just fine.  But I did recognize where the 6.5 G fits in theoretically, you shewed where it performs as advertised. 

[yorketransport]

I do think CZ is missing the mark by using a 24" barrel. The Grendel does great out of a short barrel and I'll take 2450 fps with a 130 from an 18-19" barrel and shorter lighter rifle over an extra 100 fps from the longer barrel.

As for the magazine on the CZ, I've had pretty good luck with mine on the 6.5 Grendel, but the bolt needs to be cycled pretty aggressively  or else it will bind up. Not a problem as long as you work the action like it's a hunting rifle and not like a BR rifle.

[b23]

Can't speak for any of them except for my 527 17 Hornet but I sanded/ground/polished any and all rough spots on the follower and lightly sanded and polished to a mirror finish the feed lips on the magazine in mine and it definitely helped.  On mine, the extractor was a little tight and was rubbing a bit more than I thought it should.  It would make the bolt feel draggy and almost make it want to bind up if you didn't cycle the bolt a specific way but now it feeds and cycles MUCH better than it did out of the box.

[lamrith]

Nice to see more Bolt action rifles being made in this caliber.  I love my AR in 6.5G