Thanks for the info and votes everyone! Tis been informative with reviews and such. Does anybody happen to be in the MA/NH area with one or both of these, or know of a store with them? :P
A bit more info not specified in the beginning of this...
RE: Ruger - Appreciate the advice, but held/worked a Ruger (quite a few - 77 Hawkeye I & II, Frontier, RSi Fullstock), just can't get behind one. Trigger/bolt feel is kinda...ick, in a personal-feel kinda way.
I also am stuck-up on getting a Euro rifle, for some oddball reason. :P
Steyr's are VERY pretty, IMO, as I own one of the "ugliest" pistols made - the M40A1, and love its looks, style, and feel.
Likewise I love milsurps, their weight, bulk, and tank-solid build, hence the attraction to the CZ. Under 7lbs gets too light, wielded a Tikka T3 Lite with a scope recently, couldn't stand it, I felt more scope than gun >.<.
Winchesters and Rugers are nice, but their wrist is a bit thin, and the leading edge of the buttstock/wrist (behind trigger, where the middle/ring/pinky fingers wrap) felt thin. As did a Steyr Scout I handled.
Is a 550 FS bulkier than a 527 FS by chance? I have yet to hold either a PH or a 550...which makes this choice just as hard.
VAnimrod - you aren't the first to comment on a warping CZ stock, also something that detracts me from a FS. That said, you can't easily top the ruggedness and weather-resistance of the Steyr.
I see them as follows - CZ is like a Mk. I GTi, easier to work on/with, as it's older construction. Could do most of the work in my home with the right tools.
The Steyr is more akin to my Mazda 3 - amazing engineering, albiet unconventional, but resulting in grand handling/accuracy/decent build quality. Drawback? I'd dread having to work on it myself - I got into my M40A1 recently and made the mistake of disassembling the trigger-unit to figure out my sear assembly. Ever tried to assemble a mousetrap the size of a dime?
