Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles CZ 527 in .223 - FS or Lux?

I have an itch for a small action, light, walk-around .223.
I have a full sized .223 with a 6x42 scope, which provides a good mate to my bigger rifles.

I want iron sights, and like the Lux, but the full stock carbine is nice looking - I just never handled one.

Any owners of either one out there?

Nope, I have the American and it's a shooter. 50 vmaxes over BL(C)2 run fast and into .4" at 100. It's a nice gun.

Don`t have that model, but I do have a CZ452-FS that balances well IMO. It is a rimfire though, and the centerfires may feel different, I believe they (CZ527) are bit heavier. I`d probably go with the lighter rifle in a walk about gun, I doubt there is any real difference in accuracy. That`s just me though.

I think it would be nice to have a CZ 452 in .22 LR, one in .22 WMR, a 527 in .22 Hornet and .223, a 550 or two, and a big magnum African one, especially all in Lux models with the Bavarian stock.

I have to start my CZs somewhere.

Just go to the factory and get one. I'm sure they'd give one to you.........

I've got a Lux and like it fairly well, but I have since acquired a 550FS in 9.3X62 and I like it so well I wish my 527 was a FS as well.

Do you just use your CZ 527 Lux with the open sights, or do you use a scope? Is it a hunting rifle, or just for fun?

I like the Lux because it feels like a big game rifle, even though it is all down-scale. Their .22s are like that, too.
(So is the Zastava which Remington now sells.)

I know a fellow who bought a CZ 550 FS in 9.3x62mm and soon sold his .375 H&H, which was just a fun gun for him. Then he bought another 550 FS in 6.5x55mm and sold most of his other centerfire rifles after killing 4 deer with it in one month.

Have you ever handled the CZ 550 Medium Magnum?
That is really nice, a smaller, lighter, 22-inch barrel .300 Win Mag with iron sights, the rear on an express rib.

They made an anniversary Lux in .30-06 and 7x64 Brenneke this year, but I can't find a distributor who has one.

My 527 is scoped, but I enjoy having iron sights on it. I bought it for serious fun and semiserious practice, but with proper bullets I would be glad to hunt small south Texas deer with it. I have handled several 550's; my favorites are my 9.3X62 550FS and a .416 Rigby American Safari (not owned by me unfortunately).

I have an acquaintance who bought a 550 Safari in .416 Rigby and replaced the stock with one in old English style, reworked the front sight a bit, took off about 12 oz of weight. It is really nice, and he has clobberd 2 Cape Buffalo with it.

Since the 527 is scaled-down Mauser, to the same CZ rings fit it as fit the 550?

How about the EAW peep sight which fits the rear of the 550 integral rail?

No, the 527 rings are slightly different than the 550's. CZ's 527 rings are good but higher than I liked. Warne has medium height rings for both; Warnes are what I have on my 550.

Does anyone have the carbine version?? I fell in love with this little gun yesterday at Gander.

I want to handle the 527 FS so badly that I might just have to shell out the coin.

I have owned both FS and Lux 527's, and a 550 American Safari.

I have long been a Mannlicher/full-stock rifle fan - since the 60's, in fact.

The first CZ boltgun was the FS, which I just "had to have" and had to order sight unseen - since no local dealer carried one in stock at the time.

When it arrived, I was very disappointed - as it didn't live up to my expectations.
The stock wood was a plain as peanut butter - no grain and/or figure - and was the color of peanut butter as well, and not the nice, dark walnut I expected.
The action was rough, inside and out, but I cleaned it up, smoothed it out, and shot it - miserably.
I'm a reasonably good shot, but I couldn't get that rifle under 3" @ 100yds, no matter what I tried.

So, I sold the FS, and a year later came across a new 527 Lux, a dealer had in stock.

The Lux stock had a nice grain/color, and the exterior finish looked nice - so I bought it, and haven't looked back since, except for shortening the protruding magazine to a flush fit & removing the triangular webs at the front of the trigger guard.
It also shot much better, averaging 1"-1 1/4" @ 100 yds with the same Leupold 2-7x33 Compact.

YMMV, however.

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I have a 527FS and it's a shooter. I had the trigger guard trimmed and the magazine bobbed so it's flush with the stock. It makes the lines so much cleaner. It's my little walk-about coyote gun.

I have one in the Carbine version, I clamped a 6X Nikon on it and it works fine, bolt handle is a little small for me and the rings are to high, which I suspect were made that way to keep the scope up high enough to clear your hand, but it shoots great, especially with the set trigger on these rifles,, as far as a rifle to carry with iron sights, this will carry and feel like a litle .22 rimfire,

I think I'm gonna go for the 7.62x39 carbine version. Should be a fun little pop gun. Dirt cheap ammo too...

VAnimrod,

I got to thinking about your suggestion that I just go to the factory, so I contacted them and they said they arrange hunting trips in Europe, where you pick up your rifle at the factory and then go slay game. Kinda like when I ordered a Mercedes, picked it up at the factory and drove around Germany.

I know someone who did the same thing with his Blaser K95 in 7x57R.

Why can't the American gun makers be so accommodating?

Lee24

The 527 in 7.62x39 is a great walking around/truck gun, accurate and quick, shoots sub .5 with Federal Blue Box ammo at 100m.

The 550 FS are great shooters from my experience with the 6.5x55 swede, 7x57, and 9.3x62 I have. I did not like the .223 American, did not seem to shoot nearly as well as the FS's.

The prices on the CZ rifles have really jumped in the last few months, but, IMHO they are well worth premium price for a well made, solid performing, and heavy duty rifle. I would like to find the 8x57 caliber in the US market one of these days.

I have a 527 American in 221 FB. It shoots very well. 40 grain NBT and Barnes 36 grain VG into 0.35". I think if you want to use a scope the American stock is a better choice because the mounts are high. My American came with some very eye catching grain, it's what caught my attention to the rifle in the first place.