I finally got a chance to take my new CZ 550 to the range today and am very happy with the results. Using J B's loads from the forum and his article on "medium mediums" had a very good day. Using Norma 232 with RL-15 and Lapua cases the rifle shot under 1" at 100 yards out of the box. Using Barnes 250 TSX just over 1". The rifle appears to like RL-15 a bit more than Varget. Still have not got the COL figured out yet. The magazine will allow just about any thing. It appears to have a very long throat. The TSX just put into a case and chambered do not even make it to the first groove. I am very happy with this rifle and certainley could recommended a CZ 550 as very good value for the money. Only slight complaint is the trigger in normal mode has a bit of creap. In set mode it is like a glass rod breaking hard to know exactley when it will fire. This rifle is lite years above the Remington 98's have have seen.

Thanks Again,

Ron

Ron, if you'll look in your manual you'll find out how to adjust for the creep, the trigger pull weight and the over-travel. It is a very easy process. If you do not have an owner's manual, go to the CZ-USA website and you can download one. Glad you like your rifle. Tom Purdom

Glad you like it; that's pretty much the results I've seen from around 3 of the CZ 9.3x62's. The trigger can indeed be adjusted pretty finely.

I will try and see what can be done with trigger. I guess trigger creap may not be the best description. A bit gritty from take up to the point when it breaks. Kind of a jerk, jerk, jerk then fire. It is new out of the box other than cleaning the bore and bolt, and chamber. I have not yet taken the barreled action out of the stock. Still pretty impressive right out of the box. Again thak you all for all of the knowledge and support.

Ron

can someone link me to the article on medium mediums?

The article is not available online unless you are an online subscriber to the Rifle and Handloader magazines. It was in Handloader issue #250 (December 2007). An excellent article by JB, BTW.

http://www.riflemagazine.com/

-Bob F.

Well I took the rifle out of the stock and looked things over. The trigger was adjusted well, adjusted the over travel just a bit but I found some high spots on the sear. Just a bit of stoning to knock the high spots down and the gritty feel is gone. It may have eventually worn in but now the trigger is as good as the ones on my Steyr and Sako. Very nice bedding job as well. Even got some left over blueing on my hands..

Off topic, I know, but does anyone make a replacement three-position safety for the CZ?

I'd love to buy a CZ and have it re-stocked, but after years of using the three-position safety, I see no reason to change now.

Model 70 three position and M70 style two position safeties are availiable through Brownells and from folks like Gentry.
My favorite safety. E

Ron; Glad you found a long chamber in you 9.3x62. I am building one now using a VZ24 action, mag length 3.31 max COAL. Ater headspacing I found the COAL for a Speer 270 to be 3.48" touching the lands and COAL for a Hornady 286 to be 3.52" touching, definitely too long for the mag and well over the 3.28-3.29" standard seating OAL. The crimping groove on the Hornady 286 limits the COAL to 3.18" for an even worse jump if it is used.

I checked with the barrel maker to find out the story and they said their chambers were to CIP and SAMMI specs, and the jump doesn't seem to bother accuracy. Time will tell.

The large amount of jump...or "freebore", if you will, "might" necessitate a bit more powder to equal factory or published velocity specs, but you will need a chrono to check this out for sure in your rifle...if all chambers are cut with this amount of jump standard then published information should be taken as printed and no adjustment is needed.

Besides a 9.3x62 isn't considered a hi-velo rifle and a few feet per second isn't worth the extra pressure as over the normal shooting ranges even a 100 f/s doesn't do much for drop figures and adds only small amounts of energy, increases recoil and so on.

I would be interested in the amount of "freebore" you have with the Norma 232 gr and Barnes TSX bullets if you find time to publish the data.

'Njoy

I have a couple of CZ 550's. My 550 American in 9.3x62 has the basic two position safety, my 550FS in 6.5x55 has a 3 Position safety, go figure.

The 3 position M70 style replacement shroud you want for your 550 is made by Cliff LaBounty. They are pricey, but are top shelf in quality. Gentry or Dakota don't make one as far as I know. Google it as they have a website.
Randy

Gentry does have one. I talked to Dennis Gentry at the SHOT Show.

NFG,
I don't really have a good way for an exact measurement. The COL on a Barnes 250 TSX just seated into the case and chambered is 3.625. It did contact the lands and moved in about .335. OAL of a bullet is .380. Basically it is at the bottom of the first band past the first groove. The Norma Oryx 232 did not contact the lands and remained at about 3.325 COL.

HTH
Ron

Thanks RJ, JB

What's the best price you've seen on a 550 American in 9.3x62?

Easyest way is to slide a cleaning rod down the bore to the closed bolt face and marke the rod, then drop a bullet into the chamber and slightly tap the base so it will hold, then slide the cleaning rod back down the bore and mark then measure the difference between the marks...that will give you the measurement from the bullet nose to the cartridge base. It works on most rifles, calibers, bullets and cases.

I received a chamber drawing from PT&G so my basic question is answered. There is about 1.3" lead/throat from the cartridge mouth trimed to 2.45" to the beginning of the lead taper...which is a very long distance compared to most of my other calibers...so it is CIP specs to have a fairly long jump depending on the bullet length, seating depth, and COAL and moot as there isn't much you can do about it unless you have a magazine that will handle 3.6" or so COAL's and wish to load out to the lands with long bullets.

Thanks for the information.

'Njoy