Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles CZ550 Safari Magnum .458 Winchester

I picked up a pretty good deal I think the other day.

It's a CZ 550 Safari Magnum in .458 Winchester. Has had 50 Rds through it, and it's in like new condition.

I paid $800 for it and it came with 140 rds of winchester 510 grain soft points.

With the ammo and the rifle in nice condition, I thought it was a good deal.

Not sure what I'll do with it yet. But it'll be fun to pull out at parties and let people take a shot.

Can I use these 510s for deer? Or should I load up something different.

-Jake

So you bought the gun for 100 bucks

You got the version with the European stock which has the big drop. Some people think this is not good for reasons of which I'm not totally aware. Let us know how firing it goes.

Well, you certainly feel it.. I don't have much to compare it to.

I've got a .338win mag, and a .45-70, and a single shot 10 gauge. It certainly thumps harder than those.

I'll put it this way... I had my wife shoot the 10 gauge. I likely won't have her shoot this one unless she asks to....

I didn't put it on paper, but hit milk jugs at 50 yards. I'm sure it will be plenty accurate.

-Jake

Like I said, I thought that I did pretty good on the deal......

-Jake

Stealing doesn't come close to describing that transaction.

Previous owner probably sold it while under the influence of a brain injury due to the recoil.

Needless to say, I was happy with the deal.

-Jake

Yes, let us know how it goes.

Hate to say this but there is a fair chance it will jam on those loads (large round 510gn projectiles) - but just on those rounds feeding from the left hand side of the magazine. The ramp will feed them into the gap inside the action where the extractor normally sits when the bolt is closed. I've got the same rifle and it jams like that. A friend has the same rifle and it jams like that. I use Woodleigh 400gn PP (Protected Point - there are spire shaped) projectiles in my handloads and they are jam-free 99% of the time. My friend has changed the magazine spring and that seems to have helped a lot too.

Congrats on the rifle!

Load up something different for deer. Speer,Woodleigh and some other bullet companies make 350-400 grain bullets for the .458 that would be a better choice for deer.

Interestingly. It did jam. And When I looked at it, the magazine follower did not look right, so I dropped the floor plate and the follower fell into my hand. It was put in backwards, and not attached to the spring.

I put it in correctly and cycled ten rds through without issue after that.

Certainly not enough to say it won't jam. But for ten rds it ran smooth.

-Jake

First of all, I am a big 550 fan. My 550 in 9.3X62 is dead reliable no misfeeds or malfunctions of anykind. I have friends with CZ,s in 30-06,416 Rigby,.458 Lott and another 9.3X62. I've had no reports of any unreliability. Your rifle must be one the rare lemons that any company can turn out occasionally. Ammunition may be your problem. Also CZ America has given me excellant service giving or selling me spare parts at very reasonable prices. I would not hesitate to send them a problem gun for correction.

Have to say, that in .458 Lott, a Brno 600 series peep sight in the rear receiver and a three position safety would go a long way to being the ideal heavy rifle.