Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only CZ550 vs Win M70 in 458 Lott

McM may have a CNC program for that barreled action. If so, they may not need your gun.

I’ve sent them a Mauser and an HS Precision SPL barreled action as they didn’t have a program for that one. They do now. Mauser actions can vary a good bit and for that reason they wanted the gun.

Most common guns are covered, thus my thinking about the CZ.

DF

I personally prefer the cz after owning both. It has an open trigger design that is fully adjustable, a 1pc bolt, better magazine capacity and much nicer irons. It’s also has a superior optics mounting system

I would replace the OEM CZ trigger with a Timney or equivalent. MIM stuff breaks, which makes me a bit nervous with a true DG rifle. I know others will chime in and say it's OK. May work for them.

YMMV, but that's how I feel. Not hearsay, this happened to me.

And I like the trigger positioned further back in the trigger guard. Timney does that.

DF

The CZ's re-done by AHR are truly a classic package but would be more expensive than the Winchester. If you go more stock then the M-70 for me. On the Winchester all I would do is tune trigger and feeding and put a Williams extractor ob it. A low power scope and Talley detachable mounts and it would be ready to go.

AHR makes their own trigger. It sits back in the trigger guard as in the photo above.

BUT, to me the Timney is a better trigger than the AHR. And, probably cheaper, although I never priced the AHR trigger. Not sure if they sell it as a part.

And yeah, a full house AHR is big bucks. I wouldn't pay retail, got mine in a trade, valued at about half retail. It was used (barely).

DF

I have an AHR trigger and cocking piece coming in, hopefully soon. Their trigger blade fits into the existing CZ trigger housing, is adjustable and sits back in the trigger guard. The price is $85 which I didn’t think was too bad.

I agree the stock CZ trigger does sit forward but that is probably necessary to make the set trigger function easier to use. Just why you would want such a feature on a DG rifle is another matter.

I don’t see the need for a set trigger on a DG rifle.

That’s a better price on the AHR trigger than I thought.

DF

I went with the M70 built up by Dennis Olson. My reasoning is that it is closer to a DG rifle stock. I have handled Winchester wood and it handles pretty well, just a bit short for a DG rifle. The sights are ok, but I wanted a 22” barrel, so I had it shortened and proper DG sights put on. I did want a 458 Lott, so that along with slickening up the action is in the action work. The trigger will be 3 lb and crisp. Finally, I asked my builder to switch the recoil pad out for a red kickeeze set to 14 3/8”. He may end up adding a recoil reducer or weight to get the balance right depending on how it balances compared to my request.

The other options were an AHR or Triple River. Both sound great, but I couldn’t afford to make the stock right and they required a fair amount of metalwork.

The funny thing is there is a complete AHR rifle for $3200 on Gunbroker I would have sprung for, but I closed the deal last week.

I think when Mr. Olson finishes the Winchester, I will have ended up with the right rifle.

For going cheap, the Win M-70 Tupperware is a nicely proportioned stock, handles great. You may not be too proud of it, but it is about as good as you can get for the price. And you won't worry about scratching it. It's more like a pack mule than a race horse... I don't remember seeing anyone brushing a mule...

DF

I have a CZ 458 Lott / 458 Win with an AHR tune up. I bought this rifle used, though it looks new. Imagine that.

It has the factory type synthetic stock, AHR's front and rear sights, AHR's 3 position safety and trigger, with a matte black GunKote finish, and bolt straightening, with a 22" barrel.

It seems to be a big rifle in comparison to my other larger bore M70's, Rugers, and Interarms. No denying the action is large. But that is only noticeable to me in side by side comparisons. In its present form it seems well proportioned, to me.

With 30mm Alaska Arms rings attached, no scope or ammo, it weighs approximately 9 lbs 3 ounces. In its present form, it handles well to me.

I bet you will have a very fine rifle from Dennis Olson. He is known for outstanding work.
Not done by Dennis, but I really like the stainless re-barreled M70 416 Rem that I have.

Sorry, the Safari Express In wood is the base rifle.

Is Dennis Olsen re-stocking the rifle or just working with the factory wood? I like a decelerator pad on any rifle with some recoil, the Kickeze is too squishy to me and I feel the recoil more on my cheek than with a firmer pad. But many like the Kickeze and it may feel softer on the shoulder. Not sure about the current M70s but the New Haven ones the extractor was a casting and the Williams is a good machined replacement I'd recommend. Also might want to put a heavier spring in the floor plate release. I haven't had problems with either but have heard of issues with some, my 375 doesn't rattle the floor plate like the Lott will.

He is not restocking at this point. I like the Winchester except lop. After a year or so with this wood, I may have it restocked.

Model 70 Winchester all day everyday.

I always like to hear why people say what they say....can you explain?

I keep thinking I will swap the express stock for an XTR light but never get around to it. I have a good piece of Cicassian Walnut that would be an ideal choice as the grain is straight through the wrist. But for the Lott the Express is made to order. I forgot who designed it, was it D'Arcy Echols?

My only M70 is a pre 60 featherweight in 30-06 and with factory length stock it hurt. Dad got it when I finished high school back in '63. The first time I shot it with 180 gr Remington factory loads it bruised my shoulder so bad i was oozing blood. A thick recoil pad with no wood removed tamed that.

Now fast forward almost 50 years, I walked into a nearby Gander Mountain and picked up a CZ550 Safari American on the rack in .375 H&H.. Beautiful wood. It fit me perfectly. They also had a .416 Rigby and a .458 Lott. I choose the .375 because of the wood, and never planning on going on safari figured I could afford to shoot it more than the other two, esp the .416. The stock may be a little clubby as some have stated, but the buttpad is wide and spreads the recoil well so it does not seem bad, plus the gun is heavy. I also have a Ruger #1 in .375 H&H and it is not comfortable to shoot, probably due to stock difference. Pushing 74 years old, if i were going for a larger more powerful caliber i would look for something like my CZ, and maybe a bit heavier in the 10-12 lb range.

Magnum length actions are made for H&H length cartridges.

Holland & Holland Co. and other British makers, started using magnum mauser actions [which initially were exclusively supplied to John Rigby & Co.]
With the decades following WW-II , they began putting long magnum chamberings on modified std. length mausers simply because of the shortage
of true magnum length Oberndorf actions.

When J.Roberts & Sons were contracted to build Rigby rifles in 1970s, they utilised the Brno 602 action.

These days there is ample supply of new manufacture true magnum length genuine M98 design feature actions [ either in-house or outsourced]
not to warrant using a std. action.

The advantage of the CZ is that it has a true _undercut extractor design just like the M98.
Although in more recent times folks waffle on about 'CRF',...Reliable Extraction was always a design strong point made about the Mauser 98.

Yessir, first, I love the model 70 Winchester, second, I prefer a cleaner, more classic, traditional style build on rifles, to each their own of course, but I can't get enough euro slapped off a CZ to suite me.

[/quote]

The advantage of the CZ is that it has a true _undercut extractor design just like the M98.
Although in more recent times folks waffle on about 'CRF',...Reliable Extraction was always a design strong point made about the Mauser 98.

[/quote]


This is very overlooked...but very important imho