Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Battle of the modern mausers - M70 vs CZ 550

Anybody had a chance to compare the two - especially the new FN? Which do you rather, and why?

The "Winchester" it seems to weigh less.

Lot of steel in the CZ. There built like a tank. I have 2 CZ 550 now in .308 Winchester with a full lenght stock and a .270 with a Kevlar stock. Both are very accurate. I think the Winchester is everything the CZ Model 550 is and more. I have a Win. feather weight coming in 22-250

I have never owned a CZ but have heard and read too many good things about them to think that they are not a great rifle. However, I have owned and still own the new FN M70 and KNOW they are great rifles and... They are made in the USA by American workers. Important right now I think.

Had a CZ - HEAVY, well made, accurate - this particlular rifle was extremely sensitive on bolt position on extraction and reload. Sold it.

Replaced with a new FN Winchester Featherweigth. Best swap in and out rifle decision I've made in years. Great fit n finish, smooth bolt, accurate etc etc etc. This one will be passed down to the boys when I can't get out to hunt anymore.

Within the past year, I have purchased a new CZ 550 FS and a FN fwt. 70. The 550 is a decent rifle, but by virtually all measures it is not the equal of the FN. For an �old world manufactured rifle�, the out of the box CZ had piss-poor cartridge control and only a fair finish. On a go forward basis, I�ll be buying FNs. CP.

My CZ, a 527, was a truly beautiful rifle. Super-sticky/rough bolt operation. Extremely sensitive to bolt position and operator movement thereof. Sold it and bought a Ruger Hawkeye. Somehow, it also has a beautiful piece of wood on it. It also has a sticky/sensitive bolt, but has smoothed up while I sit there watching a TV show or listening to the radio and operating the bolt, significantly more than the CZ ever did. The CZ also had a very pointy firing pin, which pierced a couple primers (which caused gas cutting on the bolt face). Now, the CZ gunsmiths were very willing to talk to me and help me work out the issue and what to do. However, I had to _purchase_ a replacement firing pin (which was actually a replacement assembly that includes the blued cocking piece out back) and install it myself. The blueing on the tail section wasn't even similar to the factory piece, and the new pin was a different length so I couldn't just put it in the old tail section.

That gun also had some inletting/bedding issues I had to work through to get it to group consistently.

I know the question was about FN Winchesters, but I wanted to share my experience with that CZ. I don't really look at them any more.

M-70 all the way, some CZ's, especially the larger calibers have to have extensive work to make right.

Gunner

I have a CZ 527 7.62x39 Carbine I bought when they first came out maybe in 2003 or so that I am very pleased with, no issues. Same for an older ZKK 602 375 H&H though I am currently getting the barrel snipped to 23". I prefer it over the M70 equivalent having owned one. Mine is smooth as can be and feeds and ejects anything flawlessly. I prefer my NH Win 416 Rem over the new CZ though. While I don't own a SC gun, I do believe that Winchester is and will continue to put a serious hurt on CZ sales.

I have a owned couple of both over the last 20 years, still have a model 70 in pre 64 form and my go to DGR is a 550 in 416 Rigby.

I agree completely that to make a CZ what it ought to be often requires a bit of TLC. Mine has been re-worked quite a bit and is featured in an article I wrote and was published in African Hunter Magazine a few years ago called "converting the CZ 550 into a world class Dangerous Game rifle" Basically what I did was turn my CZ into an overgrown Model 70 with upgrades to the safety, trigger, etc and some polishing and tuning by a good gunsmith. I am now looking into the feasability of having the breechface coned a la model 70 so that it will feed better with pointy nosed projectiles. I wanted a 416 Rigby and the Winchesters are not big enough for cartridges of this size but if one wants to just go buy a nice DGR and hunt with it pretty much out of the box I would point them to a Model 70 or Kimber Caprivi or perhpas a Ruger African and be done with it. Now that we have cartidges like the 416 Remington, Ruger and similar getting one's hands on a ready to rock mid bore DGR is much easier and simpler than when I went down the CZ road about 20 years ago. To be sure, I really love my CZ now, and dig the integral scope bases and its beefiness and love the old 416 Rigby cartridge which I can handload to exceed what the other 416's are capable of but the CZ is not, in my opinion, as good of an out of the box ready to rock and roll option as a model 70 or Kimber.

agree, i owned a cz .243 that had serious bedding and accuracy problems before and after i fixed the bedding

As already pointed out, the CZ while a great platform, needs tweaking. The M70 is the best currently available "out of the box".

Would you not throw the Rugers in with the M70 and CZ comparism? I just picked up a MKII and really like it.

I sure would, but I really think that Ruger needs to re think thier safety that hides too deeply into the bolt when activated and would be hard to get de activated in a hurry under stress. If I had a Mk ll I would have the safety re shaped as job number 1.

Bingo!

The Ruger models prior to the Hawkeye African/Alaskan were also TOO heavy. A 10+ pound .375 H&H naked is ridiculous.

Once again, great minds think alike

10 + lbs is a tad heavy for a 375, but is about right for a hot loaded 416 Rigby, IMO.

For a magnum-sized action, CZ seems to one of few options. One of the models has a pop-up aperture sight in the bridge. The dovetails that allow direct scope ring attachment seem like a plus, esp for hard kicking calibers. Single set trigger. I find the stocks low with medium rings. The magazine box shell has flutes, and the follower has notches to clear them - at least on the 6.5x55 models. They look as if they might prevent cartridges from sliding forward on recoil, whether to aid cartridge feed, or keep bullet tips pointed - for cartridges with enough shoulder. Bolt movement is rough on new ones, anyway. CZ does not chamber short mags as far as I know.

The couple of FN M70's that I handled were well finished and operated very smooth. As others point out M70 is lighter than 550. M70 in .264 Win Mag may be my next purchase.

Ruger's new .375 and .416 allow them to get around need for a magnum-sized action.

With everything, it's subjective. Definitely depends on the hand and shoulder of the beholder.

I have a M70 .458WM that naked trips my digital scale at just under 8 3/4 pounds that is jusssssst right.

Well I guess I wasn't thinking in lines with the magnums like the H&H and 416, but yes I agree that is too heavy.

My 270 in its boatpaddle stock with a VXII 3-9 feels about right though.

I'm not sure that there is actually a significant difference between the CZ and the M70 with respect to weight. I think the actions would be within a few ounces of each other. But the featherweight M70 barrel is obviously much lighter than the CZ. I checked list weights, and the CZ is 'sposed to be the same weight as the M70 sporter.

I thought the "old" Winchester fit and finish was similar to the CZ. It wasn't universally bad but there were clear quality control issues. I rather the CZ safety (that'll be controversial) and trigger (more controversial). The M70 stock was better, and they felt smoother. Sounds like now FN/Winchester has a clear ascendancy. Dissapointing to still here a lot of stories of folks having to work the CZ w.r.t. feed issues - i thought this may have improved.