Opinion on a rifle

[trevort]

get on the web and buy from RPG or Cleavers, they advertise them cheap evn if you have to pay $30 to your LGS to register it. RPG just quoted me $1035 for the wood one but he couldnt get the calibre I was after.

Brad, CZ barrels are lapped and very high quality, read on a few US forums that the preservative they ship them in is tough to get out and they recommend a very thorough clean up front but the barrel quality is excellent.

[Richta]

For anyone whos interested i found the guns and game review while surfing rimfirecentral

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... tic+review" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

wow trevort, for that price id definitely be getting the cz

[Richta]

Do u guys reckon i should pay the extra $200 and get the varmint laminated. Does the heavy barrel improve accuracy in reality?

[HiWall]

It really depends on what type of shooting you intend for it mate. Probably won't be a heap of difference in accuracy between a heavy and sporter weight barrel - accuracy is more a matter of ammunition and technique, finding the right ammo or load is important, along with the quality of the rifle overall, while barrel weight is not so critical.

If you are going to be doing a lot of carrying and not much shooting definately go for the lighter profile but target work or sit and wait type varminting, over a rest or bipod would better suit a heavy barrel.

Laminated stocks are more stable than normal timber so are potentially a better base, but proper bedding in a timber stock pretty much catches up with the laminate.

As it will be your first rifle I think (IHMO only), that you would be better to go with a standard sporter profile which will be much more 'general purpose' until you have done a bit more shooting and find what you really like. Not much point in getting something that is relatively limited by its design.

All that said, THE most important thing is to buy a rifle that you like - nothing worse than taking a new toy home and then thinking - 'I wish I had bought ..... !'

[Richta]

yeah its my first centrefire, i do really like the feel of the 527, like it just feels right (ive only tried the synthetic version, im assuming the wood is the same if not better)! I sent an email for to RPG for a quote on the 527 american in 223 with wood stock. If i can pick one up for under $1100 dollars then i think id be taking the cz home. now all there is to do is to decide on a scope! Thanks for all the input and help guys it always helps venturing into a new sport when the whole community is so friendly and willing to go out of their way to help.

cheers chris

[trevort]

Do u guys reckon i should pay the extra $200 and get the varmint laminated. Does the heavy barrel improve accuracy in reality?

Only if your really really small.

The LOP on the laminate stock is too short, many theories in the net about why they stuffed it up, but lets just say they did!

If you look knackers stock you will see a big black bit on the end. Thats the spacers and thick recoil pad I had Shane put on it to correct the LOP.

Because the action is very small 527s are quite lite. Even with a varmint profile barrel. I love heavier barrels. I would get the wood stocked varmint or varmint kevlar but not the varmint laminate unless your desperate for the 1 in 9 twist the varmint laminate (used to not sure if still does) comes in

[frakka]

The Lux.....how come no one mentions the Lux version....?.....full size stock, beautiful wood, bavarian style rear end and cheekpiece, classy checkering, longer forend with schnabel like the old Brno's, longer barrel. Bed, float, clean up main trigger and shoots like a dream too.

(I may be biased... )

[Richta]

Went to the other gun store in adelaide to see whether they had the wood stock version, they didnt. They had another synthetic stock version with a nickel barrel. i didn't even know they were available with the nickel barrel it looked pretty cool. I checked out the trigger too - awesome!

[Knackers]

The Lux.....how come no one mentions the Lux version....?.....full size stock, beautiful wood, bavarian style rear end and cheekpiece, classy checkering, longer forend with schnabel like the old Brno's, longer barrel. Bed, float, clean up main trigger and shoots like a dream too.

Your right Frakka, the Lux model is a lovely rifle.

Richta, thems powerful words that HiWall wrote

[Sam Walker]

Ifit's for varmint/spotlighting/target work, the laminate version would be my pick. The length of pull issue is not a major fix, shouldn't be a dealbreaker. Laminated stocks are more stable than wood because the layers are saturated in epoxy so they won't warp with changes in humidity (swell in winter,shrink in summer) plus they are a bit heavier. And they look good !

The benefit of heavy barrels: A heavy rifle recoils less so you'll be more able to see your hits through the scope, a heavy rifle wobbles slower than a light one so better for shooting offhand (ie no bipod or anything to lean on) and it takes more shots to heat up a heavy barrel. It also takes longer for a heavy barrel to cool down.
In some rifles with light sporter barrels point of impact changes when the barrel heats up.
Centrefire Field Rifle competition is shot with rifles up to 5kg inc. scope and the more serious competitors use most of the weight limit, but mostly they aren't going for long walks in the hills with those rifles.

The Lux has a lower comb so is a compromise between using open sights or a scope, and the slimmer schnabel forend is less suited to shooting off a rest. A more traditional looking rifle and better for walking/stalking with.

You just have to work out your main purpose for the rifle and which one feels right to your shoulder, and that you like the look of too. Easy !

[Richta]

ive been reading up on the kevlar varmint version and that seems the goods too. they have it at cleavers for 1400? is that a pretty good deal? if i can pick one up for 1400 id definetly purchase the kevlar varmint. None of the gunshops in adelaide have one and i really would like to shoulder the rifle (its such a risk buying the rifle before shouldering it!) has anybody ever used/held the kevlar version? how does it feel /shoulder etc?

[Richta]

Cleavers only have the kevlar varmint in 204.? ive heard only good things about the cartridge. now im thinking the 204 argh. maybe i should just get it and put myself out of this misery. Is there much of a price difference between 223 and 204 to reload (keep in mind im a poor uni student!)? I intend to get a reloading kit if i buy the rifle.

[HiWall]

The .204 Ruger would be another case of limiting the versatility of your first centrefire mate. While it is a terrific varmint round it is not suitable for hunting anything much bigger. Bullets available are light weight and it pushes them very fast and that is pretty much the opposite of what you need in a general purpose hunting rifle.

Quoting from the linked article...

The .204 Ruger is definately a varmint only proposition as a bullet of this caliber does not have the frontal mass to cleanly kill anything larger. One of the primary objectives of a good varmint round is that it should have a flat trajectory and the .204 Ruger meets this requirement with no problem.

http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm.204-ruger.html

A lot of people will correctly say that the .204 is a better varminter than the .223 - but they cannot deny that it is far more limited in application.