How do you find the quality of a zastava compared to CZ or Winchester?
Big Bore Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Northern Shooter
- Start date
How do you find the quality of a zastava compared to CZ or Winchester?
Sako has been teasing a new rifle "coming soon" on their website, I like many others are hoping it's the rumoured Sako 95.
It's supposed to be a more traditional (wood stock) 85 replacement that will offer big bore cartridges.
4 grand CZ vs 8 note Zastava?
Check out this Zastava review: https://revivaler.com/the-zastava-m70-an-affordable-mauser-98/
"The Zastava M70 is inexpensive enough that if you are looking for a “scrub gun” then this is a good choice. It is ruggedly built, dependable,..."
Check out this Zastava review: https://revivaler.com/the-zastava-m70-an-affordable-mauser-98/
"The Zastava M70 is inexpensive enough that if you are looking for a “scrub gun” then this is a good choice. It is ruggedly built, dependable,..."
Takujualuk
CGN Regular
- Location
- Whitehorse, Yukon
I reload the 300 and 350 grain TSX bullets. Note sure who makes commercially loaded light loads. H4198 at 2660 ft/sec works well with 300TSX bullets. H322 at 2490 ft/sec works well with the 350 TSX
It really seems like our big bore choices are quite I'm today, especially those that don't cost as much as a car.
I plan on adding a 416 next, likely a Ruger if I can find one.
Next year I think I'll tread myself to a German double rifle, likely in 470NE.
I don't know if I'll ever buy one of the 500s but I'm still intrigued by the likes of 500 Jeffery, 505 Gibbs, 577 NE etc.
I plan on adding a 416 next, likely a Ruger if I can find one.
Next year I think I'll tread myself to a German double rifle, likely in 470NE.
I don't know if I'll ever buy one of the 500s but I'm still intrigued by the likes of 500 Jeffery, 505 Gibbs, 577 NE etc.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Can't comment on new Zastava. However, I had a Interarms model X, technically said Birmingham UK, but it was a rebadged Yugoslavia zastava. Chambered in 375H&H.
Good rifle, heavy, as you want it. Pure M98, good stock design with a big rolling boom instead of painful recoil
Northern Shooter
I don't know where you are located but if you ever come to Vancouver Island I'll take you to the range here.
Big bores are a totally different breed. Very fun to shoot if you know what your doing. There are a lot of technical points to learn right from the start. If one is taught right from the gitgo the proper shooting technique they will have a hoot.
I shoot 100's of big bore rounds a year to keep my skill level up. Last year some guy walked up to me and said he'd never shot anything bigger than a 308.
20 minutes of instructions and demonstrating proper stance, balance, grip, plugs and muffs, I had him shoot 10 rounds of .375 to get the general idea. Did some fine tuning of his technique and then the 416 Rigby with 400 gr cast lead at 2100 fps. More fine tuning and then 10 rounds of 400gr Hornady FMJ at 2500 fps.
You should have seen the big smile. He hit the steel ram at 200 yds, standing position, iron sights, with the 416 Rigby. The guy was literally vibrating with excitement.
Too many guys start off all wrong and get hammered doing something stupid like shooting off the bench.
Anybody can learn to shoot big bores if they take the time.
Another element is serious searching for reloading components and buying in big amounts whenever possible. Once the cost is sunk then it becomes easier to go to the range and shoot lots. I reload a 100 rounds of 470 NE at a time. That way I can go to the range and shoot 20 off without worrying about my supply or anything. Same with the 416 and 375's. Always have a 100 rounds ready to go and the larder full of bullets and plenty of 4831.
Just my two cents.
Look me up if you ever are out this way
Brad
I'm on the other side of the country but I'll take you up that offer if I'm ever out your way.
I've always wanted to try a variety of big bore cartridges back to back to back in to experience the increasing recoil.
Cheers,
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Iron Sighted
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Peace Region
I am but a pauper and my collection of big bores reflects that. I have a No.1 H/Tropical that was a 458WM but has been rebored and chambered to 50-140 Sharps. No interest in hunting Africa really, but I plan to hunt with this gun, quite possibly for spring black bear if I work up a load I'm happy with here in the next couple weeks. Currently pushing 515gr lead pills to 2100fps but I have a bit more velocity potential there if I want it I think. Have some 450gr pills as well but I'm less interested in the lighter bullets for this cartridge. Reloads only for this gun, I haven't seen any commercially loaded rounds for it domestically and the ones in the U.S. I have seen have been about $210-220 USD for a box of 20 so that's a non starter when I can reload for probably $2.00-2.50'ish/round not factoring brass in to the cost which was a pain to source and hellishly expensive.
Also an honorable mention with the 375 Ruger in an Alaskan, that comes out for everything from deer to bear to elk to moose with a .308 also doing split duty on those animals.
I'm definitely not done buying, just going to remain patient until the right big(or medium) bore at the right price becomes available, a RSM would be nice. I like the less common cartridges, a double in 9.3 x 74r would be awesome. I may have to look at something like that down the road.
Also an honorable mention with the 375 Ruger in an Alaskan, that comes out for everything from deer to bear to elk to moose with a .308 also doing split duty on those animals.
I'm definitely not done buying, just going to remain patient until the right big(or medium) bore at the right price becomes available, a RSM would be nice. I like the less common cartridges, a double in 9.3 x 74r would be awesome. I may have to look at something like that down the road.
Those 375 Rugers seem to be a popular choice for those in the know. From what I've read it's more efficient than the 375H&H and has a slightly larger case capacity, despite the shorter cartridge?
I wonder if the same formula applies to their 416?
I wonder if the same formula applies to their 416?
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Standard factory ammo for the Rigby is loaded for 1911 powders, bullets, metallurgy, and for use in the tropics.
A strong action with modern temperature insensitive powder changes all that. It's a truly massive case, you can form Rigby by lathing off the belt of 460 Weatherby and fireforming to lose the Weatherby double radius. The case is also the parent for the 338 lapua. Like I said, it's a reloader caliber, both for performance and cost of ammo.
A strong action with modern temperature insensitive powder changes all that. It's a truly massive case, you can form Rigby by lathing off the belt of 460 Weatherby and fireforming to lose the Weatherby double radius. The case is also the parent for the 338 lapua. Like I said, it's a reloader caliber, both for performance and cost of ammo.
- Location
- Vancouver Island, BC
I think he was looking at current production rifles. The Steyr Big Bore has been out of production for a dozen years. They pop up on the EE every so often. It's a very well made rifle with a tight twist (1:14 iirc), extremely smooth bolt and solid action which I think was tested to 120000 cup. I stumbled onto a pair of NOS ones a few years back at Backwoods.
Nope. Every copper bullet is a solid as are soft cast/ hard cast... fmj are no go but solids are GtG
It depends on the province. There are no restrictions in Ontario, but they're definitely not the best choice for shooting large game animals.
Turkeyslayer 1300
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Russell, Ontario
I’ve found large bore rifles generally have poor resale value except to a small group. The 80s through to the early 2000s large bores seemed to have a bit of a revival period with several African countries re-opening or fine tuning their hunting operations. We saw the introduction of a lot of calibers and the revival of a few older ones.
Africa is on my list, not particularly interested in shooting a Buffalo where I can see a roadway or high tension wires, so I’ll be saving for quite a while. I have a couple “large mediums” 9.3/.375s and will be stepping to the milder .40/.416s as budget and time allows in preparation for what will hopefully be a few trips.
In the mean time I have hunted my various rifles and did shoot a bear this spring with my .375 with express sights. I have 0 intention of travelling abroad without as many game animals as I can manage reasonably under my “big bore” belt so to speak.
For North America there isn’t a situation I can think of that would be well served by using a solid, I have 0 experience with them but even the Heavier monometal bullets would not be my choice for any except perhaps brown bear, but the opportunities for them are dwindling unfortunately.
Africa is on my list, not particularly interested in shooting a Buffalo where I can see a roadway or high tension wires, so I’ll be saving for quite a while. I have a couple “large mediums” 9.3/.375s and will be stepping to the milder .40/.416s as budget and time allows in preparation for what will hopefully be a few trips.
In the mean time I have hunted my various rifles and did shoot a bear this spring with my .375 with express sights. I have 0 intention of travelling abroad without as many game animals as I can manage reasonably under my “big bore” belt so to speak.
For North America there isn’t a situation I can think of that would be well served by using a solid, I have 0 experience with them but even the Heavier monometal bullets would not be my choice for any except perhaps brown bear, but the opportunities for them are dwindling unfortunately.
Have owned (and still own some) 375 H&H, 375 Wby, 378 Wby, 416 Taylor, 416 Rem, 416 Rigbey, 458 Win Mag, 458 Lott, 450 Ackley, 475 Ackley. So far. Mostly, you dont buy/build them because you need them. You do it because you want them. - dan
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browning525
Member
- Location
- Brooks, AB
My one and only trip to Africa was for plains game and I took my Blaser in 9.3x62. That is about where I would list the start of the "big bores". I have a lovely little double rifle in 9.3x74r that I was able to use on a Wood Buffalo in northern Alberta.
I have a variety of .375 guns, three of them in the HH and one 375 Ruger. From there I jump into the Winchester 95's in .405, and one lonely CZ550 in 416 rigby.
My .458 American (2") has been used for a few black bears and my cougar. The other "45's I have are BPE (black powder express) guns in .450 3 1/4". One of them is a SxS hammer gun that has accounted for black bears and deer. Just downright fun to shoot! I have another BPE hammer double rifle in a fun 577/500 no.2. The cartridge looks pretty intimidating but shoots with recoil in the .338 range.
I am down to one double rifle in 470 N.E. that I am still hoping will make the next trip to Africa with me someday.
The big boys are fun to shoot, but the older I get, I keep going back to more moderate guns for all the hours of range time and normal day to day hunting.
I have a variety of .375 guns, three of them in the HH and one 375 Ruger. From there I jump into the Winchester 95's in .405, and one lonely CZ550 in 416 rigby.
My .458 American (2") has been used for a few black bears and my cougar. The other "45's I have are BPE (black powder express) guns in .450 3 1/4". One of them is a SxS hammer gun that has accounted for black bears and deer. Just downright fun to shoot! I have another BPE hammer double rifle in a fun 577/500 no.2. The cartridge looks pretty intimidating but shoots with recoil in the .338 range.
I am down to one double rifle in 470 N.E. that I am still hoping will make the next trip to Africa with me someday.
The big boys are fun to shoot, but the older I get, I keep going back to more moderate guns for all the hours of range time and normal day to day hunting.
