CZ or Marlin

mikeystew said:
They are all good guns, but once you've racked the bolt action on a CZ, the Marlin and Savages will feel like sloppy toys in comparison. The CZ is just better engineered imho, but the savage will shoot as good or better. Just gonna feel cheap doing it.

I'd go for a CZ 452 or 453.
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^this. Savage/Marlin are good guns...CZs are great guns. Ammo the gun likes and a good trigger are 2 VERY key ingredients though. An older Marlin (pre-XT) would be a bigger temptation, and I see nice ones come up in the EE often enough. If budget wasn't in the CZ ballpark...you could pick a Marlin that could have it's trigger upgraded when $ allows. I've put 2 Rifle Basix triggers in Marlin rimfires and they absolutely transform them. About $150 Canadian, landed if memory serves. https://riflebasix.com/product/marlin-rimfire-trigger-15-25-283-880-17-mar-1/ Note the models that this particular trigger will drop into, and maybe read-up on which one you ought to try and find.

IF budget allows, CZs ooze quality compared to anything Savage/Marlin...but also benefit from a little TLC with the trigger. A YoDave kit is all you'd need. btw, "Need" is subjective of course...but the longer I spend shooting...the more good triggers matter to me.
 
Vladthepes said:
...i do not know about the marlin but i just bough a CZ-455 after lots of research and i am very impressed! They even say on some websites that the precision is on par with an anschutz!
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CZs are great guns, and my 452's charm lays in it's ability to shoot crappy ammunition surprisingly well. Even Winchester white box is ok! lol (just under 3/4" @ 50 yards)
 
I should really try my CZ at shorter range sometime I have only ever shot 100m with iron sights out of my 452. I tend to get too or 3 shots within an inch then 1 or 2 that are high or low likely me adjusting slightly shooting from a bag rest. Given that everything is on the same ventricle plane I'd say it's my slight change in elevation when shooting. One day I will put a little scope on it but really I bought the leaf sight model as an iron sighted trainer.
If you think you will eventually buy a cz just buy the CZ you want. Before I bought the CZ trainer I wanted I bought 4 other 22lrs. Though I like all of them.

I had a terrible 10/22 take down that would literally miss a barn at 44m.... it was slightly loose at the connection and the sights were misaligned. I sent it for warranty and Snap shot out of Quebec did one heck of a job replacing the reciever and barrel. It's now perfect shooting as well as at least the CZ512.... so many rifles will fit the bill. Just know that CZs in my exp are a lot better for not requiring additional work. I own 5 CZ firearms and all of them were solid guns out of the box. They all required about 100-200 res to get into a sweet spot for accuracy though, especially the centre fire rifles and pistol.
 
Here is my Cz 452 Varmint with it's new Boyds Varmint Thumbhole Stock.
I scoped it with a Sightron Stac 4-20x50mm from Hirsch Precision.
The Burris 30mm Signature Zee Rings came from Mystic Precision.
I ordered the Dip rail, torx screw set, and extended magazine release from Kinneys.
The Caldwell Bi-pod, bi-pod lock, and scope level came from Amazon.
I dug up a couple extra mags and a single shot adapter at gun shows.
One of my favorite things about this setup is the trigger pull. YoDaves wife sold me one of the kits.
It allows me to have a 9oz trigger that passes the bump test, and does not go off when you close the bolt.
The rifle is really great. The only other things I could do, If I wanted would be to change the bottom metal and magwell. Thank you to Bobc for helping me get my guns set up the way I like.:)
Uploaded at Snapagogo.com
 
Looking into the CZ's. Found they make a bolt action in 7.62 x39. Think I am stuck waiting a little longer while I stockpile some more cash. Found one at Tenda for $849.00. Thanks for the comments all. I think I'll use my CT points and buy a cheap .22 bolt gun from Crappy and keep saving for that CZ.
 
I love CZ 452s and like Savage Mk1s and Mk2s. I got 3 CZs and 3 Savages. I’d say they’re practically the same accuracy wise.

But I love shooting my CZs. CZs are like a trophy wife who can cook and does everything else well. A Savage is like a homely wife who can do the same things.
 
Cz if you got the cash. Savage mark 2 fv-sr gator Troy Landry version is made in Canada and very accurate. I love them both. I take the Savage out more becuase I don't care if it gets banged up
 
Had a CZ 452 Lux and it was an accurate rifle. Regretted selling it to finance my 10/22 mods. After finishing the 10/22 I had 'buyer's remorse' about selling the Lux and bought a CZ 452 Varmint. Sadly, the 10/22 didn't get much trigger time after that. Here's the kicker: I could've bought the Varmint, kept the Lux and would have spent less money!! Live and learn I suppose. FWIW, CZ does make a semi-auto .22lr. I believe the model number is 512.
 
In my experience CZ's will outshoot Savage rifles, but only by a slight margin (I'm talking maybe an average of 1/4 MOA tighter groups at 100 yards with premium ammo, the best groups were the same for both rifles at around .6 MOA, the CZ was able to do it more consistently). A savage Mark II FV is hard to beat for the price vs accuracy, but the fit, finish and quality of the action on a CZ blows the Savage out of the water, so to speak. Used to own a Savage Mark II BTVS, but sold it in favour of a CZ452 Varmint. The CZ was just a better over all gun.
 
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i bought a marlin XT-22VR last night on a whim ( i really shouldnt go into bass pro ) i got it for 250$, 1500 rds for under 100$ ( on sale currently ) and a scope. they didnt have any iron sight models on the shelf but i may be changing it over to iron sight shortly.

out of the box, i noticed the bolt looked kinda rough. the oil provided on the bolt after manufacturing isnt very good. doesnt help that i had a floor model so its probably been pulled dozens of times. no worry, good cleaning and an oiling has it working great. one complaint i do have is sometimes, the bolt doesnt pull the spent shell back out of the chamber. this could be a function of the ammo ( having never owned a rimfire before, this issue is new ) other than that, it shoots well at 50 yards ( distance from my porch to the target , and yes thats legal where i live ) for 250$ i really couldnt complain. its cheap, simple, fires well and weather permitting il be shooting another 100+ rds once i get home.
 
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The original criteria was a bit of an all round rifle for hunting, plinking and target shooting. The CZ is a much more expensive rifle and you pay for the extra care and finish. Many of our members have found the accuracy of each the CZ and the Savage are close, with the slight edge going to the CZ.

Most mention 100 yards, and 1/4 MOA at 100 yards advantage to the CZ. For hunting and Gopher shooting, and plinking at tin cans and such, that translates to 1/4 of an inch or slightly over 6mm. Most of us have a hard time holding 1/4 inch steady at 100 yards. We look at "minute of Gopher" rather than "minute of angle" and are quite satisfied when we hit them, but a Gopher is about 2 inches wide, well within the accuracy required.

That leaves target shooting. I think most of us are paper punchers who like to see what our rifles will do. More serious target shooters will buy more specialized dedicated target rifles costing a lot more than either the Savage, Marlin or CZ.

My vote goes to the Savage with accutrigger. These rifles have served me well in the many thousands of rounds fired at the little furry critters out on the prairies, and we used to shoot out to about 150 yards. Triggers on my rifles were adjusted to suit my own preferences, and on one the barrel channel had to be sanded out slightly so that it was free floated and not binding on one side. This was corrected with an appropriate sized deep socket and some sandpaper wrapped around it. A few minutes with a stone cleaned up the slight burrs left on some of the punched parts like the firing pin and extractors gave them much free movement and improved functioning. The price difference buys a LOT of ammo to shoot.

Either are good choices, and it depends upon just how much money you are willing to spend.
 
buffdog said:
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The original criteria was a bit of an all round rifle for hunting, plinking and target shooting. The CZ is a much more expensive rifle and you pay for the extra care and finish. Many of our members have found the accuracy of each the CZ and the Savage are close, with the slight edge going to the CZ.

Most mention 100 yards, and 1/4 MOA at 100 yards advantage to the CZ. For hunting and Gopher shooting, and plinking at tin cans and such, that translates to 1/4 of an inch or slightly over 6mm. Most of us have a hard time holding 1/4 inch steady at 100 yards. We look at "minute of Gopher" rather than "minute of angle" and are quite satisfied when we hit them, but a Gopher is about 2 inches wide, well within the accuracy required.

That leaves target shooting. I think most of us are paper punchers who like to see what our rifles will do. More serious target shooters will buy more specialized dedicated target rifles costing a lot more than either the Savage, Marlin or CZ.

My vote goes to the Savage with accutrigger. These rifles have served me well in the many thousands of rounds fired at the little furry critters out on the prairies, and we used to shoot out to about 150 yards. Triggers on my rifles were adjusted to suit my own preferences, and on one the barrel channel had to be sanded out slightly so that it was free floated and not binding on one side. This was corrected with an appropriate sized deep socket and some sandpaper wrapped around it. A few minutes with a stone cleaned up the slight burrs left on some of the punched parts like the firing pin and extractors gave them much free movement and improved functioning. The price difference buys a LOT of ammo to shoot.

Either are good choices, and it depends upon just how much money you are willing to spend.
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^excellent post. Most of my Savage rimfires (save for 2) were 17HMR or 22WMR...but the 2 x 22s I've had never shot up to CZ standards accuracy-wise. One a Rascal, one a Mark II FV-SR. The Rascal doesn't count...as I'm 6'1" and it doesn't fit. The FV-SR wasn't that accurate no matter what I ammo I shot with it. Too bad, I kinda' liked that gun. The B-series guns have me a bit curious, but I'm well-covered with the 22s I currently have...so no plans to buy one/try one any time soon. I do agree with the comment about target shooting, and while I've evolved that way myself..I never really thought about it. I do have a nice target gun now, and I enjoy punching paper with it..some plinking. The CZ I punch gophers with~the only target shooting it sees is during scope zeroing/ammo testing, etc. Before I bought my target rifle, I thought CZ accurate WAS accurate..and I guess it is. (1/2" @ 50 yards using cheap ammo) Awesome gopher/plinking rifle..it's proven itself countless times. I've always been reluctant (for some reason) to run top-tier ammo through it, possibly because I'm not THAT curious to see how it performs with the stuff. I mean..I am a little, but since I'll never feed it that full-time...

If anything, shooting a target gun with a wicked trigger makes every other trigger you own/use feel substandard. lol I KNOW I'm not a trigger "snob"...but boy, it's hard not to want great triggers on guns you love. :)
 
i got myself a savage mark II F great shooter for a small budget rifle and a Marlin xt-22 R and model 60 they are great to and dont cost to much for starter CZ are more expensive but man they are the cream of the cream in .22LR with anschutz
 
I got a Savage Mark ii FV. The plastic stock was awful.... the comb was too low...more of a "chin" weld than a "cheek" weld.
So just put it in a Boyds "At-One" stock. FANTASTIC IMPROVEMENT!
I can extend the butt stock for me and then shorten it for the kids. The adjustable comb is a really nice feature.
Sorry no photos of group sizes but looks very promising with CCI standards and mini-mags

Only issue so far is that it will fail to extract the spent casing after firing a number of rounds....seems to be a common complaint

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The CZ has a better bolt design and uses better materials. It may or may not be more accurate than a Savage / Marlin. Also, the magazine design and release is better, not the low cost sheet metal stuff.
If you have (or can save) the money, always go with the CZ compared to Marlin/Savage. Only downside is the creepy stock trigger, which is fixed with a $20 yodave spring/bushing kit.

Personally I prefer the pre-455 models, but haven't shot a 455 so can't comment on them.
The 452 American is the all around choice for a scoped hunting cz 452, the lux for open sight shooting, Varmint for target shooting, the scout for kids, etc. It is a very well thought out gun and the offerings cover most uses. Personally, I really liked my American when I had it, but prefer the longer barrel of the lux or ultra lux for off hand shots.

If you save even more money, look out for the rarer, out of production 452 Ultra Lux, with the 28.5" barrel. It's really nice for off hand shooting. They still come up around $650 on the EE.

Most likely, the CZ452 will be the rimfire you sell last if you ever thin out your collection. Yes, they are that good. They also feel nicer to hold, as the stocks are slim and solid. If you hold out for the cz, I highly doubt you'll regret it, but good luck in your search.

Regarding the CZ527 in 7.62 x 39, my friend had one which I got to shoot. They are super light and handy, and would make an excellent short range gun, particularly with open sights. But the calibre limits this gun to short range shots less than 150 yards. It has similar use as the Winchester model 94 30-30, but has a bit more range and accuracy. If the limited range is not a problem where you hunt, they would be a great choice. However, as an all around bolt action, there are more versatile and more economical choices.
 
LarryG said:
The CZ has a better bolt design and uses better materials. It may or may not be more accurate than a Savage / Marlin. Also, the magazine design and release is better, not the low cost sheet metal stuff.
If you have (or can save) the money, always go with the CZ compared to Marlin/Savage. Only downside is the creepy stock trigger, which is fixed with a $20 yodave spring/bushing kit.

Personally I prefer the pre-455 models, but haven't shot a 455 so can't comment on them.
The 452 American is the all around choice for a scoped hunting cz 452, the lux for open sight shooting, Varmint for target shooting, the scout for kids, etc. It is a very well thought out gun and the offerings cover most uses. Personally, I really liked my American when I had it, but prefer the longer barrel of the lux or ultra lux for off hand shots.

If you save even more money, look out for the rarer, out of production 452 Ultra Lux, with the 28.5" barrel. It's really nice for off hand shooting. They still come up around $650 on the EE.

Most likely, the CZ452 will be the rimfire you sell last if you ever thin out your collection. Yes, they are that good. They also feel nicer to hold, as the stocks are slim and solid. If you hold out for the cz, I highly doubt you'll regret it, but good luck in your search.

Regarding the CZ527 in 7.62 x 39, my friend had one which I got to shoot. They are super light and handy, and would make an excellent short range gun, particularly with open sights. But the calibre limits this gun to short range shots less than 150 yards. It has similar use as the Winchester model 94 30-30, but has a bit more range and accuracy. If the limited range is not a problem where you hunt, they would be a great choice. However, as an all around bolt action, there are more versatile and more economical choices.
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I just picked up a virtually brand new CZ 455 in 17 HMR (the bolt is not even broken in yet); I have yet to shoot it, but am very impressed with the fit, finish and workmanship.
 
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