cz550/model 70/mark v

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regulate34

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i am in the market for my first hunting rifle. i have been doing reaserch like mad and going to the stores and holding the guns. i have narrowed it down to 3 but more like 2. cz550 american, model 70 sporter and weatherby mark v synthetic. the weatherby and the m70 i have held and fit nice and feel good in my hands. the cz i can not find anyway to hold up to my sholder. i would stop looking at the winchester if it had a longer then 22" barrel in 30-06. the mark v is awsome but from what i have found in my searching is weatherby is more of a target shooter. so i have the cz550 that on paper has what i want but i cant get it in my hands to make a desision. i am lookin for some insight as to if the cz fits like the other 2 or if its a totaly diffrent fit and to stop waisting my time trying to track one down. also any other input on these 3 rifles would be great. i have always been a little hard on my equitment everything from my chainsaws to my trucks. i buy it to use it not look at it. and from what i found the 2 mouser98 base actions are really strong and dependibal and the weatherby howa action is in a leauge of its own for strength.

thanks in advance
 
3 great guns to choose from. I doubt you will find many people who would build a target/precision rifle on a Weatherby MKV action though, I'm not sure what gives you that impression? I'm a fan of Mark V's, however I am not totally biased. I very much like the Model 70's also. Although the CZ's are nice guns, the one's I've handled were rather crudely finished(ie; tooling marks, roughness in cycling the action, wood/metal fitting) but at least they are all steel and built to last. If 30-06 is you're caliber of choice the Weatherby will be based on the 6-lug action, a beautifully proportioned action for cartridges of this size. I have a .240 Wby Mag with this action and it is wonderfully trim and light. The new production Model 70's are great also with far greater QC than their predecessors. If it were me it would be Wby MKV(OK so I'm a little biased;)) Model 70 second, and CZ third. Just my opinion.
 
Mark v - overly heavy action. Gimmick locking lug design is nearly impossible to ensure all lugs come in contact evenly. Overkill for a 30-06 and more expensive than they're worth. Lousy target rifle but nothign fundamentally wrong with it for hunting excepting the things I noted above.

M70 - handy 22" barrel is all you need for a m70. Not the lightest rifle on the market but very well made and not likely to disappoint.

CZ is a nice rifle but heavy (from what I've heard). I don't like single set triggers of any sort. The CZ apparently is comprised of a myriad of tiny bits and pieces so not really the be-all-end-all "modern Mauser" that their marketers would have us believe.

You sealed it for me when you said the M70 felt good in your hands and at your shoulder. I think you've made your decision. I'd buy it, add a Leupold 4x (or if you must, a 2.5-8x) and you're ready to hunt.
 
thanks for the input
i think i got the weatherby "target rifle" from the accumark i have seen and heard a few become .308 target guns
 
I have a newer M70 Featherweight in .308 and have been very impressed by it. It would be my first choice. They are an excellent quality CRF rifle for the money.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Mark v - overly heavy action. Gimmick locking lug design is nearly impossible to ensure all lugs come in contact evenly. Overkill for a 30-06 and more expensive than they're worth. Lousy target rifle but nothign fundamentally wrong with it for hunting excepting the things I noted above.

M70 - handy 22" barrel is all you need for a m70. Not the lightest rifle on the market but very well made and not likely to disappoint.

CZ is a nice rifle but heavy (from what I've heard). I don't like single set triggers of any sort. The CZ apparently is comprised of a myriad of tiny bits and pieces so not really the be-all-end-all "modern Mauser" that their marketers would have us believe.

You sealed it for me when you said the M70 felt good in your hands and at your shoulder. I think you've made your decision. I'd buy it, add a Leupold 4x (or if you must, a 2.5-8x) and you're ready to hunt.
Click to expand...

Any of the Mark V's made in the last 14 yrs.(30-06) will have been built on the smaller six lug action. This action is dimensionally smaller than both the Winchester and CZ action making it well suited to the 30-06 family of cartridges. Same potential lug issue as the 9-lug action but we're talking about a hunting rifle here, I've seen Rem. 700's that don't have full lug contact and they only have two to get right!
 
I have handled and shot all three and I am a CZ fan but in this case I would go with the M70. The safety is the best in the business.The trigger is great .The bolt is easy to disassemble when reuired(as is the CZ). I don't really like the single set feature of the cz. I adjusted mine to a light single stage pull but lots of lock-tite or finger nail polish is required to maitain the adjustment. IMO the 30-06 does not need more than 22" in barrel length. It makes a handier rifle and the extra length does not necessarily equate to higher velocities. There are more variables than you can imagine that determine velocity. Personally I would stay away from the Mark V sythetic as the tupperware drives me nuts.The finish on the new 550's is good but the only one with the steel floorplate is the American model but I find it heavy and cumbersum with the 24" barrel.
Just my opions but based on more that speculation or I have not handled them.
Neil
 
another vote for the model 70. I have the deluxe fwt in 30/06 and love it. I put a 6x42 Leupold FXIII on it and couldn't be happier.

Way better finish than the rifles out of the NewHaven plant.

I haven't handled a cz but I do find the m70 just feels nicer to me than the weatherby although I think they are great rifles as well.
 
I just got a supergrade .30-06 and it shoots 5 shots under an inche with factory ammo if I do my part. Beautiful gun as I'm sure you've seen. Sporters go for a lot cheaper and have almost just as nice of wood from the ones I've seen. I am partial to Winchesters though.

Steve



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Neilm said:
I have handled and shot all three and I am a CZ fan but in this case I would go with the M70. The safety is the best in the business.The trigger is great .The bolt is easy to disassemble when reuired(as is the CZ). I don't really like the single set feature of the cz. I adjusted mine to a light single stage pull but lots of lock-tite or finger nail polish is required to maitain the adjustment. IMO the 30-06 does not need more than 22" in barrel length. It makes a handier rifle and the extra length does not necessarily equate to higher velocities. There are more variables than you can imagine that determine velocity. Personally I would stay away from the Mark V sythetic as the tupperware drives me nuts.The finish on the new 550's is good but the only one with the steel floorplate is the American model but I find it heavy and cumbersum with the 24" barrel.
Just my opions but based on more that speculation or I have not handled them.
Neil
Click to expand...

i dont like the look either. i was going on pure practualty. pretty emune to the elements. but now that i look at it they have used wood for how many years and its still being used.

as for heavy i like the weight i am 6'4" and 260lbs and dont like it when somthing feels toy like in my hands.(i welded a chunk of DOM tube for a handle on my splitting maul)
 
M70

I'd recommend a new M70. Look at a Super-Grade or Sporter. Wholesalesports have the .30-06 Super-Grade at $980 "online special" last time I looked. I have a new .338 Super-Grade and am very impressed with it.
Geoff
 
As others have already said, all three rifles are top quality and your choice now comes down to personal preference.

My own experience and taste leads me towards two locking lugs and controlled round feed, but that doesn't make it better just my preference. My Brno ZG-47 is similar in many respects to the pre-64 M-70, but I would not personally trade due to the small number of '47s built. I haven't had a CZ-550 .30/06 in my hands so I don't have an opinion top share. I have hunted with a custom shop Super Grade M-70 though and it is all the rifle you could ask for.

Weatherbys. Hmmm, I'll relate an early experience. I was shooting at the range with a M-700 .30/06, and a fellow on the bench beside me was shooting a MK-V in .300 Weatherby. His rifle had a Leupold variable power scope, while mine had a cheap Japanaese 3-9X40 in Weaver mounts. My groups were killing his, and I felt pretty good about that, until I thought about it.

Groups don't kill game. His rifle had a pencil thin barrel which left something to be desired when attempting to shoot groups in rapid fire 5 shot strings. He complained my muzzle blast was disturbing; I was loading compressed charges of 4831 equivalent from Ammo Mart under 165s from a 22" barrel. Had I loaded his ammo and fired his rifle, it is possible the results would have been reversed, but the Weatherby barrel is pretty whippy and that light barrel combined with the disturbing blast from my rifle probably made the difference. Weatherby actions feed buttery smooth. The look of Weatherby wood stocks appeal to those who like them, and they feel right. Weatherby synthetic stocks are universally repulsive to look at, but feel right. When a Weatherby rifle comes to your shoulder, as often as not the reticle is right there and providing the eye relief is set correctly, you don't have to go looking for it. If you miss with a MK-V, it's not because of the rifle.
 
personally , I love the set trigger function on my cz's and it sure tightens up groups when shooting from the bench for me anyways. Ive disabled it on my 527 in .223 and the same can be done on the 550's with the triggers being fully adjustable and with thousands of rounds downrange and a large pile of dead critters later I havent had a single issue of any kind with any of my 5 cz's

new plant Model 70 or CZ 550 if it was my money, personally having owned pre-64's I dont care for the wing safety and dont find it in natural in a hurry a lot of guys swear by them though and either rifle would be a fine choice.
 
actuly i was looking on the winchester site and acording to them its a 24in barrel
i got 22in from wholesale sports website
thats a bonus for sure
 
I own a CZ550 and a couple of New Haven Model 70's, I've shot a Weatherby mkV a fair amount.

I like the CZ550 and the Winchester Model 70 about equally, they are both very well made and from my experience very accurate. I'm not a Weatherby fan, they don't feel right to me.

You should pick the one that feels best to you. I'm about your size, I like to think of it as "right sized", The CZ and the Winnie both fit me very well.
 
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regulate34 said:
actuly i was looking on the winchester site and acording to them its a 24in barrel
i got 22in from wholesale sports website
thats a bonus for sure
Click to expand...

The model 70 featherweights only come in 22", if you want 24" then get the sporter. Wholesale did have them on sale for 699, who knows if they actually have any in stock. Don't discount the 22" barrel, you may find that it is very handy for most hunting applications
 
I went with a Weatherby Mark V because it was the only action I could cycle without losing the sight picture. 54 deg. bolt lift. I'm 5'6" and my arms aren't long. They're a little more money, but I've been able to find two for $1000 or less.
 
Never owned a Mk V that hasn't shot MOA. They are beautiful rifles and butter smooth actions. I own a CZ and my share of M70's too. They are great rifles, but the smoothness of their actions are no where near the Mk V. The 54° bolt lift is a nice feature too.
 
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