tylerjwitty
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Ontario
^ yes i agree the 6.5 x 55 is a marvouls round and i want one back
First Hunting Rifle
- Thread starter LeJuque&Friends
- Start date
Lejuque, if the rifle felt natural pointing it, get it!! 
That's the MOST important thing. .270 win is probably a perfect cartridge choice for you. 6.5x55 is a great cartridge but more suited to someone who is a handloader.
There is no other criteria that is more important when choosing a rifle than going with the one that felt good when you shoulder it, so my (worthless internet) advice is to go with it. Remember not to cheap out on optics, and don't get too much magnification.
That's the MOST important thing. .270 win is probably a perfect cartridge choice for you. 6.5x55 is a great cartridge but more suited to someone who is a handloader.There is no other criteria that is more important when choosing a rifle than going with the one that felt good when you shoulder it, so my (worthless internet) advice is to go with it. Remember not to cheap out on optics, and don't get too much magnification.
I know what you mean by cheaping out. I've looked though some scopes that only zoom to x7 but you can clearly see out to 400meters no problem well a cheap scope that zooms to x9 can't clearly see past 200meters. I was looking at a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14 x 40mm and its $400 I think. Would that be a good scope? I figured since Nikon make some dam good camera lenses they should make some dam good scope lenses too.
dgradinaru
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- British Columbia
i would get a used hunting rifle for the first one, buy a 6.5x55 sporter with open sights have fun with that, hunt, if you scratch it is no big deal, if you drop it no big deal since you pay cheap. But if you scrtach that CZ or drop it you feel bad since you paid big $$. This is just my opinion. Its your choice.
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
In my opinion 4.5 x 10 is much more than needed. 3x9 is lots in my book, for a .270 I'd much prefer something in the 2x7 range, but that's just me.
I went in and ordered the CZ 550 Lux Euro chambered for .270win today. Put a $400 down payment on it.
To me its just a gun. If it gets scratched and marked up it just gives the rifle character. When I first got my Ruger 10/22 Deluxe I didn't want to scratch that up well grouse hunting or using it at the range but it happens and every gun owner just need to accept that. If you can't, then like you say, buy a cheap, old, proven, used gun. I do, however, want one of them Husqvarna Sporting rifles as a hiking/trail gun.
I thought the .270win 130gr was a long range CXP2 hunting round and my range goes out to 400meters so I figured 4.5-14 x 40 would be good. I guess I'll just have to ask about scopes at a latter time on a new thread. I don't know to much about them so I need all the advice I can get.
To me its just a gun. If it gets scratched and marked up it just gives the rifle character. When I first got my Ruger 10/22 Deluxe I didn't want to scratch that up well grouse hunting or using it at the range but it happens and every gun owner just need to accept that. If you can't, then like you say, buy a cheap, old, proven, used gun. I do, however, want one of them Husqvarna Sporting rifles as a hiking/trail gun.
I thought the .270win 130gr was a long range CXP2 hunting round and my range goes out to 400meters so I figured 4.5-14 x 40 would be good. I guess I'll just have to ask about scopes at a latter time on a new thread. I don't know to much about them so I need all the advice I can get.
Nikon makes good scopes so I've heard, I haven't looked through one though. In my opinion 3-9 power is a good compromise, and 2-7 is also good. The 270 is very flat shooting, but that doesn't mean you need 14 power magnification.
Think of it this way. A good marksman and good hunter should practice until he can easily hit a target that is the size of a deer's vital zone while shooting offhand (standing) at 100 yards with open sights. This takes practice, but is very doable with that practice.
If you are using a 4x power scope, that same deer will look just as big at 400m as it did at 100m with those open sights. Going up to 9x power, that deer at 400m looks in the scope like it's less than 50m away! On the other hand, you might find that you want less magnification than 4.5 power sometimes, such as if you're hunting in thick brush. As I said before my opinion is worth about as much as you paid for it (nothing) and your mileage may vary, but I think nothing more powerful than 3-9 power is what you need, and no objective bigger than 40mm. Smaller objective and less magnification will still serve you very well, while anything bigger or more powerful just makes your rifle heavier and less maneuverable, while also acting as a crutch for your marksmanship.
IMO a retail of around $200 is a decent starting point for a scope, and if you spend twice that or more it would still be worth it. If you look at the models in that price range from the major manufacturers you won't go wrong. That includes Nikon, Bushnell elite series, Leupold vxII or better, Weaver, and others.
As I said before, 6.5x55 is a great round, but I think your choice is better for your situation.
Think of it this way. A good marksman and good hunter should practice until he can easily hit a target that is the size of a deer's vital zone while shooting offhand (standing) at 100 yards with open sights. This takes practice, but is very doable with that practice.
If you are using a 4x power scope, that same deer will look just as big at 400m as it did at 100m with those open sights. Going up to 9x power, that deer at 400m looks in the scope like it's less than 50m away! On the other hand, you might find that you want less magnification than 4.5 power sometimes, such as if you're hunting in thick brush. As I said before my opinion is worth about as much as you paid for it (nothing) and your mileage may vary, but I think nothing more powerful than 3-9 power is what you need, and no objective bigger than 40mm. Smaller objective and less magnification will still serve you very well, while anything bigger or more powerful just makes your rifle heavier and less maneuverable, while also acting as a crutch for your marksmanship.
IMO a retail of around $200 is a decent starting point for a scope, and if you spend twice that or more it would still be worth it. If you look at the models in that price range from the major manufacturers you won't go wrong. That includes Nikon, Bushnell elite series, Leupold vxII or better, Weaver, and others.
As I said before, 6.5x55 is a great round, but I think your choice is better for your situation.
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
The last thing you need is your dinner to come in close in thick bush and you fumbling around trying to find it in your scope with nothing less than 4.5 magnification. Many have done well with a fixed 4x although I really like the 2x7x32 or 33. The 2x gives you plenty of FOV for the close stuff and 7x is more than enough for big game at hunting ranges. Mounts a little lower on the rifle and typically a tad lighter to boot. This again is just my opinion with my very limited experience.
Humm. I guess I was thinking about being able to see the 400meter target as if I’m standing right in front of it and not the actual hunting part. What about the 3-9x40 Nikon Buckmaster? It’s also $100 cheaper than the 4.5-14x40. I think whenever you buy a hunting rifle starter combo package they come with a cheap 3-9x40 scope and that might be the standard for deer hunting. What about the height of the scope rings? Would I need low, medium, or high rings? Man I should just start a new thread for this.
I'm not in a big rush to get a scope anyways because it has the iron sights.
I'm not in a big rush to get a scope anyways because it has the iron sights.
Good choice CZ 550 is a great rifle. I have a couple of CZs and they are accurate and solid.
Don't worry if it feels clunky to start with they take a little bit of breaking in.
Start looking around for scope rings sooner rather than later as they may be a pain to find. IIRC the lux have 19mm dovetails on the receiver rather than drilled and tapped (my CZ550 american came with CZ rings in the box but I don't think the lux does).
IMHO I would try to get the rings low(ish) as the lux was designed to line your eyes up with the low iron sights when your cheeks on the stock. If you get your scope rings too high you will feel like you're lifting your cheek off the stock to see through the scope. That's the way I felt when I put the scope too high on my little 22 lux. May be BS I'm sure one of the resident guru's will give the correct opinion
Don't worry if it feels clunky to start with they take a little bit of breaking in.
Start looking around for scope rings sooner rather than later as they may be a pain to find. IIRC the lux have 19mm dovetails on the receiver rather than drilled and tapped (my CZ550 american came with CZ rings in the box but I don't think the lux does).
IMHO I would try to get the rings low(ish) as the lux was designed to line your eyes up with the low iron sights when your cheeks on the stock. If you get your scope rings too high you will feel like you're lifting your cheek off the stock to see through the scope. That's the way I felt when I put the scope too high on my little 22 lux. May be BS I'm sure one of the resident guru's will give the correct opinion
First find out for sure if your rifle already comes with rings or not. Second, choose a scope. If rings come with your rifle you will have to either choose a compatible scope or buy new CZ rings yourself. In which case you'll need to talk to someone knowledgeable, like your gunsmith or a knowledgeable vendor, and find out which rings you need. In general, you want to mount the scope as low as possible, but how low that is depends on the scope design/size.
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
The CZ in 6.5x55 sounds like a great choice to me.
I second the suggestion of going 3-9x40 scope and not bigger for a general pupose hunting rifle. A scope made to shoot bug-sized holes at 400m is great for that purpose, but is a very significant handicap when trying to shoot a moving animal at 50 yards.
I second the suggestion of going 3-9x40 scope and not bigger for a general pupose hunting rifle. A scope made to shoot bug-sized holes at 400m is great for that purpose, but is a very significant handicap when trying to shoot a moving animal at 50 yards.
I just spammed the s**t out of CZUB, CZ-USA, IPD, London Arms, and one other CZ distributor asking for scope advice saying I want the scope to go as low as possible with a zoom of x7 or x9. I may get 5 different answers or 5 same answers. I think I’ll continue this spamming rampage and post a new thread asking this as well.
If it fits the rings you have, and you're able to mount it low, I'm sure the 3-9x40 Nikon buckmaster would be a fantastic choice for you. However, I suggest you look through one first at a store alongside a few other scopes in that similar price range. You can compare glass quality by trying to notice how colours turn out side-by-side, and by trying to read text like on signs or posters at longer distances like across the store or across the street. If you don't like it, but like a different reputable manufacturer offering a similar product, trust your gut. If you can't tell a difference or have no preference, that class of optic certainly won't be a wrong choice for you.
I may be a little late, but to answer your first question I would advise either a 270 or a 30-06. Right now, it may be a mulie, but in the future, you never know. They are both good all-round rounds.
There are several really good rifle manufacturers out there. For modest budgets, Savage, Weatherby and Remington provide some outstanding products which will last a lifetime. For the others, you get to spend more money for, in my own opinion, almost the same performance. The CZ is a good rifle too. Just noticed that you are buying it.
As for the open sights, let's just say that if you have not shot open sights before, you are in for a bit of a surprise with the standard fare that come with these rifles. You will find your accuracy a bit disappointing at 200 yards with open sights, while the guy next to you with a telescope on his rifle is printing nice tight groups. I write from experience. Glass helps you get those tight groups and that quick kill, it does not guarantee it. Read some of the old articles about the military iron sights. 4" groups was considered be pretty good - good enough to incapacitate a man at 100 yards. That's not even a close standard today with the advent of scopes.
I view open sights as a good backup. Glass (scopes) bring out the potential of the rifle with more precision. If you don't like the magnification, then get fixed power. I love my Burris E1 with the wind/ballistic reticule to assist in my varmint shooting. I prefer my fixed 4x and 6x on my all purpose truck rifles (30-06 and 308).
There are several really good rifle manufacturers out there. For modest budgets, Savage, Weatherby and Remington provide some outstanding products which will last a lifetime. For the others, you get to spend more money for, in my own opinion, almost the same performance. The CZ is a good rifle too. Just noticed that you are buying it.
As for the open sights, let's just say that if you have not shot open sights before, you are in for a bit of a surprise with the standard fare that come with these rifles. You will find your accuracy a bit disappointing at 200 yards with open sights, while the guy next to you with a telescope on his rifle is printing nice tight groups. I write from experience. Glass helps you get those tight groups and that quick kill, it does not guarantee it. Read some of the old articles about the military iron sights. 4" groups was considered be pretty good - good enough to incapacitate a man at 100 yards. That's not even a close standard today with the advent of scopes.
I view open sights as a good backup. Glass (scopes) bring out the potential of the rifle with more precision. If you don't like the magnification, then get fixed power. I love my Burris E1 with the wind/ballistic reticule to assist in my varmint shooting. I prefer my fixed 4x and 6x on my all purpose truck rifles (30-06 and 308).
One of my friends is from Czech Republic and he said he will set me up with a set of 26mm (1inch) unrestricted view scope rings for my CZ 550 this summer and he told me to go with a Burris fullfield II E1 2-7x35mm scope. So I can still use the iron sights even with the scope on.
These days its hard not to buy something that will shoot accurately certainly enough to put meat on the table. Kind of hard to mess that one up so concentrate on something that fits you that you like the looks of. Sometimes the accuracy of the gun is more about the shooter than the rifle itself. Buy something you like and get at it. We all know what we like and thats what we buy so you should approach it the same way. If you dont like it sell it and buy something else. What have you go to lose? If you are worried about losing money then buy something used. If you have a fair deal you should get all your cash back or most of it for the next purchase. Welcome aboard.
