Savage mk II or CZ 455

fljp2002

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I want to get a new .22 lr and have been looking at the savage mk II fv. I also saw the CZ 455. Both have a synthetic stock so would change that to a Boyd's barracuda or evolution.

What do you all recommend, the CZ is about $150 more

I want to to some silhouette shooting so 40, 60, 77 and 100m will be my target distance

Thx
 
Personally I think the CZs are much nicer finished rifles, although either would suit your purpose. $150 isn't a lot of money in the big picture.
 
I'm a CZ and Savage fan, given the value in these rifles. But I have a $250 ceiling price for Savages, new or used.

I'd spend double that, or more, on a CZ452, new if you can find them or used. My CZ452 Style, Varmint and Scout may not be more accurate than my Savages, But they are finely built pieces of machinery and worthy of passing down to my children and granchildren.

My Savage MKIIG and MKIGY have tapered barrels that are accurate enough for my purposes. I haven't shot them at 100 meters, but the MKIIF I had did manage (9 years ago) sometimes, 3 out of five tries with Winchester Dynapoints, on a calm morning, do sub-MOA at 100 with cheap bulk Winchester Dynapoints. Yeah, some here will have something to say about this, and rightfully so... but it did happen. Exceptional batch of Dynapoints, perhaps.

CZ455...have not owned one because I hear too many stories about inconsistent accuracy.
 
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I like my Savages, I own a few. If you go for one, and want a Boyds, look at the guns that already have one. The cost of getting Boyds up here isn't cheap, but buying a BV or BTV will save you some scratch for ammo. The FV has a very low comb, if you plan on a scope, they aren't so good, but not an issue if you are replacing the stock.

I also have a CZ 455 FS that I like more than a friend. It cost much more than any of my Savage, but is well worth it. Mind you I don't take it out much because I am afraid of damaging it, the Savages not so much, they see a lot of use.
 
Where do you see them for only $150 price spread? The MkII FV sells for $299 and has a $50 mail in rebate right now.

Typically the CZ455 is at least double from what I've seen, $550 on the competitive side.

That said, I'm not sure I've seen a synthetic stock CZ455 typically for sale, so maybe that's the cost savings?

I will say from experience, the MkII FV stock is too small IMO......we have 2 and one was upgraded to the Boyd's EVO, much much better.
 
I have both. The Savage is offordable and shoots very well but you can tell that it’s an inexpensive rifle. The CZ is a little bit more but feels like a rifle. I’m not a NutnFancy fan but I think he explained it best; the CZ is an “heirloom” rifle.
 
Depends what you want to achieve. I've owned both the Savage and a 452.

If you're already planning upgrades for the Mark II, I'd jump right to the CZ.

If you want a fun, accurate rifle to hunt/plink with, go for the Savage. There is no better value in terms of price vs. performance.
 
My buddy's CZ 455 Varmint has beautiful wood and blueing vs my Savage TR. While both rifles shoot equally well(at least in my hands) I would cringe if/when the CZ gets dinged or scratched. The TR...not so much. For this reason I prefer the Savage. The Boyd's stock, fluted barrel and large bolt knob helps too...
 
Check out the new Savage B22G. I just got mine today an its real nice. A nice wood stock an the way it feels is great. they reworked the gun in a few different ways. I haven't had it out to the range yet but hopefully soon just got to put my scope on it. also the barrel on the savage is a solid connection unlike the 455 that uses grub screws to hold the barrel in place. And Savage is known for accuracy so you cant go wrong.
 
Either option can be bought with the Boyd's Evolution stock as issued from the factory, but if looking to use a a Silhouette rifle you should take a close look at the class limitations if you intend to use it in Hunter class, might only qualify for Standard.

Be wary of CZ 455's though, don't be fooled by pretty looks. That attention to detail should be going into their barrel making, but instead what you get is a pretty rifle with a crown looking like it was cut freehand by a monkey with a die grinder, a chamber full of burrs off the rifling from an incredibly dull reamer, and target results looking like you fired a load of buckshot at it. Not worth the near premium price you pay for a CZ. I bought 3 in .22 LR and they were all stinkers, our "warranty" center does nothing about them either. Also got a .17 HMR barrel set with the last one and it does shoot well so, hey, it is possible to get a good one :rolleyes:

Go with the Savage, I had a MKII BTVS, and shot the 1/2" challenge with it. Clean, sharp, concentric crown and well machined, clean cut chamber. Savage at least gets the barrel making right, even if the "fit and finish" otherwise aren't fancy grade.

If you could meet someone at the range and test fire their used CZ before buying, that's one way to protect yourself from the lemon risk of buying sight unseen. Best advice I can give to anyone with thoughts of CZ right now is to sit back, wait and see if they get their quality control game up to par, figure out a decent warranty center for Canada, and what happens with this new "457" model (one of which looks like a nice silhouette rig).
 
If it was me and had the extra money to spend i would go for the CZ with a set of open sights, preferably the lux model. Read my post below about the 4-E. from what i read the 455 is as good as the rest except new. Since your getting a boyds you might as well get the bavarian stock and the longer barrel. They look heavy but are very light.

On the other hand savage makes a very capable rifle with parts supply here if you get a mark ii. Ive contaced them and the ladies there are excellent and got mine rebuilt after a problem no questions asked.

But the cz is just a different class of rifle, take a look at a bolt dissassembly vid on you tube!
Wish i would have discovered cz along time ago.....now the only savage i have is a rascal stowed away for my son.

After thought read some responses in the thread about barrel issues........wait and find a used 452
 
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My friend bought a "tacticool" synthetic heavy barreled Savage. I shot it, and liked it. It just was not the rifle for me.
It is accurate, but it does not hold a candle to the look & feel of my CZ452 varmint (also very accurate) IMOHO
new 452's can still be purchased at Frontier Firearms starting at 669 They have the american, lux, & varmint.
http://frontierfirearms.ca/firearms/rimfire.html
 
Quality & accuracy go CZ455, just hold a CZ & a Savage beside each other you will see the workmanship & quality is hands down on CZ side. Savage make a good gun but the quality in the metalwork isn't as good.
spend the $150 more you will be happy
 
Currently, in the stable, I have a 455 Varmint, 452 Lux, savage mkiiF and a Savage mkiiBV heavy barrel in a wood stock. The 455 and the Savage mkiiF are mine and the other two my wifes.

The mkii was my first gun bought at a gun show with a Japanese Tasco mounted and I am still very happy with it. I did have to remove some material from the barrel channel on the stock as the synthetic stock was contacting the barrel if flexed. 15 minutes with a sandpaper wrapped dowel fixed the problem. Only other tweak I have done was to torque the action screws. It is an accurate gun and the action is smooth as butter. It was well broken in when I purchased it though.Of note, I helped a friend set up his brand new synthetic stocked mkiiFV a few weeks ago and the barrel channel had a lot more clearance and no need to relieve the channel.

The 452 lux was my wifes first firearm. I gotta say out of the box it was perfect and the groups settled in nicely after 150-200 rnds. This rifle is also set up (as it should be) as an off-hand shooter. Nothing, other than cleaning, has been done to this rifle and it shoots wonderfully. the hog back profile of the stock makes fitting a scope low enough without the bolt handle contacting the occular bell a bit of a challenge.

I was so impressed with the wifes 452 that I immediately set my sights on a CZ of my own. I wanted a heavy barrelled Varmint for sure and liked the idea of being able to swap barrels and calibres with the 455. Out of the box I was a bit worried as the accuracy was not great. The rifle was beautiful but the groups were all over. I checked the crown with a Q-tip and felt a few snags so I pollished them out using a cone shaped Dremmel bit by hand. The bit I used is green and has a grit that I would liken to 1200. I also retorqued the barrel retaining screws and stock bolts. This seems to have fixed the issues I had and groups have tightened up. It is a comfortable rifle to shoot but the heavy barrel makes off hand shots tiring. I have this rifle set up with a bi-pod for bench type shooting as that was my intention for it.

Last, but not least, the Savage mkiiBV. The rifle that got my wife interested in getting her PAL was my mkiiF so she wanted her own Savage. While cruising the EE I came across a heavy barrelled, wood stocked model being sold with a bi-pod and scope already mounted for a good price so a deal was made. This one is older and has a bit of a different action than my mkii. It had a bit of a problem feeding rounds from the mag but a little tweaking of the magwell and all was well. This one is crazy accurate. I did a full cleaning after receiving it and then proceded to sight it in to our normal .22 shooting distance of 40 yrds. When I was sighting it in I thought I was missing the paper all together. After walking down to the target I realised they were all going into the dot I had made with a black magic marker that was roughly a 1/2". Of course this was a used rifle and well broken in but if I was going to bet a few beers on group sizes I would compete with this one.

So I guess the long and short is, the CZ's are beautifully crafted heirloom quality rifles but don't discount the cheaper Savage. In a head to head between my 455 and the wifes MkiiBV the cometition would be close but my CZ would look better doing it.
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Nothing to add that hasn't already been said well. fljp2002~I think the best thing would be to get out and handle a few rifles. Very few among us...having handled a CZ beside a Savage...would probably pick the Savage unless price was a concern. And I sure get that. However, I can honestly say the model 455 will never find a place in my safe while there are 452s out there~new or used. Since that will likely always be the case~no 455s for me. Not that they're lemons or anything, I just think they're inferior to 452s and I think the "Barrel swap" thing is nothing but a gimmick designed to distract from their cost-saving move away from the 452 threaded barrel-to-receiver. Proven, solid, accurate~enough said.

I personally don't care for most Boyd's stocks, ESPECIALLY the two you have your sights set on...but to each their own! :) I think that between the cost of a BOYD's "upgrade" on a Savage...and the real-world cost of a CZ, you're better off with a wood-stocked CZ452. If your shooting discipline allows for an upgraded trigger, add that to your 452...throw a decent scope on it, figure out what ammo it likes best and enjoy. For a LONG time.

The only Savage rimfires that interest me these days are the new B-series. Very curious about trying one of those...even holding one in a shop to see how that new stock feels.
 
Thanks for all the feedback but I guess I am screwed until the firearm centre gets its act in gear and sends me my new PAL. Didn't know that when your PAL expires you have to start back at point zero. Luckily I still had a copy of my 1999 course scores.

So I gues now I am breaking the law since I don't have a valid PAL. Our system is truly screwed up, Possesion should be for life, what do they expect, people to sell/dispose of their firearms because a stupid liscen has a five year expire date.

How often do you check your date on your PAL.
 
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