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Summary
The Ceska Zbrojovka model 550 American is a very accurate, classically lined, hunting rifle. The subject model is chambered in .270 Winchester with a Bushnell 3-9×32 adjustable scope. The walnut stock and blued barrel give it a simple and comfortable platform for the Mauser extractor. With an MSRP of $827, the CZ550 is a highly reliable, affordable, and easy to shoot weapon; a perfect addition to your firearms collection.
Rifle Details
The CZ550 American is modeled after the Lux and FS rifles, but the lines are crafted for the North American hunter’s eye. The Lux uses the European styled open sights, Turkish walnut stock and cut in the Bavarian pattern. This means the length of the barrel is stabilized by the stock. An “American” style stock will fit about half of the barrel. The rifle uses a hammer forged, floating barrel design which allows it to maintain accuracy after successive shots heat the metal.
The American is not fitted with open sights but is instead installed with two 19mm dovetail slots milled into the receiver. The American comes with bases and scope rings, so there is no worry about whether the parts will actually mate with the weapon or will come loose in the future. The CZ550 is fitted with a 5-round, fixed magazine box; each round is placed nicely in battery by the exquisitely crafted Mauser 98 style bolt. The bolt face is highly polished and runs smooth through the entire loading/extracting cycle.
Another nice detail on the CZ550 is its stainless steel trigger. It is a single set trigger which is a type of trigger action that allows the operator to push the trigger forward and significantly reduce the weight of the trigger pull. The CZ550 has a standard trigger weight of approximately 9 pounds, and is reduced to approximately 3 pounds when the single set is engaged. The first time the author fired from the featherweight trigger, there was significant surprise! The trigger is just as crisp on the heavy setting as it is on the light setting; just beware of the break on the light side!
The test weapon seemed to love the 140 grain ammunition, either factory load or handload. There was much more consistency in accuracy at 140 grains than either the 130 or 150 grain factory loads. The handloads offered greatest accuracy and were .270 Win 140 grain Nosler Accubond Ballistic Tip ammunition. In the 140 grain, handloads averaged a ½” group, whereas the factory loads averaged a 1½” group. Very respectable in either extreme. But why would handloaded ammunition be more accurate? Quality control. The neck of each case is debured, polished, measured, and charged and inspected by hand.
Shootability
If you have never fired a .270 or other big-bore rifle, be prepared for a bit of a whalop from the recoil. It will be important to place the butt of the stock firmly in the shoulder. That being said, the American is a comfortable big-bore rifle to fire. The butt pad supplied by the manufacturer is sufficient to absorb much of the recoil, and when hunting in the winter with heavier clothing, additional recoil energy is dispersed. One way to knock down the perceived recoil is to install a Limb Saver Recoil Pad from Sims Vibration Laboratory.
With a 13.7″ length of pull (LOP), the rifle does not make the operator feel stretched out. It is a nice balance of long range shooting, with a compact feel for the controls. We are not dealing with a carbine, so don’t go whipping around trees with it, but you’ll certainly feel comfortable behind the wheel. The raised cheek-piece helps the shooter to put the face in the same place each time. It is not adjustable, but the “hump” helps solidify the muscle memory. The rake and comb of the stock also aid in keeping the eye lined up with the reticle of the scope.
We talked about groups, but what about practical application? The author has taken this rifle out to the field for two hunting seasons in the Central Texas Hill Country. The farthest shot taken on an eight point buck was approximately 225 yards; the 140 grain Nosler impacted right at the point of aim, harvesting the buck very quickly and humanly. In a hunting rifle, isn’t this kind of accuracy and knock down power what we all want?
The fine accuracy of this weapon should give the hunter a great deal of confidence when in the field. The caliber is perfect for game up to mule deer size and if you’re looking to hunt animals where a .270 is either over-powered or not quite enough, CZ offers this rifle in .22-250, 6.5×55, 9.3×62, .30-06, .243, and .308. Plenty of range for whatever style of game you choose to hunt.
Summary
There really isn’t much worth changing on this rifle. CZ has taken the best of a couple of technologies and fused it into a single weapon. The only thing worth adding would be the Limb Saver mentioned above. Shooting multiple rounds at the range in the summer tends to wear out the shoulder in short order.
Outside of some custom work you may want done (glass bedding, stock modifications, etc), this is a fine rifle out of the box. Any accuracy problems are likely to be shooter induced, and while the $827 price tag may seem high, you’re likely to find this rifle in the $700’s at many firearms shops.