American Hunting Rifles

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Beauty! Yes Wayne will obviously work on M70's. He did a .300RUM to 404J conversion for me on a M70 rifle.

 

[Jeffrey]

Oh nice! With the CZ550 being discontinued, now they’ll do more Model 70s. Need to send him some rifles...

 

[Petey J]

I'll ask a dumb question, but I would assume that this is on the newer M70's, not the original pre-64's?

Are the packages for the M70 the same as for the CZ550? I'd been planning on doing the upgrade 3 to a 550 in a couple years to build a DG rifle, but would consider the M70.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Very nice rifle! You must be thrilled.

Wayne should publish that he does M70 work. When I got my last rifle, I talked to him like 3 times...always about CZ’s. I probably would have sent him my M70 to work on.

In the end, Dennis Olson built my M70 and it came out well enough I want him to re arreo another M70 project!

Beauty! Yes Wayne will obviously work on M70's. He did a .300RUM to 404J conversion for me on a M70 rifle.

In early 2018, I purchased a Win Mod 70 Super Grade in 300 RUM. I talked to Wayne at AHR about converting it to 404 Jeffery and he said he no longer did that. Mainly worked on CZs. I guess he might work on a Win Mod 70, depending what you want done and how busy he is. But he told me he wouldn't do a 300 RUM conversion to 404 Jeff. Dennis Olson did my conversion.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I just got my CZ 550 375 HH back from Wayne. He did a number 1 upgrade along with mercury reducer and glass bed. It is so smooth and really like the new safety. I liked it so much I went and found a new 550 in 458 Lott and he has it now. Doing a number 1 plus some other work to it. Cant wait to get it back.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I just got my CZ 550 375 HH back from Wayne. He did a number 1 upgrade along with mercury reducer and glass bed. It is so smooth and really like the new safety. I liked it so much I went and found a new 550 in 458 Lott and he has it now. Doing a number 1 plus some other work to it. Cant wait to get it back.

What is a number one upgrade? My used Lott is having some feeding issues, so just wondering? Thanks!

 

[mark-hunter]

What is a number one upgrade?

CZ UPGRADE # 1
We install our 3-position safety and crisp single-stage trigger, then straighten and fill the bolt handle.

CZ UPGRADE # 2
Includes Upgrade # 1 plus the following:

• Cut and re-crown barrel
• Install barrel band sling mount
• Install custom banded front sight with hood
• Install AHR fixed rear sight blade
• Glass bed action
• Gunkote or blue all metal

CZ UPGRADE #3 with AAA ENGLISH WALNUT STOCK
CZ UPGRADE #3 with AHR FIBERGLASS STOCK
Includes Upgrades #1 and #2 plus: Re-stock with hand-picked AAA fancy English Walnut with four-panel checkering, Ebony fore-end tip, Pachmayr Decellerator recoil pad, cross bolts, and fit to your LOP. The action is glass and pillar bedded for the ultimate in strength and accuracy.
Or, re-stock with one of our hand made fiberglass stocks for a durable all-weather package.

 

[CoElkHunter]

CZ UPGRADE # 1
We install our 3-position safety and crisp single-stage trigger, then straighten and fill the bolt handle.

CZ UPGRADE # 2
Includes Upgrade # 1 plus the following:

• Cut and re-crown barrel
• Install barrel band sling mount
• Install custom banded front sight with hood
• Install AHR fixed rear sight blade
• Glass bed action
• Gunkote or blue all metal

CZ UPGRADE #3 with AAA ENGLISH WALNUT STOCK
CZ UPGRADE #3 with AHR FIBERGLASS STOCK
Includes Upgrades #1 and #2 plus: Re-stock with hand-picked AAA fancy English Walnut with four-panel checkering, Ebony fore-end tip, Pachmayr Decellerator recoil pad, cross bolts, and fit to your LOP. The action is glass and pillar bedded for the ultimate in strength and accuracy.
Or, re-stock with one of our hand made fiberglass stocks for a durable all-weather package.

Thank you! So with a #1 upgrade they don’t do anything with the action to make sure the cartridges feed properly in the rifle they’re upgrading? I mean, I could care less about filling the bolt or shortening/re crowning the barrel? Although, a three position safety would be nice? Thanks!

 

[Lee M]

I think they do fix/smooth the action as part of #1. Agree without that the rest of the upgrades are somewhat worthless. Everyone seems to be very satisfied with the work AHR does.

 

[One Day...]

See the last sentence in the intro paragraph of their CZ upgrades web page, CoElkHunter: "All three packages include tuning and smoothing of the action so it feeds and functions every time."

In my judgement, tuning and smoothing of the action is critical, and installing a real firing pin-locking safety is a dramatic safety improvement, albeit hopefully never ever needed... These two I reckon likely account for $450 of the $795 Upgrade #1.

Installing a single stage trigger and straightening & filling the bolt handle are nice touches. The reality is that the CZ set trigger is generally fine, although it befuddles me why CZ would have a set trigger on a DG rifle (!?) and the bolt handle is fine too, although the straighter one provides slightly better handling in my opinion. For the $345 left in Upgrade #1, you might as well do it...

I personally judge Upgrade #1 to be a bargain at $795 as it essentially raises the CZ 550 $900 to $1,200 basic rifle (depending if you buy it new, or used-as-new) to the functional (if not refined aesthetic) equivalent of double square bridge, Rigby magnum length, drop belly high capacity magazine rifles selling for $5,000 to $10,000.

I personally do not go for the additional $1,000 of Upgrade #2 (it is listed for $1,795 but it includes Upgrade #1) because in my opinion there is no need to shorten the barrel or change the sights. But the barrel band front sling swivel mount is nice to have, and in order to slide it on the barrel, the front sight needs to be temporarily removed, so that will cost a bit over Upgrade #1...

The additional $2,000 for the $3,795 AAA English walnut stock Upgrade #3 (that includes Upgrades #1 & 2) is also a real bargain for a a custom stock of this quality. They are generally gorgeous and likely well worth the money to those who still believe in taking AAA walnut to Africa (or Alaska)... Another option is to have a "look" stock and a "hunt" stock...

Conversely, I am not sure what the additional $2,000 for their $3,795 fiberglass stock Upgrade #3 provides over a $285 drop-in Bell & Carlson kevlar stock with integral full length aluminum bedding block and bedding pillars.

 

[CoElkHunter]

See last sentence in the intro paragraph CoElkHunter: "All three packages include tuning and smoothing of the action so it feeds and functions every time."

In my judgement, tuning and smoothing of the action is critical, and installing a real firing pin-locking safety is a dramatic safety improvement, albeit hopefully never needed...

Installing a single stage trigger and straightening & filling the bolt handle are nice touches. The reality is that the CZ set trigger is generally fine, although it befuddles me why CZ would have a set trigger on a DG rifle (!?) and the bolt handle is fine too, although the straighter one provides slightly better handling in my opinion.

I still personally judge Upgrade #1 to be a bargain at $795 as it essentially raises the CZ 550 $900 to $1,200 basic rifle (depending if you buy new, or used-as-new) to the functional equivalent of double square bridge magnum length rifles selling for $5,000 to $10,000.

I personally do not go for the $1,795 Upgrade #2 as in my opinion there is no need to shorten the barrel or change the sights, but the barrel band front sling swivel mount is nice to have, and in order to slide it on the barrel the front sight needs to be temporarily removed...

The $3,795 AAA english walnut stock Upgrade #3 is generally gorgeous, and likely well worth it to those who still believe in taking AAA walnut to Africa (or Alaska)...

I am not sure what the $3,795 fiberglass stock Upgrade #3 provides over a $285 drop-in Bell & Carlson kevlar stock with integral full length aluminum bedding block and bedding pillars.

View attachment 344024

Thank you One Day! You're the "Go To" guy for me here on AH when it comes to CZ rifles. I'm currently pondering an available slightly used CZ 550 .375 with the factory B & C stock for $1,300. This may have been too much awhile ago, but in the current climate, maybe it's a fair price? Thanks!

 

[One Day...]

Thank you One Day! You're the "Go To" guy for me here on AH when it comes to CZ rifles. I'm currently pondering an available slightly used CZ 550 .375 with the factory B & C stock for $1,300. This may have been too much awhile ago, but in the current climate, maybe it's a fair price? Thanks!

This equates to buying the rifle for $1,000 and adding the $300 B&C stock (B&C makes the CZ "Aramid" stock, it is exactly the same one, I know I have both).
You may (?) still be able to find a $900 used rifle and save $100, but I have been observing a slow but steady increase in prices over the last few months...
In the absolute best case scenario (assuming there is no catch with the shipping charges), you could (?) save $100 by being patient. Then again, you might regret it if it does not happen... In the most likely case, you already have a great deal and you might as well take it

 

[CoElkHunter]

This equates to buying the rifle for $1,000 and adding the $300 B&C stock (BC makes the CZ "Aramid" stock, it is exactly the same one. I know I have both).
You may (?) still be able to find a $900 used rifle and save $100, but I have been observing a slow but steady increase in prices over the last few months...
In the absolute best case scenario (assuming there is no catch with the shipping charges), you could (?) save $100 by being patient. Then again, you might regret it if it does not happen... In the most likely case, you already have a great deal and you might as well take it

Thanks! I've been looking on Gun Broker for reasonably priced CZ rifles and it's pretty much dried up, for now. It will come back, but the question is when? I know they're not the same as CZs, but the Whitworth Safari in .375 and .458, which they stopped making in '94 continue to pop up regularly but I prefer the CZ. I didn't take your advise awhile ago on a Rigby on GB for $995.00, and now there are none to be found on GB at that or similar price.

 

[CoElkHunter]

See the last sentence in the intro paragraph of their CZ upgrades web page, CoElkHunter: "All three packages include tuning and smoothing of the action so it feeds and functions every time."

In my judgement, tuning and smoothing of the action is critical, and installing a real firing pin-locking safety is a dramatic safety improvement, albeit hopefully never ever needed... These two I reckon likely account for $450 of the $795 Upgrade #1.

Installing a single stage trigger and straightening & filling the bolt handle are nice touches. The reality is that the CZ set trigger is generally fine, although it befuddles me why CZ would have a set trigger on a DG rifle (!?) and the bolt handle is fine too, although the straighter one provides slightly better handling in my opinion. For the $345 left in Upgrade #1, you might as well do it...

I personally judge Upgrade #1 to be a bargain at $795 as it essentially raises the CZ 550 $900 to $1,200 basic rifle (depending if you buy it new, or used-as-new) to the functional (if not refined aesthetic) equivalent of double square bridge, Rigby magnum length, drop belly high capacity magazine rifles selling for $5,000 to $10,000.

I personally do not go for the additional $1,000 of Upgrade #2 (it is listed for $1,795 but it includes Upgrade #1) because in my opinion there is no need to shorten the barrel or change the sights. But the barrel band front sling swivel mount is nice to have, and in order to slide it on the barrel, the front sight needs to be temporarily removed, so that will cost a bit over Upgrade #1...

The additional $2,000 for the $3,795 AAA English walnut stock Upgrade #3 (that includes Upgrades #1 & 2) is also a real bargain for a a custom stock of this quality. They are generally gorgeous and likely well worth the money to those who still believe in taking AAA walnut to Africa (or Alaska)... Another option is to have a "look" stock and a "hunt" stock...

Conversely, I am not sure what the additional $2,000 for their $3,795 fiberglass stock Upgrade #3 provides over a $285 drop-in Bell & Carlson kevlar stock with integral full length aluminum bedding block and bedding pillars.

View attachment 344024

BTW, that set trigger is scary! When I shot my new to me CZ Lott a few weeks ago, I thought I would set the trigger. I haven’t done this before with my WM. Anyway, I put the rifle up to my shoulder, aimed (open sights) at 50yds and put my finger on the trigger and BANG! Actually hit three inches from center, but WOW!, not really great for a hunting rifle trigger mechanism?

 

[MS 9x56]

BTW, that set trigger is scary! When I shot my new to me CZ Lott a few weeks ago, I thought I would set the trigger. I haven’t done this before with my WM. Anyway, I put the rifle up to my shoulder, aimed (open sights) at 50yds and put my finger on the trigger and BANG! Actually hit three inches from center, but WOW!, not really great for a hunting rifle trigger mechanism?

You do realize that the set trigger is adjustable right? I actually love that set trigger but don't use it while hunting. If I had a long shot and a good rest I may employ it but for most normal hunting ranges and shots the 3 1/2 lb unset trigger breaks like glass with no creep and minimal over travel.

 

[CoElkHunter]

You do realize that the set trigger is adjustable right? I actually love that set trigger but don't use it while hunting. If I had a long shot and a good rest I may employ it but for most normal hunting ranges and shots the 3 1/2 lb unset trigger breaks like glass with no creep and minimal over travel.

No, I didn’t know it was adjustable? I just don’t see any reason for it in a large bore hunting rifle, except maybe for sighting in from the bench? I don’t care for it.

 

[leslie hetrick]

the set and regular triggers are easy to set up the way you want. i set the triggers on my two cz 550,s, a 6.5x55 and a 375 H&H mag. get on u-tube and get the instrutions.

 

[CoElkHunter]

the set and regular triggers are easy to set up the way you want. i set the triggers on my two cz 550,s, a 6.5x55 and a 375 H&H mag. get on u-tube and get the instrutions.

I will. Thanks!

 

[leslie hetrick]

let me know how you make out, i,m sure you will do well and get the trigger pulls you desire.

 

[CoElkHunter]

let me know how you make out, i,m sure you will do well and get the trigger pulls you desire.

Thanks I will!