CZ 550 Safari Magnum Question

[flat8]

I received my #3 upgrade today from AHR. Photos don’t do it justice. Wayne is an artist!

 

[Milehighshooter]

I am needing some advice. Has anyone upgraded their CZ with American Hunting Rifles? I am going to Africa in August of 2019 and am wondering if this is something I should look into doing. Thanks for any advice you may give. Regards

Do you already have the CZ550?

 

[BeeMaa]

flat8 - Beauty you have there.
I'll be sending my 375 to Wayne for a #2 upgrade - keeping the factory kevlar stock.
AHR does incredible work.
I've seen 2 rifles that he built and another that was upgraded, absolutely amazing.
Unbeatable for the price.

 

[Martin77]

Do you already have the CZ550?

Yes

 

[BCD]

my #2 AHR upgrade 375 LH has been a pleasure to shoot. It was accurate 'out of the box' before, and has remained very accurate since upgrade. for a guy on a budget the fact you can do #1 0r 2# upgrade then send it back later and get the next upgrade for roughly the prorated cost is huge. Wayne is a pro
I am not really knowledgable enough to give a comparison but my friend who owns Empires & Dakotas thought the CZ #2 very was nice ... I would love to see opinions of the AHR #3 vs Dakota Safari & Empire etc ...

 

[Martin77]

Well, I sent my CZ to Wayne on Friday for the #3 upgrade. I can’t wait to see the finished product!

 

[flat8]

Well, I sent my CZ to Wayne on Friday for the #3 upgrade. I can’t wait to see the finished product!

You will be pleased!

 

[cbvanb]

I’ve had two rifles undergo the tier 3 upgrade. You won’t be able to set it down when it gets back home.

 

[Desert Dog]

Wayne does great work! I have sent two 550s to him that were having issues and he made them work flawlessly with his #2 upgrade.

BUT, I ended up with a rifle that was more expensive than a Kimber Caprivi, or more expensive than buying two Model 70s; All of which work great out of the box and don't need to be sent to Wayne.

I will never buy another 550 because buying a $1200 rifle and sending it out for $1800 of work, just to make it function like a $1300 M70, doesn't make any sense to me. Maybe i'm wrong?

 

[cbvanb]

What AHR offers is more along the lines of a custom built rifle, and that always cost more than a factory gun. If a Kimber or Winchester out of the box meets your needs than you're right, spending more money doesn't make sense. But many people like to specify certain dimensions and options on a rifle, which makes it much more personal, and you don't get that out of any standard factory rifle. And I can guarantee you the wood stock you get with an AHR upgrade is beyond anything Winchester or Kimber can offer.
As for the CZ550, it has a larger magazine than a Winchester, and that makes a difference to me. AHR isn't cheap, but you get more than what you pay for in terms of personal service and quality of the work. My wife ordered a Dakota model 10 at DSC this year that cost 5 times what a Ruger number 1 would have, but she built a true custom rifle that makes a number 1 look like an old 2x4 sitting in a corner. The price was worth it to her, so I guess to each their own.

 

[matt85]

Wayne does great work! I have sent two 550s to him that were having issues and he made them work flawlessly with his #2 upgrade.

BUT, I ended up with a rifle that was more expensive than a Kimber Caprivi, or more expensive than buying two Model 70s; All of which work great out of the box and don't need to be sent to Wayne.

I will never buy another 550 because buying a $1200 rifle and sending it out for $1800 of work, just to make it function like a $1300 M70, doesn't make any sense to me. Maybe i'm wrong?

it depends on the caliber of the gun as to whether its worth it. want an inexpensive 416, buy a Winchester in 416 RM. want an inexpensive 458 Lott, buy a CZ and send it to AHR.

ive never been impressed with the Kimber caprivi and have always thought it wasnt nearly heavy enough for caliber (speaking of the 458 Lott).

-matt

 

[BCD]

Wayne does great work. My LH CZ AHR #2 is a pleasure to shoot. Options are nice to have, and having confidence the work will get done correctly is a wonderful thing.

 

[npm352]

I have heard good things, but I kept mine as is....gotten ele, buff, hyena, bushbuck and black bear. I would do it if I was using it on hippo or croc, otherwise it shoots good enough for me.

 

[Lee M]

I may have to get one in 375 and add a toy to the safe. I don’t have a big bore and this is a relatively inexpensive way to get in the game and still have options to make it nearly custom.

 

[Lee M]

Any other option in the “value” price range besides CZ or M70? What about Weatherby. I saw they have a model with a price in the CZ range, but no comments on this site on this gun. How about up to $2500. Not sure I can pull the trigger (pun intended) on a new toy but it sure is fun exploring this.

 

[BeeMaa]

Well, I sent my CZ to Wayne on Friday for the #3 upgrade. I can’t wait to see the finished product!

Wayne is not short for work, that's for sure.
I spoke with him last week, said mine should be done by Friday the 31st.
So all you guys just hold up sending him any more work until he's finished up with mine.