CZ Safari Classic .375 question???

[Erik7181]

Im currently looking into buying the CZ .375 H&H.
All the reviews iv read online are outdated, can anyone give me an idea non how they like this rifle?

 

[Graham Hunter]

Im currently looking into buying the CZ .375 H&H.
All the reviews iv read online are outdated, can anyone give me an idea non how they like this rifle?

I have 2 CZ. One in 7x64 the other 9.3x62. Both beautiful smooth and accurate. My PH last year had one in 375. Very smooth but a little heavy

 

[Bullthrower338]

I’ve got a couple CZ’s one is a 375 Aramid Composite Safari Classic. Solid Rifles, I’ve not had any feeding issues out of mine but I know a few that have. My 416 Rigby is a very accurate rifle.

 

[Erik7181]

I have a CZ 550 in 6.5x55 and love it

 

[AFRICADEE]

My 416 Rigby is a pleasure to shoot with no issues....

 

[Erik7181]

Originally I was going to get the 9.3x62 but cannot find one anywhere. Then I thought about the .416 but the .375 is a better fit as I can use it on other game where the .416 would be over kill.

 

[Dr Ray]

Originally I was going to get the 9.3x62 but cannot find one anywhere. Then I thought about the .416 but the .375 is a better fit as I can use it on other game where the .416 would be over kill.

Good choice I believe. I agree with you that the 416 would be an overkill (at both ends) and the recoil is significantly more on the 416.

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

I shoot the 375H&H in the 550 Safari clasic. When i recieved it there was a problem with the triger. Sorted that out and now its shooting like a charm. Also re did the stock myself (took of the varnish) and gave it an oiled finish. You wont go wrong

 

[oldhoward]

I had no issues with my rifle in 375. It is accurate and recoil is very light even with 300 grain full power loads.

 

[Dirtdart]

The first CZ550 that I acquired was chambered in .375 H&H. I can't remember what scope I was trying to use but I ran out of adjustment before zero. I use Talley rings more often than not so I called them up to see if they had heard of this issue. I was told that in their experience there was only one scope they had found with enough windage/elevation to overcome this problem in some of the early CZ550's in .375 and larger calibers. The scope that would work happened to be a Leupold 1.5-5 which at that time probably wound up on a lot of the larger calibers. I called CZ and explained the problem and without hesitation they said we can fix that please send it in. They didn't have the rifle very long but when it came back I could zero with my choice of scope. They seemed to know what the problem was but never gave an explanation. Although the odds are extremely slim you could possibly run into this problem shopping the used rifle market. I do not remember having any feeding issues with the .375.
The second CZ550 I acquired was in .416 Rigby. I did quite of bit of experimenting with that cartridge and it was a very accurate rifle. The .416 would not feed the last round consistently. I knew that eventually that rifle would wind up in Africa so that was unacceptable. I sent it to Wayne Jacobson of AHR and problem solved. That rifle now lives in Namibia and belongs to a retired Dangerous Game PH. I never could get the gritty feel out of the factory trigger on that .416 so I installed a Timney. I personally love a single set trigger for load development as long as you have a clean break in the unset mode.
As with any production rifle in this class you may pick a winner in the luck of the draw, but be prepared to have some work done. Take a look at the AHR website and look at the upgrade packages that Wayne offers. I had a lot of those things done here and there before I discovered AHR. I can't say enough good things about Wayne Jacobson.
We are fortunate these days that a nice variety of straight tube scopes are available with some higher top end magnifications than in the past. I mention this because if you plan to mount a scope on that long action not just anything will work.
I currently have a .375 and a .416 in this model, both of which were acquired on the used market. The .375 that I was talking about when I started this was rebored to .404 Jeffery several years back and shoots so well I amaze myself with it considering my meager skill set as a rifleman. I am just passing on personal experiences since the question was asked.

 

[Aaron N]

I shoot the 375H&H in the 550 Safari clasic. When i recieved it there was a problem with the triger. Sorted that out and now its shooting like a charm. Also re did the stock myself (took of the varnish) and gave it an oiled finish. You wont go wrongView attachment 232573

Do you have a before and after pic of the stock? I’ve been toying with the same idea

 

[Goose Cracker]

I have one with the Aramid stock. I didn’t like the trigger so had it replaced with a Timney. Had everything smoothed out right when I purchased it and haven’t had a feeding issue once. Some of the bluing wore off during my first safari last year so I had it Cerakoted. Also hated the safety (not quite sure why) so had a Gentry safety added. It’s always been a good shooter and now it’s about perfect. But I’ve got almost 1x the purchase prices in getting it they way I wanted it. Love the Aramid stock.

 

[Dirtdart]

Do you have a before and after pic of the stock? I’ve been toying with the same idea

The .416 that AHR fixed the feeding problem on did not have any stock work done. We left that one with the factory laminated wood, they are tough stocks. The factory laminated stock can still be purchased through the CZ website I believe.
AHR's upgrades #3 and #4 are complete stock replacements. Upgrades #1 and #2 have some features that many prefer and takes care of some of the reliability issues discussed in this thread. I acquired the .375 in the photo from a gentleman that had purchased a new John Rigby so he didn't need the CZ anymore. A nice example of an AHR walnut stock.

 

[PARA45]

WOW, that is one beautiful stock!

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Do you have a before and after pic of the stock? I’ve been toying with the same idea

Old stock striped

Just after it was oiled

 

[Erik7181]

When you did the oil finish what did you use to seal it?

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Nothing @Erik7181 i just give it oil everytime inclean my rifle

 

[Rick Cox]

I have one in .375HH. Very accurate gun. I like it, it is heavy but shoots well off sticks, feels very steady. great wood and finish as well. The trigger is quite good and adjustable.
The only downside is the bolt will slide over the rounds in the chamber if the rounds are pressed down at the rear and jammed in that position. The slightest care loading the magazine prevents this. At first I did not think it was possible to jam this gun, but a good video post posted on this site a short time ago (regards a fellow who purchased a 9.3 x 62 550 Safari Classic) illustrated how to get this to happen. I grew up using a British .303 and taking care loading the magazine is second nature to me. Just keep the rounds square in the mag and you are good to go.
A trip to a knowledgeable gun smith will alleviate this issue, if you are concerned.
I put a Leupold VX5 1-5 scope on my gun, it allows me to move the scope to the rear as much as possible due to the straight tube at front.

 

[Erik7181]

I wish I had the guts to do that to my stocks. What oil did you use? BLO,TRU?

 

[colorado]

I ordered mine with the optional oil finish, then re barreled it to 500 Jeffery because I'm a masochist Like it a lot