CZ 527 Varmint MTR .223 Remington Satin Walnut and Blued Steel Bolt Action Rifle

This is a very nice...

This is a very nice rifle, but it needed a little work to perform like I expected, hence four stars instead of five. I suspect a similarly-priced Rem 700 or Tikka T3X would shoot better out of the box, and perhaps some cheaper rifles like the Ruger American or Savage Axis line would too. None of those have the CZ's classic look, and if they come with wood, it's not as nice. A buddy of mine has a CZ rimfarr that also has surprisingly nice wood. Don't expect it to be like high-end exhibition or fancy-grade wood, but it's better than any other factory wood I've seen near this price range. The CZ was smoother out of the box than the three Savage rifles I've owned, but wasn't as nice as a Tikka T1X. Tikka seem to be made to closer tolerances than other mass-market manufacturers. The adjustable trigger on this CZ is by far the best factory trigger on any gun I've owned or shot. It breaks like a glass rod with zero creep and a tiny bit of overtravel (the way I like my triggers).\\r\ \\r\ It didn't shoot quite as well as it looked. I couldn't get better than 2" groups at 100 yards with the kinds of factory ammo I tried. I made sure the barrel really was free-floated and bedded the action and recoil lug, and it seems to have helped. I also started reloading between buying the rifle and finishing the work I decided to do on it. Even the bulk-packaged 55 gr stuff shot noticeably better, and with the reloads it seems to prefer, the groups are better still. It's still not shooting cloverleafs at 100 yards, but I think it will get there as I continue working up a load for it.\\r\ \\r\ Overall, I would recommend this rifle to anyone who likes a walnut stock and blued steel finish. If you're looking for the best possible accuracy, you might be better served by another platform. Also, there aren't a ton of aftermarket parts for this gun like there are for R700s and Savage 110s.