Classics Rule - Rem 700 6mm and CZ 550FS 7x64
Gidday Guys
I've been having a difficult run with two gong/target orientated rifles I've had built recently . . . makes a bloke start to doubt himself!!
Anyhoo both last trips to the range I was followed along by a "classic".
First up was the CZ 7x64 Full stock I acquired from @FRST. He did a nice job of slimming the stock, like a lot of modern rifles the CZ's of the last 30 years have been too tubby. Lots of manufacturers have done this, dammed if I know why!. I had a nice 6x Meopta scope lined up for this but alas the even nicer Talley ringset was too low to allow the bolt to clear the eyepiece so it got a Leupold VX2 3-9 for now till I find a "classic" scope that will fit. @nor-west and I have previously shared a CZ Model 537 7x64 and it shot outstandingly well with 160's (just about any make) with 54 of AR2209 or the same of W760. This is a moderate load that gives about 2820 fps in a 24" barrel. I didn't crony it in the 20" FS but I'd expect it to be about 2780 fps.
Well bugger me if it didn't shoot "lights out", from a bipod. Bit of a handful with a short barrel, no suppressor and snorty loads but great to shoot with the single set trigger.
Fast forward a week and I was back at the range with Nor-west's TM purchase of a older (but very very tidy) Remington 700 Varmint model in 6mm Remington. First step was to ascertain its twist rate, and bingo - its a 1:9 so a "third generation" one. Its topped with a Tasco "World Class" 6-24x40 AO. I have one of these on a 22 in 4-16x40AO and they are a pretty useful scope. Like a lot of Jap scopes of that era they can be a wee bit soft at highest powers. Nor-West's one is great up to about 20x . The seller declared that the Remmy had a "Walker " trigger, and so it did. These were standard on all Rem 700's for about 40 years, and whilst they were subject to a safety recall, from a riflemans perspective they could be pretty good. Or even outstanding. The one on this varmint rifle is the equal of any of the top end triggers , shit its nice. About 0.5 kg with the crispest let off you can imagine.
And boy did it shoot. Three shots cold bore into 18.5mm at 100M WITH FACTORY AMMO. It used to be that you could usually halve the groups a rifle shot with worked up hand-loads, these days factory ammo is a lot better, but if this rifle doesn't end up shooting 0.5" groups I'll eat my hat! Pic coming!
