CZ 557 20" 30-06 Setup

[Lonewolf72]

I recently acquired a beautiful CZ 557 rifle in 30-06 with a 20" barrel and 1:10" twist. It came with both a beautiful walnut stock and a Manners synthetic stock for a very fair price. It really handles beautifully in that walnut stock with that short barrel. However, I've had second thoughts about how I want to setup that rifle. I mostly elk and deer hunt in wooded mountain terrain with shots under 500 yards (often under 100). My question is given my base rifle, how would you setup this rifle, and what powder/bullet combination would you use to optimize it?

Initially, my thoughts were to rebarrel to a longer 22-24" 30-06 barrel to gain some additional velocity. It seems though that it is not so popular to use long action calibers in such a short barrel, and that it is much more popular to pair the more efficient 308 with a short barrel. On the other hand, we are starting to see hunters running the 300WSM with shorter barrels, especially with a suppressor.

It seems to me that the 30-06 bridges the gap between the 308 and the 300WSM in energy and velocity, especially with the newer powders. Is there any reason I shouldn't just run it "as is"? Or do you think I should rebarrel it? Alternatively, I am thinking of bedding it into the Manners stock, threading the barrel and purchasing a suppressor for it. What do you think?

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[hodgeman]

How's it shoot?

You likely aren't giving up much velocity (if any) with modern powder...if it shoots good and hunts good, don't attempt to fix what isn't broken.

You don't often see long actions with short barrels anymore, but what works...works.

 

[Lonewolf72]

Haven't really wrung it out yet, but it shoots sub-MOA with factory ammo, and previous owner claimed to get near half-MOA with handloads.

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[TauPhi111]

I'd keep the short setup and pair it with a scope with a wide magnification range for short and long shots. Shoot a Barnes TTSX or LRX and you'll be set for short shorts or longer shots. You won't be losing much velocity from an extra 2-4 inches of barrel.

 

[Wapiti1]

Definitely shoot it, and if you have a chronograph see what you get. I would think you can get a 180gr load to work very well out of that setup as is. 2700 plus a little fps shouldn't be a stretch and would be a great load.

Jeremy

 

[clockworkgator]

How does recoil compare to a standard 24"? Even noticeable?

 

[Lonewolf72]

I don't recall it being a problem. Then again, I don't consider myself particularly recoil sensitive and have spent a fair amount of time shooting rifles with magnum cartridges. Also, both stocks for this rifle are very nicely shaped and fit well, and may be responsible for mitigating any potential increase in perceived recoil.

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[howl]

I vote suppressor. If you're gonna rebarrel a cheaply purchased 30-06 you might as well have got a different rifle.

 

[Lonewolf72]

That's true, but I couldn't pass up the additional Manners stock at the time. So I picked it up more as a future project. But now I am trying to troubleshoot the best way to work with what I have, or plan for a more involved project.

Otherwise, CZ made these rifles in 30-06, 270 and 6.5 Swede, in both 20" and 24" barrels. I suppose another alternative would be to buy a 24" model if I could find one at a good price, and swap it into the Manners stock, then sell off the 20" model with the other stock. BTW...the internal magazine measures approximately 3.4" long.




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[TxxAgg]

These are great rifles. What did you end up doing with it?

 

[Austin_Smedley]

Those are great rifles and you can’t go wrong with a ‘06. I’ve got a 550 in 9.3x62 that shoots cloverleafs at 100.

 

[TxxAgg]

I just sold this one. It was sweet, but I always end up selling one to fund another. I've also had the 30-06 in the Manners as well as another 308 and 243. All great shooters and the bolt and trigger always feel good. I did bed all mine which I think helped accuracy a bit.

 

[Lonewolf72]

TxxAgg...I kept the rifle and put it in the Manners stock. I just loaded up some 168 Barnes TTSX per the previous owner's recipe and will take it to the range tomorrow. Currently has a SWFA SWFA 3-9x40 HD scope on it. Would like to lighten things up some with a Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40 scope. I think this setup will crush elk where I hunt in the timber in Northern UT. Still have the walnut stock...may try to sell it...anybody have any idea what it's worth in "like new" condition?

 

[BuckinNuts]

TxxAgg...I kept the rifle and put it in the Manners stock. I just loaded up some 168 Barnes TTSX per the previous owner's recipe and will take it to the range tomorrow. Currently has a SWFA SWFA 3-9x40 HD scope on it. Would like to lighten things up some with a Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40 scope. I think this setup will crush elk where I hunt in the timber in Northern UT. Still have the walnut stock...may try to sell it...anybody have any idea what it's worth in "like new" condition?View attachment 192196

Hey did you ever sell your walnut stock? If you haven’t, I’m definitely interested.

 

[Lonewolf72]

Hey did you ever sell your walnut stock? If you haven’t, I’m definitely interested.

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