Loving my CZ 527 in .204 Ruger

KATTRAKER

KATTRAKER

Active member
A dear friend sold me the afore mentioned rifle. I knew it was accurate with 32 Gr VMAX bullets and R7 but DANG! This thing is a laser. As soon as I got it I shot a 4 shot ragged hole at my 100 yard range. The gun is consistently accurate.

My son came out and we shot some water jugs...that was a lot of fun.

Last week on a calm day I went to my cousins farm with a range finder...we set up a shot at 334 yards. I hit a steel plate with it 5/5 times. I had about 6 inches of drop at that yardage.

I am very impressed with the .204 caliber. I have read the comments about that bullet, and how heavier bullets are better on coyotes etc but I am going to run with the tested and accurate load.
Speed kills!

I am looking forward to taking my Icotek 350 out and wacking some dogs.
 
I had a CZ for about a year. It and I didn’t get along as well as I would have liked. Oh it shot fine, long throat and all. I moved on and put a Savage together, it’s not one you want to pack to far from the truck. Weighs enough I don’t need a spotter and I get to see ALL the hits and misses.

The second time out this year we shot in some pretty gusty wind. Hold off a little for the 22BR and 6BR’s and the 40’s in the 204. Yet the 32 and 34 grain shot like a laser. I ran across a deal with a pile of 40 grain 20’s, it was an all or nothing buy. Now I wish I had spent the money on the 32-34 grain.
Range from 100-350ish with the lighter bullets was no issue.

I was slow going and a late comer on the 204. I thought my 223 and 22-250 was all I would ever want. I will admit I found the 204 to be an eye opener and not just a fad cartridge. In that same time frame I found the 17 center fires to be a better caliber than I had been led to believe for years. Better barrels and bullets may well be involved with the 17’s. I have seen some ridiculous speeds with both, along with excellent accuracy.

I still like CFE223, but 10X has me on the fence if it’s not just a tad better for accuracy with a slight reduction in speed.
 
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I am on my second Savage .22-250 I pretty much shot the barrel out of the first one.

I have a .222, .221 Fireball and of course the .204 The fireball is fun to shoot and will serve me well in the woody hills and small fields of NE Kansas. The .222
is a nice accurate rifle, and I know the shortcomings if the caliber but then again, most of my shots are under 200 yards.

The .222 has a 3x9 Leupold VX2 on it so I cant help but to like shooting it. I put a 3x9 FX? Leupold on the fireball. I have owned and I use a number of Redfield scopes but at age 59 my eyes are telling me Leupold is my future. My .22-250 and .204 Ruger have Redfield 4x12s. I think the .204 will get a target scope on it for a PD trip in May and then...a Leupold 4x12.

I have shot a few .17's The .17 Winchester Mag always looked interesting to me.
 
The .204 Ruger is a very underrated round. I feel all sub .224" cartridges that push a bullet close to 4000fps are underrated.

I hear a lot about the "wind" being a factor and truly it's not anymore effected than the .223 is. It's so fast with 32gr bullets that the time the wind has effect on it is way less than any .224" bullet with a higher BC. Then the 39/40gr bullets are in a different class of their own. They have a high BC and you can push them fast. When you take coyotes past 400yds with a .204 and 40gr Vmax you start to understand the amount of energy that little bullet has.

CZ, don't even get me started on how awesome of a rifle they make. I have a .17 remington and .222 in their 527 Varmint models and a 550 Varmint Kevlar in .22-250 (1:14"). I had a .223 thumbhole laminate 527 Varmint, but I sold it for an AR upper in 6mm Mongoose. The .222 and .223 were so close and frankly I like the .222 better for my son as a Coyote rifle and prairie dogs. I hated to get rid of the .223 but I don't regret it. It was a very rifle that was great on a prairie dog town, but not to take through the hills as a coyote rifle.
 
I used to have a CZ Varmint model 204 that I put a Boyd's laminated stock on and had my GS bed the action. I didn't really have it all that long before I sold it to a buddy of mine who mostly shoots the factory Hornady 32gr Superformance ammo which it shoots extremely well. It's his favorite gun now.

For an off the shelf gun that generally shoots pretty well and doesn't cost a whole lot the CZ 527 Varmint in 204 Ruger, IMO, is hard to beat. It's really unfortunate they don't come from the factory with an 11tw barrel though.
 
Have you tried the Berger 35 gr bullets? That will be next on my test list. I got the gun from a friend who had the current load worked out and it is LIGHTS OUT with the 32 gr Vmax.
 
I currently have several 204 rifles as they are the easiest caliber I have ever loaded for. Accuracy is awesome.I have the cz527 as well. My first 204 I purchased is a tikka T3 I bought here used shoots 32gr hornaday and 35 berger like a bench gun.Cant go wrong with a 204!
 
A few years ago, I lucked into an as-new CZ Kevlar Varmint in 204R, and it shoots like your’s. Now in the process of scaling down my operation and trying to keep just one rifle I have in each chambering, and can’t decide between my .204 Cooper and that CZ. Equally accurate, the CZ with its detachable mag and set trigger is nosing ahead.
 
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The set trigger makes up for the wierd safety they have. Overall very good calling rifles, light and accurate.

How do you guys get a bore guide in them to clean the rifle?
 
I will ditto the majority of comments on the CZ 527 Varmint rifle. I only have one and it is in 17 Rem but I wish I would have known more about CZ's 15 years ago as I would have a lot more of them right now.
I am intrigued by the .204 but I already have most of the small calibers covered so unless I was to give up one or two that I have now, I can't justify adding one to the stable.
 
Originally Posted By: KATTRAKERThe set trigger makes up for the wierd safety they have. Overall very good calling rifles, light and accurate.

How do you guys get a bore guide in them to clean the rifle?

Contact Possum Hollow Bore Guides. I think they are the best you can get.
 
oh come on WyoBull, I'll get you talked into it someday! You have at least 5 days a year in wyoming where the wind is blowing too much for the .17, but not enough to justify the swift. The .204 would fit nicely for those 5 days!!

HAHA!
 
hahaha ACronin! I guess I could get rid of my 700 BDL 17 Rem that just sits in the safe and replace it with a .204. Know anybody in the market for it?
 
Originally Posted By: WyoBull
I am intrigued by the .204 but I already have most of the small calibers covered so unless I was to give up one or two that I have now, I can't justify adding one to the stable.

Now I know you been doing this plenty long enough to know, "need", "sensible", and "justification" ain't never got nuttin to do with any new purchases.

As we all know, if any of those three were a prerequisite to making a new purchase we'd all probably only have one of two guns sitting in the safe. lol
 
Great rifles for the money! I have an American in .204 and a Varmint in .17 Rem.

Another good accurate bullet for the .204 is a 39gr Sierra Blitzking. Very frangible, but accurate.
 
Originally Posted By: WyoBullI will ditto the majority of comments on the CZ 527 Varmint rifle. I only have one and it is in 17 Rem but I wish I would have known more about CZ's 15 years ago as I would have a lot more of them right now.
I am intrigued by the .204 but I already have most of the small calibers covered so unless I was to give up one or two that I have now, I can't justify adding one to the stable.

Like I needed another gun? I have 3 CZs- .222, 221 Fireball and now the .204 They sit between my .22-250 and my .243, next to my custom built .223 AR15.

None of them are quite the laser the .204 is....
 
Originally Posted By: KATTRAKERThat is some pretty wood

Yes it is. You should have seen the one I had to replace on my other 527 after a bad piece of brass let go on me. It even was even nicer than this one. This particular one was one of six that they opened up for me at Sportsman's and I got the pick of the litter..LOL

Greg
 


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