CZ 600 American Review | Outdoor Life

A number of quick years in the past, CZ went all in on their new mannequin 600, which might exchange the CZ 527, CZ 550, and CZ 557. This announcement was met with each anticipation and reluctance from customers, and the rollout had equally combined outcomes. Initially the CZ 600 had switch-barrel capabilities, however as a result of the opportunity of improper meeting, that function needed to be rolled again. Nonetheless, the CZ 600 carried out properly at our 2022 Gun Take a look at, proving to be an correct and dependable platform. Late in 2023, a brand new mannequin of CZ 600 made its debut, this time in a extra classic-looking wooden trim. Although wood-stocked searching rifles have almost vanished from manufacturing, they nonetheless carry a robust enchantment for a lot of American hunters. Calling an imported rifle just like the CZ 600 American, an “American” rifle takes some cajones, however relaxation assured that this gun gracefully blends fashionable expertise, correct capturing, and traditional seems of an American searching rifle.

CZ 600 American Specs

• Cartridges: .308 Win. (examined), .223 Rem., .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win., .30/06, .300 Win. Magazine., and seven.62 x 39mm
• Barrel: 20 inches, 1:10 twist, threaded 9/16-24
• Bolt: Six-lug, mini managed feed extractor
• Inventory: Turkish Walnut, Varnish end
• Set off: Single-stage adjustable, 1 pound 7 ounces to three kilos 2 ounces (measured)
• Sturdy anti-corrosion end
• Optic mounting: Remington 700 scope base sample
• Weight: 7 kilos 8 ounces (measured)
• Value: $820

Key Options

• Turkish walnut inventory
• Threaded muzzle (9/16-24)
• Vertical push-through security
• 6-lug, controlled-feed bolt with fastened ejector
• 4 place adjustable set off (single stage)
• Device-free takedown bolt
• Double-stack removable journal that may be locked into place 

Evaluate Highlights

• Basic American searching rifle heft and ergonomics
• Engaging inventory, however varnish end reveals bumps and dings
• Managed-feed motion is crisp and {smooth}
• Nice set off that’s simply adjustable 
• 9/16-24 muzzle threads for .308 are distinctly not American
• Accuracy: 1.28  inches (29 5-shot teams)
• Greatest Manufacturing facility Ammo: Freedom Munitions 168-grain A-Max, common group dimension .947 inches (4 teams)

Wooden Inventory Enchantment

Although they’re typically written off as baby-boomer relics, wood-stocked hunting rifles enchantment to many American hunters. I might argue that the controversy is one among sentiment versus efficiency, but it surely’s comprehensible that for a craft with such deep emotional roots as searching, sentiment issues too. Scores of hunters merely respect the texture and fantastic thing about a wooden inventory, and that’s how it’s. 

Wooden shares was once the norm, and lately, it’s been robust to seek out many producers who even provide them — and just about not one of the ones which might be are flagship fashions. Even the CZ 600 wasn’t initially launched in walnut. Now we have, nevertheless, seen a shift again in direction of at the least some new rifles supplied with picket shares. The Stevens 334 is without doubt one of the few wood-stocked budget-priced hunting rifles supplied in recent times, however others such because the Winchester XPR are actually wearing wooden too.

The inventory on the CZ 600 American is a good-looking Turkish walnut with checkering patterns on the grip and fore-end. It’s obtained a traditional sporter profile that’s hefty however easily rounded and never as slender as these you’d see on rifles just like the M70 featherweight. It’s obtained a properly mated rubber recoil pad and the metal-to-wood match is sweet — solely a small hole on the rear of the tang is seen. 

My solely destructive suggestions of the wooden inventory is that though lacquer end seals and protects the wooden, it’s simply broken. By means of the course of standard testing (not any tough dealing with or drops), widespread put on spots across the journal properly, bolt launch lever, and pistol grip present white discoloration, the place the end has been worn or busted up a bit. I dented one spot on the buttstock, the place the end additionally turned white because it flaked away from the wooden beneath. Wooden shares are going to get some chips, dings, and put on. A conventional oil-finished inventory will get them too, however breaking or cracking that lacquer end turns it white and makes the imperfections extra seen. 

The CZ 600 American: Basic Look, Fashionable Options

At first look, the CZ 600 American seems like all variety of traditional American searching rifles, which is the overall thought. Nonetheless, when you begin digging into it, you’ll discover that it has a medley of distinctive, helpful options that make it much more interesting. 

The CZ 600 Bolt

The CZ 600 American has a 60-degree bolt throw and smooth-gliding bolt operation. You would possibly first assume it’s a 3-lug design just like the Ruger American, Winchester XPR, Sig Cross, Sako, and so on. The lugs are the identical diameter as the remainder of the bolt physique like these different rifles, however the bolt is extra like a Weatherby MK V, with two rows of lugs, totaling six. It’s simple to take care of too. The firing pin could be eliminated for cleansing and upkeep in a pair seconds with out instruments — a function we’re seeing on increasingly more fashionable rifles.

Essentially the most distinctive function in regards to the CZ 600 bolt is that it’s also managed feed, utilizing a small claw extractor and a backside lug that has been reduce to permit the cartridge case head to slip up onto the bolt face because it springs free from the journal. Push feed rifles normally have a recessed bolt face with a spring-plunger ejector, and the case head solely pressed up in opposition to the bolt face and presses into the grasp of the extractor when the bolt is rotated into battery. 

Hand loaders are prone to benefit from the managed nature of extraction and ejection of spent instances too. Somewhat than a spring-loaded ejector or fastened ejector within the receiver, the ejector within the bolt head is held by spring stress in a recessed place till the bolt is pulled all the best way to the rear. On the bolt’s most rearward place, the ejector protrudes from the bolt face. This enables a shooter to eject instances sharply when operating the gun quick, however on the bench, you’ll be able to slowly draw the bolt again and dribble instances out for simple assortment.

Fashionable, Intuitive Controls

One trademark function of the CZ 600 and CZ 600 American is the vertical tang security. The protection change has buttons on prime of the tang and on the underside, simply behind the set off guard. To put the rifle on “protected,” the button is pressed up from the underside, and to put the rifle on “hearth,” the button is pressed down from the highest with the thumb. It’s fast and never simply deactivated by mistake, but it surely could possibly be quieter.

The bolt launch is a small tab situated on the best aspect of the receiver. The bolt could be eliminated with out manipulating the security or set off, and easily miserable this tab permits the bolt to return free. The protection locks the bolt closed when on “protected,” however the bolt launch change permits it to be opened and eliminated whereas on “protected.”

The journal launch can also be neatly designed. It’s merely a flat knurled button simply ahead of the removable journal. It sits flush with the inventory so it’s not simply pressed unintentionally, and urgent the button releases the journal. To stop unintentionally releasing the journal, or if a shooter merely prefers to top-load the double-stack journal via the receiver, the button could be slid to a ahead place that locks the journal into place. I actually like this function. 

The CZ 600 American Has a Good Adjustable Set off

Most hunters favor a great single-stage set off, and that’s precisely what the CZ 600 American has. It’s a crisp-breaking set off with no takeup and little or no overtravel. Many rifles have adjustable triggers, however the CZ 600 system is foolproof. The set off pull weight could be adjusted with a small metric Allen key by turning a screw simply ahead of the set off. This requires no disassembly. 

There are 4 totally different settings for the set off, indicated by an index mark and dots. The index mark reveals which setting the set off is on, and the dots, starting from one to 4, point out the relative weight of the setting. Mine shipped at setting two, which broke at precisely two kilos. The minimal setting for the set off on my pattern broke at 1 pound, 7 ounces, and on the heaviest setting, it broke at 3 kilos, 2 ounces. Set off really feel was constant throughout all 4 settings, aside from weight after all.

Receiver and Barrel

The CZ 600 American has a metal receiver and hammer-forged barrel, each completed with a black corrosion-resistant coating. The motion has loads of room to top-load cartridges and, properly, it’s drilled and tapped for Remington 700 optic bases, that are plentiful. 

The barrel is a skinny, however not pencil-profile, barrel, typical of a traditional American searching rifle. The one factor I don’t like is that it’s threaded 9/16-24, which is distinctly un-American so far as muzzle threads and suppressors go. Everybody is aware of it needs to be ½-24. There are some 9/16-24 direct thread mounts out there for suppressors, but it surely’s removed from customary right here within the land of the free. 

Taking pictures the CZ 600 American

We’re always extolling the virtues of ultra-lightweight searching rifles lately, however weight isn’t a foul factor for a daily searching rifle. At seven and a half kilos, the CZ 600 American isn’t cumbersome to hold however, with an optic, is kind of nice to shoot. I shot mine, chambered in .308, spherical after spherical after spherical. From the bench, off a bagged tripod, and even offhand. The inventory matches me properly, and the slight palmswell on the grip makes it simple to drag the butt tightly to the shoulder whereas exercising good set off management. Cartridges are all the time fed simply and the bolt is lightning quick to work. 

We focus rather a lot on a rifle’s accuracy, however these dealing with traits matter rather a lot. Don’t consider me? Go watch this video of me capturing a grizzly within the woods final spring — wherein I used to be utilizing a equally fast-operating Winchester XPR. Take into consideration how shortly you’ll be able to work your bolt-action rifle beneath stress, and if you happen to’d be capable to be prepared for when he turns broadside for a follow-up shot. I don’t actually purchase into the argument that push-feed rifles aren’t as dependable, however the CZ 600 American is a controlled-feed rifle that may be labored extremely quick.

CZ 600 American Accuracy

The CZ 600 American comes with a sub-MOA accuracy assure that claims it can shoot sub-MOA 3-shot teams with match-grade ammunition. We don’t place an excessive amount of weight on rifle accuracy guarantees or 3-shot groups for that matter. We need to know what a rifle is fairly able to, and what the common hunter ought to truly anticipate from it. I examined the CZ 600 American with 11 totally different hundreds, and recorded 37 5-shot teams. 

It’s simple to concentrate on simply one of the best load or, as many shooters do, tout their greatest group of the day as some form of illustration of how the rifle shoots. We’ve all seen the man who retains a tattered 3-shot cloverleaf in his pockets to brag about how correct his rifle is — when the trustworthy fact is that if the rifle did that on a regular basis, it wouldn’t be wallet-worthy within the first place. 

To provide you an correct image of how this searching rifle shoots throughout a wide range of hundreds, I’m merely averaging the highest 80 p.c (29 whole) of teams. I might solely reduce the underside 10 p.c from the mixture to remove teams with extreme human error or actually poor ammunition efficiency, however at one level, I seen the motion screws loosening and needed to re-torque them. To be protected, I’m reducing an additional 10 p.c off the underside. The common of these prime 29 5-shot teams was 1.28 inches, which is kind of good for a .308 that prices $800. For reference, the Tikka T3X Lite in .308 that I examined in 2022 averaged a bunch dimension of 1.9 inches over 27 teams.

An general common accuracy combination offers us a great image of what the rifle will shoot like, however even 5-shot teams don’t inform the entire story. I additionally recorded a 10-shot group with a handload I’m creating with Lehigh Protection 165-grain Excessive Chaos bullets propelled by 43 grains of Varget. That group measured .994 inches with an excessive velocity unfold of 28.2 fps and a typical deviation of 8.3 fps. 

Moreover, I recorded a 20-shot group (fired in 5-round strings with barrel cooling between) with essentially the most correct manufacturing facility ammo: Freedom Munitions 168-grain A-Max. It retails at a meager $26 per field, and averaged .947-inch 5-shot teams. My 20-shot group measured 1.25 inches with common velocity, excessive unfold, and customary deviation of 2618 fps, 61.9 fps, and 15.3 fps, respectively — as recorded by my Garmin Xero chronograph. 

Why a 20-Shot Group?

A set of 5–shot teams can provide us an thought of how correct a rifle is, however many teams you hearth might be bigger than that common. Although a 20-shot group will all the time be bigger, it’s safer to imagine that almost all 5-shot teams you shoot will fall inside the dispersion of that 20-shot group dimension. Moreover, a 20-shot group will present you a way more statistically constant zero or common level of affect than 3- or 5- or 10-shot teams.

What The CZ 600 American Does Nicely

The CZ 600 American captures the heft and heat, wood-stocked really feel and ergonomics of a traditional American-style searching rifle, whereas incorporating some glorious fashionable options, significantly the locking journal launch button and fast-running controlled-feed motion. I actually like how handily the rifle factors and balances, and it’s fairly correct in comparison with its peer group.

The place the CZ 600 American May Do Higher

I’d prefer to see an  oil end on the inventory. The flakey lacquer turns opaque white when dinged or disturbed. I might additionally favor the muzzle be threaded within the American customary ⅝-24 for .308-caliber bores. 

Remaining Ideas on the CZ 600 American

Many hunters really feel disillusioned by the ocean of carbon fiber and injection molded shares and components. They yearn for the texture of a rifle that solely a wooden inventory can carry. Although I might (and commonly do) argue that rifles are being made with more precision and quality than at any other point in history, it’s nice to see a rifle just like the CZ 600 American embrace what we like a couple of good wood-stocked searching rifle, and combine it with a extra fashionable motion and elements. Although I’ll almost all the time go for a synthetic-stocked rifle when searching in my residence state of Alaska, I can tip my hat to the CZ 600 as among the finest mid-priced searching rifles I’ve seen in fairly a while.