Questions on what to do with CZ527

[GSRswapandslow]

A few weeks ago i traded a 10.5" AR upper straight up for a CZ 527 American, chambered in 222 Rem. I've been shooting the gun with 20.5gr of H4198 under a 50gr vmax or 40gr vmax with Lapua brass and a 205m. I've shot some decent groups...but with the thinner profile barrel i start to lose accuracy fairly quickly as the barrel heats up.

I've slicked the action up as best I can....have worked the trigger over to give me sub 1lb break and removed the single set function. I feel like i've done all I can on the action and trigger, short of sending it off to get it trued by a smith.

My question arises in what to do with it now, though. I feel like the 222 is a good round for my use (100-250yd informal target shooting from a bidpod and rear bag) but the barrel can't keep up with my shooting habits. The last rifle i put together was a 223ai with a heavy varmint barrel (did a remmage setup and used a CBI barrel) and I could shoot that all day without losing the accuracy I lose in the CZ in just 50 rounds. So, should I put the money in this rifle and get a 3-groove super match Pac-Nor barrel installed.....or just use a LITTLE bit more money and buy a whole new rifle?

 

[asauer]

By new rifle, do you mean a varmint model cz 527, or something different alltogether? Keep in mind the barrel threads are metric. Your gunsmith should have the gear set but I'd make sure before you invest in a barrel.
How is your bedding? These 527s have a weird interface between bottom metal and action and if not put back together exactly "just so" they could shift around.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

IF i rebarrel, i'll just send it to Pac-Nor.....they have quite a bit of experience with these guns.

and the stock is bedded, it was when i got it. it's ugly...very...but it does its job. I need to possibly try to rebed the rear tang, but i haven't bothered with it yet.

One thing i do need is to find some allen head action screws, too hard to get proper tq with the flat head screws it has

 

[L.Sherm]

My smith has pillar bedded all my 527's he says it makes them shoot better.

 

[6xcshooter]

sell it to me ;D

 

[tjtjwdad]

I have the same problem with mine in 204 Ruger which is why it is primearly a walk around rifle today; and it is a darn good on.

For a rat gun, it works well but if the rat-patch is really hot she doesn't last too long before I have to reach for another heavy barreled varmint rifle.

HTH

 

[Fotheringill]

I would absolutely recommend pillar bedding and THEN re bed the stock.

As to the screws- Allen heads can be had at any ACE hardware store. The potential problem is that they may seat with only partial contact instead of full.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

from advice from a user on here, i have already ordered a set of replacement action screws.

I am contemplating seeking out a smith's help for pillar bedding and rebedding

 

[asauer]

Bedding won't cure your problems of the thin barrel throwing shots as it heats up, nor the apparent problem of barrel fouling after 50 rounds. Have you abandoned the idea of rebarreling? If so bedding might be worth a try. It may help to bed the first inch or two of the barrel as well- opinions seem to differ but my smith usually does this.
If you plan on rebarreling, I'd wait and save yourself the trouble of possibly doing it twice.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

i haven't completely thrown out the idea....but, for what i have in the rifle, i'd cost considerably more than that to have it rebarreled. I think i will just keep it as is...and mess with it, and just spend the money i would spend on teh barrel on a whole other rifle to fiddle with, while the thin barrel cools between groups haha

now if a ruger american predator in 6.5cm would just come in stock......

 

[1raggedhole]

Send it off to james Calhoun and get a dandy 19 badger.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

Bringing this back up.....taxes weren't as nice to me as I had anticipated, so a 2015 rifle build is out of the question now. So....thinking more about a rebarrel.

My gun is a 222.....so as much as I WANT to move to A 6ppc....I can't with my bolt. So I'm sticking with 222.

So....if I go to rebarrel, I'll be doing a rather heavy contour, what would I do for a stock.....I can't seem to find many aftermarket stocks available...

 

[Rick in Oregon]

If you decide on a re-barrel, consider doing a 20-222. You'll have a bit less recoil and blast if that matters, be able to see most of your hits/misses through the scope, get more rounds down range with less heating, much flatter trajectory with higher BC bullets (the 40gr V-Max = .275) and still have a rifle that will feed the new round with ease. Dies are readily available too, or you could just use the same neck die with two bushings, same Comp Seater with two inserts.

There's nothing wrong with a 222, but if you haven't delved into the world of the .20's, you're missing the proverbial boat.

+ One on Pac-Nor too, every one of mine shoots bug-holes.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

i have a .204 varmint kevlar already, and I really want to stick with the 222....i have dies, brass, bullets, and powder specifically for it stocked up

the only other 20 i want to take on is a Vartarg....but i'll wait for my cooper savings fund to get where it needs to be for that. lol

 

[th82457]

I have owned several 527 American rifles in .222, .223,.204 . The one constant that will improve consistency is to devcon bed the recoil lug area and make absolutely sure the barrel is free-floated. I have shot all of them in a shooting league where you shoot 25 rds. in 30 minutes or less and have had no issue with shots walking as barrel warms up - once I have found a load that each gun likes. keep tweaking and you should find the sweet spot without a new barrel.

 

[GSRswapandslow]

well the gun came to me "bedded" and...well...it looks like crap. I tried (very poorly mind you) to clean up the bedding area under the recoil lug and in front of it....but, it still really poor looking.

If i knew a way to get the bedding material out.....safely, I would do that and try to rebed it....but in all likely hood, i will just get a boyd's stock for it when i go to rebarrel so i don't have to muck with the forend of the factor stock

 

[GSRswapandslow]

the gun we are discussing (don't mind the redfield.....it goes on a 6.5cm Ruger American Predator as soon as they EVER come back in stock...budget deer rifle!)

 

[tjtjwdad]

I have owned several 527 American rifles in .222, .223,.204 . The one constant that will improve consistency is to devcon bed the recoil lug area and make absolutely sure the barrel is free-floated. I have shot all of them in a shooting league where you shoot 25 rds. in 30 minutes or less and have had no issue with shots walking as barrel warms up - once I have found a load that each gun likes. keep tweaking and you should find the sweet spot without a new barrel.

My experience as well with my 204. Out of the box I wasn't impressed. A bed & crown plus free floating; man it shoots good, well under a .250 MOA @ 200 yards.

 

[Alan in GA]

first log in in a while!...but a post like yours concerning CZ 527s made me do it.
In the local circle of gun nuts the CZ 527 has given good service. We've had the opportunity of playing with a lot of them.
I made a 17 Remington Varmint into a 17 Mach IV before the 17 Fireball came out. I merely took the varmint barrel off, cut off the shank and most of the chamber and rechambered it to 17 Mach IV....shot great. The CZ barrels in American or Varmint contour shoot about as well as after market barrels.
I also had a 527 in .221 FireBall American that I used on a Montana gopher shoot with 500 rounds just for this 'one of two' rifles I always take.
After 500 rounds at ground squirrels I kept having the thought that CZ should have offered the .221FB in their Varmint barrel version, however CZ did away with the 221FB all together soon after.
I rebarreled it with a Pac Nor 3 groove stainless super match using a 17 Mach IV live pilot reamer and it shoots one hole for 5 shots using 25 Vmax and Benchmark [just imagine whatever measurement you want here...but..ONE HOLE if a little ragged at that]. All CZ rifles used for Montana trips also got the synthetic/Kevlar stocks after a factory walnut stock warped enough to put pressure on the barrel and change poi.
You MIGHT want to find a 223 Varmint and set back/rechamber the barrel if you could find a deal on a low round count rifle, but I would not run a nice sharp reamer into a fire cracked bore [high round count].
A friend bedded about 2" of barrel along with the action in my 17 Mach IV and it does well as mentioned. The front ring on a CZ 527 is not much support for a heavy barrel. I've mentioned to many folks to take care removing factory barrels from CZ 527's as an action wrench can EASILY squeeze the ring out of shape, actually PINCHING the ring onto the barrel shank if the wrench is too tight - no white knuckles when attaching action wrench! I don't like depending on the light duty front action ring for complete barrel support, especially a heavy contour barrel...hence the 2" of bedding in front of the action.
After reading the OP I had to wonder what cartridge you want to end up with?? Another 222 or something else? Re-machining a factory CZ barrel can give great results, but we all know going with a Pac Nor has always been a guarantee of 'GREAT barrel' results.

added note: once again, sure wish CZ would make a solid bottom single shot bolt action 527. We almost always load singe shot style and it might add a bit of action strength as far as flexing.
I like the new black Delrin single shot blocks {Bob's?}. Wish Calhoun had made theirs in Delrin instead of heavy steel....I have both products and both work well.

 

[Fotheringill]

If the bedding looks like crap, it probably is. You also don't know if pillars done first or last.

There are a few ways to unbed, one of which is heat OUTDOORS on a breezy day. It is messy and dangerous to your lungs. Another is to Dremel out the bedding and try again. Personally, I would purchase another new or used stock and start all over, slowly and carefully with doing the pillars first. Shoot the rifle and see improvement, if any. Then bed the action, if desired.

All of that being said, I just finished my third bed/rebed on a CZ 452 Varmint. I used the Dremel method to get rid of the old, chipped out the old pillar, drilled and tapped another hole for a rear tang screw, pillared and then bedded all the way up the barrel channel. It now shoots .3-.4 @50 in ten degree weather. It was shooting from the factory at .6