CZ Centerfire and Tikka questions

I use a Mossberg MVP in 223 and it is phenomenal in accuracy.

I've had the Tikka, my brother had both CZ and Tikka. The CZ is gone. I don't think the magazine protrudes enough to be an issue, but we both preferred the Tikka to the CZ.

I ended up with the Ruger American and like it better than either. Especially the Predator version.

I had a CZ 550 and have a Tikka T3. I love CZ rimfires, but found my CZ centerfire, while well-built, to be a bit heavy for a hunting rifle and had a long LOP. Accuracy was average for a hunting rifle. My Tikka's a tack driver, lighter, has an excellent trigger for a factory rifle, and the action feels like it rides on roller bearings.

Sniper66;

If you like the classic Mauser action, the CZ is the one. If you don't care & push-feed is OK, then that's the Tikka. Individual examples of each brand can be highly accurate, or average. Do you hand load? That can make a huge difference in the ability of any gun to produce good groups.

As a couple of "for instances": My son has a recently acquired CZ550 fullstock in 6.5 Swede. That thing will ring the 600 yard gong 'bout any time he wants it to. The gong is 1 foot in diameter. My Tikka T3 in .30-06 is a sub-MOA gun with handloads. Never tried factory ammo in it & no plans to either. Both are stock guns with good optics. However, if you're asking about the magazine with the CZ, then you're probably thinking of the CZ527. I've got one in .223, and don't find that to be a problem with mine. But, I'll also say this: the 527 is a walking varminter with coyotes the largest varmint it's gonna see. If I hunt big game, I use a larger caliber, like my 6.5 Swede that I do hunt elk with. I live in Montana & hunt elk every year.

I will say that if you haven't handled a CZ fullstock, you might want to do so before spending the money on something else.

900F

Before it was stolen, I put a few thousand rounds through a CZ527 Lux. It is a great rifle, one of the features of which is that the "soda straw" barrel didn't shift point of impact when it got hot. It dispatched many prairie dogs. If I had a use for one, I'd buy another. But I no longer coyote or prairie dog hunt, so...

I like the 527 magazine location just fine and have never found it to be in the way on my 527 Carbine, Varmint, or FS. In fact, I kind of like the way you can access the magazine easily to remove or install it. I see people complaining about it from time to time but don't understand what bag setup they would be using that would position something immediately in front of the trigger guard so as to cause a clearance issue. Simply a non-issue, IME.

I've got a CZ 527 Varmint with Kevlar stock in .223 and also have a Tikka T3 Varmint in .308 so have experience of both rifles.

The CZ is a great little rifle, it is very light and perfect for the .223 cartridge. It has a 5-round detachable magazine which has never been a problem when shooting off a bipod or off a bag. The standard rifles come in a 1:12" twist whereas the aforementioned varmint that I have comes in a 1:9" twist which is a great compromise for shooting bullet masses of 45gr up to 69gr with ease although I've never personally shot outside of the 52gr - 69gr range. I bought my rifle used and it's got good built quality. It's a nice solid rifle but is light enough to shoot off-hand if you wanted to.

I also really like my T3 but I don't think it's brilliant in the .223 cartridge. The standard barrel is a 1:12" twist so will only be good for varmint rounds <55gr in mass. If you want to shoot any target rounds then you need to look for the 1:8" twist to shoot some of the higher mass projectiles. Also, T3's only come in one flavour - large action. The receiver size is identical whether you are shooting a .223 or a .300 winmag, the only difference is the magazine. For the .223 there is an insert for the standard mags to make up the correct OAL but these magazines are flimsy polymer and are expensive to replace! The build quality is amazing for the money, with my varmint I cannot feel it pick up and load a round, that's just how smooth the bolt is. As a comparison compared to the hunter - I cannot comment on this model.

TL;DR - go for the CZ because in my opinion they are great value for money.

JMR40, glad to hear you like the RAR Predator. I picked one up last week and haven't had a chance to get it the range yet so I'm please to hear that it's a good quality firearm for the price.

I've got a Tikka T3 Lite in .243 Win.Very accurate, but I'm not fond of the composite stock, plastic trigger guard and magazine. hdbiker

I struggle to make CZ's fit me - their bolt handle shape requires rings too tall for me to get a good cheek weld.

OTOH, the Tikka T3 Forest fits me well. Tikka does make both 1:10" and 1:8" twist rates in 223 - the trick is to buy when Beretta is importing the one that you want.

As do several other posters I have birth CZs and Tikkas. My Tikkas are the older models, not the t3s. Unfortunately I don't have either in 223, but do have several CZ 527s. The magazine has never been an issue.

I've not had any trouble with either and both shoot very well. I prefer the CZ trigger vs the Tikkas, but think I prefer the Tikka action. My next one will be a CZ simply because I'm after a 204 Ruger and love the 527 mini-Mauser design. If you've not held the CZ you might want to. It's got a different feel that some don't like.

Both would be good choices. But, the Tikka would probably be easier to scope and shoulder since the CZ will have the hog-back type stock. That stock is more suited for open sight use. Some people have trouble scoping that type stock and getting a good cheek weld on the stock. But, you may be fine with it.

I have a CZ American in .221 FireBall, my friend has three or four 527's. They are charming rifles, and appeal to my traditional eye. Nice wood and a finish unlike any other on the market.

I like the magazine location, never had a problem with it. Another plus is the fact that it has never shot a group over an inch, even with my scabby hand loads. The set trigger in kinda nice, but I prefer to get my gunsmith to slick up the main stage.

I do not own a Tikka, but have handled them and talked to people who own them, and they are a great rifle, wonderful smooth action and accurate as all get out. Cant hardly beat the price either.

If CZ is listening, wink wink, a stainless American with a laminate stock would be the greatest walking varmint rifle in the known world.

Anyway, cant go wrong with either rifle, but I prefer the CZ.

I have a CZ 527FS in .222 Remington and had a CZ 550 American in 6.5x55 SE.
I have a Tikka in 6.5x55 SE that out shoots the CZ I no longer have by a very significant margin. The CZ 527FS will be up for sale on GB within the week.

There is something about the stock design of CZ 550 American that made it feel like a crude club. I didn't like it. The new owner loves it. I guess I have no taste....?

Dollar for dollar, IMHO, you will be hard pressed to find a better rifle than a Tikka. I have 3 of them and every one of them have impressed me to no end with their accuracy, smooth actions and awesome triggers.

OP, both are great options. I get annoyed with posts on forums when people don't read and go off on tangent and make suggestion on something you didn't ask.

CZ have nice looking wood stocks and triggers are nice.

Tikka has the very best action for a factory rifle.

If it was me, I'd go with Tikka for the action. Find me a better action in a factory rifle and I may change my mind. I also prefer synthetic stocks over wood. Wood looks nice, but they are prone to extreme weather. They also get dinged easily in the woods.

I've had a .223 CZ 527 Carbine for a while now. It's reliable and accurate.



These are two 3-shot groups fired off hand at 50 yards (Hornady 55 gr FMJ-BT Training) with a dime for reference.