What do you think of the CZ 527 Carbine or .223 rifles in general?

Not with the CZ, but I have a Mossberg MVP in 223/5.56. A very accurate and economical rifle, that I have successfully used on many deer and hogs. Also uses AR15 mags.

i have ten cz rifles from .22 lr to 375 H&H mag and non has disapointed me in the field or bench with loads they like, my 527 is a fs(full stock) and i have fired .223 and 5.56 thru it with no problems at all.. it will kill deer with the right bullet and good placement of the bullet, but i think its a little light for deer.

Cz states that their 223 rifles can also fire 5.56. So no worries there.
I find that I enjoy a rifle better if it's appropriately sized to the cartridge it shoots. In the 223 (and other ar sized cartridges) the cz 527 shines. I don't have a 223 version yet, but the 7.62x39 I have is the perfect little rifle for these sized cartridges.

I own 3 CZ 527s in .223, 7.62x39 and .300 AAC, so I'd have to admit to being smitten:



The 527 bolt root positions the handle a bit high, so you may need slightly taller rings depending on the diameter of your chosen scope's eyepiece.

Spare mags are a tad pricey and spares sometimes prove a little fiddly at first. You can only load the magazine when it is removed from the action, so if you run dry without a spare you'll have to single load.

CZ offers a 3-shot flush-ish fitting mag for the .223, as you can see on the lowest photo; it requires a compatible triggerguard -- the older model triggerguard has a web at the back of the magwell that interfers with the shorty magazine. I went with a NECG aperture sight and front blade to keep my fullstock rifle more sleek. I only wish they offered a butterknife replacement bolt handle to complete the Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine look.

The action is smooth, but you may experience bolt bind when working the knob -- it runs smoother if you choke up a bit on the handle.

The action offers controlled feed, a large Mauser claw extractor, a very cool tooless bolt disassembly method, and good customer support for parts from CZ USA. Stock wood is often a cut above other makes, though I don't care for their 527 synthetic stock design (hence the chassis on my .300 Blackout -- since this photo I've changed the buttstock and grip a couple times).

BTW, $650 is a decent price if the rifle is in good shape. New 527s run around $800-900 around here, depending on model.

I really want a 527FS. If I could get it in 6ARC or 6.5G with a reciever peep I'd be a real happy camper.

gotboostvr said:

I really want a 527FS. If I could get it in 6ARC or 6.5G with a reciever peep I'd be a real happy camper.

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It's OOS at the moment, but CZ USA does list the full stock by itself for $160: https://shop.cz-usa.com/stock-527-fs5273190801.html

Tweaking could be needed to get the 6.5G to work in a .223 stock -- the two barrelled actions should be nearly dimensionally identical, but 527 action fit can be a bit hinky. Removing and reinstalling even the factory-supplied stock usually takes me a couple of tries to get the magazine to insert properly.

I really like my 527 in 6.5 grendel.
It's a newer one with the shorter bolt handle root, so scope mounting isn't an issue with even the lowest available rings.
My only actual complaint is that the safety operation is backwards from every other rifle I own, and that really just a nitpicky thing.

I did modify my magazine to be closer to flush, as it of in the way of my hand, and I bored a hole in the butt to push weight farther forward. But again neither of those things was really necessary, just personal preference.

I have a CZ527 Varmint in .223. Absolutely love it. It's a very convenient size - I also have a Winchester Model 70 in .223 and it is a larger rifle. The CZ has a very nice action and the trigger, in addition to being fully adjustable, is a SET trigger. You push it forward until it "clicks" and then you have a very, very light trigger, depending on how you adjust it. The trigger also functions normally. My CZ is very, very accurate with particular hand loads. If I have ONE complaint about it, it's the removable magazine. Although the action is very nicely made and very smooth, the magazine function detracts from the rifle in that it stiffens up the bolt action, especially with a full magazine. If the rifle had a normal bolt action type magazine with a hinged floor plate, it would be perfect for me. That aside... it's a wonderful rifle.... and you CAN shoot 5.56mm in it - that information is right on the CZ web site.

I shoot 5.56 ammo in my CZ 527 .223, no problem at all.

I have two of the 527's, 7.62x39 and .204 Ruger. Love them, except the stocks are too nice for field work. Could you imagine getting a scratch on them? Sacrilegious.

I have a 527 Varminter in .204. At first accuracy was awful. Now it shoots 1/2” or better.

It takes either a barrel scrubbing or maybe a hundred rounds to settle it in.

Hokkmike said:

I am assuming that it will not use 5.56.

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It does use 5.56mm ammunition:

A: All of our .223s will happily eat 5.56. Since our factory is in Europe, we build everything to CIP spec, which doesn’t differentiate between the two cartridges and just has the higher pressure as its standard. So the CZ .223s will shoot everything from the cheapest Russian steel to match .223 brass ammo.

After shooting a couple coyotes, i fired this five shot group at 125 yards using my favorite handloads. Wind was a steady 10 mph from the rear.



i own four .223 caliber bolt action rifles. My custom shop Remington will shoot smaller groups than the CZ, but not by much.

The rifling rate is too slow for good accuracy with M855 ammo.

Hokkmike said:

So, when you harvest deer with this rifle - where have you placed your most effective shots? Do you have to track the deer far?

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I either shoot classic broadside or front of the neck (straight through the white spot) if the deer is facing me. I use a 75 grain Hornady BTHP match. Even with the broadside shots, the deer usually fall down dead. I had one run less than 30 yards. Same with hogs. If its just "me getting lucky", I would love to have such odds at anything else I try.

dh1633pm said:

I have two of the 527's, 7.62x39 and .204 Ruger. Love them, except the stocks are too nice for field work. Could you imagine getting a scratch on them? Sacrilegious.

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Yeah, mine is already dinged up...and you should see the dings in my even nicer 457 stocks, tho how they got there im not 100% sure. Probably got dropped at some point.

My 223 bolt rifle is my target rifle when I want to shoot cheap ammo. I tried one of the Ruger Ranch bolt rifles in 223 but decided it just didn't fill a niche for me. I like the CZ well enough, but it still wouldn't fill a niche for ME. It might be perfect for you.

I would, and have shot deer with 223. It kills them if you use the right bullets, but I have better options and wouldn't specifically choose to hunt with one. But if I had a 223 in my hands and a shot presented its self I'd take it.

I love my 5.56 carbine. Very accurate firearm. If they outlaw my AR and Mini 14,with the 5 round mag I have enough 5.56/223 to last me several lifetimes.

I have tried to get a 527 carbine in 223 for awhile. Local gun shops I have talked to tried ordering and all they're distributors are out of stock. I have the 7.62x39 but would also like to get the 223.

Don't have a CZ--have looked at them more than a little. Just have not "clicked" with one.
I used to have a Savage 110T in .223 which was a demon on picket pigs.

My son's CZ 527 varmint in 223 has been the most accurate rifle in our stable. He finally shot the factory barrel out and it's now in 20 Practical.

JohnB-40 said:

I love my 5.56 carbine. Very accurate firearm. If they outlaw my AR and Mini 14,with the 5 round mag I have enough 5.56/223 to last me several lifetimes.

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I have an ammo supply conservation tool in .223 also:

Just don't care for short barrels on rifles. So,have the longer,older 527 Lux. It has a slow,1/12 twist barrel which I love. The stock is somewhat figured but the final sanding job and tinted finish is pretty...... Russian. Meaning,it's hard working but very rough around the edges. Not really a complaint though as it fits the overall character of the rig. Dosen't "bother" me a bit.

The set trigger is OK.... not as nice as an aftermarket R700,but way nice than a factory Rem.

Short throw bolt is stiff and wonky. Takes some effort to slick it up which helps dramatically. The wonky comes with the short stroke/claw extraction.

Mine has a scope,which pops on/off with VERY acceptable registration,rarely requiring more than one click to zero. But,it's off.... way more than on. It gets used to check a load,then right back off.

If I was getting another CZ bolt,would love to have an older 6.5X55 full stock Lux. Would also run it with no scope. And a 375.

Had a 527 in 7.62x39. Beautiful little carbine but all my rifles have to have functioning irons and the 527 rear sight set-up just didn’t cut it for me. So away it went and the M77RSI in .308 continues it’s role as the most used bolt carbine in my collection.

I had a 527 in .223 for a while. It was a beautiful rifle that shot very well. However, I wanted a walkaround rifle primarily for hunting and never liked the reversed safety: forward to safe, rear to fire. It was opposite all my other hunting rifles. For that reason alone I ended up selling it in favor of a Remington Model 7 that shoots just as well if not better.