Post by jonboy on Aug 13, 2007 8:00:59 GMT -6
Just picked up one of these rifles from D ick's (had to leave space as the website kept changing it to "thingys" -annoying) in Florence for $249 (sticker tag) it actually rang up $229 (didn't argue about it-LOL) Formerly most known as a Charles Dailey and also sold in Europe as a Zastava 99 (made by Zastava in Serbia of all places) Mine has a walnut (all be it a low grade) stock with very poor machine checkering (makes CZ's mismatched machine checkering look wonderful-LOL) The inletting and furniture work is a little poor but adequate (best way to say it nicely)
The machine work is very good as is the deep high luster blue job on it. Trigger was very simple to adjust from the rough 6#'s to a 2.75# pull After about a brick of shooting in 2 days the sear and c ocking piece (again website changes it to thingy assuming profanity...and again it's anoying-LOL) (actually part of the firing pin itself) are starting to mate really well and smoothing out pollishing into each-other. The one front action lug is pillar bedded (though the pillar is poorly installed it doesn't seem to be hurting anything) The action is not as smooth as a CZ but feeds extracts and ejects 100%. Right now it's slightly scarring the top round in the magazine before it gets to it but I think I found the rough spot on the bottom of the bolt doing it so a little polishing wheel applied that should straighten out. The mag changes are not as precise or smooth as the CZ 452 line. The action is probably comparable though the bolt and bolt handle are beefier on the CZ and overall the machine work is clearly nicer on the CZ's as well. (Willie had his CZ training rifle there the other day so we A/B's em quite a bit)
All that said it's breaking in to be a great rifle...it doesn't seem to like any match ammo I've tried yet much better than 1-1.5" at 50 yards but has put CCI mini mags into a less than 1/2" cloverleaf hole at 50 yards (48 I guess currently at the rimfire range) It came darn close with dime sized groups a few times from walmart bulk pack federal and (of all things) Remington thunderbolt! tried blazer gold metal, federal automatch (hates it), and aguila match (stuff Willie handed me not sure what exactly) Have not tried wolf match yet or any of the high dollar federal stuff. I could not have picked what it likes better though...I tend to shoot federal bulk pack most and hunt with CCI mini-mags (or federal if I'm out of mini-mags or broke that week) So dime sized groups with a 4x40 scope are good enough for me! The worst groups where all right at or just over an inch but I only have a 4x40 scope on it right now so it probably ain't the rifles fault.
At $230-250 this thing is a flat out wild bargain! The reason I went and bought it was Remington now has it in a laminated stock and the wholesale cost is around 280-ish so while at $230 it rules...at 350-ish retail? ....well you could save up another $40 and get a CZ 452 American and the training rifle version is right next to it in cost...so I think Remington has priced itself out of a bargain bolt action nitch here. But then again it's still a nice rifle at that price...just not as nice as the CZ. I think I got the last one at the old price (I'm sure their new stock will be the laminated with higher $$$ but worth checking in a few days I guess) It also comes in .22 mag Maybe there are some CD or Zastave versions on gunbroker or at some shops for the old prices. All things being equal I'd say the CZ kicks it butt ...but The Remington mod 5 is no slouch if you can find one for $230!! ;D If you want a pretty rifle to ooh and aahh over and shoot matches with the CZ is worth saving a bit more for. (Other than the stamped trigger guard the .452 is a very pretty rifle) The remington is a bit lighter...so the dedicated small game hunter and casual plinker could slightly preffer it...especially if they are "a Remington guy" though being Serb made made me think twice about buying it...the price won me over...the new ones won't have that advantage though so unless you find a deal I'd say get a CZ.
I'll add some targets here later...their in the truck right now...oh yeah standing offhand at 50 I went 5 for 5 and 4 for 5 shots first time out after benching it all day. I think I finally found something I like shooting in rimfire the fits me well (though forearm could be fuller/beefier in my opinion...same is true of the CZ)
PS- also shot willies Remington 513 target rifle....MY GAWD!! that thing is incredible!! You can't miss with it!
The machine work is very good as is the deep high luster blue job on it. Trigger was very simple to adjust from the rough 6#'s to a 2.75# pull After about a brick of shooting in 2 days the sear and c ocking piece (again website changes it to thingy assuming profanity...and again it's anoying-LOL) (actually part of the firing pin itself) are starting to mate really well and smoothing out pollishing into each-other. The one front action lug is pillar bedded (though the pillar is poorly installed it doesn't seem to be hurting anything) The action is not as smooth as a CZ but feeds extracts and ejects 100%. Right now it's slightly scarring the top round in the magazine before it gets to it but I think I found the rough spot on the bottom of the bolt doing it so a little polishing wheel applied that should straighten out. The mag changes are not as precise or smooth as the CZ 452 line. The action is probably comparable though the bolt and bolt handle are beefier on the CZ and overall the machine work is clearly nicer on the CZ's as well. (Willie had his CZ training rifle there the other day so we A/B's em quite a bit)
All that said it's breaking in to be a great rifle...it doesn't seem to like any match ammo I've tried yet much better than 1-1.5" at 50 yards but has put CCI mini mags into a less than 1/2" cloverleaf hole at 50 yards (48 I guess currently at the rimfire range) It came darn close with dime sized groups a few times from walmart bulk pack federal and (of all things) Remington thunderbolt! tried blazer gold metal, federal automatch (hates it), and aguila match (stuff Willie handed me not sure what exactly) Have not tried wolf match yet or any of the high dollar federal stuff. I could not have picked what it likes better though...I tend to shoot federal bulk pack most and hunt with CCI mini-mags (or federal if I'm out of mini-mags or broke that week) So dime sized groups with a 4x40 scope are good enough for me! The worst groups where all right at or just over an inch but I only have a 4x40 scope on it right now so it probably ain't the rifles fault.
At $230-250 this thing is a flat out wild bargain! The reason I went and bought it was Remington now has it in a laminated stock and the wholesale cost is around 280-ish so while at $230 it rules...at 350-ish retail? ....well you could save up another $40 and get a CZ 452 American and the training rifle version is right next to it in cost...so I think Remington has priced itself out of a bargain bolt action nitch here. But then again it's still a nice rifle at that price...just not as nice as the CZ. I think I got the last one at the old price (I'm sure their new stock will be the laminated with higher $$$ but worth checking in a few days I guess) It also comes in .22 mag Maybe there are some CD or Zastave versions on gunbroker or at some shops for the old prices. All things being equal I'd say the CZ kicks it butt ...but The Remington mod 5 is no slouch if you can find one for $230!! ;D If you want a pretty rifle to ooh and aahh over and shoot matches with the CZ is worth saving a bit more for. (Other than the stamped trigger guard the .452 is a very pretty rifle) The remington is a bit lighter...so the dedicated small game hunter and casual plinker could slightly preffer it...especially if they are "a Remington guy" though being Serb made made me think twice about buying it...the price won me over...the new ones won't have that advantage though so unless you find a deal I'd say get a CZ.
I'll add some targets here later...their in the truck right now...oh yeah standing offhand at 50 I went 5 for 5 and 4 for 5 shots first time out after benching it all day. I think I finally found something I like shooting in rimfire the fits me well (though forearm could be fuller/beefier in my opinion...same is true of the CZ)
PS- also shot willies Remington 513 target rifle....MY GAWD!! that thing is incredible!! You can't miss with it!
shot off a Caldwell shooting bag The tiny group I stupidly didn't mark at the time and I don't know for sure if it was mini mags or federal bulkpack...I actually kinda think it was the latter) Minimags did the group on the right a couple of times though (though that was the only one perfectly all on the dot so I saved it! 
If you shoot this week BRING LOTS OF WATER! you'll be needing it!
The rimfire range has become my favorite spot at the club lately!
