SmallCaliberCentral

During one of my recent pawn shop cruises, I came across a very nice little CZ 527 American in 221 Remington (Fireball) that had just come in, and as I've got a 17 Mach IV and a 20VT, both HB's and based on the 221FB case, I thought it would be kinda neat to have rifles chambered in all three calibers on the FB case (don't need/want a .19). For $550 I got the rifle in the box w/all paperwork, CZ rings, and a complete Redding die set.

The "goal" was to have a nice little light rifle in a caliber that doesn't create barrel heat for squirrel and rock chuck walkabouts. If I get into a patch of squirrels, I may shoot 30 shots in close succession, so barrel heat is an issue. This little rifle fills the bill perfectly for the intended purpose.

I took her home, took her all apart and found that someone had professionally bedded/floated the rifle, and done an excellent job of it too. Then I contacted Leupold and had a VX2 4-12X with their Long Range Reticle and Alumnia flip caps on the way, as the intended working range will only be about 300 yards. Only bummer is that CZ rings are about heavy as the rifle, and it seems no one makes Low rings for the CZ 527....rats!. So the scope is mounted much too high for my taste (that will change) with Burris Medium rings, but the rig showed much promise during initial load workup. I added one of CRT's stainless bolt handles with their "ergo" knob to properly clear the ocular bell, and she's all set for Skippy comin' up soon.

Here's the little rig on the bench during load development this week:



Decent wood, excellent set trigger, what's not to like?



No bench rifle for sure, but this will be a welcome addition to the battery to haul around out in the open desert or humping the hills looking for chucks:



I told myself if this rifle did not shoot, I'd immediately turn it into a 20VT walkabout rifle, but it appears it will stay a 221FB, as it's showing definite signs of promise. Maybe now I "need" to find another one to turn into that 20VT "walker". I tried both RL-7 and H4198, both showed promise, with the nod going to RL-7:



The little light-barrel rig shoots as well as some of my HB rigs did back around 1975.....before we really got down to business.
No screaming velocities, no bugholes, but a nice, mild caliber that shoots .5 MOA and will not heat up when the real fun starts. Works for me. Now I just need Skippy and his pals to wake up and put her to use.......

Oh Boy! More new toys for the upcoming rat o ramma! Looks like you scored on that one. Is it spring yet? Gary

Man, oh man, Rick. Not only do you live in the heart of Skippy country, but your pawn shops are also leaps and bounds better than ours. Reming me, again, why I'm still in Missouri?

Looks good Rick.


A twin to the CZ 221 FB I picked up from Nosler's "auction" site a couple of years ago. Mine had a test target barely sub 1" for 3 shots, and after reading how everyone else's came with a ragged hole target and shot well, I decided to pillar and glass bed mine. I think my load is 18.5 Rel 7 and I choose the 40 NBT's for it as well.

Now you know why I wanted a heavier barrel, but a very nice package for walk-about...lol. I even am considering downloading to hornet velocity to get more shots downrange before changing to my other guns.


Did you neck turn & redding bushing die the ammo?

Allen

hemiallen wrote:Looks good Rick. Did you neck turn & redding bushing die the ammo? Allen

Allen: Thanks bud,....and 'no', used a standard Redding Neck Die, no neck turning, but used a Redding standard seating die, but since loading that test batch, I've landed a Redding Comp Seating die, so I'll be interested to see any difference when I shoot my next set of loads prior to rat season. I'm trying to keep this one simple, factory barrel/chamber 'n all, want to feed from the mag too.

Mike wrote:Man, oh man, Rick. Not only do you live in the heart of Skippy country, but your pawn shops are also leaps and bounds better than ours. Remind me, again, why I'm still in Missouri?

Well Mike......'ya know, I just don't know......why ARE you in a place you're not happy? (Yeah, I know....life gets in the way sometimes, just yankin' yer chain. ) But sorry to hear you're 'Pawn Shop Deprived'.

Captqc: Countin' the days buddy.....countin' the days......

very nice find
think I will take a look at the pawn shops around here .
I happened on a killer deal 17 remington last weekend . now its the prettiest rifle I own right place right time

Rick, re. lower ringmounts for the 527: Warne makes them lower, and Millett - if you can find 'em - makes the lowest of all; don't forget James Calhoon's "Hunker" mounts for that rifle, too. Also, there's at least one outfit that makes bases and/or a rail to convert 527s to standard Weaver-style rings www.diproductsinc.com is one.

Rick in Oregon wrote:Well Mike......'ya know, I just don't know......why ARE you in a place you're not happy? (Yeah, I know....life gets in the way sometimes, just yankin' yer chain. ) But sorry to hear you're 'Pawn Shop Deprived'.

Missouri isn't too bad, really. We have some nice whitetails (see Big Game thread ), turkey, waterfowl, etc and good fishing opportunities. I'd dearly love to be near Skippy because that's one of my favorite events each year, but I get to live vicariously through you and some other guys on the forum.

No worries about the pawn shops. That's why Al Gore invented the interweb, ya know. The next potential great deal is always a mouse click away.

RowdyYates wrote:Rick, re. lower ringmounts for the 527: Warne makes them lower, and Millett - if you can find 'em - makes the lowest of all; don't forget James Calhoon's "Hunker" mounts for that rifle, too.

Rowdy: Thanks there, buddy. I had forgotton about Calhoon's Hunker mounts, and you're correct, they're about the lowest CZ rings out there. I'll pass on Millett every time though if you get my drift. I'll be giving James a call today, and thanks for reminding me.

Mike wrote:Missouri isn't too bad, really.

Mike, it must have alot to offer, as one of my BIL's lives there, and he's happy as can be too, 'cept for the distinct absence of both PD's and ground squirrels, he sez it's "perfect otherwise".

Back OT in regard to my little CZ Fireball.......it was strange out in the junipers while working up loads and seeing veolcity numbers on the chrono UNDER 3,500 fps and being perfectly happy with those numbers. After working with my 17 Mach IV, 20VT, 204's and the like, velocities so low was actually sort of a shock at first every time I looked at the chrono display, being used to screaming velocities around the 4,000 fps mark. "Yes Loretta, it's okay to have a varmint rifle that shoots under 3,500 fps!.......really".

The "range day" in the outback:



Snow, wind and rain: Be gone! We're ready for spring green-up NOW!

Mike wrote:Snow, wind and rain: Be gone! We're ready for spring green-up NOW!

Boy do I agree with that!!!! Around here the temps are finally getting above freezing, and we are getting some rain to melt the snow and ice. Been on the ground since before Christmas. Now I just a back "procedure" so I was told do not lift anything over 5 lbs. Can't get out with any of my rifles, and I cannot take a shower for a week!!! I still need to find a load for my 20VT. In a normal year we start shooting skippy in February.

"Proceedure"......what's up there, Kevin? Hope you're gonna be okay, as any one of your varmint rifles weighs more than 5lbs!

And no shower for a week? Wow, sounds like LURP* or sumthin'.....glad we're a few miles apart!

*(LURP: Long Range Recon Patrol for you non-military types )

That's quite a nice find indeed! Sounds like it's going to a good home. All we have in the pawn shops here are stolen power tools, beat up guitars, and Glocks that have never had a patch or brush through them. Enjoy your new treasure. Does she have a name yet?

futuretrades wrote:"Proceedure"......what's up there, Kevin? Hope you're gonna be okay, as any one of your varmint rifles weighs more than 5lbs!

You got that right, as even my 2, 10/22's weigh more than that!

And no shower for a week? Wow, sounds like LURP* or sumthin'.....glad we're a few miles apart!

First time I ever heard of that. I will remember that

Just had some electrodes "installed", to help with leg and back pain. Have been miserable for about the last 5 yrs or so. Will be back in the hospital next week for some more minor procedure. Hopefully this will help with my shoulder also. Screwed that up when was 15 yrs old, in a motorcycle wreck. Took out a cedar fence post on a barbed wire fence, at around 50mph. Good thing I am so hard headed.

Rick those cz s just shoot and are hard to beat for the price. You are right about the rings being to high for some scopes but you can get use to them.
Now for the proper testing come on warm weather.

I have been wanting to test those CRT handles just have not ordered one yet.

Good timing since the Nosler 221 brass is supposedly out (I'm assuming you were waiting at their front door at the crack of dawn). Got your mitts on any yet?