Scope for CZ 527 222 Rem

Slope77

New member
I am thinking about buying a CZ 527 in 222. This would basically be a walk-around varminter, Knock-around rifle. I have a 22-250 for coyotes, so this rifle would would be for smaller critters and also as a back up prairie dog rifle behind a 204 Ruger CZ 527.

I am struggling a bit with what kind of scope to put on it. Weighing off between field of view, magnification and size. I don’t want a real big scope, and I won’t be dialing windage and elevation.

Some Leupold options:
-3-9x33 EFR. Would seem to be perfect size, maybe lacking a little magnification. How is low light performance? Are there rings available to mount it low or could a guy just as well go 40mm on the objective?

-3-9x40. Every one I’ve had has been great and easy to look through. They are nice and a good value. A little short on magnification maybe.

-3.5-10x40. Very nice, and price not too bad on this model. Kinda big, but still light enough for a 527. Could still maybe use a little more “x”.

-4-12x40 AO. I know they don’t make these anymore, but you can still pick them up used. Would actually like less than 4x on the low end - much reduced FOV compared to the others, but 12x would be nice on prairie dogs.

Recommendations? I am leaning towards the 3-9x33 or 4-12x40. Anyone have those on a CZ 527?

Thank you!!!



-3-
 
All of those are fantastic choices imo. One thing i will mention is to be cautious concerning the eye relief on the 3-9x EFR. It is not as much as the centerfire models. And since the CZ527 has pretty much a fixed ring spacing, you may not be able to move the scope back far enough. The 3-9 efr model would look good in high gloss on that particular rifle. I will say this I do have a 3-9 efr model on my Thompson Contender rifle and so far I have not had any problems with eye relief but I did have to move the scope back far as I could
 
I'm really enamored with FOV over X's unless it is a PD or GS dedicated. My 222 Rem predator hunting guns wear a 1-4x20mm and a 2-7x32mm scopes, my PD/GS 222 Rem wears a 6.5-20x40mm. I just acquired a 223 and mounted a 2-10x40mm same great FOV as the smaller scopes plus more X's.

Last weekend I killed a coyote in the brushy river bottom on 2x(nearly a 50' FOV) and then sat outside the ranch house and cranked it up to 10x and shot PD's in the pasture with it.
 
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Originally Posted By: AWSI'm really enamored with FOV over X's unless it is a PD or GS dedicated. My 222 Rem predator hunting guns wear a 1-4x20mm and a 2-7x32mm scopes, my PD/GS 222 Rem wears a 6.5-20x40mm. I just acquired a 223 and mounted a 2-10x40mm same great FOV as the smaller scopes plus more X's.

Last weekend I killed a coyote in the brushy river bottom on 2x(nearly a 50' FOV) and then sat outside the ranch house and cranked it up to 10x and shot PD's in the pasture with it. 2-10x has got to be one of the most versitile scopes out there. I have a 2-10x Weaver V series. Holds zero like no other but the clarity and glass brightness leaves alot to be desired.
 
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My goto scope lately has been a Nikon pro staff 5 3.5x14 40 mm with BDC. You can pick them up on sale every once and a while for as low as $239. Last time I checked they were around $260. Clearest,brightest optic for the $ IMO.
 
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Thanks, guys.

Any thoughts on the desirability or lack thereof for adjustable objective/efr on a rifle for this purpose?

I think. 3-12 would be a great power range, but I am most familiar with Leupolds and don’t know what else is out there.
 
Im on the fence about AO on hunting rifles. About half of mine have them and half dont. I tend to use AO on more of my predator/varmint guns where i may need more of a precise shot.
 
In looking for a Dedicated " Walking and Calling " Coyote set up I recently put a new Leupold VX3i 4.5 x 14 x 40 AO in a set of factory CZ rings and a Harris Bipod on a new light weight CZ 527 American in 223.
I feel I accomplished what I set out to do and am totally satsified with my results. She's light in weight, with great optics and performs very nice in the accuracy dept.
I really love the set trigger option it employs.

Gene
 
The great thing about Leupolds is they are very light for that given power range you choose. Most 3-9x will weigh several ounces more than Leupolds 3.5-10x.
 
I also have a CZ 527 in .223. I am putting a Weaver K-6 on it. I just want simplicity, have a 308 with dials, lights, etc. Pretty busy for me. Hope to get the rig together this coming weekend and see if it's the right decision for me.
 
I hear what you are saying. I used a Boone and Crockett reticle on my deer rifle this year and liked it a lot. I want to put a Leupold with a Varmint Hunter reticle on a 527 in 204 Ruger. I am kind of getting old and set in my ways - dialing doesn’t much interest me at all. Funny thing is, that this little scope adventure I am on sure makes it look like that is where optics are headed, at least for now. Most all of Leupold’s topend is 30mm scopes with dials.

After thinking about this whole deal, I am probably asking too much out of one scope for the 222. I think what I will do is buy a 3-9x33 for general use and then buy a used Nikon Monarch 5.5-16x44 for prairie dog hunting. Seems that the 527’s mounting system kind of lends itself to switching scopes and holding zero.
 
First of all, congratulations on a perfect rifle and chambering selection. Absolutely perfect for your application. I'm a huge CZ fan and have a 527 in .17 rem, .222, and .223. All varmint models. Copies can be a bit difficult based on the machines receiver. I do think you'll regret not having a 12x scope. With today's bullets a .222 will certainly get the job done out to 300yds. Leupold vx2 4-12 is a great choice, but Burris also makes a nice light scope 4.5-14. It's under a lb.
 
I have the Vortex Razor HD LH 3-15x42 on a few different rifles, one of them being one of my CZ 527 Varmint 17 Hornets, and it makes for a great scope setup on the little CZ 527's when using either the Leupold med. or Warne med. mounts.

The 3-15x42 Razor HD LH has great optical quality, is light weight, and I much prefer their side focus parallax adj. to an AO type.
 
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The .222 won me over a decade ago and has proven itself with one shot kills on groundhogs out to 340 yards (40gr BlitzKing over Reloder 7). i've found that for crow sized varmints more power is extremely handy and less than 16x just isn't enough for groundhog head shots past 300 yards. The Bushnell 4-16x Elite 4200 is very nice glass and a best buy, but no longer made. i shoot conservatively and haven't taken any shots past 340, but this caliber is able to a bit do more with small varmints, and 400 would be in my comfort range for PD's in the right situations.

For the above reasons you might do well to consider more power if the rifle is accurate, which is why i would suggest stepping up to 16x. Actually, i'm in the market to go to 20x and move the 4-16x to another deuce. Ackleyman told me many years ago that 4-16x is a much better choice than 4-12x and as usual, i've found his advice to be spot on.
 
After more thought, I think I should get at least 12x on the top end. The other is loss of FOV on the bottom end. Thanks for the suggestions, I will check them out. Kind of narrowing it down to Leupold 4-12x40 AO, used 4.5-14x40 AO if I can find one, or would really like to find a 3-12+ that would give some FOV at bottom and higher top end.
 
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Originally Posted By: AWSThere are some 3-15's out there

The Vortex Razor HD LH models I have are their 3-15x42. I have them on one of my 17 Hornets and a 20-222 I just had built. I also have a couple Luepold Vari X III 4.5-14x40 W/AO scopes, one is on my 17 WSM the other on a 17 HMR. They're nice little scopes as well but they are not even close to being in the same league as my Razor HD LH 3-15x42's and I MUCH prefer their side focus to the AO on the Luepold.

If a person isn't in a hurry the Vortex Razor HD LH 3-15x42 come up in the classifieds every so often and are usually priced similarly to the Leupold 4.5-14x40AO. I just bought a used Razor HD LH a couple weeks ago.
 
Sightron S-TAC has a 3x16 42 with the moa-3 reticle. That’s the one with kinda a floating dot with hash marks for holdovers. 30mm tube though.
 
The Vortex Razor 3-15x42 looks good, but probably more than I want to spend. I will watch for a used one. Great magnification range and 1” tube keeps it from being so bulky. I am not in a hurry. So maybe I can watch for used. I haven’t ever really looked at Vortex scopes, I know a lot of guys like them. Their naming nomenclature about drives me nuts. I suppose their is a method to the madness.

Looks like Zeiss was making a Conquest in that magnification range recently as well
 
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