Ok, finally got it narrowed to two. Now before I spend 800 dollars (way more after you include optics), I need a final suggestion.

I'm ready to buy a rifle, but I'm just so hesitant now because I can't pick between these two rifles. My primary use is target shooting (yes I only want .30-06, if i have to i'll take .308), & therefore I will be shooting many more shots in a day than a hunter would. I have it narrowed down to two rifles, and just can't decide. CZ 550 American or CZ 550 Varmint.

Here is a picture of both of them with the American at the top.

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3131/cz550sxj1.jpg

What I like about the American is that it is available in .30-06 which is what I want! And also it has a 5 round fixed magazine. Plus it looks better out of the two in my opinion. The thing I don't like about it is that it is not a heavy barrel, which is better for my purposes.

The thing I like about the Varmint is that it is longer with a heavier barrel, which makes it better for shooting a lot of rounds in one day. The thing I don't like is that it is available in .308 only and has a detachable magazine.

The 550's are quite nice. SS trigger is nifty. For your purposes, I'd go with the heavier barreled varmint. I'd not be concerned with a DM, and the .308 is a great caliber. What scopes are your considering? The Zeiss Conquests with the Rapid Z reticles are dandy. Personally, I like the Z 600 but the 800 is also doable. Good luck with your selection.

But what suits the shooting needs not so much how it looks. Looks don't make the gun shoot better. I'd actually opt for a .308 given the chocies if my pimary use was target shooting. Look at the other target rifles and see what they're chambered in - .308, not .30-06.

American sure is purddddy

The American looks very similar to the Remington 798/799 Mauser. I'm sure the quality is better or about the same as the Rem. 798/799. Good looking guns. I'd get it in 30.06 b/c of the large line up of bullets you can get and the large amount of animals you could use it for. Just my opinion. Good luck with whatever you do.

Both are .30 cal so they'd both use the same bullets. Choices in loadedammo aren't exactly lackingfor either cartridge. Can't see that one hasmuch distinct advantage over the other regarding huntingeither.

For target shooting or most hunting in the US, i'd grab the .308 every time... For hunting the bigger animials, like moose, elk or bigger bears where heavier bullets are needed, i'd grab the 30-06 every time.

DM

Correction- the CZ 550s are similar to the Rem 798 in that they are both mauser 98 based actions, the similarity ends there, the CZ rifles are far and away much higher in quality than the remington imports.

If your talking target shooting get the varmint model. .308 is the better round for targets in my opinion, plus it has the heavy barrel and is heavier over all. The longer barrel really doesn't mean anything though, especially not for target shooting.

And magazine capacity means nothing in target shooting, single shots work just as well off from the bench. I rarely load my magazine on my bolt guns unless I'm hunting.

Paul

Is there any reason that you MUST have a 30/06 or .308 for your first rifle?