First Impressions
CZ’s original 600 line arrived quietly here in the U.S. back in 2021 as a replacement for the well-respected CZ 557 and 527 rifle series.
That quiet reception was a real pity, because even the older 600 rifles had some fantastic traits that went largely unknown to most American shooters. Things like 60-degree bolt throws, sub-MOA accuracy guarantees, and suppressor-ready barrels all carried over to the new 600+ rifles.
For this go-around, CZ has a more focused eye on American shooters, which is clear given the addition of this classy American model.
Related: New CZ 600+ Bolt-Action Rifle Series in 5 Models
Upon opening the box, I was greeted by a sleek bolt-action rifle wearing furniture made of handsome Turkish walnut. That dark brown wood, coupled with the matte-black cold-hammer-forged barrel, steel receiver, and slick bolt, keeps the gun attractive yet stealthy.
Stealth was also on display with the thumb-button safety at the rear of the receiver. I generally dislike the button safeties located on trigger guards and awkward throw-lever safeties common to many hunting rifles.
But this ambidextrous tang-style safety is money. It’s easy to reach without adjusting my grip, and it’s as quiet as safeties come for those invested in silent stalking.
The gun has a notably Americanized look to it. The scope-first design comes in a variety of short-action cartridge options, and it even boasts Remington 700-type scope mounting points on the receiver. At 40.35 inches long with a weight of 7.72 pounds (minus scope), the gun has heft without feeling burdensome.
Texturing is in all the right places, and it’s cut nice and deep into the walnut stock along the sides and top of the forend and the semi-pistol grip. The 60-degree bolt throw felt natural the second I got the rifle to my shoulder, and the recoil pad at the rear was positive and firm instead of some of the mushy, springy pads I’ve tested recently.
After a few cha-chinks of the cock-on-open bolt, it smoothed out to a clean and controllable, but not yet glassy, cycling that didn’t interfere with where I wanted to mount my mid-height optic rings for my ready-to-mount Vortex optic sporting a 44mm objective bell.
All told, I had the gun range ready within an hour of picking it up from my FFL.
Features
Instead of boring you with a bunch of feature descriptions, I think this part is best done by simply showing you what the CZ 600+ American has to offer.
Specifications
The new CZ 600+ American can be had in many common calibers: .223 Rem, .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, .270 Win, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 Win Mag, as of this writing. Remember, barrels are swappable on this system, but let’s run down the specs for this one that came set up for .308 Win.
Weight (Unloaded): 7.72 pounds
Length: 40.35 inches
Barrel Length: 20 inches
Barrel Profile: Light
Threads: 9/16x24 UNEF
Twist Rate: 1:10, four grooves
Length of Pull: 14 inches
Receiver Type: Medium
Accuracy Guarantee: Sub-MOA
Trigger Pull: User-adjustable for 1.4, 2, 2.5, and 3.1 pounds.
Trigger Type: Single-stage trigger
Capacity: 5 rounds, .308 Win
Accuracy Testing
The recoil impulse was nicely tamed by the gun’s rubberized pad. However, the real win for accuracy testing proved to be the trigger. It has almost no discernible travel and breaks crisp and light. It’s like snapping an extra-thin piece of Christmas brittle.
The trigger has next to zero travel before the break, and I would feel spoiled hunting with it.
I’m sitting at 160 rounds through the CZ 600+. Most of that shooting was done with Federal Gold Medal 175-grain .308 Win. That load has been an all-around performer for me so far in several guns, and the CZ 600+ consistently shot sub-MOA with it.
However, to test exactly what kind of ammo the 600+ American liked, I opted to run four different brands through the gun at 100 yards. My test ammo included 175-grain Federal Gold Medal, 168-grain PMC X-Tac Match, 150-grain SIG Sauer Elite, and some basic FMJ 150-grain Aguila.
I did five-shot groups for each brand, even though the gun comes with a three-shot sub-MOA guarantee. To compensate, I allowed the barrel to cool between shots. Here’s how the accuracy performance turned out.
Federal Gold Medal = 0.72 inches
PMC X-Tac Match = 0.86 inches
SIG Sauer Elite = 0.41 inches
Aquila FMJ = 1.23 inches
(Photo: Paul Peterson/Guns.com)
I dropped one shot for the PMC X-Tac Match, but I would be more than happy with the accuracy I saw from any of these rounds out of just about any other rifle for my shooting skills. Even the standard FMJ Aguila ammo was just barely over MOA for accuracy.
I’ll be honest. I was shocked by these groups. I don’t consider myself a precision shooter. Sure, I’ve been working on long-range accuracy lately, which includes taking a recent long-range class over at Vortex Edge. Yet, for me, this is well beyond the norm.
It seems beyond clear that this gun can shoot the lights out, and it can do it on repeat. I almost felt like the groups above must have been a fluke. So, for my own sanity, I stretched it out to 200 yards on a later range trip with some of my remaining 175-grain Federal Gold Medal match ammo.
I have not shot with this kind of accuracy with anything outside of a professional match-shooting rig. Sure, I did my shooting off a bench with bags, but the results leave me with one conclusion: CZ’s 600+ American in .308 Win is easily a sub-MOA gun.
Shooting Suppressed: Banish 30-V2
Since my range sessions with this CZ 600+ American have been rather long, I opted to do most of my shooting with the Banish 30-V2 modular suppressor mounted on the end. It made the experience far more enjoyable and hearing-friendly.
The 600+ American comes threaded at 9/16x24 UNEF. I used a direct-thread HUB adapter to mount the Banish30-V2. The modular suppressor is made entirely out of titanium. As a .30-caliber suppressor capable of handling a wide range of rifle chamberings, it matched up perfectly with the 600+.
Overall, the suppressor’s 11 Stifle Baffles noticeably cut down the shot sound of the rifle and made precision shooting just a bit easier during my extended shooting sessions.
Pros & Cons
Here’s my short list of the pros and cons for the CZ 600+ American chambered for .308 Win:
Pros:
- Sub-MOA accuracy with multiple types of ammo
- Reliable
- Excellent user-adjustable trigger
- Ambidextrous, ergonomic safety
- Smooth 60-degree bolt throw
- Compact size for hunting
- User-swappable barrel system for multiple calibers
- Comfortable and controllable recoil
- Suppressor-ready barrel
- Lockable and removable magazine
- Reliable controlled-feed system
- Nice walnut furniture with detailed texturing
- Dark, non-reflective finish for hunting
- Well-priced for the quality and performance
Cons:
- Does not come with iron sights
- You will need optic rings
- You will need Remington 700 scope base mounts
- Bolt is smooth, but not buttery slick
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The stock is handsome but somewhat bulky
Final Thoughts
The CZ 600+ American flat-out impressed me on the range every time I brought it out of the safe. This gun shoots – plain and simple – and it’s easy to shoot well. The stock has some bulk to it, but it features wonderful wood with deep texturing.
As a hunting package, I love the way it looks and performs.
As a precision-shooting package, I would expect to pay a lot more for anything that can beat the sub-MOA groups I was shooting on the range.
On top of all that, the gun does not seem to be picky about ammo, and it’s a great host for suppressors. There’s just a lot to like and very little to complain about when it comes to CZ’s latest rifle lineup.
