advice on .22 hornet Rifles

[17varminter]

Need a donor rifle for new 17 wildcat projects,
Sako M78 or CZ rifle? any preferences?

[TinMan]

I would go with a CZ. It is designed as a centerfire action, and not a rimfire. I believe is the SAKO M78 was designed as a rimfire. The CZ also comes with the set trigger.

Keep the M78 as a nice classic rifle, and build you projects off the CZ. And yes, I have 22 Hornets (Kimber M82, Cooper M38. Ruger No.3 and CZ527). I bought the CZ used as a donor to become a 17 AH, but it shot so well I kept it stock.

[260Ackley]

Only downside in my mind is the backward safety on the cz. I'm a creature of habit and that safety makes me nervous. If all my guns were backwards no problem. It's the change back and forth
.

[Old Hawkeye]

I've owned 3 Sako M78s in 22 Hornet over the years & never could get any of them to shoot worth a darn. I own none now. I believe that their being nothing more than a modified rimfire action had a lot to do with their poor performance. The headspace on them all was horrendous & even after correcting that they never shot under 1.5 MOA. I'm not sure I would push the pressures on any rimfire action modified to shoot centerfire rounds anyway. The CZ's are true centerfire actions & the Hornets I've had & the current 19 Calhoon Hornet all shoot sub MOA, have much better actions & triggers & are more conducive to wildcatting. The Sako will have more collector value, which will be destroyed if you wildcat it.

[Daryl]

I have owned 2 CZ Hornets. Both of them were considerably better than 1/2 MOA rifles.

[l h jenkins]

browning is a good possibility, if you can find one.

[glennlasher]

I've got two CZ Hornets, a .22 and a .17. Both are fun to shoot and easy to handle.

I don't load a round in the chamber until I'm ready to shoot, so the safety doesn't make any difference to me. I've got four 527s, so I like them a good deal. I've got two rimfires, too, safety works the same way on them, and I handle that the same way, too.

[Jingle]

Had a Ruger 77/22 hornet for years but sat in the safe as the 2 piece bolt made for sloppy head spacing I suppose?

It never shot very well and I didn't reload at the time.

Not an expert by far but if I was to go custom I would start with a CZ527 action.

[Daryl]

Should have also noted, the safety makes no difference to me - its a rat rifle and doesn't get loaded until I'm ready to shoot.
I don't use it as a walk - around rifle, so I don't carry it loaded.

[Jingle]

Yes the safety on the CZ527 is opposite of what maybe most are use to but the trade off is huge IMO. Set trigger is awesome!