CZ 527 Ultralight Predator

This is my coyote rifle. It is a CZ 527 M1 Ultralight Camo Predator, chambered in .223 Remington. It is lightweight, fully camouflaged, and in an ideal caliber for hunting coyote. It has a single set trigger. After some initial load development, this CZ is beginning to look like a ½ MOA rifle.

Handloading: .223 Remington

I purchased this rifle in 2011.

Caliber:	.223 Remington
Barrel:	21.9" Steel, Cold Hammer Forged, 1 in 12" Twist
Action:	Micro-Length, Controlled Feed, Detachable 3 Round Magazine
Stock:	Synthetic, M1 Trigger Guard, Backlands West Camo
Trigger:	Single Set, Adjustable (3¼ lbs normal, 1½ lbs set)
Scope:	Nikon Coyote Special 4.5-14x40mm Predator BDC, Mossy Oak Brush Camo
Overall Length:	40.4"
Weight:	7 lbs 14 oz (6.4 lbs w/o scope)

Optics

I have topped this with a Nikon Coyote Special 4.5-14x40mm Predator BDC Mossy Oak Brush Camo scope. BDC reticle (drop marks and "open circle design doesn't obscure target, making shots on a moving coyote simple"). Anti-Reflectice Device. Side focus parallax adjustment.

CZ recommends 65 in-lbs for the scope ring clamping screws. I will assume the standard 18-20 in-lbs for the ring screws.

The BDC reticle has positions for 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards for a .223 Remington with a 55 grain bullet. The actual ranges should be calculated once I know the ballistics of the hunting load I will develop.

Reticle Point	Drop @100yd	MOA	Coyote Load
Center Circle	0"	0.00	100
Bottom of Center Circle	1.5"	1.43	210
Second Circle	3"	2.86	280
Third Circle	5.5"	5.25	375

Ammunition

The purpose for owning this rifle is to take coyote. I wanted to develop an accurate handload capable of long-range performance (up to 400 yards) using a varmint bullet with a high ballistic coefficient. I succeeded with a load based on the 53 gr. Hornady V-Max, which yields ½ MOA groups.

Zero

This rifle is currently zeroed at 100 yards for the 53gr Hornady V-Max with 25.8 grains of IMR 8208 XBR, Federal 205M primer, Nosler brass, a COAL of 2.260" and no crimp.