First Look: CZ 557 Eclipse Bolt-Action Rifle

The 557 Eclipse keeps the heart of the popular rifle, but cuts its price.

Over the years, when shooters thought CZ rifles they thought controlled feed. Who could blame them? The 550, with its oversized claw extractor, definitely qualified as a classic, especially among hunters or those pining after a Winchester Model 70—the pre-1964variety. So, color the world shocked in 2018 when CZ announced a new rifle and, lo and behold, it was a push feed. Sacrilege!

Except, the CZ 557 had plenty to endear it to shooters, including the No. 1 feature any marksman with a half a brain desires above everything else—accuracy. Flash forward to this winter and things have gotten a whole lot sweeter with the popular fledgling line. The new 557 Eclipse rifle is proof of that.

An entry-level option, the neat little rifle is just the ticket for those looking to flush CZ performance, not price. How cheap are we talking? With a MSRP of $649, it’s not at the basement of economical bolt-actions. In the same breath, it offers a load more than most irons in its class.

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First and foremost, it’s a true-to-life CZ 557. Cold-hammer forged and factory lapped barrel (20-inches), rugged push-feed action, fully adjustable trigger … the whole nine yards. In turn, the foundation of a solid rifle is there. What’s different are the gun’s accouterments. As CZ puts it, the 557 Eclipse is a “no non-sense” rifle; translate that to fewer frills.

Where this is most evident is the stick of polymer instead of hardwood stocking the rifle. The 557 Eclipse retains the original 557’s American-pattern stock with a strong pistol grip, a slight palm swell and high, flat comb. This should make it familiar to those who have experience with the rifle. But once at the shoulder, the gun has a much different feel, given the glass-reinforced polymer stockhas what CZ calls its soft-touch finish.

Though, not all the changes on the 557 Eclipse are to cut costs. One that should delight those with a more modern bent is the inclusion of a threaded barrel (5/8×24), making it ready to accept a suppressor or brake out of the box. This feature should also attract those in the market for a penny-pinching long-range option. As to chambering, three are presently available: .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and 6.5 Creedmoor.

557 Eclipse Specs:
Caliber: .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 6.5 Creedmoor
Magazine Capacity: 5
Stock: Polymer
Length Of Pull: 13.75 inches
Barrel Length: 20.5 inches
Overall Length: 41.5 inches
Weight: 6.83 pounds
Trigger: Fully Adjustable

For more information on the CZ 557 Eclipse, please visit cz-usa.com.

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