Czechnologist
Concerned Citizen
- Mar 9, 2016
- 6,531
I've been around long enough to remember the original Steyr Zephyr. My best friend's dad had one and it was the first rifle I had ever shot with double set triggers and a full length Mannlicher stock. Compared to my dad's Marlin, the Zephyr looked like it was from another planet which, Austria kinda is when you really think about it.
Original Steyr Zephyr
I just remember that hitting Coke cans at 50+ yards was easy to do with iron sights-only and a little practice. When Steyr finally quit building the Zephyr in 1971 due to increasing cost and diminishing sales, not many tears were shed over its demise in spite of being one of the 20th Century's best bolt action .22 rifles. Steyr killed it when it went from being ridiculously priced to there's-no-way-I'm-paying-that-much-for-a-22 priced.
The Zephyr II is a very good looking rifle and IMO every bit a worthy successor to the original. Between the very pretty walnut stock and spirally 19.7" semi-bull barrel, it's very stout but only weighs-in at 5.8 lbs. I'm very impressed with how Steyr accomplished that.
Leupold VX3i (30mm) 4.5-14x40 wind plex, side focus, Talley rings
Curiosity got the better of me yesterday. Around 2:00pm I headed-out to perform an initial sight-in and try a couple of different brands of ammo. Conditions were not ideal. Very overcast, 41 degrees, calm, 2" of melting snow. I didn't bother zeroing at 25 yards. I just put the targets out at 50 yards and dialed-in from there.
Eley Club - the first 10 shots. The first five were about 2" low but three of them went in the same hole. Windage looked OK. Went-up 8 clicks and got the next 4 touching each other and the fifth was a bullseye. I guess if you're gonna get one flyer, that's how to do it.
SK Rifle Match - 5 shots
Wolf Match Extra - 5 shots
The Zephyr II's trigger is excellent. There's about, maybe, 1/8th of an inch of take-up before breaking cleanly at 2 lbs. It would be difficult to not shoot well with this rifle, even an old fart with failing vision and diminished rifle skills in general. Unfortunately, 20 rounds was about all I could take yesterday before packing-up and heading back indoors but, I'm looking forward to many more range sessions.
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