CZ-USA’s 557 line of bolt-action rifles is a favorite of hunters and precision shooters for the last few years. It’s a solid platform. At the 2020 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, CZ gave us a look at its newest iteration off the 557 line: the CZ 557 Eclipse.
Range Time With the CZ 557 Eclipse
The new rifle has pure 557 running through its veins, complete with CZ-USA’s well-known push-feed action. It’s CNCed from steel and mated to CZ’s 20.5-inch, Cold Hammer Forged steel barrel. It also features a hinged floorplate magazine with a five-round capacity. A lot of the features
So why does the new 557 Eclipse stand out from the rest of the series? CZ was very clear that it wanted to make an affordable rifle, but not a “cheap” rifle; there’s a difference between the two. With an MSRP of $659, the new 557 Eclipse hits that sweet spot of affordable, but it really doesn’t cheap out on the features. For context, the CZ 557 Varmint retails for $890, while the 557 American and 557 American Synthetic retail for $871 and $792, respectively.
CZ chambered the new 557 Eclipse in .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, and 6.5 Creedmoor; all of which are popular medium game cartridges. The 6.5 Creedmoor version also adds 5/8×24 threads for use with a suppressor or brake. We shot that version extensively at the 2020 Rendezvous, it certainly lived up to the 557 reputation.
Watch the full video of the CZ 557 Eclipse above. For even more info, check out the specs below or visit CZ-USA.com.
CZ 557 Eclipse Specs
- Chambering: .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor
- Barrel Length: 20.5 inches
- Barrel Material: Cold Hammer Forged steel
- Twist Rate: 1:10 (.308 and .30-06) or 1:8 (6.5 CM)
- Overall Length: 41.65 inches
- Magazine Type: Fixed
- Magazine Capacity: 5 rounds
- Weight: 8 lbs.
- Stock: Synthetic, black
- MSRP: $659