Reviewing the Brno 550 in .458

by John Woods
Australian Shooter June 2001

Rifle reviews are always interesting because some rifles turn in surprising results and make the review both easy and pleasurable. The new BRNO model 550 is one of the better rifles I have reviewed because it shows many positive improvements over previous models, demonstrating the company’s commitment to providing a quality product that is functional, accurate and that represents value for money.

The obvious difference on opening the box was the high-quality figured walnut stock of full-sized proportions, which is apt for a rifle chambered in .458 Winchester Magnum. The length of pull measured 36cm, which is longer than standard and better suited to rifles with high levels of recoil, as the scope positioning offers greater eye relief.

Stock design was European in styling with cheekpiece, ventilated black rubber recoil pad and sling studs with QD swivels fitted as standard. The Schnabel fore-end design is in keeping with the European design and is quite popular in this country. Only one steel cross bolt is visibly positioned at the rear of the action under the tang.

The action is magnum length and still qualifies as a square bridge Mauser design with a noticeably improved finishing procedure over earlier 660 models so chambered in .458 Magnum. This model is exceptionally well finished and has a nicely polished blued action.

Brno has again stayed with the dovetail bases integral with the action design and is quite a sturdy system, as long as the mounts that are mass produced by some other manufacturer are kept to a reasonable tolerance, allowing for good positioning and fit with the bridge.

Because the same action is used for rifles chambered for the longer .375 H&H round, these rifles are very popular with riflemen who like to re-chamber their .458s to accommodate a longer cartridge case such as the Ackley version or .458 Lott. This action will also satisfy that market, although our main concern here is to evaluate the standard .458 Winchester Magnum cartridge for which this sample was chambered.

The trigger will please many users, as it is fully adjustable and is also of the European ‘Set’ configuration, which means simply that you can use it with standard weight of pull as I did during my tests or, after cocking the rifle and pushing the trigger forward, the trigger is ‘set’ so that it breaks very lightly in a ‘hair trigger’ format. This is very handy when range shooting or attempting to take longer range or accurate shot placement in the field because the trigger breaks and the rifle fires before the shooter gets a chance to flinch, thereby contributing to accuracy.

The bolt is pure Mauser design, with a partially recessed bolt face, claw extractor and controlled round feeding. A single gas port is positioned centrally behind and under the locking lugs to redirect any escaping gases into the magazine box, down away from the shooter’s face. The bolt handle has been slimmed down and partially hollowed out to further trim weight.

The safety catch is located on the right side of the action, positioned for easy access by the right thumb. The European tradition has at last been broken with this model, which has the safety activated by thumbing the safety rearward so that it is in what we call the ‘normal’ forward pushed position to release. The safety also locks the bolt. This means that multiple rounds cannot be cycled through the action without dismantling the bolt unless you look at the next unique feature on this bolt, which I have not seen before. It is a small, flat button on the left side of the bolt shroud that can be depressed when the rifle is cocked.

Because the firing pin partially protrudes the rear of the bolt shroud when acting as a cocking indicator, you can depress this button and then squeeze the trigger, resulting in the firing pin moving forward, but not enough to un-cock the bolt. In addition to this, the trigger becomes locked and prevents an accidental discharge. What it actually achieves is to allow the bolt to open with the rifle remaining cocked. Raising the bolt handle reactivates the trigger and allows the rifle to be used as normal. For removing or cycling a magazine full of cartridges through the action, this procedure would have to be done once per round to ensure safety.

While some models have a removable box magazine, the model 550 features a standard hinged floor plate with release catch positioned in front of the trigger guard. Everything is good old-fashioned steel, which will please many.

Another feature exclusive to Brno rifles for magnum calibres is the magazine capacity. This rifle very comfortably digested five rounds in the magazine box with the possibility of a sixth round being chambered and the rifle carried in an un-cocked position, necessitating a simple bolt lift to cock the action. In a life and death situation, or for a dangerous game rifle, this is a real bonus.

The barrel is quite long for a .458, measuring 63cm or just less than 25". This almost magnum-length barrel contributed to the highest velocities I have ever chronographed on any .458 rifle.

It also came fitted with three leaf Express sights shaped with a shallow ‘V’, with one fixed and sighted for 100 yards and two additional marked 200 and 300 yards. The foresight featured a hooded ramp with front bead silvered to enable easier sighting and visibility in poor light conditions. The rifle was very comfortable to shoulder and point, with the open sights always aligned after shouldering the rifle.

During the range shooting session, I had several people shoulder the rifle and comment on its nice feel and balance as it came out of the box. They also approved of the natural line-up of the open sights. This had an influence on the shooting, as I usually fit a scope to any rifle being assessed to better ascertain the accuracy potential of the test rifle.

This Brno was a little different for two reasons. To begin with, the rifle was supplied with a signed-off test target from the factory that I measured at .599", which, in my experience, is very good but not unusual accuracy from a .458 Magnum.

The second reason was that the mounts supplied with the rifle were a pain to fit, being of the four-screw-per-ring design, which is a plain stupid design and totally unnecessary to hold a scope in place on a heavy recoiling rifle. Equate that with the limited ability to provide equal tension on each of the eight screws involved and you have a recipe for tension and stress, which affects accuracy. After spending half an hour attempting to fit a scope to my satisfaction, I removed the mount and assessed the rifle as it came, with the factory sights.

Because this rifle is primarily thought of as a dangerous game rifle, ‘minute of buffalo’ is more the requirement rather than minute of angle and this particular rifle had already been assessed at the factory as a sub-minute performer with factory ammunition, although the brand of ammunition was not stated on the target provided.

I began tests by setting up my Oehler 35P chronograph to read velocities at 15 feet, which allows for about 20fps additional velocity to be added for muzzle velocity. Using the Winchester 510-grain factory soft points as a starting point, I shot groups of about 3 1/5" to 4", which is the best my tired middle-aged eyes can do at 100 yards (91.4m). This is acceptable accuracy and what most hunters would be happy to achieve over the same range. The rifle also was sighted in line and slightly low, which was acceptable for testing purposes.

The Winchester factory cartridges chronographed at 2025fps, which is close enough to factory specs and delivered 4576ft/lbs of energy. That is enough to have earned the cartridge a reputation throughout 44 years as the premier dangerous game stopper for the professional or seasoned user. Most rifles in this calibre deliver velocities between 1900-1950fps. I attributed the increased velocity of the Brno at first to the longer barrel that consumes a larger quantity of the powder charge before the bullet leaves the barrel. This led me to include some other favourite loads for the .458 that have been worked up in my old Super Grade Model 70 with 22" barrel.

My personal favourite load for all-round use locally in the .458 is comprised of the Barnes X 300-grain bullet and 75 grains of AR2207. This load chronographed at 2805fps, 150fps faster than what my rifle produced. Because of this, I chronographed some other rifles with known loads to ascertain whether my Oehler had mis-read the velocities. They had not. The loads and velocities were legitimate. This was the fastest .458 Magnum I had ever tested.

The next load I tested used the 550-grain Woodleigh Weldcore bullet - another favourite because it loads easily into the short case of the .458 and with a charge of 74 grains of AR 2206, yielded velocities averaging 2111fps, which generated a very serious 5445ft/lbs of energy and is enough for all that can be hunted. Recoil with this load is very easy and not too heavy for the experienced shooter.

The last load I chronographed is not ideally suited to the short .458 case, as the bullet is very long at 1.614" or 41mm and encroaches too much on available powder space. A compressed load using 72 grains of AR2206 with the Barnes Traditional 600-grain bullet gave velocities of 1978fps for 5214ft/lbs of energy.

These are all very serious loads for hunting dangerous game at close quarters or our largest deer in timber country. Of the lot, I prefer the 300 or 400 Barnes X bullets for general hunting with a step up to the 550-grain Woodleigh when dangerous game is considered.

Overall, I was very pleased with this rifle. Its finish, performance, cosmetics and handling characteristics were everything most hunters would like in this type of rifle. I am pleased to endorse the Brno 550 as a very worthwhile consideration for any hunter contemplating a larger bore rifle for both local and international hunting.

The Brno 550 in .458 retails for about $1300 to $1400.