The German hunting license is highly sought after and still, in our view, the only certificate in Germany that identifies its holder as a state-approved conservationist. The Lüdersburg Nature and Hunting School is one of the oldest hunting schools in Germany. Founded in 1996, a great many hunting students have obtained their hunting license there.
Due to Corona, the search for new ways in hunting license training was also great in Lüdersburg, because they wanted to make the training more attractive. In addition to the classic face-to-face lessons, students in Lüdersburg can also deepen their knowledge after completing their hunting license training.
By the way, in addition to the extensive range of advanced training courses, the hunting school also offers the option of taking only an online introductory course for the time being. The cost of this can then be deducted from the hunting license at a later date. I had the opportunity to get the hunting license here in 2018 and even today I regularly return to the place of my training to hunt roe deer in May. The same does Mimmo Schmitter, sales representative for CZ (Česká Zbrojovka) for Western Europe, who got his hunting license here 17 years ago.
So once a year in Lüdersburg, we meet with Xaver Werning, a professional hunter at the Lüdersburg Hunting School. He is a self-confessed fan of the CZ brand. The professional hunter uses the rifles made by the Czech hunting rifle manufacturer in his everyday hunting work. So we talk shop about hunting as such and about tools in particular, if you know what we mean.
For manufacturers such as CZ and GPO, access to hunting schools is becoming increasingly important, as early imprinting with guns and optics continue into later hunter life
During hunting training, you naturally come into contact with guns, optics and ammunition. What worked in the young hunter's training is often also used later in everyday hunting life. Of course, hunting students also ask for tips for the later hunter's life, and those who do not ask therefore usually look more closely at what the professional uses on the hunt.
Professional hunter Xaver Werning carries two CZ rifles in the hunting area. One in .17 HMR caliber and one CZ Thumbhole in .223 Remington caliber with an EAW tilt-up mount for 16 mm prism rail, which he uses on roe deer and predators.
The crucial question: is CZ really the price/performance winner in hunting rifles?
As always, when it comes to hunting rifles, at some point the question of the price of the desired combo also arises, especially for young hunters. For many years, CZ has been offering optimum quality, accuracy and robustness at a very good price/performance ratio that is unparalleled anywhere in the world. The new 600 series from CZ, of which we had two examples with us during this year's buck hunt and when hunting wild boar, is once again convincing with its tried and tested virtues. With a price range of 1,200 to 1,600 euros, CZ has several models to choose from. We used the CZ 600 Alpha and the CZ 600 Lux. In this respect, we can state that it is an interesting series with many choices and that at very reasonable prices. Ultimately, potential buyers must decide for themselves how they like the models and what they are willing to spend on their equipment. For the young hunter, this is usually much more than just the gun. That is one of the reasons why this article deals with rifles, optics, mounts and ammo.
What do you need to know about the CZ 600 Alpha and GPO Spectra 6x 1-6x24i riflescope combo?
The Alpha is the entry-level model in CZ's 600 series and is currently sold in seven caliber options. Our Alpha was equipped with a GPO brand driven hunt scope. GPO's Spectra 6x 1-6x24i is predestined for driven hunts given its magnification range of up to 6x.
During our evening stalk, we actually wanted to test it with a thermal imaging device, but the sows put a spoke in our wheel. They moved already at the beginning of sunset, so that the test with the thermal imaging device fell through. Nevertheless, the CZ 600 Alpha performed excellently. The shot hit where it was supposed to, and after a short death run, the animal died in the sighting area of the hide. It was shot with the RWS dual core in .308 caliber.
Second evening on the hunting ground: deer stalking with the CZ 600 Lux and the GPO Spectra 6x 2-12x50i
On the second evening on the hunting ground during this year's buck hunt, we tried a large open area for roe deer. During the day we had already been able to observe several animals in the hunting ground. An interesting buck with a small side antler showed up already when searching with binoculars.
In the evening we moved on to the hide where I could kill 3 years ago my first buck. And also that evening something should happen there. I had shouldered the CZ 600 Lux with silencer in caliber .308. Fitted was a GPO scope, the GPO Spectra 6x 2-12x50i, which I had already used for wild boar night stalking. And also today it worked: the buck was down after a short death run of only about 30 meters.Again, I used the classic RWS dual core ammunition, a leaded hunting bullet that simply offers impressive effect.
Our conclusion about the equipment in this practical test: buck hunting with CZ rifles and GPO brand optics
You can't really mention it often enough: the price/performance ratio is the sales argument par excellence for the CZ brand. CZ is known worldwide primarily for its expertise in the field of handguns. But the brand is also making more and more headway in the hunting sector, even if the "top dogs" still have the upper hand in terms of image on the European market. Especially with the new 600 series, CZ will certainly convince one or the other young hunter or veteran hunter in the future. Whether as a first gun after passing the hunting license, as a "working horse" in the rough everyday life with the CZ 600 Alpha for the professional hunter, or with the CZ 600 Lux designed in the classic design. This new series also includes an interesting model for the sport shooter with the CZ 600 Range, which we did not have on site for hunting. The serie s is completed with the models Ergo for the mountains and the CZ 600 Trail, which will most likely find many fans especially on the American market.
Before we forget, the topic of safety should be mentioned at this point. We marketing people like to talk about the "5 plus one extra in the barrel" magazine capacity. With CZ, this can be done safely without the gun being in a cocked condition. This is important to know for all those who value the extra shot. The rifle accuracy is already really good from the factory. So if you're looking for a ruggedly accurate and attractively priced rifle, you should definitely take a look at CZ's 600 series. The same goes for the GPO optic fitted, which we have now had in use in other tests. Above all, the performance of the Spectra 6x 2-12x50i scope deserves special mention, as it delivered enough power in the final light to kill the buck.
Here are the most important links to the equipment used in the video:
