CZ457 Test Targets

[sw282]

My new CZ457 Varmint in 22 magnum factory test target shows a 5 shot 12mm/50meter group using CCI 40gr ammo.
Anyone have experience comparing their personal groups to the factory group?

Thanks
282

ps. l notice the CZ 457 American target only showed 3 shot group. Any reason for a 3shot group on one gun and 5 shot on the other?

 

[lb-ft]

Cost savings with less ammo expended?

 

[DGP4]

On RFC people always complain the test targets bear no relation to their experiences shooting the rifle. I have no idea why the disparity. My CZ 455 didn't shoot anywhere near as well as the target I got. Keep in mind that the 22 WMR is notoriously NOT a target round. I have a 22 WMR barrel for my CZ 455 and what it likes best is the 30 grain V_MAX. It does not shoot the 40 grainers well at all.

 

[Mikemontminy]

I remember one Rimfire Central member complaining his new CZ455 came with a test target. His complaint was the gun wouldn’t even fire. Had to go back for repair. Can’t remember what the malfunction was.

 

[andym686]

My CZ test target story goes like this:
I bought a new 455 17 HMR a few years back. The bolt would not close on a loaded round with any ammo. After talking to CZ, they explained that since it was near Christmas, and they were closing for the holiday, it would be about 30 days before they could get to it.
I was like the kid with a new toy and didn't want to wait. So I called a gunsmith I knew, and he said, "bring it up Saturday morning, and I will fix it". Also, he said "bring some sausage and egg biscuits".
So, he took his reamer and quickly fixed the short-chambered barrel. Then with a smile he said: "I wonder how they shot that test target?"
The rifle shoots good, and it only cost me breakfast.
The good old days.

 

[Liven The Dream]

I ordered a 453 American a few years back , that has the set Trigger .
Was looking for a Rock Chuck slayer .
This Rifle with 40gr. CMP Target Ammo is a Annie in drag. It will shoot Very Small .
100 yard Head Shots off my Knee .
I did adjust the Trigger a little .
It will shoot CCI 36gr. Stinger well also.

 

[Appalachian]

I have 10-12 CZ rimfires. They will all out shoot their test targets with premium Ammo.

 

[doclu60]

I have always thought factory test targets are meaningless. Still do, especially considering that most of them are with a factory production barrel. Most of RF accuracy comes from lot testing in any given rifle/barrel. Believe me, I have the depleted hole in my bank account to back up that statement!

Interesting that post #6 has posted his 'credentials', but didn't answer the OP's question.

Scott

 

[rickhirsch]

just bought a cz 457 varmint went to clean it got the clean rod stuck what the @#$%.
got the rod stuck and the rod is toast. so I measured the miner diameter of the bore it comes
.212 i've never see a bore that small so did they really test fire this gun . anshuzts runs about. 216
and that's small. what about this anybody see this before. rich

 

[DGP4]

Yes, they recommend a 20 caliber rod

 

[doclu60]

Yes, they recommend a 20 caliber rod

And just as important......a .20 caliber jag as well. Most likely the rod was less of the issue than the patch and jag.

Scott

 

[Appalachian]

I use a .20 cal rod with a 5/40 to 8/32 adapter to use a .22 cal jag. The 22 cal jag works fine with one patch. If you use a .20 cal jag you need to double up on patches to make it tight.
I recently discovered at an ARA match that the Boretech brand .22 cal (Orange) with a .22 cal jag works as well on CZ’s. The match director had two that a few people share. I forgot my adapter so I had to borrow it. The Boretech .22 rod is smaller than most .22 cal rods.

 

[WyleWD]

Then with a smile he said: "I wonder how they shot that test target?"

+1^^^^^ Definitely agree with your gunsmith.

Sometimes I suspect that the "test target" is a feel good thing intended for the customer. Considering some of the stuff and quantities of trash I've got out of several brand new off the shelf or out of the box rifle barrels ...... it sure puzzles me to how those rifles had ever been fired. JME WD

 

[ROBARRC50]

Only ever purchased 1 cz rifle cz 457 mtr. These are some of the very first targets i shot with it and some are ones after figureing out how to shoot it accurately. Mine seems to shoot any ammo through it cci std to lapua. It outshoots the test target with ease keep in mind test target is one group only. And who even knows how many test targets they shot untill they had one that passed their standard. Or if they even shot it at all at that computer generated target. Here is a 50 shot group one cold clean bore 5 shot group i packed up and went to the pistol range after those first 5 and a target with different ammo with a group average. And my test target pic. This is my experience with just one cz rifle. Good luck with yours

 

[andym686]

+1^^^^^ Definitely agree with your gunsmith.

Sometimes I suspect that the "test target" is a feel good thing intended for the customer. Considering some of the stuff and quantities of trash I've got out of several brand new off the shelf or out of the box rifle barrels ...... it sure puzzles me to how those rifles had ever been fired. JME WD

I don't dwell too much on the test targets, and am much more interested in how it shoots in my hands.
I will say that all of my CZ's shoot very well.
Many years ago, i sent a rifle to Hart Barrels in New York. (It was an action issue, and not the fault of their barrel).
They repaired it and sent it back with a test target. It looked like the bullseye had been drawn by one of my grandchildren. It had a tight little group with lot's of handwritten notes by the gunsmith. Now that was a test target that i could relate to. I still have that target.

 

[Gizmo60]

Test targets are just an indication of the rifle’s potential and nothing more.

If the test target was shot by an actual human then that’s one thing however, I believe lots of manufactures shoot test targets whereby the rifle is clamped in a shooting rig/gig.

Test target results are highly dependent on how the rifle was actually shot for the test (human hand or clamped in a shooting rig), the tester, the rig setup (or lack of), the rifle itself, the quality of ammo used, was the barrel seasoned before the test, the test conditions, etc. etc. etc.

As purchasers we all hope that manufacturing processes and the test target process was completed to the best of the manufactures ability.

Once purchased, the true accuracy of a rifle can only be determined by ourselves with lots of batch/lot ammo testing, the end results (good/bad/acceptable) depends on the level of accuracy your shooting discipline requires.

Happy testing.

 

[flatlander]

I can relate to wondering how many groups they shot at the factory before they got one good enough to meet their standards. My very first CZ 22RF was a 457 American purchased Jan, 2019. The test target didn't look all that bad, but when I started shooting it at 50yds, I couldn't get anything close to it. I had several lots of SK Std+, a very good lot of SK Rifle Match, and a few lots of older Lapua - none of it would do better than 1.5" at 50yds, even after I'd worked to get the trigger down to just over 1lb. and re-cut a precision 11* crown to clean up the ragged mess of a factory crown. I'd put around 500rds through it with no notable improvement in accuracy when I gave up on the factory bbl. It was too nice a rifle to dump, with extremely smooth & reliable function, and I really liked the appearance/proportions - and besides, I wasn't going to sell a rifle with accuracy that poor to anyone else. I got a Shilen ratchet blank in #5 contour, cut off the 1.2" dia shank, and then did some minor contour work, cut a fairly snug tenon, chambered it with an EPS reamer, cut the extractor slots, shot it with a mix of CeraKote tungsten/graphite black, and glued it into the action with Loctite #609. I feel it was worth the expense & effort, as I've now got what I consider to be a good looking rifle that shoots at least as good as it looks.

Had a similar experience when I bought a 457 VPT with a Manners PRS1T stock: was trying to get the bore clean before taking it out to shoot with it, and just kept getting black gunk out of it. Checked the bore with a Hawkeye borescope, and found an area about an inch ahead of the chamber, about 1-1/2" long, that was covered with what looked like spatters of melted lead covering the bore. I went after it with a bronze bore brush, and easily removed it, but had to wonder how many rounds they'd fired at the factory to get that much lead fouling. It never reappeared during the process of putting several hundred rounds through the rifle, so it's a mystery to me what caused it in the first place. I thought this rifle's 50yd accuracy improved a bit as I put several hundred rounds through it, but when I backed-off to shoot 100-200yds with it, the groups just fell apart, and I wound up putting another Shilen ratchet on it, going with a .860" straight blank, and finishing it at 22".

The only 457 I've bought that shot good enough from the factory to leave the OEM bbl on it was a Varmint MTR, with what they call a 'match' chamber. It's respectable in the accuracy dept, but since I've got the Shilen barreled American & VPT, I really have no use for the MTR.

 

[Appalachian]

Here are some of mine. The separate one is one of the last two I bought.
The best one in the first pic is my best shooting CZ so far a 452 American. Even it outshoots it’s test target.
The second pic is a 457 At One. I’ve only had it out once and it beat its test target with SK PMS.
I’m not convinced either way of the value of a test target. I asked the reigning National champ in ARA Factory class what his test target looked like and he didn’t know.

 

[Lesloan]

Unless they've changed their policy somewhere along the line without my hearing about it, CZ's test target is a function-only test, not an accuracy test. I'd expect to be able to beat it easily with premium ammo and a solid rest. I assume the case mentioned above where the bolt wouldn't close on a round was an employee failure--somebody just faked the test for whatever reason.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I have been looking for a 457 Varmint in 22 mag like forever. Where did you find one?