CZ 457 VARMINT RIFLE

[Nick Caprinolo]

I have ordered a new CZ 457 Varmint rifle and will be delivered to my dealer next week. It comes with a 20.5 inch barrel. I realize that every barrel will shoot best with certain ammunition and am wondering, if anyone can offer advice, on what to start out with.

My idea is to buy one 50 round box of several different brands and loads to see which is best for this barrel. Certain ammunition shoots better in a short barrel and others work best in a longer barrel.

I am hoping some of you out there will have some experience with this particular rifle and can offer me a starting point.

 

[TAJ45]

What chambering? 223?

 

[jelenko]

I think it's 22LR
But, where did that stock come from? Does CZ offer it?

 

[TAJ45]

I think it's 22LR
But, where did that stock come from? Does CZ offer it?

Yeah, my bad . . . . 400 series are rimfire. Where is that first cuppa -

Make sure the bbl is free floated. Some dyed in the wool will say it takes 1-2 boxes for the lube to season the bore to decide on accuracy. Whether they are talking in .1 or .5" diff, i don't know.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

It is a .22 LR rifle and yes the stock comes with it from the factory. They are known for the Turkish Walnut stocks. Price is $699.00 from local dealer. I have several other .22 rifles but never shot them seriously. A friend of mine has an older model 452-2E which shoots very well and I decided to try one for myself.

Barrels in .17 HMS and .22 mag are also available for it and are interchangeable by removing two set screws. As I only intend to shoot this from the bench, I will be removing the studs.

I might add, that it comes threaded for a suppressor.

 

[Whisky Tahoe Foxtrot]

Nick, your plan to order a box of several ammo types is a good one.
Figure out your distance and group requirements say 1.5 in at 100 yards and start testing.

Testing for varmints differs from testing for competition.
Most accurate competition rounds are low velocity around 1050-1100.
Varmint rounds can be pretty zippy though sacrifice some accuracy.
If you are shooting suppressed, then you will need to stay below 1125 ft/sec to avoid the "crack".

Shoot your 10 different boxes of 22LR 10-30 rounds each.
Each bullet type needs some amount of conditioning in the barrel to settle in.

Suggest you take your top 2 or 3 and shoot 2 more boxes of each and compare the results.

I'm tuning a Sako Range P94S as well as a Remington 541 to find the accuracy vs price slope.

From my experience non lubed, non plated ammo can really ruin your day with leading.
If you enjoy scrubbing, then the really cheap ammo might work for you.
My worst experience was with Remington Thunderbolt. Your experiences might be different.

Federal automatch is a surprisingly accurate round for the price.
It won't win any matches nor hit every target but it groups along with some flyers.
Sorting might improve that

At the high end, Lapua and Eley go head to head with their top rounds. Both have ammunition testing centers where you can send your seasoned (500ish rounds) barreled action for them to test.
Expect to have to buy 5000 rounds or so minimum but you get exactly what works in your gun

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Nick, your plan to order a box of several ammo types is a good one.
Figure out your distance and group requirements say 1.5 in at 100 yards and start testing.

Testing for varmints differs from testing for competition.
Most accurate competition rounds are low velocity around 1050-1100.
Varmint rounds can be pretty zippy though sacrifice some accuracy.
If you are shooting suppressed, then you will need to stay below 1125 ft/sec to avoid the "crack".

Shoot your 10 different boxes of 22LR 10-30 rounds each.
Each bullet type needs some amount of conditioning in the barrel to settle in.

Suggest you take your top 2 or 3 and shoot 2 more boxes of each and compare the results.

I'm tuning a Sako Range P94S as well as a Remington 541 to find the accuracy vs price slope.

From my experience non lubed, non plated ammo can really ruin your day with leading.
If you enjoy scrubbing, then the really cheap ammo might work for you.
My worst experience was with Remington Thunderbolt. Your experiences might be different.

Federal automatch is a surprisingly accurate round for the price.
It won't win any matches nor hit every target but it groups along with some flyers.
Sorting might improve that

At the high end, Lapua and Eley go head to head with their top rounds. Both have ammunition testing centers where you can send your seasoned (500ish rounds) barreled action for them to test.
Expect to have to buy 5000 rounds or so minimum but you get exactly what works in your gun

Never heard of that service from Lapua or Eley. That's very interesting, and might be worth a go.

 

[Whisky Tahoe Foxtrot]

Never heard of that service from Lapua or Eley. That's very interesting, and might be worth a go.

That's how the some of the custom 22LR benchrest shooters do it.

Eley Tenex runs $18 for a box of 50 and has over 18 versions, lots etc.

Check out https://www.killoughshootingsports.com/ to get familiar with some of the options in ammo.

May you win the lottery to fund your new hobby

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

That's how the some of the custom 22LR benchrest shooters do it.

Eley Tenex runs $18 for a box of 50 and has over 18 versions, lots etc.

Check out https://www.killoughshootingsports.com/ to get familiar with some of the options in ammo.

May you win the lottery to fund your new hobby

I have been doing this for a long time. It my foray at getting serious with rimfire shooting. Just really wanted to try something new.

 

[Whisky Tahoe Foxtrot]

Check out the bulletin. There's an informative article on ammo testing.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/

 

[Hohn]

Most CZ rimfire enthusiasts will echo several common themes:
-- lower velocity is best for ultimate accuracy (subsonic)
-- The rifles seem to prefer European made stuff. Eley, Lapua, SK, , RWS, Lapua, Wolf (now made by Eley instead of SK, I think). The no longer made UM22 (RWS R50 repackaged, I believe) was/is excellent in my 455 Varmint.
-- The stock barrel with its preferred ammo can shoot pretty well, BUT an aftermarket replacement from Lilja or L-W will about halve the typical group size. My friend's 455 VPT with a Lilja will shoot sub-moa at 100y. I didn't think that was possible with rimfire until I saw it done. (not news to many of you).

H

 

[Oso]

CZ forum on Rimfire Central
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=16293759fd8b8b45e96de21f0fbc7edb&f=18

 

[jepp2]

My idea is to buy one 50 round box of several different brands and loads to see which is best for this barrel.

Sounds like a great approach. I had mostly shot cheap non-HV ammo in my rifles. Decided to evaluate some of the better grade ammo in 2 of my rifles. Not saying they will shoot the same in yours, but at least it might give you a start.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Picked up the rifle Wednesday. Yesterday I mounted a scope and ran a few patches through it. Then I put a bore scope down the barrel. What I found amazed me. The barrel is smooth as a mirror. It has been hand lapped at the factory.

They sent me a printout of the test firing using Lapua X-Act 40gr ammo. 1/2 inch spread for 5 round, at 50 meters. Not bad for a first firing. I was disappointed that the trigger measured a 6 lb pull though. I know it is adjustable and I don't want to tear it down for adjustment until the lighter spring I ordered arrives, Even with that pull weight, the trigger breaks very crisp and clean. Everything about this rifle shows craftsmanship. Stock is flawless and action fits very well.

I will be going to the range on Tuesday to fire it for the first time.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

When you are comparing rimfire ammo, do you or should you clean between brands or ammo change? I usually clean centerfire rifles if I change bullet manufacturer when testing.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

When you are comparing rimfire ammo, do you or should you clean between brands or ammo change? I usually clean centerfire rifles if I change bullet manufacturer when testing.

I have no idea, however I am told that most folks go a long time between cleanings. I am going to test this theory on Tuesday. I intend to be at the range for most of the day, as I have a lot of testing to do. I do not think testing between brands is going to make a lot of difference, especially since I will mostly be using non copper coated bullets.

 

[338 dude]

Never heard of that service from Lapua or Eley. That's very interesting, and might be worth a go.

I have definitely known Lapua does this

 

[flatlander]

I bought a 457 Varmint MTR like yours over a year ago. CZ uses a slightly tighter reamer on the bbls for the MTR, and on average, they'll shoot better right out of the box than other versions of the 457 (aside from the varmint version that comes in a chassis stock - I believe CZ uses the same 'match' reamer on the bbls for that model also). And unless it's something brand new, the MTR bbls do not have threaded muzzles. I think that rather than buy one box of each different ammo you're interested in trying, you should settle on a few different brands/grades and buy several different lots of each. Even match grade 22RF bbls are very lot sensitive - I tested more than a dozen lots of SK Rifle Match in a couple of Krieger bbls I'd chambered with my EPS reamer before finding a really good lot, then bought two cases of it (10,000rds). You won't go wrong by buying samples of five lots of SK Std+, Rifle Match, LR Match, then do the same with Lapua Center-X. IOW, your chances of finding good ammo for your new MTR improve dramatically by focusing on a few proven grades of SK & Lapua, as opposed to buying a random box/lot of several different brands or grades of ammo. If you don't find anything that produces good, consistent accuracy among the grades of SK & Lapua that I mentioned, then move on to Eley and try the same thing there. It really helps to deal with experienced dealers who know what it takes to find a good lot of any given brand/grade of 22RF ammo. Good Shooting Sales & Service in Joplin, Mo. & Killough Shooting Sports in Winters, Tx. are two of my favorites. Established competition shooting suppliers like Champion's Choice & Champion Shooter Supply are also very knowledgeable when it comes to smallbore accuracy with 22RF ammo.

There's a good thread on Rimfire Central that deals with adjusting the CZ 457 trigger - it's a very simple & straightforward process that only requires the bbl'd action to be removed from the stock to accomplish. I've got three different models of the 457, and have been easily able to adjust all three triggers down to 1lb or just a hair over without changing springs.