CZ American 457 not free floated

[1Merlin]

My guess is that the CZ rep you spoke to must have been the janitor helping out with the phones......

 

[titus123]

My guess is that the CZ rep you spoke to must have been the janitor helping out with the phones......

As stated previously, many rifles have a contact pad at the top of the forearm. Remington Model 700 comes to mind, as do many Winchester model 70s of various interations. Or as another fellow commented in this thread... " There was life before free-floating barrels".

 

[searcher]

As stated previously, many rifles have a contact pad at the top of the forearm. Remington Model 700 comes to mind, as do many Winchester model 70s of various interations. Or as another fellow commented in this thread... " There was life before free-floating barrels".

I have several rifles that came with the pressure point on the stock. None of them shot well at all. After free-floating and bedding, all shot significantly better - whippy barrels became happy barrels. One was a CZ, another a Ruger ultra-light, another was an Anschutz.

 

[Kittitas George]

Just checked my new CZ 457 American 17 HMR, I did it very scientifically using a dollar bill, then I used a $100 bill, I thought the larger denomination might be thicker. It is 'free floated' all the way to the receiver. I was able to adjust the factory trigger to 2 1/2 lbs. Shooting at 100yds. with a quartering wind over my shoulder, the group was 5/16 x3/8 for 4 with the fifth about .5 high. I was using Federal 17 grain ammo. According to my very strict standards, a rifle must shoot MOG (minute of gopher), this one qualifies. I installed a 12X Leupold in Warne rings with AO and fine duplex reticle. The 12X with fine reticle gives very good target definition, small target =small group, plan A. This rifle shoots very similar to a previous CZ and a Cooper 17HMR. My experience and seeing my friends shooting 17HMR rifles of different brands, they are a very accurate rimfire cartridge. Too light for rock chuck or prairie dogs at the ranges we shoot, but super on gophers, ground squirrels and sage rats. I've shot quite a few Nevada and Oregon sage rats way out there, hitting them a long range is harder than killing 'em.

 

[grantre72]

New 457 purchased less than 6 weeks ago is free-floated.

 

[Mark W]

As stated previously, many rifles have a contact pad at the top of the forearm. Remington Model 700 comes to mind, as do many Winchester model 70s of various interations. Or as another fellow commented in this thread... " There was life before free-floating barrels".

This is my experience as well. If a rifle was designed with a pressure point, I never remove it unless I’m prepared to do a proper pillar bedding job. I have had a few that were just barely touching that shot better after free floating.

At one point there was someone on RFC that was having good success using what I seem to remember was some kind of rubber or silicone pad as a pressure point on CZ 455s.

At any rate, I don’t think it’s wise to just willy nilly free float the barrel on every rifle and expect to see an improvement.

 

[titus123]

Guess this settles the " You need to free float your barrel" argument. This CZ 457 American has a 1" pressure pad at the end of the barrel channel... I did not remove it.... I simply adjusted the trigger down to 20 ounces, and let it ride.

 

[MUP]

It definitely does for that rifle. Nice shooting!

 

[diyj98]

Great shooting, but it may (or may not) shoot better floating or at least be more consistent over different atmospheric conditions.

 

[titus123]

Great shooting, but it may (or may not) shoot better floating or at least be more consistent over different atmospheric conditions.

Today was a high of 50° with a relative humidity of 75%. I'll take it out again a few more times and see what it'll do in different temps and humidities. But at present it seems to be shooting well enough for fall squirrel season.

 

[Tesoro]

Great shooting, but it may (or may not) shoot better floating or at least be more consistent over different atmospheric conditions.

^^

 

[tommeboy]

I just bought one of these and the barrel is free floated.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Nice Shooting

I parted out in 17 HRM Free Floated.

 

[titus123]

I just bought one of these and the barrel is free floated.

The American or the Varmint?

 

[tommeboy]

The American or the Varmint?

American

 

[titus123]

American

Ive been told the same thing by a few people ( their barrel is free floated), which leads me to wonder why the CZ rep I spoke to told me they were all ( the American model), free floated until the last 1" or so of the barrel channel... Unless it is a difference in manufacturing locations. Tennessee versus CZ Republic.

 

[Tesoro]

I just bought a Varmint and it is free floated

 

[RED DIRT]

Every CZ457 i have (and i have several 457`s), are all free floating, exception to one 457LUX LR in my collection. This one particular 457LUX, the wood forend rubs the barrel. Being that the wood is so narrow and flimsy on this LUX, i expect that its moving all the time, because the gun shoots terrible. I never know how its going to shoot from one range visit to the next. I would get rid of the gun but its the first 457 i ever bought. Maybe a chassis and a fat barrel may find its way onto the action one day, stranger things have happened.