Bought a used CZ 457 in 22 long rifle

[n4rod]

I was looking for a nice bolt action 22 long rifle gun. Didn't find much in the used area except some real old beaters in some gun shops. A friend told me he had a used CZ457 that he could let go. It had a Vortex Crossfire 4-12X40 centerfire scope mounted on it, along with a bipod. I'm not going to do any 100 yard shooting, so passed on the scope and bipod.

I mounted an older Leupold VX2, 4-12X40 AO scope using Warne mounts. I also found a factory 5-round steel magazine in a local gun shop and picked it up. Will use it as the main mag and keep the poly mag as a backup.

I have a 25 yard range at my house. Figured that would be a starting point. I first tried some ammo a previous 22 rifle shot very well. CCI Segmented HP Subsonic. This CZ didn't like that. Spread out to about 3/4 inch groups at the 25 yards. I tried Winchester Power Point next. About the same group. I went on to CCI Mini-mag varmint. A little smaller groups at about 5/8th inches. I tried Aguila Super Extra 40 grain copper coated round nose. It grouped the smallest so far, right around 1/2 inch. I had some Eley 40 grain lead HP Subsonic ammo and gave it a try. That's the one this gun really liked. 4 shots went into 1 hole, and the last shot just a tiny bit high as I was moving a little when the 1.5 lbs trigger pull let off. So will go with the Eley for now. Eventually I'll put a target up at around 45 yds and see what I can do.

I like this gun. Although the staining on the wood is pretty dark. I has a 60 degree bolt throw, so the handle clears the scope very well. Nice smooth bolt movement. Someone previously adjusted the trigger as it is nice and crisp with very little take up, and not much over travel. The 24.8 inch barrel is kinda long, but I'll get used to it. Wish it had a hard plastic buttpad and not one of those overly sticky rubber pads. Maybe a couple of masking tape strips on the rubber pad will help keep it from catching on my clothes.

Rod

 

[GFB]

I was zeroing mine at 50 yards yesterday. I’m not a great shot and I made adjustments between first 5 rounds amd second. Shooting cheapo American Eagle. I am sure I will do better and there’s no doubt the rifle is capable of more than I can wring out of it.

 

[Red Dawn]

The CZ457 is a great pew pew. Mine loves SKRM and has made impacts out to 350yds on steel targets at PRS Rimfire and NRLX matches

 

[BHPSteel]

Yeah, now you have at least one brand of ammo that works, you should be good with that rifle out to 200 yards or so if you need it to. I have a 457 Royal (short barrel) that will consistently hit 2" gongs if my eyes are behaving themselves that day.

I found that the Aguila Super Extra works fine in mine, as does the ever-available CCI Standard. (Get the CCI in the plastic 100 round box, not the cardboard 50 round box)

 

[Rattlehead]

I have a 457 chassis which loves plain old CCI standard. Awesome rifles.

 

[StuP]

Mine enjoys CCI SV & TAC 22

 

[ReservoirDawg10]

The 457 is a good platform. You did well there.

The accuracy issues lies in the ammo that you have run through it. Not surprisingly, the Eley performed better that the others. Neither of those are known for accuracy, quite the opposite actually.

 

[Granite3]

The CZ 457 is the gold standard in affordable tac drivers for 22 LR......

 

[n4rod]

I hoped to find hollow point ammo that shoots well in this 457. I'm using it as a hunting gun, not a target gun. I have boxes of Eley yellow box Target, Eley black box Match, CCI Standard Velocity, CCI Green Tag, and Aguila Rifle Match ammo. As well as Aguila Super Extra copper coated round nose. It's been my experience that these round nose bullets only poke a hole through small game and they just run off. Then a day or two later I start to smell them off in the woods somewhere. OK, head shots work a little bit better in quickly dispatching them. With hollow point or segmented bullets, my experience has been much better. With body shots, they might run a little, but I always found them close by. There's a mess of HP ammo out there that I haven't tried yet. I was surprised at the results of a search for "The best 22 LR hollow point hunting ammo." Both CCI Stinger and Velocitor was returned as the best for hunting. Over time I'll pick up a box of different brands and types of HP ammo here and there, and give them a try.

Rod

 

[BHPSteel]

I've shot Velocitor thru' my 457 and while I didn't specifically put them on paper for analysis, they were delivering comparable accuracy to the CCI Standards, although obviously, at 100 yards there was less bullet drop.