457 American or Varmint Precision Chassis?

[SkepticalTiger]

Local FFL is selling the American while a local guy is selling his at a deal for a few hundred more. both 24" barrel lengths, only the latter is threaded. Plan on using either for ELR practice up to 500 and for local matches. Con is the VPC puts me in the open category for NRL22 and I haven't found a lot of data on people's groupings with the factory 24" barrel.

Or should I just wait for a bull barrel 16.5" model?

 

[littlepod]

I'd get a MTR variant from CZ, they shoot on average a whole lot better.

 

[Appalachian]

I can only say that the 24” VPC’s and 24” At 1’s rule the roost in ARA Factory class. There are exceptions but the National Outdoor and Indoor Champions for 2020 and 2021 are shooting them. ARA is only 50 yards though.

I have two MTR’s myself, a 457 Varmint MTR and a VPT MTR. They both shoot good, but I haven’t stretched them out to ELR distance yet. I witnessed a friend who has the same VPT MTR shoot several groups under .5” at 100 yards recently with a can on. If I hadn’t seen it I wouldn’t have believed it coming from someone else. I recently bought a 24” At One and a 24” VPT. I haven’t shot them much because of schedule and weather. The VPT is at the Lapua testing center currently. The first time out with it breaking it in and testing looked promising.

My first 457 was an American. It shoots decently, but is the least impressive of my five 457’s. Also if shooting from barricades an American stock isn’t optimal.

 

[SkepticalTiger]

I can only say that the 24” VPC’s and 24” At 1’s rule the roost in ARA Factory class. There are exceptions but the National Outdoor and Indoor Champions for 2020 and 2021 are shooting them. ARA is only 50 yards though.

I have two MTR’s myself, a 457 Varmint MTR and a VPT MTR. They both shoot good, but I haven’t stretched them out to ELR distance yet. I witnessed a friend who has the same VPT MTR shoot several groups under .5” at 100 yards recently with a can on. If I hadn’t seen it I wouldn’t have believed it coming from someone else. I recently bought a 24” At One and a 24” VPT. I haven’t shot them much because of schedule and weather. The VPT is at the Lapua testing center currently. The first time out with it breaking it in and testing looked promising.

My first 457 was an American. It shoots decently, but is the least impressive of my five 457’s. Also if shooting from barricades an American stock isn’t optimal.

Here is another good question. If I were to opt for the VPC with the tapered (non-mtr) It's still the CZ barrel lottery correct? What I'm concerned about is that while the chassis is nice, the non-MTR barrel might be iffy on how well I can get it to group once broken in.

 

[Appalachian]

Here is another good question. If I were to opt for the VPC with the tapered (non-mtr) It's still the CZ barrel lottery correct? What I'm concerned about is that while the chassis is nice, the non-MTR barrel might be iffy on how well I can get it to group once broken in.

It’s always the barrel lottery, MTR or not. A match chamber won’t help a mediocre barrel IMO. Your chances of getting a good one are good though either way.

 

[littlepod]

It’s always the barrel lottery, MTR or not. A match chamber won’t help a mediocre barrel IMO. Your chances of getting a good one are good though either way.

Yeh, at least the MTR they'll guarantee you sub moa, the other ones when I talked to CZ said they have no moa guarantee.

 

[SkepticalTiger]

What about a Bergara BMR Carbon?

 

[Appalachian]

Yeh, at least the MTR they'll guarantee you sub moa, the other ones when I talked to CZ said they have no moa guarantee.

Good point, but out of twelve CZ’s (Five 457’s) my worst shooting one will shoot MOA at 50 yards with its preferred match Ammo. MOA at 50 yards isn’t good that good these days. My best shooting ones will shoot .5 MOA at 50 yards when everything is good.

 

[littlepod]

Good point, but out of twelve CZ’s (Five 457’s) my worst shooting one will shoot MOA at 50 yards with its preferred match Ammo. MOA at 50 yards isn’t good that good these days. My best shooting ones will shoot .5 MOA at 50 yards when everything is good.View attachment 7801358

Worse when was my friend bought the Precision Trainer, the Manners with a non match barrel so $1100 and they sent it to Lapua, and Lapua basically said it was garbage and CZ said they had no guarantee.... had to rebarrel that one.

It's just the lottery as you said. Maybe you have a Friday afternoon barrel or Monday morning barrel.

 

[littlepod]

What about a Bergara BMR Carbon?

The most consistent shooter where I haven't seen a bad one yet is a Tikka T1X.

 

[Appalachian]

The most consistent shooter where I haven't seen a bad one yet is a Tikka T1X.

I know where a 20” is right now for $499. I almost bought it.

 

[Appalachian]

Worse when was my friend bought the Precision Trainer, the Manners with a non match barrel so $1100 and they sent it to Lapua, and Lapua basically said it was garbage and CZ said they had no guarantee.... had to rebarrel that one.

It's just the lottery as you said. Maybe you have a Friday afternoon barrel or Monday morning barrel.

That’s funny. I have a VPT 24” at Lapua in Mesa right now. I did some testing in23F, wind 12-15 mph wind. I shot this with SK Pistol Match so I’m not worried. It did have the worst looking leads I’ve ever seen though.

 

[flatland1]

My tapered 24" threaded 457 VPT had a spattering of leading just an inch forward of the chamber when I pulled it new, out of the box. Was trying to get it cleaned up before shooting it, but kept getting black gunk out on patches. Finally got the Hawkeye borescope out and found that area of leading, which was about 1-1/2" long, so went in with a bronze bore brush & Shooter's Choice, to the tune of 10 back & forth passes. Another wet patch after brushing came out really black, so I gave it another wet patch, then dry-patched, then borescoped again - no more leading, so I commenced shooting it at 50yds. Initial groups weren't bad, and had improved a bit by the time I'd put around 400rds through it - and the leading never re-occurred. So I backed-off and tried it at 100-200yds - and the groups fell apart. Couldn't even keep 10 out of 10 on an 8" steel circle at 200, so I pulled it.

That was two out of three poor factory CZ457 barrels for me, which is piss poor odds in my opinion. The only factory 457 bbl I've owned that shot decent was the factory varmint MTR, and after I'd replaced the OEM American bbl with a Shilen ratchet that I fitted, chambered, and glued in, I decided to find out how much difference another Shilen would make on the MTR's action. I used a .863" straight cylinder ratchet, and was well pleased with the results. So after the disappointment with the VPT's 24" tapered factory bbl, I just swapped actions, putting the Shilen/MTR action into the VPT's Manner stock, and using the take-off MTR bbl on the VPT action, which then went into the MTR walnut stock. The MTR stock is ok I guess, but I much prefer shooting with the Manners PRS1T that they modified to fit the 457 actions - and besides, I've got PRS1T stocks on all my Vudoo V-22 & RimX repeaters, and I like them.