CZ 457

[AirGunShawn]

If you use a .014" wire diameter spring and lap the sear it's pretty easy to get your 457 trigger to the 7 oz. range.
If instead of adding a 4-40 set screw to the B14R trigger you use the heaviest 6-32 long nose spring plunger, for
$5.00 you get the adjustable sear and the 11 oz trigger.

I just sold my Sako Quad Range which was very smooth. I have been accused of being overly critical more than once
but still don't feel like my Bergara .22 action is anything but fine. I would take my factory B14R over any of my 3 factory
CZ 457s. Keeping in mind that the only thing I'm going to do is bench rest type shooting at paper or steel. She would
be a little heavy to take into the woods but I don't hunt so it's a mute point.
I had two MAS 45s and one was stiff closing. A few strokes with a needle file removed the offending bur and things were
all good. I guess I mean to say that when I run into something I don't care for, I figure out what the problem is and resolve it.
I just bought 2 ten round mags for my Winchester 52 and they were both a little fat. only by about .004 and .006" but that
was enough to make them miserable to use. With a little work and some cold blue they are now suitable for use.
And just because I could.... I added a 6-32 set screw in the B14R trigger for over travel too. Both my long nose spring plunger and my
over travel set screw are fairly long and have the nylon locking element. I found that using a second set screw to lock the
first would always change the sear setting a little bit.

 

[bbhank]

Here is mine, MTR all dialed in with Area 419 Gear. That group was shot with Eley Match EPS. She also likes to eat SK Standard plus!

 

[flatland1]

I used Bscar 25 MOA scope rails on all three of my 457s - Varmint MTR, VPT, and American - with TPS TSR low rings holding 30mm Athlon Ares BTR & Midas TAC scopes - and for my facial bone structure, much prefer the lower Bscar rail to anything that's taller. The OEM barrels of the American & VPT were not up to par accuracy-wise, so I replaced both with Shilen ratchet rifled select match blanks chambered with my PTG EPS reamer. I'm a lousy offhand shooter, but still enjoy shooting the American offhand, while the Manners on the VPT is very good in positional shooting. Don't have much use for the MTR since I put the Shilens on the other two rifles, even though it's not a bad shooter. It just doesn't compare to the Shilen accuracy, and I prefer the Manners on the VPT to the MTR stock. I do appreciate the fact that CZ took the gamble to provide a fully adjustable trigger on the 457 action - I've got mine set right at or just a hair over 1lb and am more than satisfied with them, even though they feel awfully heavy after shooting my V-22S with its Flavio Fare trigger set at less than 2oz...

 

[mulish]

What is the largest barrel in diameter I can put on a CZ 457 , without hurting the action.

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

When I put my 457 action into a MDT chassis, I used the recoil lug. IIRC, it isn't really held tightly by the chassis or the action? In a stock or in a chassis, should it be bedded somehow? Seems like it should have a set screw from above or front back to lock it into place?

The lug seems to be a check item on CZ design list- Recoil Lug, Check. It doesn't seem that it adds any 'recoil' action? Is it to help keep people from crushing wooden stocks?

 

[Boatninja]

^^^this^^^
I have chased those things all over my shop floor and was wondering the same thing, I have been tempted to epoxy that thing in to the receiver several times.

 

[WeeHooker]

When I put my 457 action into a MDT chassis, I used the recoil lug. IIRC, it isn't really held tightly by the chassis or the action? In a stock or in a chassis, should it be bedded somehow? Seems like it should have a set screw from above or front back to lock it into place?

The lug seems to be a check item on CZ design list- Recoil Lug, Check. It doesn't seem that it adds any 'recoil' action? Is it to help keep people from crushing wooden stocks?

There is a manufacturers video out there saying to put the action into chassis loosely/untightened first. Then you bang the butt of the rifle down to set the action, recoil lug and chassis tightly (rearward) before torqueing. Vudoo and others recommend the same with other actions. Makes sense. That's what I have been doing with all my rifles including my cz's

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

There is a manufacturers video out there saying to put the action into chassis loosely/untightened first. Then you bang the butt of the rifle down to set the action, recoil lug and chassis tightly (rearward) before torqueing. Vudoo and others recommend the same with other actions. Makes sense. That's what I have been doing with all my rifles including my cz's

^^^
Interesting, since I put some pretty good backward/down pressure on the barrel action when I set it in the ACC chassis. I don't think the gun rattles, so the lug must be somewhat secure.

 

[WeeHooker]

^^^
Interesting, since I put some pretty good backward/down pressure on the barrel action when I set it in the ACC chassis. I don't think the gun rattles, so the lug must be somewhat secure.

I would agree. Nothing moves when it's all torqued down. I do think that getting the recoil lug hard against the faying surfaces of the receiver and stock (in the direction of recoil) is a good precaution though.

Interestingly enough, the XLR chassis I bought came with it's own 457 recoil lug. It fits so tight , it had to be snapped in! Really getting tempted to keep it and start another 457 build!

 

[flatland1]

The Manners stock that comes on the CZ457 VPT has its own lug glued in from the factory.

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Bad idea of the day. When putting in a barrel, there has to be some clearance between the barrel and the action. Would applying something to the barrel tenon help to keep the barrel better seated? I was thinking that some epoxy would work, but that would glue the barrel to the action.

What about some rosin used on scope rings? Or maybe just some loctite or anti sieze? Something to fill the gap?

Just leave it alone?

 

[fredfish]

What is the largest barrel in diameter I can put on a CZ 457 , without hurting the action.

I have 2 drop ins that are .9. I don't think your going to get bigger?

 

[fredfish]

I used a micrometer to measure my 457 receiver for setting the depth for my Lilja barrel. I can't remember the shim combination, but setting the headspace to 0.040 solved the extraction problem I was having with it set at 0.043. Looking at a post I made on Rimfire Central I think I used a shim combination for .006. RWS variants work fine, but it was a little hard closing the bolt with Eley Club.

My Lilja shims are now .003 for maybe .039 or .040 HS. Eley or RWS, thats it. My other one .043 with Bartlien for everything else.

 

[Navy Gunner]

Busting my 457 cherry tomorrow. I've been shooting my wife's Savage MKII BTVS with Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27. It's a good little rig but left me wanting something a bit better.
Got a new CZ 457 VPC MTR. Installed MKM Adaptive Grip w/ thumbrest, Area 419 30 MOA base, 12" universal Arcalock rail, clamp, bolt knob and an Atlas CAL bipod. Did an aluminum tape bedding job on the stock and it's topped off by a 7-35 Leupold MK5 w/Tremor 3 on a LaRue 50 BMG QD mount w/ additional 30 MOA.
Tomorrow will be a full day of ammo testing and data gathering. Can't wait.

 

[sea2summit]

So I broke down and set up some trainers for Christmas presents (pro varmint and AT1 16”). 2.2 was doing ammo testing at 25m yesterday and just as he finished a fly started walking up the edge of the paper, a bet was made, I lost…but I’m still pretty dang happy.

For shooting middle of the road ammo on hand I’ve been very impressed. They were playing “HORSE” at 100m on some ~2.5 MOA targets and the games went pretty long, finally had to tell them no more prone.

 

[adubeau]

I got my self a CZ457 AT-ONE 16.5" barrel - for Christmas with Arken SH4 6-24x50 GEN2(MILS) Atlas bi-pod.. Did some ammo testing yesterday @ 50yds. of Eley Match, Eley Force, Eley Club , Eley semi-auto bench, Aguila Super-extra, CCI sub-sonic and RWS Special Match. wind was about 2 -5 mph, damp with some fog around 35 degrees with some sprinkles of rain here and there... Be back out, weather permitting to test the Wolf Extra Match..

 

[Boatninja]

After installation of a Lilja .22 WMR barrel the bolt on my CZ 457 is very hard to close. I have checked and rechecked everything that I can think of, any ideas other than shipping to Lilja? They have been very helpful in the past but hate to bother them if there is something stupid I'm missing.

 

[Merlin O]

Bolt is hard to close without a round in the chamber? I would suggest you have someone else read the instructions and redo/check your math and see if you both arrive at the same figure for your shims.

​

 

[Gunnie88]

View attachment 6971660

That was posted on the rimfirecentral thread in the CZ section.

It’s sexy for sure. Their wood quality is pretty incredible.

 

[WeeHooker]

It’s sexy for sure. Their wood quality is pretty incredible.

I don't know for sure but I believe that CZ reserves some upper level wood for the Royal model. They don't all look like the picture but I can say mine has some really nice figure and color throughout..

 

[Boatninja]

Bolt is hard to close without a round in the chamber? I would suggest you have someone else read the instructions and redo/check your math and see if you both arrive at the same figure for your shims.

​

No shims needed. When I didn't find shims and didn't unpack the barrel personally I thought that the shims were thrown away with packing but contacted Lilja to purchase them and was told that Lilja .22 WMR barrels don't use shims, chamber is cut to exact SAMMI specs, only their .22LR barrels use shims. Hence my post, I didn't want to contact Lilja and sound like a dumb-ass twice.

 

[fredfish]

I just took a short piece of 0.062 rosin core solder, formed it into a "U" the same diameter of the rim of a cartridge, stuck it to the bolt with grease, closed the bolt. The outer edge of solder will get smashed and become the thickness of the headspace. Measure carefully with calipers. Kinda sorta similar to using plastigauge, but I couldn't find my old stash of plastigauge.

The bolt recess has a big part in headspace!

 

[fredfish]

No shims needed. When I didn't find shims and didn't unpack the barrel personally I thought that the shims were thrown away with packing but contacted Lilja to purchase them and was told that Lilja .22 WMR barrels don't use shims, chamber is cut to exact SAMMI specs, only their .22LR barrels use shims. Hence my post, I didn't want to contact Lilja and sound like a dumb-ass twice.

I had problems with bolt guide. You had to change mags and take out shim, I'd check around there

 

[300zx_tt]

First time shooting my MTR. Slight breeze and upper 20’s to low 30’s. This was 50 yards with federal gold match.

 

[WeeHooker]

View attachment 7775675View attachment 7775676

First time shooting my MTR. Slight breeze and upper 20’s to low 30’s. This was 50 yards with federal gold match.

Looks like you got a good shooter with some nicely colored wood too. Love my MTR VPT as well. Enjoy it.

 

[Appalachian]

My third 457 gave a good showing the other night for a short barreled gun. ARA Factory class, 5 card match. 2440 Agg. I’m relatively new to bench rest so I was thrilled with that.

and I bought my fourth 457 at the match. There isn’t a 24” barreled 457 @1 or VPT to be had in the country so I think I scored with this used one. I would have preferred a VPT, but I wanted a longer barrel to better buck the wind.

 

[riverman1]

Can the Manners stock, for the 457, be bought separately? I am considering purchasing a Varmint that already has a Lilja barrel on it. It has a nice piece of wood on it that I would like to sell to help offset the cost of a tactical style stock. I shoot Grayboe Renegades on my centerfire rifles and would like to replicate them as closely as possible. The Manners is the best I have seen so far.

 

[JFive]

They can be purchased through Manners, 7-8 month lead time.

 

[riverman1]

Ah man! 7-8 months!

 

[JFive]

That's what i was quoted a few weeks ago, but that was custom color might be less time for standard color.

 

[WeeHooker]

Unless your getting a smoking deal on the CZ Varmint, you might be better off to buy a 457 MTR in the manors stock and replace the barrel if/when you feel the need. Seems the barrels are easier to find than the stocks. That said, you could also buy both rifles and parts out what you don't want. I've found that resale on CZ 457 components is pretty good.

 

[riverman1]

Thanks guys. Looks like the MTR is probably the way to go and hope for the best on the factory barrel. Bass Pro/Cabelas has them in stock, ready to ship to a nearby store.

 

[riverman1]

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cz-457-varmint-precision-trainer-22-lr-bolt-action-rifle

Take a look at this. The description says 16.5" barrel but the picture clearly shows a longer barrel. I wonder which one would actually show up? I am not interested in the 16.5".

 

[gkgeiger]

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cz-457-varmint-precision-trainer-22-lr-bolt-action-rifle

Take a look at this. The description says 16.5" barrel but the picture clearly shows a longer barrel. I wonder which one would actually show up? I am not interested in the 15.5".

Probably a file picture. The longer barrel versions haven’t been available for quite a while. I was lucky to get the 24” but the 20.5” might be the best

 

[riverman1]

That's what I'm afraid of.

 

[fredfish]

My third 457 gave a good showing the other night for a short barreled gun. ARA Factory class, 5 card match. 2440 Agg. I’m relatively new to bench rest so I was thrilled with that.View attachment 7775927
and I bought my fourth 457 at the match. There isn’t a 24” barreled 457 @1 or VPT to be had in the country so I think I scored with this used one. I would have preferred a VPT, but I wanted a longer barrel to better buck the wind.View attachment 7775928

How does front rest work? Is the stock screwed to it?

 

[WeeHooker]

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cz-457-varmint-precision-trainer-22-lr-bolt-action-rifle

Take a look at this. The description says 16.5" barrel but the picture clearly shows a longer barrel. I wonder which one would actually show up? I am not interested in the 16.5".

It's common for adds to have a picture that is not 100% accurate. Both the description and part number on the Cabela's website refer to the 16.5" model so that's what should ship. FWIW, 24" are getting really rare .

 

[Appalachian]

How does front rest work? Is the stock screwed to it?

That’s not a rest. It’s a Sinclair F Class bipod. It connects to the sling stud, very popular in ARA factory class. Here’s my Varmint MTR at a match.

 

[flatland1]

That's what I'm afraid of.

I bought a 457 VPT a couple of years ago - already had 457 American & Varmint MTR, both of which I'd fitted & chambered Shilen ratchet bbls for - but wanted the Manners stock, since my V-22s & Rim-X rifles are in Manners PRS1T stocks, and I like them a lot. The VPT's 24" factory bbl had accuracy issues, so instead of rebarreling it, I just moved the MTR/Shilen bbl'd action over into the VPT's Manners stock, then put the take-off MTR bbl over into the VPT action. It headspaced fine in that action, and actually shoots just a little better than it had when I had it in the MTR action.

A few months ago, I was browsing Manner's online inventory, and they had four of their fully inletted modified PRS1T stocks listed for the CZ457. There are none listed currently, so you're probably SOL where getting one in a hurry is concerned. And once you see the list price for this stock, buying a complete 457 VPT becomes a more attractive way to get into that stock.

 

[adubeau]

That’s not a rest. It’s a Sinclair F Class bipod. It connects to the sling stud, very popular in ARA factory class. Here’s my Varmint MTR at a match.View attachment 7776520

Question. What's with the long clear plastic tubes on the scopes ?

 

[JFive]

Question. What's with the long clear plastic tubes on the scopes ?

Mirage tubes

 

[mop89]

I’ve posted picture of this rifle in the past, started out as an MTR w/ a vortex gen 2 3-18. But as I’ve become more addicted to shooting it, it’s evolved. Hindsight being 20/20 I wish I would have just bought the cheapest 457 offering - as I wasn’t expecting to want to do much to it.

Anyone have a proof barrel for theirs? I just recently received it and haven’t shot much out of it aside from bull cheaper ammo. I did pick up some Midas +, and 2 different SK offerings but haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. Curious as to what the barrel tends to like.

 

[fredfish]

That’s not a rest. It’s a Sinclair F Class bipod. It connects to the sling stud, very popular in ARA factory class. Here’s my Varmint MTR at a match.View attachment 7776520

Nice setup.At least 3 CZ?

 

[Appalachian]

Nice setup.At least 3 CZ?

Maybe 12

 

[riverman1]

View attachment 7777112

I’ve posted picture of this rifle in the past, started out as an MTR w/ a vortex gen 2 3-18. But as I’ve become more addicted to shooting it, it’s evolved. Hindsight being 20/20 I wish I would have just bought the cheapest 457 offering - as I wasn’t expecting to want to do much to it.

Anyone have a proof barrel for theirs? I just recently received it and haven’t shot much out of it aside from bull cheaper ammo. I did pick up some Midas +, and 2 different SK offerings but haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. Curious as to what the barrel tends to like.

If you had bought the cheapest offering, what stock would you have used? I don't really want to go with a chassis and can't find many other quality offerings.

 

[mop89]

If you had bought the cheapest offering, what stock would you have used? I don't really want to go with a chassis and can't find many other quality offerings.

Well since all the actions are the same, you’re paying for the barrel and stock. And considering I don’t use the MTR stock or barrel, it didn’t make sense financially to pay for that particular rifle.

I don’t have any experiences with any of the chassis; I’m more of a stock kind of guy. One that’s usually readily available and reasonably priced is the KRG bravo, and the occasionally pop up on here used for decent prices. I was going to go that route before I found this Manners.

Haven’t had a chance to use the Manners yet, just got it about a week ago, but I’m sure I’ll love it. I have a Manners on my 224v bolt gun and love it.

Find me someone who doesn’t like a manners though and I’ll show you a crazy person

 

[Greedus]

So here is my dilemma, recently received a CZ 457 Pro Varmint and show it twice in 85 degrees breezy 50 yard range with SK Rifle Match. I had sighted in at 25 and was comfortable. The 16.5 in barrel was good, didn't keep the target so no proof. Placed it in a KRG Bravo stock torqued to 35 lbs. It did well, quite well. Here is the situation though, I was able to place an order on a 20 inch Lilja barrel for the CZ. I'm wondering if I will see any real improvement over the factory barrel. Am I tempting fate screwing on the Lilja? I could have shot better; cheek weld was always off, bag to small, that guy next to me screaming etc etc etc. Thoughts?

regards,

 

[Silverjay]

Lilja told me their barrel would shoot 0.2-0.3” groups at 50 yards. The one I received crowds the lower end of that range with 5 shot groups.

 

[fredfish]

I decided to keep Lilja shims at .003 now to find out what speed.I zeroed with Eley match at 1065. Doesn't like 1067, good groups with 1084 shooting about 3/4" high which I expected. R50 ( 1092) good groups but 1 1/2 low???, R100 ( 1135 )almost center??? Scratch my head?? Couple days later it was decent enough to grab chronograph . Magnetospeed V3, new batteries, sensitivity 7, 10 shot groups. Eley match ( 1065) averaged 1104,( 1067) avg. 1100,( 1084 )avg. 1128, R50 ( box 1092) 1085 that why it shot low, R100 ( 1135) 1126 ( could only get 2 before it wouldn't eject fried shells). Eley was faster and it slowed down RWS?? Went home had lunch, rested my eyes for about 1 hr.. Snow tomorrow- so I grabbed my other CZ with Bartlein barrel and back to range ( same town 15-20 min.). Same settings on MAgspeed, mostly 10 shot groups. R50 ( 1092) avg.1054, R100 (1135) avg 1086,SK long range (?) avg 1055,Fed. gold medal UM (1080) avg 1066, Midas +(1076) avg 1003,RWS special match( 1085?) avg 1032????? So Bartlein barrel with match? chamber slowed down every round I fired. Why- anyone

 

[Bean]

First time shooting my MTR. Slight breeze and upper 20’s to low 30’s. This was 50 yards with federal gold match.

Nice shooting. Where you at SGL 43 by chance? That bench and location look very familiar.