Rifle Talk

CZ Rimfire Rifles

column By: Lee J. Hoots | October, 22

The CZ Model 457 American .17 HMR rifle is among the nicest walnut-stocked long guns ever produced. Lee’s rifle is scratched due to hunting jackrabbits in rocky Arizona terrain.

For more years than I care to count, I have kept an eye on CZ-USA rimfire rifles, and I still have the single-shot CZ 452 ZKM Scout .22 Long Rifle with which my firstborn, and later her two younger brothers, learned how to shoot – just in case grandkids show up someday.

Once I had the wherewithal and industry connections, I began testing nearly all interesting-to-me CZ rifles, and a few pistols that came along, and noted that the company was always trying to enhance its various new rifle models.

The testing included mostly centerfire guns at first, and several rimfires later, but always keeping the focus on CZ rimfires, for it’s by those rimfires that I am most intrigued, perhaps because they serve as reminders of bygone days. One of the best-shooting CZ rifles tested was a Model 452 American .17 Mach 2, which grouped bullets into tidy little clusters the size of a young boy’s fingernail. If remembering correctly, that rifle was kept for two years or more before sending it back. Then another model would show up, and so on, and each one was better made and better-looking than was the previous offering.

Fast forward to 2009, when a then-new CZ 457 American .22 Winchester Magnum was announced, and of course, it needed to be tested. But first, this rifle was said to have a dark, Turkish walnut stock that was supposed to be “shockingly beautiful” compared to older stocks, and it certainly was/is. CZ had been sprucing up its stocks on many of its centerfire and rimfire rifles over the years, but this was the finest handle I had ever seen on any CZ rimfire gun. Even better, five-shot groups shot at 50 yards ranged from .63 inch to 1.41 inches while using six different loads, but with two other .22 Winchesters in the safe at the time, and not needing another one, once again I let a great rifle get away. A coworker at the office wanted it for her son as a Christmas present – so call me a softy.

The CZ .22 Winchester test rifle provided neat, five-shot groups at 50 yards with a variety of loads.

Several months later, after pondering the loss of the .22 Winchester Magnum to a boy who deserved it, and not at all satisfied with the two other quite different .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire (HMR) rifles then on hand, an order was placed for the same CZ 457 American rifle chambered in .17 HMR. The little rifle was/is even more handsome than the .22 Magnum in some ways, although the stock was somewhat darker in color but still handsome, which helps highlight the nicely done machine-checkering.

The bolt-action rifle is primarily built for hunting small game and pests. Therefore, the trigger pull was adjusted to just over 3 pounds as measured on a Lyman digital scale. It comes with a 24-inch barrel, bringing the total weight to 7 pounds as topped with a Leupold VX-II 2-7x 33mm scope. Such a scope might seem low in power, but 7 power is more than enough on a rifle used for roving around in the woods or desert highlands here in Arizona.

The .17 HMR has not been shot much in the last two years, mostly due to a lack of time and an off-and-on shortage of ammunition, and further interest in other rifles and cartridges. Nevertheless, when it does get shot now and then to check its zero, it hasn’t moved a bit, and groups continue to run around an inch at 100 yards, so long as the fellow behind rifle breaks the adjustable trigger properly on the somewhat ignored very fine CZ rifle.

CZ-USA still offers the Model 457 American chambered in .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum and the .17 HMR. Perhaps another .22 Magnum might just be the ticket.

Next Article:222 Remington Magnum

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