CZ 457 Varmint 17 HMR!!!

[@rksando1]

I went through the same ammo testing process several years ago with my Anschutz 1727. The rifle is easily the most accurate rifle I have but my initial groups showed some horizontal spread. I concluded that even slight changes in the wind cause significant wind drift. I changed my shooting so that I sent the rounds down range as fast as possible. I can send 4 shots down range on the same breath because of the Fortner action. Suddenly I started to consistently get half moa groups at 100 yards. The rifle preferred CCI TNT and 5 consecutive 4 shot groups measured .35 .36 .65 .72 .56 ctc. Hornady VMAX 17gr measured .61 .48 .78 .53 .80 ctc. I was shooting prone with a bipod and rear bag. I plan all my varmint shooting so that I shoot down wind. I never run a rod down the barrel. What I do is pull patches through using 80# monofilament fishing line on all my rifles. I learned this from shooting expensive air rifles.

[@rimfiremore4947]

Thanks for the good information!

[@robertelkins8225]

I purchased A new CZ 455 2 years ago in the 17 HMR and purchased a 22 WMR barrel also. Neither shot well until I done a bedding job on the rifle. It now shoots 5 shot groups at 100 yards that can be covered with a dime.

[@rksando1]

@@robertelkins8225 Which model did you get? Was it the Varmint?

[@davesullivan972]

While living in Alaska for 45-years, I learned that ALL wood products (construction lumber, furniture, gun stocks, etc) shrink continually due to the extremely dry climate in the winter. You gotta keep the action screws tight. I love wood, but almost all of my big game rifles have synthetic stocks! Just saying.....

[@kencorsell8087]

I’ve been looking at this rifle for a while, thanks for your review. I find when shooting, the smaller the target you pick the better your accuracy. Try this. Instead of aiming for the red dot itself aim at six o’clock on the dot exactly where the red meets the black. That will give you a more precise target and hopefully precise results!

[@rimfiremore4947]

Thanks for the advice. I haven’t heard this before so I’ll definitely try it out

[@wilfredsalacup7810]

Good advise. I will remember that

[@tomprince5192]

I think you nailed it with the reticle comment....subtension..

[@TargetBreaker1234]

I have the c455 17hmr and love it! So accurate - I reviewed the 22lr version which I also have and is identical

[@coltonc8367]

My 457 loves the remington 17gr accutip-v and the federal loaded with the 17gr vmax. It will shoot under 1/2" all day with those 2

[@fabienvdp545]

Thanks for the video! I own a 22lr. 457 Training riffle and I'm contemplating buying a .17 HMR conversion barrel

[@rimfiremore4947]

That would be fun to shoot as well! I love the .22s that I have

[@scottrhoads593]

acclamate the barrel with a few shots of a particular brand then shoot for groups, then move on to the next brand and repeat. Not sure what the scope your running, guessing an older Bushnell, I would consider an upgrade if that's the case. Still decent shooting.

[@rimfiremore4947]

Good ideas. Yeah the scope is probably 15 years old!

[@eisig_]

I have two guns in that caliber. The problem with accuracy is the progressive contamination of the gun barrel. Caliber 17 is extremely sensitive to dirt. that is the reason why the groups of fire diverge further and further. I clean the barrel of the rifle at least after 10 shots, otherwise the firing groups are bad. it's not a thermal problem, I've tested that extensively.

[@carlgressel574]

If your reticle was covering the smaller circles it will make it difficult (impossible) to have a precise point of aim. With the larger circle you were likely able to see the edges of the circle and have a more precise point of aim.

[@rimfiremore4947]

You’re correct. That was one of the challenges I was running into.

[@Strutingeagle]

A good rule of thumb is that when your crosshairs are bigger than the target you are aiming at you can expect at least twice the diameter of that spot/target plus the accuracy or group size of the gun itself. It makes a huge difference with scopes and even bigger with open sights when aiming at too small of a target.

[@matthewo6077]

Did you let the barrel cool down in between shooting the next group. if the barrel gets hot it might alter the groups. what was the weather condition like between the two that could have made a difference. might even be down to how you was feeling if thay was done on different days.

[@rimfiremore4947]

Matthew O The groups were one after the other. I was thinking the thicker barrel would help minimize effects of shooting back to back. There wasn’t a wind or anything so I doubt it was the weather. It could have been how I “felt”. After I saw the first group didn’t go how I was expecting I got a little frustrated.

[@matthewo6077]

@@rimfiremore4947 I am no expert or a troll thay are just sume thought I have had. I have bought the same rifle in 22wmr I have noticed you can put more shots through the rifle before the barrel gets too hot but once it get hot it takes a longer time to cool down. If you had a rifle with a thin barrel you might only be able to put 2 or 3 shots through the rifle and the barrel will be hot but it will cool down quicker because of how much metal is involved in the barrel. So I am guessing in theory you can pot more shot through a thin rifle barrel because it will be quicker to cool down.

[@mpdjr77]

Could have been hot barrel if not allowed to cool between 5-shot cycles.

[@___VacuuM___]

which brand is scope rings?

[@rimfiremore4947]

They are Warne rimfire mounts.

[@lumbearjack3722]

You might get better groups after running the same amo through the barrel before trying to group with it

[@lumbearjack3722]

I don’t know how much it affects 17 hmr, but in 22 if I aight in 2 different projectiles I can not expect shot for shot accuracy if I’m switching rounds. The barrel seems to like acclimating to the different bullets, how much I don’t know, still learning

[@lumbearjack3722]

I like your rifle btw :)

[@rimfiremore4947]

That’s a good point, I would think it would have to have some effect

[@vincetytler6175]

Check that your action is tight to your stock, shoot a group with the stock torqued to 15inch lbs then 17, 20, 23, 25 etc up to about 30lbs. That will have a effect Also did you clean it prior to shooting the barrel? Only use a good quality rod with a patch to remove any crud other than that don’t clean it until your accuracy goes to crap

[@rimfiremore4947]

I’ll try the torque method you mentioned. Yeah the barrel was clean prior to shooting.

[@jaspergross6866]

@@rimfiremore4947 I know it's a late response but one thing I found out about my cz 455 varmint 17hmr. Is not to clean the bore or the Barrel. I did it once and took probably 30 rounds or more to get it shooting consistently again. I run a oil swab though it but I don't clean it. Have 1000+ rounds since last cleaning and I get dime size groups at 125yrds.

[@cesare307]

7,5 jouel??

[@prevost8686]

I have 452 & 453 CZs and contrary to popular belief they don’t all shoot amazing right out of the box. 99.9% can be corrected with a competent glass bedding job. I owned one 452 that nothing helped. It was going to throw one flyer at least an inch away from the rest of the grouping. I sent it back to CZ: they shot it and and said they had no idea what was wrong with it and sent me a new rifle. It’s a very rare occasion that bedding won’t make a CZ shoot more consistently. It’s also going to shoot better ( more than likely) the more that you shoot it. You’re shooting copper jacketed bullets so a patch of Hoppes #9 is all I’d ever run through the barrel.

[@rimfiremore4947]

That’s good information to know, thanks for the advice!

[@paulallenMacca]

What does HMR and WMR stand for.

[@rimfiremore4947]

HMR stands for Hornady magnum rimfire and WMR stands for Winchester magnum rimfire

[@saysflushable]

If your rectacals are blocking the entire dot the you truelly don't know if you are being consistent. Probably the reason the one target was good is because you were centered in the black.

[@mikemagnum7987]

The most inconsistent thing on any gun range is a "human being"... We have days when we shoot very, very well and then we have those days when we can't seem to do anything right! I have the CZ 457 American in 17 HMR and most of the time using Hornady or CCI 17 grain V-max, it shoots .5 moa at 100 yards, but I have days when I'm not feeling that good and cannot produce consistent groups in that category! Of course, I'm much older than you are, so there's that. I am seriously looking at the 457 Varmint in 22 WMR to round out my CZ collection. I have a CZ 452 American that I have tested at 100 yards, 3 shot groups. She always throws a flier, but I glass bedded it over the weekend and tomorrow if the wind is friendly, I'll take her out for a test drive and see if bedding brings those fliers into the fold! It should... If I get the stock screw tension "just right", she shoots 3 into one hole at 55 yards, but staying in that "sweet spot" is a tricky business without a good bedding job! I haven't done anything to the 457 but shoot it. This winter, I'll take it down and adjust the trigger to 2 pounds and take a close look at possibly bedding it as well. It does a fair and consistent job as is, so .... My rim fires are all intended for hunting and all wear Leupold 3-9 VXII scopes, Burris rings. You have a nice range to shoot on there! Thanks for the friendly review...

[@rimfiremore4947]

You made a lot of good points! I absolutely have my good and bad days on the range. I’m also tempted to bed the rifle, but I figure I’ll wait a little longer.

[@Crt5]

Did you end up getting the gun in 22 mag? I'm curious about the accuracy compared to the 17hmr

[@rt66rc86]

@@Crt5 I picked up a CZ 455 Varmint in .22 WMR. Unfortunately however, it would not shoot groups to the accuracy standard that I require, always producing a flyer with the third shot, regardless of ammo tested. Glass bedding did nothing to solve the problem. That rifle was traded for a CZ Royal in .22lr which shoots at target level accuracy! I'm still considering what .22WMR to go with, my CZ American 17 HMR is an extremely accurate and consistent shooter, and so, I may just pick up another of those in .22WMR.

[@Crt5]

@@rt66rc86 I had no luck with the accuracy on my Savage 22WMR either. I got a 457 in 17hmr and am very happy with the accuracy of it. Since you already have the cz in 22LR why not just get the CZ barrel mini set in 22WMR and you can swap barrels and keep the same receiver and scope?

[@rt66rc86]

@@Crt5 The reason that I don't use the barrel swap option is because all of my rimfire rifles are extremely accurate as they sit and I don't want to disturb whatever these rifles are doing that is working so well! :)

[@grasunmajjurach6026]

Verygood verygood I from thailand พัทลุง

[@dgreenapple]

Just sold my 17 HMR rifle. Very disappointed by the accuracy of the round and more specifically, the inconsistency of the round from box to box. CCI makes 2 or 3 products in 17 HMR rounds and they all shoot so differently at point of impact. It's a frustrating round to work with and your video confirmed for me that I did the right thing by selling my 17 HMR rifle. Thanks...

[@rimfiremore4947]

Yeah, I was a little surprised this was the accuracy I was getting too. I want to reshoot at a later date and do a couple things differently to see if I can change these groups up.

[@dbelex]

It's not the gun, the ammo is inconsistent. .17 is not a target load.

[@dgreenapple]

@@dbelex I would add one thing to that. 17WSM can be accurate. I have a B-Mag Heavy Barrel and I bedded the action, and it shoots consistently 1MOA out to 250 yards. It's not a target round, but that's a dead coyote, wood chuck, gound squirrel, crow, etc. every time.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

You sound really whiney and looking to blame anything for bad accuracy but yourself. My 457 in 17hmr shoots 3/8 inch groups all day at 100 yards.

[@dgreenapple]

@@whiteyfisk9769 You sound like you need someone to be angry at.

[@lfcmarkeb7124]

would have been much better if a sudden range camera had been used tbh

[@rimfiremore4947]

Yeah absolutely, but I’m just working with what I got.

[@ohnjay1973]

Would benefit from bedding the action, shots are stringing a bit, fan of the gun though

[@rimfiremore4947]

@ohnjay1973 I’ve never had an action bedded before. That might be something to look into. Thanks for the insight!

[@dougfinn]

Try lowering your trigger weight. I have a 455 American that couldn’t do better than 2” at 50 yds. Put a lighter spring on the trigger and groups went to 1/2” at 50 yds.

[@Mr.Spectaculous]

You could improve your groups by shooting some foulers before you shoot for groups. Maybe five of each on the center before shooting the O'clock positions for score. I'd also pull a patch between ammo's but you could probably skip that since they have jackets. I like 20x magnification for anything more than 50 yards especially for scoring. But i'm also old. 17 is not a match gun caliber. The guys that buy them are killing machines not accuracy nuts. Not much ammo to choose from. I have several CZ's in 22LR that will do 1 moa with some cheap ammo but most will perform best in that .12 cents up and ammo. Thanks for the vid. I watched it on the Big Screen.

[@rimfiremore4947]

Yeah, I think if I were to redo it I would definitely need to shoot some foulers. I think I would like a higher power optic, because the 9x cross hair almost blocks out the target at that range. Thanks for watching!

[@chippyjohn1]

I have heard the 455 and 457 are not as accurate as the 452-453 version due to non-threaded barrel and other factors according to gunsmiths. Get a quality scope, so important. I have a 453 in 4.4HMR with a Meopta R1 4-16X44 and it shoots 10mm groups at 100metres with CCI 1.1 gram rounds all day. Never had any issue with needing to clean the barrel more regularly. With every rifle you have the lottery, no two rifles shoot exactly the same. Only downfall is wind.

[@coltonc8367]

Its an accurate rifle. I have one and I put 10 rounds down range at 100 yds and it shot .385" group

[@chippyjohn1]

@@coltonc8367 yds? .385"?

[@fridolfmane1063]

Wow i dont like the texture on the grip. Sjhould've sticked with the checkering. Cosmetics aside it looks like a neat rifle.

[@Villani-bn2ig]

I don’t think it’s the gun, every cz I’ve shot is very accurate, maybe you rushed it a bit or just had one of those days, can’t judge off one 5 round group especially if you shot sub Moa before with the same gun. Could be the scope needs a change or just some more trigger time.. good video cz makes amazing rifles! I would do a round 2 and let the barrel cool between brands of ammo, what do you have to lose you got the gun and Ammo just shoot make a second video. 🍻

[@rimfiremore4947]

Yeah, maybe I’ll do a round two. The scope is probably 15 years old so it might be needing a change. Thanks for the comments!

[@karlfawdrey5183]

Got to bed the round to the barrel first

[@michaelhopkins2221]

You need to learn the specs before you video. Invest in a scope, at least what the rifle cost. Learn how to properly set up scope also.

[@lumbearjack3722]

I think learning while videoing is great! If you feel like filming then do it!

[@jeffherron3844]

Scope is too big for that gun

[@rimfiremore4947]

Naa!

[@beauboydave]

I purchased a 17 some years ago, complete waste of money, absolutely useless for target shooting as you have to clean the barrel every 20 rounds, or it just won’t group. They won’t tell you this in the gun shop though!..

[@sofjanmustopoh7232]

The CZ American stock is very soft Shift in pressure or pressure location Can n will change the point of aim My CZ455 American shoot like crap Until I finally threw the stock away MDT 22 LSS chassis and Lilja barrel Finally got my 17HMR Consistently moa or sub moa

[@rimfiremore4947]

Good to know! Did you ever try bedding it or did you go straight to the MDT chassis?

[@sofjanmustopoh7232]

Boom Time i was going to pillar n bed but then I drop the stock and it has a crack line MDT LSS has clearance on gen 1 So MDT LSS got put on