Nice Spring Walk - Back 40 with my CZ 455, .17 HMR Barrel

[Picher]

Not an earth-shaking experience, but a pretty nice Spring day for a walk in the woods with one of my favorite rifles. The .17 HMR fluted barrel replaced the .22 WMR that came with the used CZ 455.

Yesterday, the woods road was kinda soft/muddy, but I managed to walk along the grassy edge, about a half-mile to the blueberry fields. Didn't see any varmints to collect, but managed to shoot a few rounds of 17 grain Hornadys at some lichen patches on flat-faced rocks at various distances in the big field.

Temp was in the 50's and for the first time in several days, wind wasn't bad. Sitting on my old concrete bench, I shot a few rounds at boulders, kinda offhand from 80 to about 130 yards and was pleased to make some good "killing-groups" on them, estimated at about an inch or so. It was good to get outside, after a long Maine winter and thought I shot pretty well with my left elbow resting on my knee.

(The rifle has shot sub-MOA at 100 yards off the bench several times with that barrel and it's taken a few crows and a woodchuck the past year. I still have the .22 WMR barrel and quite a bit of ammo for it, but don't have much interest in shooting with it. It's nice to have an option, however.)

 

[Picher]

The scope on the CZ 455 has a "history". I'd used it for quite a while, but had given it to my son along with my old Rem 700 BDL, .30-06. One day, when he was getting ready to go deer hunting out-back, he leaned the rifle against the basement counter near the outside door while he went in another room to get something. When he got back, he saw the rifle lying on the floor, but didn't think about it.

He finished dressing to hunt and walked to his deer stand down back. In about a half-hour, a nice buck walked into the woods road about a hundred yards away. He took careful aim and shot. The deer didn't move, so he shot again, and again, and again, and again! It walked into the woods, but came out again, about 50 yards further. He loaded another round and fired a 6th shot as it walked slowly into the woods on the other side of the road, missing again!!

He brought the rifle to me, disgusted at missing the deer. I looked at it and saw that the objective had been bent, almost to the barrel. Then, he realized that the dog had knocked the rifle down. I happened to have a spare scope, so mounted it and we sighted it in.

Back at the house, I checked the scope and noted the bent objective, so grabbed my large rubber hammer and, setting the scope on a piece of cloth on the bench, gave it a few whacks to straighten it out until it looked good. I mounted it on a rifle and sighted it in and it was fine. It was the logical scope to mount on the CZ, until I got another, but it is still doing well. It's a pretty tough Bushnell!

 

[<*(((><]

I just picked up a CZ 457 Varmint in .17 HMR. Have it boresighted and quick zero to 35 yards right now (all the time I had at lunch), waiting for some free time to get it out and establish zero at 100 yards and test the 6 different ammos I have to see what it likes.

I boresighted it to 35 yards and the group (with CCI FMJ was really good but will reserve discussion when I see the 50 and 100 yard groups. I have the following ammo to test out for accuracy to see what it likes:



I’m hoping that it shoots the 17gr VMAX offerings well (for varminting) and can find either of the 20gr Gamepoint or XTP that it’ll shoot well (for foxes, badgers and the errant well placed coyote shot).

Just for those with HMRs the ammo situation is like this from what I’ve been told, read and experienced. There are two different ammo manufacturers for .17 HMR: CCI and Winchester.

CCI produces the ammunition for Hornady, Remington, Federal and obviously CCI. What I’ve read is all the polymer tipped bullets are the same (hornady vmax with different polymer tip colors) between all the above mentioned makes, so one should see similar results between those makes with the same bullets.

Winchester produces .17 HMR ammo for itself and the Browning line of .17 ammo. Most people have poor luck with Winchester manufactured ammo compared to the CCI offerings, I had similar experiences to the majority with my previous .17 HMR Henry that I sold years ago.

Here’s a few pictures of my CZ:




It wears a Burris Timberline 4.5-14x32mm with parralax adjustment down to 7 yards which is really nice. It’s a really good fit power and clarity for the 17 HMR. I’ve been told the reticle works well with the 17 HMR zeroed at 100 yards.

 

[Picher]

My rifle likes most batches of 17 grain Hornady VMax, but, like most rimfire ammo, some batches shoot better than others. Most batches will shoot MOA.

With the WMR barrel, I didn't find any ammo that would shoot at, or nearly MOA consistently at 100 yards and didn't obtain consistent expansion on larger varmints. It took several kill-zone shots on a small coyote to kill it at 25 yards.

 

[Picher]

I just picked up a CZ 457 Varmint in .17 HMR. Have it boresighted and quick zero to 35 yards right now (all the time I had at lunch), waiting for some free time to get it out and establish zero at 100 yards and test the 6 different ammos I have to see what it likes.

I boresighted it to 35 yards and the group (with CCI FMJ was really good but will reserve discussion when I see the 50 and 100 yard groups. I have the following ammo to test out for accuracy to see what it likes:

View attachment 835065

I’m hoping that it shoots the 17gr VMAX offerings well (for varminting) and can find either of the 20gr Gamepoint or XTP that it’ll shoot well (for foxes, badgers and the errant well placed coyote shot).

Just for those with HMRs the ammo situation is like this from what I’ve been told, read and experienced. There are two different ammo manufacturers for .17 HMR: CCI and Winchester.

CCI produces the ammunition for Hornady, Remington, Federal and obviously CCI. What I’ve read is all the polymer tipped bullets are the same (hornady vmax with different polymer tip colors) between all the above mentioned makes, so one should see similar results between those makes with the same bullets.

Winchester produces .17 HMR ammo for itself and the Browning line of .17 ammo. Most people have poor luck with Winchester manufactured ammo compared to the CCI offerings, I had similar experiences to the majority with my previous .17 HMR Henry that I sold years ago.

Here’s a few pictures of my CZ:

View attachment 835066
View attachment 835067

It wears a Burris Timberline 4.5-14x32mm with parralax adjustment down to 7 yards which is really nice. It’s a really good fit power and clarity for the 17 HMR. I’ve been told the reticle works well with the 17 HMR zeroed at 100 yards.

I just picked up a CZ 457 Varmint in .17 HMR. Have it boresighted and quick zero to 35 yards right now (all the time I had at lunch), waiting for some free time to get it out and establish zero at 100 yards and test the 6 different ammos I have to see what it likes.

I boresighted it to 35 yards and the group (with CCI FMJ was really good but will reserve discussion when I see the 50 and 100 yard groups. I have the following ammo to test out for accuracy to see what it likes:

View attachment 835065

I’m hoping that it shoots the 17gr VMAX offerings well (for varminting) and can find either of the 20gr Gamepoint or XTP that it’ll shoot well (for foxes, badgers and the errant well placed coyote shot).

Just for those with HMRs the ammo situation is like this from what I’ve been told, read and experienced. There are two different ammo manufacturers for .17 HMR: CCI and Winchester.

CCI produces the ammunition for Hornady, Remington, Federal and obviously CCI. What I’ve read is all the polymer tipped bullets are the same (hornady vmax with different polymer tip colors) between all the above mentioned makes, so one should see similar results between those makes with the same bullets.

Winchester produces .17 HMR ammo for itself and the Browning line of .17 ammo. Most people have poor luck with Winchester manufactured ammo compared to the CCI offerings, I had similar experiences to the majority with my previous .17 HMR Henry that I sold years ago.

Here’s a few pictures of my CZ:

View attachment 835066
View attachment 835067

It wears a Burris Timberline 4.5-14x32mm with parralax adjustment down to 7 yards which is really nice. It’s a really good fit power and clarity for the 17 HMR. I’ve been told the reticle works well with the 17 HMR zeroed at 100 yards.

 

[Picher]

Nice looking CZ 457! I've been thinking about buying one. Are you happy with yours?

 

[d2wing]

I am interested as well. Love CZ 452's. Been thinking about either a CZ 457 or Tikka T1.

 

[Picher]

My rifle likes most batches of 17 grain Hornady VMax, but, like most rimfire ammo, some batches shoot better than others. Most batches will shoot MOA.

With the WMR barrel, I didn't find any ammo that would shoot at, or nearly MOA consistently at 100 yards and didn't obtain consistent expansion on larger varmints. It took several kill-zone shots on a small coyote to kill it at 25 yards.

(BTW: A17 shoots lousy in my CZ, but excellent in my neighbor's Savage, so I gave her most of what I had.)

 

[<*(((><]

Nice looking CZ 457! I've been thinking about buying one. Are you happy with yours?

If you don’t mind that the finish is nitride rather than bluing, i would say that the 457 is a definite improvement over the 455. It has a tradition forward to fire safety, 60* bolt throw to clear more scopes and at least the Varmint model (maybe others too) comes pillar bedded.

Really good value in my opinion. I actually prefer the nitride for this particular rifle because it will see use in the field quite a bit and nitride is tough as nails.

 

[viking499]

I am interested as well. Love CZ 452's. Been thinking about either a CZ 457 or Tikka T1.

Me too. I have a Tikka T1X HMR on order, but no idea when it will come in. If I get impatient, I may have to go a different route, but would prefer one with a threaded barrel.

 

[Picher]

I just picked up a CZ 457 Varmint in .17 HMR. Have it boresighted and quick zero to 35 yards right now (all the time I had at lunch), waiting for some free time to get it out and establish zero at 100 yards and test the 6 different ammos I have to see what it likes.

I boresighted it to 35 yards and the group (with CCI FMJ was really good but will reserve discussion when I see the 50 and 100 yard groups. I have the following ammo to test out for accuracy to see what it likes:

View attachment 835065

I’m hoping that it shoots the 17gr VMAX offerings well (for varminting) and can find either of the 20gr Gamepoint or XTP that it’ll shoot well (for foxes, badgers and the errant well placed coyote shot).

Just for those with HMRs the ammo situation is like this from what I’ve been told, read and experienced. There are two different ammo manufacturers for .17 HMR: CCI and Winchester.

CCI produces the ammunition for Hornady, Remington, Federal and obviously CCI. What I’ve read is all the polymer tipped bullets are the same (hornady vmax with different polymer tip colors) between all the above mentioned makes, so one should see similar results between those makes with the same bullets.

Winchester produces .17 HMR ammo for itself and the Browning line of .17 ammo. Most people have poor luck with Winchester manufactured ammo compared to the CCI offerings, I had similar experiences to the majority with my previous .17 HMR Henry that I sold years ago.

Here’s a few pictures of my CZ:

View attachment 835066
View attachment 835067

It wears a Burris Timberline 4.5-14x32mm with parralax adjustment down to 7 yards which is really nice. It’s a really good fit power and clarity for the 17 HMR. I’ve been told the reticle works well with the 17 HMR zeroed at 100 yards.

Why did you cover the buttstock?

 

[<*(((><]

It’s a stock bag that has a zipper pocket that I keep a couple magazines, bore snake and ear plugs in.

 

[Picher]

It’s a stock bag that has a zipper pocket that I keep a couple magazines, bore snake and ear plugs in.

Sounds cool. I don't use anything that will add bulk to my rifles, preferring to carry it in a backpack, fanny pack, or pockets.

 

[Garandimal]

Sounds cool. I don't use anything that will add bulk to my rifles, preferring to carry it in a backpack, fanny pack, or pockets.

Always wondered about that, too.

Almost like the butt storage on a Garand.

See alot of ammo pouches on M1's, both rifle and carbine.

Seems like it would be handy on a single-shot.




GR

 

[Hookeye]

I got a 455 on sale last yr.
Thinking about swapping it over to .22 mag.
Cool little rifle.
Proly move my VX1 2-7X onto it if I don't trade the rifle.
Thinking an M8 6XAO would look good on my 10/22 light hunter

 

[mdThanatos]

Posts like these make me want to pick up a .17, but I have been talking myself out of it for the past few years. You all make it difficult I tell ya.

 

[Picher]

I got a 455 on sale last yr.
Thinking about swapping it over to .22 mag.
Cool little rifle.
Proly move my VX1 2-7X onto it if I don't trade the rifle.
Thinking an M8 6XAO would look good on my 10/22 light hunter

I have a .22 Mag factory barrel that I'd sell, since I like the .17 better. PM me if you'd like to buy it. Haven't thought about a price.