Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires CZ 453 in 22LR= absolute satisfaction

Does the safety still operate backwards, compared to other firearms anyway? That always bugged me.

Also how about scope mounting? Are higher rings than normal required to clear the bolt handle or something? I kind of remember something like that when I first started looking at them.

One in 22 mag would be tempting...

Yes... the safety on the CZ452s/453s operate in the opposite direction of many other popular rifle brands, but so what?

I've never used the safety on my CZ453 and I doubt that very many others use it as well.

Ron T.

Ron T hit it on the head!

Had a CZ 17 MK11 and I couldn't like the saifty, so I sold it.

Just bought a CZ Scout.(favorite porch gun) and don't chamber a round 'till I'm ready to shoot.

Sure wish I'da kept the 17 MK11.

Virgil B.

I was looking for a CZ 453 sometime ago. Problem is, where do you find them? CZ stopped making them last year and everyone seems to be holding on to the ones they have. I do have a question though. Are the new CZ 455 varmits as good of a gun? Other than the set trigger.

I've never used the safety on my Kimber either but the CZ always bugged me, that's what. Now what about the scope/bolt clearance issue?

I'm not knocking the CZ just hoping they may have made some refinements since they've almost doubled in price. I could use another 22 mag.

TWR...

As to the safety issue, my friend... if you can't live with it, then it's probably best that you don't buy a CZ. Life is too short to live with being constantly "bugged".

As concerns the scope mounts/bolt clearance, it wasn't an issue for me since I mounted a good quality 4-12x40 A/O center-fire rifle scope on my CZ453 .22 rimfire rifle to "match" the same model & brand of scope I had installed on my Ruger #1 International (aka "RSI") in 7x57mm with the after-market Kepplinger Single-Set Trigger I had my gunsmith install in the Ruger #1.

These two rifles are "companions"... i.e., when one goes to the rifle range, so does the other due to the long "cooling off period" required by the RSI's short, light 20-inch barrel.

The Ruger #1 RSI in 7x57mm is capable of shooting some very tight little groups, but ONLY from a barely warm or "cold" barrel. The RSI's barrel heats up with just a single round fired through it... and on the hot summer days, it has taken as long as 15 minutes for the RSI's barrel to cool back down to "just barely warm" after a shot.

As a result, after I fire a single shot out of the RSI, I put it aside for the barrel to cool off and shoot several 5-shot groups with the CZ453 which is as much alike the Ruger #1 (single-set triggers, same scope on both rifles, etc.) as I can make it.

Thus... it gives me something to do rather than just sitting there "baking" in the sun while the Ruger's barrel cools off... and therefore, I can get additional practice in good trigger control, breathing, shooting between heart-beats, etc., etc.,... those skills which necessarily must be constantly used and "honed" as close to perfection as possible in order to shoot the smallest groups possible.

And so, to address your question as to the scope mounts/bolt lift on the CZ, due to the 40mm diameter of the scope's A/O turret, the scope must necessarily be mounted high enough for the scope's objective turret to "clear" the rifle's heavy barrel. Thus, this higher, necessary scope mounting eliminates any problems or issues with the scope interfering with the bolt-lift.

Of course, a center-fire scope with A/O makes perfect sense on a high-quality, extremely accurate .22 rimfire rifle like the CZ453 since one can adjust "out" any parallax using the Adjustable Objective ("AO") (front) Turret on the scope.

Therefore, regardless of the range at which I shoot the CZ453 .22 rimfire rifle, I can adjust any possible parallax "out" of the scope at ANY given range from 15 yards to infinity which, in turn, allows me to achieve the MAXIMUM accuracy of which BOTH the rifle and I am capable of shooting.

As you should now readily understand... all of the above effort and expense of adding a $250 Kepplinger Single-Set Trigger to the Ruger #1 single shot rifle and mounting a high quality scope with A/O on it which cost almost as much as the CZ453 rifle itself cost then begins to make perfect sense, does it not?!?

We shooters tend to struggle for fine accuracy in our rifles... and some of us "struggle" a bit more or a bit harder than others... and as you can see, the "accuracy bug" bit me pretty darned good many, many years ago.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Wow, I guess I stepped on some toes, didn't mean to.

Let me explain, I have a buddy who has a few CZ's and he's modified the bolts to clear instead of using high rings. He even has 2 BRNO's and I know the guns are quality. With the addition of 2 newer models I simply wondered if anything has changed. Especially since the price has gone up considerably.

I noticed RJM's first pic looks to have a decently mounted scope but the others I see look to be too high, not what I like for the accuracy minded.

And yes I understand centerfire scopes with A/O's.

Sorry for the questions.

TWR...

Since I didn't know how much knowledge you had concerning "A/O scopes", I had to give a rather detailed explanation of them and other things to insure you fully understood my comments.

However, I honestly wasn't trying to be a smartazz in saying "so what" concerning the backward safety on the CZs since it seems to "bother" a good many folks, but as I wrote... it doesn't bother me because I have never used the safety on my CZ since I make only deliberate shots and single-load the rifle when shooting from the bench-rest which is the ONLY way I shoot the CZ.

If I were to hunt squirrel with it and carry it in the woods, then the backward safety would probably "bug" me as well. But... happily, that's not how I use it.

In any event, I hope you didn't read any "hard feelings" into anything I wrote since there were no "hard feelings" or irritation on my part in any way... and my rather detailed explanations were due to my lack of knowledge concerning your level of expertise rather than any attempt on my part to address you like you were asking dumb questions.

Your questions where valid as far as I was concerned... and I hope you didn't mis-understand the detailed explanations I gave to you. My purpose was only to insure you understood why I even bought the CZ in the first place which was, as I wrote, as a "companion piece" to my Ruger #1 RSI.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

No problem, I really would like a CZ in 22mag, the safety doesn't bother me as much as having to mount a scope too high, thus my questions. I just need to get to a shop that carries them and see what the differences are in the 452, 453 and I guess a 455?

I have the 453 in the varmit. It shoots the CCI Blazers really well for cheap ammo. As you say the wolf match will really shoot at 50 and 100. Mine has real good looking wood onitand fit and finish is awesome. I shot some Eley out of it and it did not shoot as good as the wolf match. Sure do like CZ's

TWR,

I have a 452 American in .22 mag. I have it scoped with a Burris FF2 3x9x40 in a set of Burris deluxe medium rings. There is no problem with bolt clearance.

Thanks aboltfan. If you fella's wouldn't mind, how about some pics???

Anyone with a CZ 22 mag?

TWR..that is my one problem with CZ rifles...the bolt throw is too high... Using a Leupold scope like is on the 16" above it was not a problem but using a scope with a larger ocular bell like the Shepherd necessitates the use of high rings...

How did your friend modify his bolts..., cut and reweld of just do some judicious grinding??

Bob

I'll have to ask him what he did, he had talked of both grinding and bending but it's been too long ago.

I agree about the bolt throw height. It forces you to use fairly high rings. But otherwise, they are very good 22 rifles. Been thinking about getting one in 22WMR.