Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires School me on the CZ452

I've only shop pump and lever 22's to date. I've only recently become familiar with the CZ452. What is your experience and what are your thoughts on them for a bolt 22. One comment I read was that the Savage gives it a run in terms of accuracy but at a lot less money. Help educate me here
Thanks

The 452 and 455 are my favorite 22's that's currently being made for a reasonable piece. I've got several and all are super accurate and feel like a quality built gun.

IMO the best bolt action 22 available for the dollars.

Downside - trigger may be crappy but it is an easy fix if you are handy. Quite often they barrel channel may need opened slightly to keep from touching the barrel.452

Upside - generally very accurate, I have two Americans and both shoot groups nearly as small as my Cooper.

drover

Very nice. The ones I've shot are very accurate. You can spend less and get good results with a savage. It won't be quite as good looking though, if you care about such things.
-Jake

The Savage generally shoots well but looks and feels like a cheap made rifle. Go check out the CZ forums at www.rimfirecentral.com

I highly recommend you read all the stickies over there in the CZ forum and then buy a 452 or better yet a 453 if you can find one. I prefer either to the 455,though it is not a bad rifle.

I believe there is a beautiful 452 22 mag in the classifieds with extra magazines and a trigger job.

Thanks for all the replies. I looked at some yesterday. Now to decide between the American or the Trainer

Trainer if you want to play with iron sights American if you want to shoot with a scope only. The Trainer tangent sights are excellent. I was able to hit a 12 ounce can every time at 25, 50 and 100 yards just by adjusting the ramp to those respective marks.

Thank you so much. That answers a lot of my questions. Your insight is very helpful.

I have one in 22 lr and also one in 22 WMR. I seldom shoot over 50 yds. and have no trouble hitting a nickel size target with either if I have my trigger stik or a good solid rest of some kind.
I also have a Savage in 17 HMR.
It has the hvy. barrel and thumbhole stock and so would be expected to drive tacks and does.
I think the CZ has nicer wood and blueing than Savage but for accuracy I think you'll be happy with what either will do right out of the box.

I bought mine about 13 years ago and it shoots just fine the way it came. Trigger is very good and like all CZs it is very well made. Mine is the heavy barrel Varmint version. Some people don't like the saftey because you set it back to fire instead of forward. I just think of it as cocking a hammer before you fire.

Get a 452 American.. in my eyes the best rimfire rifle, no matter price range today.

Built like a real rifle!

The 452 is discontinued. it is a great gun and worth hunting down, but; not an easy order and pick up situation. And any used gun is a bit of a gamble. I own two and they both look great and shot as well. That is 1 minute of angle in both my 22LR and 22mag. And again, bright blue, good wood grain and classic good looks.

The 455 is a bit downgraded in dull finish as well as design simplification. I consider the 455 a fine rifle. I just dont own one. The plus side is easy after market barrel replacement. That is lot more money for more accuracy and opportunity to correct for any head space or barrel fitment issues. You need a lathe and gauges to do this right. Just dropping in a barrel not a good idea. IMHO,

The triggers on both models is very good for what you expect today. And very very easy to upgrade. And low cost to replace a spring and adjust.

A word on stocks. There are a lot of choices which is great. But a LOT of mistakes made as a result. There are hog back stocks on lux , trainer and full stock rifles that work correctly with iron sights and iron sights ONLY. You DONT select a stock for style, you choose for function. The American and Varmint stocks are proper for scope mounting and do not come with iron sights. There are some other special stock worth considering, You wont see many makers off this variety in stocks, barrels and sighting. Not goofy style and color options - real functional options.

There is now a 455 stainless.

Plus 1 on the 452 CZ. I would also look at the 452 FS if you can find one. The 452's that I have owned have all been as accurate as needed for the task at hand. Plus 0 on the 455 as I don't own one.

I have two 452 American in 22lr and one in 22mag. I also had one in 17hm2 for several years. All of them have great triggers (after minor adjustment) and shoot extremely well with a variety of ammo. They are very easy on the eyes and very well made in my opinion. I find myself grabbing one of the CZ's from the safe the majority of the time when I go squirrel hunting. This says something as I also have a Kimber 82, a Rem 541T and Anschutz 1422. I like my 452's a lot and buy them whenever given the chance. They are typically priced well below where their price point should be given their performance.

Super accurate and affordable rifles.

Fantastic rifle. Worth more than they cost!

I have 3 452's .22lr. .22 mag. & .17 hmr .. They are all shooters.. Bought them a used... Have a couple target .22's but misty use the CZ.. You can't go wrong with one.

With a flush magazine and forward operating safety, I'd consider one. Those I've shot are quite accurate for the money spent.

very accurate. YoDave trigger kit takes care of any issues with the trigger. have three and love them.

very good YoDave install tutorial on rimfire central:

YoDave Install - click here

I own one. I love it. I stoned the trigger myself. Not an easy job however.

I have two Ulta Lux and American, both 452 very good shooters. Have not had the best luck with the triggers. Changed spring ( ace #144) in the American light pull but a lot of creep, have not tried yo dave or can shimming .

I've listened to all the positive things you all had to say and went ahead and bought it. It's a LH with sights so assume it's a trainer. Came with rings and an inexpensive bushnell scope. Wood appears to not be walnut but there isn't a mark on either the wood or metal. Now to find the time to go through it and take it out and shoot it. Thanks all of you for your input

NE,

Good for you..My 2016 RH m452 .22LR American is my favorite rimfire..

Be sure and lubeicate the bolt well..After a while it will break in and be very smooth.

Great little guns

453 American 22lr - best of the lot I've owned. V. accurate with several types of ammo (new)
453 Varmint 22lr - it's ok. good (not great) accuracy with expensive ammo (used)
452 Trainer 22lr - good shooting rifle with Std Velocity Open irons rocked until my eyes started taking a crap on me.Accurate with a scope too, but with the 453 American it sees little play time.(used)
452 Varmint 22lr - Decent accuracy, won't write home about it. Went down the road,. Noew owner likes it. (new)
452 American 17HMR - POS. 2" at 50 yards, different scopes. Wrote CZ and they told me to Phuqk off, but did give me the number to an outfit that would re-barrel it. No use throwing good money after bad. Shame, since the CZ American is one of the nicest rimfire rifles out there for the cash. (used)

I will shoot my 452 American LH on Sunday in a benchrest match that is held monthly at our club. It usually wins or close to it, and sometimes beats rifles in the Custom class. Stock except for pillar bedding (by me) and a trigger job. Wolf Match Extra ammo.

Paul

i'm sure you have made your purchase by now,if not get on it man due to the 452 action being phased out, but i think the biggest accolades a rifle could have is that there is a pattern in most of the positive posts above. Most CZ 452 men have multiples including me. that outta sell a 452 right there because who buys multiples of not satisfactory guns................none of us! My addiction,thats a negative word but very fitting here just ask the guys and gal over on the CZ sub forum of rimfirecentral.com, started with getting my son the 452 scout "kid" rifle. Ha, the gun has shot a <.5" 5 shot group at 70 yds and with regularity shoot .5" 5 shot groups at 50 yds with most standard/sub sonic ammo. After shooting my boys rifle i was hooked on CZ's and now own (7) 452 and (1) 453 action american's in .22lr and .17hmr. All shoot at least .5" 5 shot groups with boring repeatability. I say all this to say i don't think you would be sorry if you purchased a 452 american of GB as they still have em NIB there for now.
good luck and let us know what you decide on,
Big Ed

I threw them an offer and they took it. I haven't had a chance to shoot it but hope to real soon

nice bud!! which model of 452 did you get???

I have three 452 FS rifles in 17HMR, 22LR, and 22MAG that shoot good, but blued CM is a sub-optimal choice in humid Nebraska, so I mostly shoot stainless/synthetic or stainless/laminated Marlin bolt guns. I also have a few Savage Mark IIs and 93s, but tend to like the Marlins better.

FWIW if you like customs, this is what I did to my 452 17 HMR. I spent a lot of money and a lot of hours but I'm pleased with the results. I shoot it in rimfire matches during the summer and take it hunting in the fall.

Dick, I probably don't need to tell you......but I will anyway. That stock is absolutely beautiful!

Thanks. I got really lucky. A friend sold me the blank for what he paid for it years ago.

That stock is a home run!

After reading all the hoopla about the 452's on the fire I bought one to replace a Browning Gold Medallion .22 rimfire. Was disappointed that the CZ didn't shoot as accurately as the Browning. Even after adjustment the trigger on the CZ can't begin to compare to the Browning trigger. The backward safety didn't bother me as I usually only shoot the .22 from the bench at the range so the safety is never used any way.

Jim

In the last almost 40 years, I have owned and bench tested over a dozen Jap Made Miroku Browning and Winchester rimfires ( A-bolts, BARs , BPRs,Auto-22s,M52s ,1885s etc) and an equal number of CZ-USA m452s (Lux , Ultra Lux , Varmint, Trainer, American and FS).

I can tell you this regarding accuracy , your experience is the opposite of mine .It is the exeption that proves the rule.
No factory makes 100% tack drivers- even Anschutz has made some dogs.

Sorry you drew the short straw with your particular CZ..

How many kinds of ammo did you try? It makes a huge difference. I've got some that won't group under 1" at 50 yds. Also some that will let me shoot groups at 50 yds. where all the bullets touch. I used a Yo Dave kit and my trigger is much better than you have a right to expect... very crisp and only a few ounces.

X2 on Mr.Wright's post.
Did you only adjust the stock trigger ,or did you use the Yo Dave kit to remove the creep? My 453 will shoot 5 shot groups under .25 at 50 yards with good target ammo.

Can anyone comment on the CZ 452 Super Match? I haven't noticed this model mentioned here. I'm guessing they are generally good shooters. I'm ready to pull the trigger on one of these. Any thoughts.

I think they are bssically the same gun as the Ultra Lux with the 28" barrel.
The only difference is the barrel markings and the 12 groove rifling.

I only adjusted the stock trigger. Don't know if the Yo Dave parts are available here in Canada due to restrictions on stuff coming out of the US. Haven't tried real high priced ammo, just used the same various types previously used in my Browning which shot so well.

Jim

Jim,
Have you tried any Wolf Target kr SK Jagd Standard Plus?
What model of 452 do you have?

No. Am not sure if this is available around here. I can't remember ever seeing any of that.

The receiver is marked CZ 2E ZKM

What is the mgf date? That would be the two digit number usually at the breech on the left.

I just googled and can't find an address. You might Email the Yo-dave folks and find out but I was thinking it came from Canada. Seems like the kit cost me $20 and well worth it. Lots of info at www.rimfirecentral.com in the CZ forum. Don't give up on it though .I have a 1416 Annie that will shoot 3/4" to 1" 50 yard 5 shot groups with some HV ammo but one hole just barely larger than a .22 bullet hole with the high priced Eley it likes.

Yep,I just looked again at the Yo-Dave site in the shipping section and they say they air mail every day out of Canada.

As stated I used the Yo Dave kit and installed it myself.

FWIW my gun is a 17 HMR. I think .22 LR match ammo is generally more accurate than any available 17 HMR. I really wish that Eley or RWS or Lapua would make 17 HMR. I also wish we could get moly coated bullets for the 17HMR. The jacketed bullets available make cleaning a lot more difficult than good .22's. Cleaning for moly is a snap compared to jacketed bullets and, in my experience, if done right, works better.

My 452 doesn't have a two digit number on the left or the right.

Matter of fact the only numbers on it are the serial #......

Bullschit.

You need to look on the barrel then.

They used to have a two digit year code on both the barrel and the reciever at breech end on the left side.

I notuced on my 2016 made 452 American the "16" is on the RIght side of the barrel shank along with the proof marks.. Try looking there.

Found it. It says "16" which makes since because I bought it last Dec.
When I looked at it last night I thought it was just another proof mark due to poor lighting and even poorer eye sight.

Ditto.........you will not beat them for the price paid, I have an early production 452 Trainer right now that shoots really well, best one I have ever owned. I have owned over 20 CZ 452's and only had one that wasn't as accurate as it should be.

Sorry for late reply, I've been away. My gun doesn't have any numbers of the type mentioned. I purchased the gun as new about 4 years ago. That is the closest I can come to aging it.

Jim

Don't matter. Try the Yo-dave for a great trigger and try some quality ammo. If it still won't group well,check scope and mounts. If it is the gun,sell it and try another 452. It's not the platform that's bad.