Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Boyd's Pro Varmint stock opinions

Looking at getting a Pro Varmint stock for a CZ 457 Varmint. Anybody have one - not just for a CZ but any rimfire that fits it?

On line reviews seem pretty good but I wanted to check with the cognescenti here at the fire. I figure it should work okay but mostly looking for any real gotchas to watch out for. The 457 uses that removable recoil lug at the back of the action, kind of like a Tikka T3x except theirs is at the front, and Boyd does supply that lug with their stock so you don't have to remove it from the CZ factory stock.

Kind of wish the forend was flatter but that's not a deal breaker.





Looked at an AT-One but just not interested, don't really need adjustable LOP and comb height, just a slightly higher comb than the CZ factory Varmint stock coupled with a more vertical grip.

If you can't roll with the Sporter- like ergos of the CZ Varmint, then I think the Boyd's Pro Varmint is a very cost effective alternative.

It is a good design- so good that CZ-USA uses the black painted version on their Pro Varmint 457 model. The comb is not super high, so if you are sensitive about a firm cheek weld, you will either need to get that scope mounted low over the bore or order the adjustable comb option.

The only issue I have is Boyd's themselves. Their Q.C. can be spotty at times (both order accuracy and inletting) .They also can be real azzhats in terms of customer service when they screw up.

By and large, they are worth taking a chance on. Just make sure you pay them with a credit card

Nothing a file or sand paper wouldn't fix.

I've always liked the looks of the pro varmint. The AT1 makes me throw up a little in my mouth.. I've shot rifles with the pro varmint, they work very well off the bench. Which I'm assuming that is what you are wanting the rifle for? If just for hunting, I'd leave the factory stock on. As with most boyds stocks, they are heavy. I generally run the boyds rimfire hunter stocks on my rimfires. However, I need mine to react a little quicker for some of my clubs shoots: Speed and accuracy are key factors. The pro varmint is heavier and slightly bulkier, so it doesn't swing as quickly. I'm talking, shooting 5 golf balls hanging from strings in 2 seconds or less. It is likely that is not your intention though. Still for the money, Boyd's stocks are damn hard to beat. I prefer them, for my rimfires, over most other stocks on the market. For shooting still targets with the intention of small groups, the pro varmint will work great and fits most shooters well. You can order it to your lop requirements and even ad an adjustable comb, for an additional $67, if you need it.

Thanks for the recommendations, what y'all said is pretty much in line with what I was thinking - good stock for the money. Had a Montana 1999 that came from the factory with a Boyds Prairie Hunter stock. Nothing outstanding about it but it was a good, very usable stock and I could find nothing to criticize about it.

Just ordered a Pro Varmint in the most basic no frills design which is a duplicate of the CZ factory product; black textured paint, 13 3/4 LOP, 1/2" recoil pad. I figure if they chose that configuration for their offering it's good enough for me. Total plus shipping is $180 which isn't bad at all - the shipping at just under 12 bucks was the same or less than some folks charge for little dinky 2 oz. items.


Now the wait begins...

Here is my Don Smith custom CZ 455, freshly dipped, in the Pro Varmint. Love the entire package. It has served me quite well these past two years in NRL22, NRL22X and two of the NRL22 National Championship matches.

That is a sexy rifle. I'm sure it shoots every bit as good as it looks. To the op, I plan on getting a stock just like the one you did, except I'm trying to decide which color of laminate to go with. They are a very aesthetically pleasing stock. My new rifle is a Savage mkII FVT. I'll just be shooting its factory irons though, as I scoped my MKI FVT single shot for competing in the local know your limits shoots we have. This new Savage looks like it's going to be a good shooter. The only thing I've done to it is polish out the bolt for smoother operation and clip a few coils off the trigger spring to lighten the trigger pull. Anything in the 2-2.5 pound pull works good enough for me.



For chidts and giggles here's how it shoots at 50 yards with its factory irons..:

I screwed up the second shot, but the 3rd shot made up for it... Shooting at that small of a target with irons is a chore!! Not that the Savage is any better than your CZ. CZ makes a better slicker product, but there aren't really too many flies on the Savage in terms of how they shoot and function. Post some pics of your rifle and let us know how it shoots after you get that stock on it. Thanks!!!

GSSP that rifle looks like a really good project. What did you go with for the barrel? The stock looks great with the custom dip finish. Thanks for posting.

I have the stock on both my Tikka T1X rifles, 17HMR and 22LR. I like it. I ordered them at the same time and specified pillar bedding on both, Boyd’s screwed it up and I had to deal with getting it fixed.