Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires CZ 457 American

Very nice looking setup Pappy. And how I love those Burris Mini 6X AO's. I should have bought more of them when they first came out.
Do you have a photo of the whole rifle?

Got a 457 a couple years back. Shoots well with proper ammo, but it did need a little trigger tuning.

What procedure did you use to tune the trigger.

I worded that wrong. I was curious if he used the factory trigger weight spring or a lighter one. And last, what pull weight does the trigger break at.

The weight adjustment screw did not have sufficient effects, so employed a Dremel grinder repeatedly shaving a little (very technical term) off the stock spring. I think it was 6 rounds of grinding and reassembly finally getting it right at 1.5 lbs (Chatillon DFX2 Series Force Gauge). This sustains the flats on each end of one's spring as opposed to clipping curls.

I've grown extremely fond of light triggers as I've aged with a couple two-stagers (Anschutz) down in the ounce range and several other rifles with set triggers. Such are extremely nice in our Belding Ground Squirrel fields, but one should sternly warn others before handing a unit over.

I advise others to very gently approach them from the side as opposed to blindly initializing one's pull from the front.

Had it out last night. I’ve found one way to temper my lust for something new is to fondle something I already have (and like!) a bit until the urge goes away.

BTW, though the trigger isn’t super light, maybe 2.5 lbs, it’s really crisp with perhaps the least after-travel of any I have.

Thanks for the write up 1minute, that was what I was wondering. Seems like a lot of factory triggers that are advertised adjustable won't make much difference when adjusted. Generally it takes modifying the adjustment spring or replacing it.

Wow Pappy, that is outstanding.
My first 22mag. I bought for Fox hunting way back when, was a Savage Anschutz 164M. My love affair with that rifle continues to this day. The stock on it looks very similar to the stock on Pappy's and is my favorite stock design. Thanks for posting that Pappy.

Do you fellas in the US & Canada get the 457 Beech Wood? maybe just an Aussie & N.Z. offering I have one in 22 magnum and its a fine little rifle 20" threaded barrel very traditional stock design, I think they were about $100.00 cheaper than the American . Here is a link at Winchester Australia you can get a look at it

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjbyMnzi-aDAxWfXGwGHbwPD4UQFnoECB0QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.winchesteraustralia.com.au%2Fproducts%2FCZ45722BW&usg=AOvVaw0EO9PIv1oZEupBWGlFbbGK&opi=89978449

well link didn't work, sorry

Johno

Yes to your question Johno. There are 2 offerings that I know of.......
https://grabagun.com/firearms/rifle...jaguar-beechwood-22-lr-28-6-5-round.html


https://grabagun.com/firearms/rifles/bolt-action-rifles/cz-457-scout-22lr-bl-wd-5rd-tb.html

The beechwood paints up just fine.....

That is a sweet setup Don and yes, you are right that the beechwood paints up just fine.

Picked mine up today and you are right about the mud colored finish. Appears Dad's and I will be spending some time together soon.

K22, can you post some pics of your rifle, please? The ones I saw, and almost bought, were very nice rifles. The finish was pretty nice. Damn near as nice as my 52 sporter. Thanks..

Yes I can. Mine would certainly not fit into the catagory of "finish was pretty nice". It is somewhat hard to see the wood grain for all the varnish stain. And I agree with 1minute on the trigger. From the factory mine broke at 4.25lbs. Take up was not bad, overtravel will need attention. After adjusting the pull weight screw all the way out with only 2 threads holding it in, the trigger broke at 3.5lbs. The trigger will require spring changes, that is for sure.
The stock feels very nice, so that is a big plus, the bluing is nicely done. The bolt is a bit gritty in the action, but no more than say the Ruger American is. Thankfully the safety operates correctly, LOL, and the bolt throw doesn't end up on the other side of the action. Overall I like it.
The plastic pillars had to be a bean counter idea. Why even bother to put in pillars especially if you are not going to add bedding. In opinion, pillars do not necessarily add to the accuracy of a rifle if that is what mainly supports the action. And plastic pillars do and will crush if action screws are torqued down in the plus 35 in.lb. settings. When I reassembled the 457 it was quite noticeable that the action was not sitting on the wood but mainly on the pillars. I had to use a .25 shim on both sides of the barrel to keep it straight in the forearm. Not a biggy, but would not be a necessary step if bedding compound had been used. So I'll drill out the plastic pillars and install aluminum ones then bed the action, something I would normally do to any rifle. Exceptions to that were with my Kimber K22's, Mauser 201, and KDF K22.
Now to find out if this rifle will feed and shoot.

Looking forward to your range report….FWIW I have done nothing to the 457s that I have and they all shoot extremely well. The only thing I have to do when I get the time is adjust the triggers some - they are serviceable but I like my off-hand rifles around 2lbs. The bedding hasn’t been messed with and I don’t really see the need - at this point? Anyway get some pictures of that rifle and the targets😁!! Hope she shoots like she should for you!!

BTW I was at a gun shop (very small one - Riethmillers Firearms) in western PA yesterday that had a huge display of ALL things CZ457. Had many models I wasn’t even aware of. My friend that was along ended up buying a laminate thumbhole target version with a brake…..held really nice!

Penndog

Geez Penndog, you sound like my boss. He said about the same thing when I told him my plans. In my defense, the corrections I listed are the very ones he would have done if the rifle was his. LOL After all, his business is high end custom rifle stocks. And now he/we build complete rifles doing all the machining in house.
He just finished setting up a CZ457 American in 22 mag. for a customer that shot groups at 50yds. I couldn't even imagine were possible. He used nine different types of 22mag. ammo and shot 5rd. groups. of which the largest was .450, most were in the .25 area. Guess I should add that he is a very good shooter, even won the 1000yd. shoots twice at Thunder Ranch. The other competitors were teased by Clint Smith because my boss used a factory Rem. SPS heavy barrel in 308 with factory Federal Gold Match ammo, but in a walnut stock we made. All the others competing were using synthetic chassis model stocks and custom barreled actions. It was the first time he had ever competed in 1000yds. shoot. LOL

I think I like your boss K22😄! All the things you did are “good” things to do - I’m usually just too lazy to do them! Then when I go out and shoot it and it shoots little bitty groups I don’t usually take the time to do them - the trigger is the lone exception - I don’t like a “heavy” trigger with ANY movement.

The biggest thing I’ve seen (and even more so when BSA set up his informal match a couple of years ago) is the ammunition - which most of us know - but I never really realized until I startled shooting 20 shots at wee little targets. The lots within good ammunition varied much more drastically than I ever imagined all those years shooting off-hand and at squirrels where if I got a good 5-shot group where I intended I was extremely happy.

I’m hoping that CZ of yours shoots like it should!! (When do you think you’ll get a chance to shoot it?)

PennDog

Excellent info. That sounds like something I'd glass bed, just to stabilize the action in the stock. Sounds like it really needs it.