Testing the accuracy of the new CZ 457 .17 HMR across 3 varieties of ammo: CCI 20 gr. HP, CCI 17 gr. V-Max, Winchester Varmint HV. at 25, 50, and 100 yards.
Just letting you know that this video has sold three of these rifles! One to me, one to my son and one to his wife! :) Thanks for a real world review and a down to earth shooting session!
I have the same rifle, CZ 457 American in .17 HMR, topped with a Leupold 3-9 VX II Scope. Shooting off sand bags up front and using a squeeze bag in back, using Hornady 17 gr. V-Max @ 100 yards, 3 shot groups go 1/2 or a shade under. Using CCI 20 gr. game points, same results. Often, this rifle shoots much better than 1/2 in at that distance, but at my age, I can't muster the consistent physical stability like I did in my younger days to keep those smaller groups coming in! When I'm not experiencing a "flare up" and am having a "good day" physically, I can make this rifle shoot exceedingly well with either ammo type out to 200 yards and a bit beyond for hunting small game and field shooting from field rest positions. I would buy this rifle again and would heartily recommend it to anyone in search of an accurate, quality rimfire rifle that will perform well under a variety of circumstance. It sits right beside my time tested and very accurate CZ 452 .22lr and BOTH rifle aren't going anywhere! ;)
I really appreciate the format of your videos. I like seeing the data, I like that you fast forward through the monotonous parts, and I like that you shoot well enough to do a real accuracy test and describe your conditions.
My sentiments exactly with the Winchester!! I still get split cases and the last box had about 50% failures. Even after loading the same round twice.....nothing. So no more Winchester for me.
I’m very satisfied with my Weihrauch HW66 Jagd-Match In 17HMR. With the CCI V-max it shoots ragged hole groups at 50 m all day long. At 100m about 10-15mm.
I like your no fluff style...don't think the Hornady would shoot any different than the CCI since it's made in the CCI plant with only the color of the tips and the package being different. But I am with you on the Winchester stuff... my Marlin does the same thing... poor feeding and poor groups. Great for a woodchuck at 40 yards but that's about it. I would be satisfied with the accuracy and consistency you got that day. within the cartridges envelope, it is a fine platform to use.
I have recently been working with a 457 Varmint in 17HMR. Im not impressed at all with how it shoots. The accuracy is dismal even after bedding it. I have gunsmithed for years and decided to start checking headspace and bore diameters etc. What I found was the bore is oversized from the SAAMI spec and the chamber is grossly reamed too deep. A fired case shows the extreme amount of how far forward the case shoulders shifted under expansion. That correlates to an extreme amount of bullet jump and increased chance of case neck separation. Check your fired cases against a loaded round to see if you have an over length chamber before you embark on accuracy work. And good luck with CZ if you do, they blew me off and did not care as long as it shoots 1.1" at 50 yards. Dont get the feeling CZ cares about QC or customers.....No more CZ for me!
S.E.K. Outdoors This is my first CZ. Not the best first time experience. What bothers me is a chambering operation is always checked with simple “go, no-go” gauges, it’s a common practice by any manufacturer on every barrel. It would have been easily detected when the no-go gauge bottomed out to the barrel face and then rejected. It raises a lot of questions as to the QC procedure at CZ. If I got one, how many others are slipping out. This thought deters me from wanting to chance buying another headache.
@@hunterBigE Update: I ordered and installed a Lilja 17HMR barrel and re-bedded the barrel support pad (Lilja barrel is .038" larger in diameter than CZ barrels). I went to the range to test it out and it was sustained 5-10mph wind and 20 mph gusts. I shot groups in between the gusts best I could. I noticed the Lilja prefers 20 gr loads over 17 gr V-Max or TNT. With the 20 gr loads I was able to shoot a few 5 shot groups at 3/8" at 50 yards and I had some groups of 4 shots touching at a 1/4" but would get a single flyer open them up to 1/2" to 5/8". It could have been the wind or the ammo, unfortunately flyers are inherent to the general inconsistency of all 17HMR ammo (especially Winchester). You cant even weight sort ammo to weed the flyers out....just nothing you can do about it. But it was a big improvement over the factory barrel with its best group of 5 shots scattered @ 1.3" at 50 when shooting on a dead calm day. I only shot at 50 yards as Ill wait for calmer conditions to see how it does at 100.
I'm with you Ballistician X. I have a 455 American in 22 Lr and it shoots amazing. The 457 on the other hand is very disappointing. Sprays the shots all over at 50 yds. Using CCI SV.
Try many different ammo brands. I went thru 20+ before I found out my 457 liked SK Match rifle, Eley Subsonic HP and Federal Match. These 3 shoot 1/2" groups @ 50yrs. Regards
Have issues as well with that Winchester 17 hmr ammo. I was getting split cases on average 4 out of 25 rounds. I stoped using it No problems with CCI or V-Max This is out of a Savage 93. Wood stock
I really enjoyed the video but this is exactly what 95% of people online do. They shoot 20 groups, take the best 2, subtract a flyer from each, and their gun is “sub 1/2 moa all day at 100 yards” lol. Then they wonder why they can’t shoot that good when their friends are there.
They went to a shorter 60 degree bolt rotation to gain clearance beteen the bolt handle and scopes with larger oculars. (This also allows scopes to be mounted lower in comparison to 452's/ 455's). The 457's shorter action correlates to a shorter cycle distance. I believe they took advantage of that by moving the bolt handle forward (long tail style) for a more natural point to come off the trigger to manipulate the bolt without the need to dismount the rifle for faster hunting follow up shots or in competition.
Honestly have no idea! When I feel it needs it I clean it which for me is not often! Kendal (guy in the video) cleans his more often have no idea on a shot count tho
Winchester is trash, duds and split case and inaccurate . Hornady and federal seem to be the way to go for me I’ve shot thousands of hornady Never had a split case or a dud!
CZs are good rifles but not the exceptional shooters that their fans make them out to be, watch the videos of stock CZ that are out there objectively, not wishing and hoping. The new CZ 457 line are just copies of the less expensive equally accurate better-triggered design masterpieces of Savage's Mark II heavy barrelled series. There is simply no proof of anything otherwise. The design theory behind the CZ ProVarmint supressor is the Savage Mark II FVSR. The only plus for the CZs are eyewash, for which you pay a lot.
Some rifles are gems, others leave something to be desired. The build quality of CZ compared to savage is obvious. Granted at the busines end of the gun that accounts for just about nothing. My CZ is beautifully built and deadly accurate. My mates savage is built like a kids toy, but the rabbits don't offer any complaints. They all get head shot just the same.