Cartridge: 22 Long Rifle
Taking the heavy-barreled rimfire to the next level, the CZ 457 Match Target Rifle gets a bit more attention than the average 457 Varmint. Its Match chamber is cut to the tightest specification that CIP will allow, meaning it will perform impressively well with top-tier ammo. The MTR’s Turkish walnut stock is designed with ergonomics in mind, and its vertical grip has a comfortable palm swell and laser stippling for texture. A large, flat forend has dual QD studs for running a bipod and a sling, and wrap-around stippling gives much more grip for the forward hand.
The standard heavy-barreled version of the CZ 457, the Varmint has a .866” cylindrical barrel. Not only does the heavy barrel make for good harmonics, it also allows the Varmint to perform well with a wide variety of rimfire loads, translating into an accurate platform for shooting targets or getting game. Like all CZ 457s, it has an 11mm dovetail milled into the top of its receiver for attaching scope ringmounts. The stamped bottom metal of the 455 is gone, swapped for a classy two-piece interlocking system. To make scope fitment easier, CZ ditched the 90° bolt rotation in favor of 60°, allowing for larger ocular bell diameters with lower ring heights. To top it all off, the 457 now features a trigger adjustable for weight, creep and over-travel.
One thing that previous CZ rimfire platforms were lacking was an American-style push-to-fire safety — something Hunter’s Education instructors and 4-H shooting coaches have begged CZ to incorporate for years. Though that was the most obvious change, they also took the opportunity to tweak a load of small things at the same time. In addition to the receiver-mounted, push-to-fire safety, CZ chopped almost an inch of length from the action and slab-sided it to reduce its footprint and weight. With the exact same swappable barrel system as the 455 and the same reliable polymer magazine system, the 457 is without a doubt the best rimfire platform CZ has ever fielded.
WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
