CZ 452 American. It’s stock, except for a trigger spring.
This sporty looking CZ 452 American was purchased, new, in the late 1980s as a hunting rifle. According to what I’ve been able to find, the CZ 452 was made from 1954 until 2009. In 2010, it morphed into a CZ 455, and in 2019, it became the CZ 457. After taking it hunting, I found that my Marlin Model 60 better suited my needs, so the 452 was repurposed into a range rifle for local shoots and postal matches. That was when you actually had to mail your targets in for scoring! The Internet has made that much easier!
Last year, it became a hunting rifle again, with a new four power scope. This time, I’m using a Hawke 4x32AO Mil Dot. Having a mil dot scope on a hunting 22 is silly, but the adjustable objective is a nice touch.
Hawke 4×32 AO Mil Dot reticle
It is time to find out which modern hunting ammunition works best from the CZ 452. It’s cold in central Ontario this time of year, but for short range encounters, I’ll test anyway. A few fps lost to the low temperatures don’t matter to me. It’s also the reason why I rarely check with a chronograph to see if the advertised velocity is what is written on the box. At 50 yards, it is unimportant. I have identified five hunting cartridges that I want to try. They are:
CCI 40 gr. Subsonic HP – 1050 fps
CCI 45 gr. Subsonic HP – 970 fps
Eley 38 gr. Subsonic HP – 1040 fps
Norma 40 gr. Subsonic HP – 1017 fps
Sellier & Bellot 40 Gr SubSonic HP -1020 fps
When you’re hunting, it’s impossible to know where the game will appear. I limit myself to 50 yards with a 22LR, Much less, if squirrels are the intended target. I learned that at the distances I hunt, subsonic ammunition is more accurate than all the HV cartridges I’ve tried. For squirrels, I use either CCI SV or SK Standard Plus.
A Short History of My CZ 452 as a Range Rifle
I was still in the air force and travelling around quite a bit. Because of that, my little rimfire sat in the gun safe for a few years, waiting for me to come home. In 1992, things changed. I was posted to the armament school in Borden, ON as an instructor. That meant no deployments. I could spend more time testing rifles and cartridges at the local range. I could also get back into shooting the local rimfire matches.
The rimfire benchrest guys at my new club told me that if I wanted to compete beyond the club level, that I would have to upgrade. I told them that I did not have the time or the funds to do that. The CZ was my relaxation.
I replaced a four power Weaver with a Mueller side focus 8-32 scope. It had a target dot reticle. The rifle was used primarily at 50 yards, so the reticle was perfect for what I needed. I wanted a clear, unobstructed sight picture and wasn’t going to spend $1000 on a scope for informal, weekend shoots!
The scope world was much less crowded back then. Competition target scopes weren’t on my radar and I couldn’t afford them anyway. The only cost effective glass was a 15 power Weaver, but I couldn’t locate one anywhere. My local gun shop said it would take months to come in. So much for that!
My rifle with a Mueller 8-32x44mm. It was a range rifle used for postal matches and local shoots.
The side focus was a new idea at the time. It was handy for dialing between 25, 50 and 100 yards. The glass was very clear. About the only thing that bothered me initially was the length and weight. As you can see in the pictures above, a loooong scope didn’t suit the CZ, but I was using it from a bench, so looks were a non issue.
The exact cost of the rifle and scope have faded from memory, but the package cost me around $500, all in.
Collecting Ammunition
About that time, I started collecting test ammunition. Anywhere there was a gun shop, I would drop in and pick through the rimfire stuff. I wanted standard velocity stuff for the CZ and high velocity ammunition for the Marlin. Since then, I have realized that high velocity cartridges aren’t necessary for rabbits, grouse, squirrels or even foxes, but I still have thousands of these rounds to shoot.
In Canada in the 1990s, regular 22 rimfire ammunition cost between $1.25 to $2.50 a box of 50. Target stuff was a little more. With some exceptions, even the fancier brands were affordable.
Assorted ammunition (left), Canadian made IVI 22LR (centre) and SK Rifle Match (right)
For hunting, I had a Marlin Model 60. It was less fussy about ammunition than the CZ. It liked IVI and American Eagle. It was also less accurate that the CZ, but where I hunted, game was always at short distances. The Marlin always got the job done.
The Latest Generation CZs – the 457s
CZ 457 – 22 WMR
I wouldn’t call myself a rifle snob, but I do like reliability and accuracy at a reasonable price. For me, that’s CZs and Tikkas. I own three CZ 22 rimfires and one Tikka T1x. In the next installment, we can look at the two latest CZs and see how they shoot. They do have several aftermarket add ons, but nothing wildly expensive. Both CZs are hunting rifles, but I upgraded the CZ 457 American for the range.
Here’s the Tikka T1x 22LR Gen 1 and Gen 2.
Tikka T1x Gen 1
Tikka T1x Gen 2
In case the picture is difficult to read, the Tikka likes RWS Special Match ammunition the best (so far). The 10 shot group measures 0.440 inches at 50 yards.
More to come.