Sighting In My CZ 457 – First Rounds and Impressions - East Ridge Outdoors

Sighting In My CZ 457 – First Rounds and Impressions

I had planned to test a few different types of 22 WMR ammo with the CZ 457, but my online order hadn’t arrived yet. 

But I couldn't let that stop me from getting out to the property.

What I Packed

For this trip, I kept things simple:

  • CZ 457
  • 2 × 50 round cases of 22 WMR - CCI Maxi Mag JHP
  • Paper targets
  • Staple gun

Packing a CZ 457, East Ridge Ammo Cases, a staple gun and paper targets

Setting Up at the Property

I've got a pretty basic setup out there:

  • A pallet for mounting targets
  • A picnic table that doubles as a shooting bench

I paced off 50 yards, found a young poplar tree, and leaned the pallet against it before stapling up 8 paper targets.

Back at the bench, I used a jacket and blanket for a forearm rest. Not perfect, but enough to get sighted in and closer to how I actually shoot in the field.

Shooting Bench setup for sighting in CZ 457 22 WMR

Getting on Paper

I walked in to about 25 yards first just to make sure I was hitting paper.

  • Took 3 shots
  • Made quick adjustments between each, including one overadjustment

First 3 shots sighting in a CZ 457 22 WMR rifle

After that, I felt confident enough to move back to 50 yards.

Dialing It In at 50 Yards

Back at the bench:

Fired 4 shots, making adjustments in between each and working toward the bullseye.

Sighting in a CZ 457 22 WMR RifleThen settled in and shot a final group of 6.

That last group came in at about 1.25 inches at 50 yards.

CZ 457 pattern after sighting in the scope

From a basic setup using a jacket and blanket, I was happy with that. 

Putting Some Rounds Through It

After getting it sighted in, I ran through the rest of the 50 round box.

Shooting CZ 457 22 WMR Rifle

At this point, I just wanted to get a feel for the rifle — get used to the trigger and work on my shooting.

Overall, the results were good — most shots were within about an inch, with the odd stray from operator error.

CZ 457 Sight In

First Impressions

Accuracy

The rifle is very accurate — more capable than my current setup.

If I want to tighten groups further, the biggest upgrade will be the gun rest. I’ll be ordering a proper forearm rest, but I’ll keep it simple. I’m not trying to turn this into a bench rifle — I want something that still reflects real field use.

Scope

The old Bushnell scope is clear, but I noticed:

  • It gets a bit finicky at 9x
  • Harder to stay perfectly dialed when zoomed in

If I’m planning to shoot small game out to 75–100 yards, I’ll need to upgrade to something in the 4–12x range. Nothing fancy — probably start with a budget option and see how it performs.

Feeding Issue

I did run into one issue:

  • The last 1–2 rounds in the magazine didn’t always feed smoothly
  • It felt like the bolt was locked up

I could force it through, but it’s something I’ll keep an eye on.

It could be:

  • the magazine itself
  • how it’s seated
  • or just needing a bit of break-in

Either way, something to watch going forward.

Final Thoughts

Even without testing multiple types of ammo, this was a productive first day with the CZ 457.

Next step will be testing different ammo and seeing what it prefers — but the CCI set a high bar.

For now, it’s sighted in and ready for a walk through the woods.

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