Sighting In My CZ 457 .22 WMR with a New Scope
It was another rainy Saturday, but we decided to head to the property anyway.
I needed to drop off my new tow-behind flail mower, and my oldest was excited to try out his new Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.
I decided it was also a great opportunity to sight in the new 4-16x44 scope on my CZ 457 .22 WMR.
After spending nearly an hour unloading the 500-pound mower and then letting my oldest put a hundred BBs on paper, everyone was soaked and ready to head home.
I knew I'd have to make this sight-in quick.
Improvising a Shooting Rest
It wasn't until I unpacked the rifle that I realized I'd forgotten my front and rear shooting rests.
No problem.
An old blanket and camper pillow from the truck would have to do.
I brought along an ammo box with several different brands of ammunition.
I started with Federal 50 gr JHP.
These rounds didn't perform particularly well during my previous ammunition test, so I figured I'd use them to get close before switching to CCI Maxi-Mag 40 gr JHP to finish the job.
Getting on Paper
I used my tried and true method of starting at 25 yards.
The first shot landed low and left.
One shot at a time, I adjusted the scope upward and to the right until I was satisfied enough to move back to 50 yards.
The first shot at 50 landed high and right, but it was on paper.
Perfect.
Or so I thought.
After an adjustment, the next shot landed so far low and left that, had I not already tested this Federal ammunition, I might have blamed the scope.
I didn't trust that shot to represent where the rifle was actually shooting so I only made a small adjustment.
I finished the magazine, producing a rather ugly three-shot group measuring roughly two inches.
Fortunately, the group ended up just below the bullseye, exactly where I wanted it before switching ammunition.
Time for the Good Stuff
Now it was time to use ammunition I knew I could trust.
I grabbed an ammo case of CCI Maxi-Mag 40 gr JHP.
My first shot landed left of the bullseye.
That one was on me.
I've become a little spoiled shooting from my normal front rest and rear bag, and the makeshift setup wasn't nearly as stable.
Time to focus.
The next two shots landed in the bullseye.
Two more rounds emptied the magazine.
One hit the bullseye, while the other landed just above it.
The final four-shot group measured just over half an inch.
Good enough.
A Successful Sight-In
By the time I packed everything up, I was completely soaked and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Not exactly ideal shooting conditions, but we still call this nice weather in Manitoba.
Still, the rifle was zeroed, and that's all I had set out to accomplish.
Now it's time to see what the CZ 457 and its new scope can really do.