Taking My Converted CZ 457 .22 LR to the Range

When I bought my CZ 457, it was chambered in .22 WMR. At the time, I had no intention of converting it to .22 LR. But after learning how simple and affordable the conversion was, I figured it was worth a try.

After the conversion, I was looking forward to seeing how the rifle would perform in its new caliber.

On my first free Saturday, I packed the rifle, an ammo box filled with Federal Champion bulk ammunition, a stack of paper targets, and my staple gun before heading out to the property.

Since the rifle needed to be sighted in with the new barrel, I figured I might as well use inexpensive bulk ammunition to get started.

First Impressions

One thing I wondered about before making the conversion was how the rifle would look and feel with the shorter .22 LR barrel.

The original .22 WMR barrel is six inches longer, and I wasn't sure if the shorter .22 LR barrel would make the rifle feel unbalanced or look out of place.

As soon as I picked it up, those concerns disappeared.

The rifle still handled well, felt balanced, and looked like it came from the factory that way.

Sighting It In

Since the rifle now had the shorter barrel, I expected to have to sight the scope in again.

I started at 25 yards and was pleasantly surprised when the first shot landed only a few inches low and slightly left. A few adjustments later, the rifle was shooting right where I wanted it.

Well... almost.

As I finished sighting in the rifle, just as I squeezed the trigger, a horsefly decided it was the perfect time to take a bite out of my back. The result was a single shot about an inch and a half high.

Another benefit of living in Manitoba. If it's not winter, it's bug season.

Normally I'd fire a 10 round group to confirm the zero, but this trip had another purpose.

Ready for Ammo Testing

With the rifle sighted in, it was finally time to see what it could do.

Rather than spending more time confirming the zero, I hung fresh targets and started my first ammunition test with Federal Champion bulk .22 LR. 

I'll cover the results of that test in a separate blog, but I was excited to finally begin what I originally converted the rifle for—finding out which .22 LR loads it shoots best.

Final Thoughts

After a successful conversion and a smooth first day at the range, I could already see why the CZ 457 platform has earned such a loyal following.

The rifle handled just as well as it had in .22 WMR, the shorter barrel never felt out of place, and the conversion was a success.

Now the fun really begins.

Over the coming months, I'll be putting a wide variety of .22 LR ammunition through this rifle, comparing everything from inexpensive bulk loads to premium target ammunition. I'll also be testing the rounds in my Henry lever action to see how two very different rifles compare.

I'm looking forward to seeing which ammunition each rifle prefers.