CZ 457 Ammo Test - .22 WMR

East Ridge

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Wanted to see what ammo my new CZ 457 in 22 WMR likes best​
Tested 5 round groups at 50 yards​
  • CCI 40 gr JHP
  • Remington 40 gr JHP
  • Federal 50 gr JHP
CCI shot well - groups under an inch​
Remington shot very well - bullet holes all touching, within 1/2"​
Federals shot very poorly - all over the place with major vertical stringing​
Any other brands worth testing?
Prefer to stick to 40 gr or larger if possible.​
 
Try the 33gr Remington Accutip. Most consistantly acurate round across 3 different WMRs I have had. Also MaxiMag Target. Best of the MaxiMags for accuracy. Cannot speak for terminal effects; that's a different question...
 
Try the 33gr Remington Accutip. Most consistantly acurate round across 3 different WMRs I have had. Also MaxiMag Target. Best of the MaxiMags for accuracy. Cannot speak for terminal effects; that's a different question...
I haven’t tried the Rem 33 grain yet. My Steyr prefers the Maxi Mag small game vs the Maxi Mag target.
 
I have a CZ 457 Varmint in 22WMR,

Best groups average close to .25" at 50 Yards with CCI 40gr JHP and CCI 40gr Game Point - consistently both about the same for repeatable accuracy.

I did install a Timney trigger in this gun and set it at 8oz on my trigger pull gauge.

Also poor results with the Federal 50gr load - possibly too heavy considering twist, velocity and deceleration in the transonic range.

I think that the 50gr load could be under-stabilized being 20 per cent heavier than 40grs in the standard twist rate.

But I got better results with Federal 40gr loads, close to CCI but never as good.

I find that whether I'm shooting 22LR or 22WMR best results are always obtained in this rifle with 40 gr loads using top quality ammunition.

I found that Winchester 40gr WMR is a waste of money for me and I don't experiment with lighter grain loads as I do not intend to use them on game, varmints or whatever needs to be shot.

I have done extensive penetration testing with the CCI 40gr Game Point and settled on this for my default loading, but would switch to the CCI 40gr JHP for more destructive/explosive performance on smaller varmints.

I also have a CZ 457 LRP match barrel mini-set in 22lr and again with top quality 40gr ammunition (Lapua, SK, Eley) the gun shoots better than I can hold it.

I have been shooting for more than 55 years and I believe that the 22WMR is a very under-rated cartridge for many applications.

Of course this is just my personal experience and others will have more to offer on this subject.

Regards, D.
 
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Mine for some reason seems to like the cheap fiocci ammo. Comparable to eley in the same gun, bit worse but not by much
 
Actually RWS does make 22WMR loads but I imagine the limited uptake isn't worth the overhead to stock it.
 
Just like 22LR I think the best/only course of action is to find the load that performs best in your rifle, then tune-up the gun to the best level you can in your own circumstances and practice - lots of practice.
 
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