CZ 452 Varmint accuracy, and the barrel lug... opinions?

CanuckShooter

CanuckShooter

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
61   0   0
Looking to possibly buy a 452 (not 455) Varmint in 22lr. I'd owned one years ago, but sold it since despite the fact that it seemed accurate (I'm a very average shooter, so who knows), the barrel lug kind of bothered me. The idea of it just didn't seem right. I've scoured the internet (here, RFC, the googles), and have found some people saying that the barrel lug gave them inconsistent accuracy results, and required a fair amount of tinkering or bedding (which I'm not willing to do).

Has anyone here found the same? How did your 452 Varmint in 22lr shoot out of the box (no bedding, lug present), and how did it stack up against your other 452's?

Thanks! :d
 
Last edited:
I bought my 452 varmint 22lr probably 9-10 years ago now. It's favourite cheap Ammo is cci blazer ammo. Anybody can say one hole groups but mines a legit one holer at 50 yards 5-10 shot groups barely larger than one bullet diameter it's insane. Not sure why it likes Blazers so badly but that's ok with me lol! I have owned Anschutz 1727,1710, and cooper lvt and I still have my cz it's worth the 650$ i paid for it
 
Both my 452 Style and Varmint shoot very similarly, accuracy wise. To be honest, I have never thought it necessary to fiddle with lug screw torque specs, or even tightened or re-tightenec the barrel lug screw on my Varmint.
 
Mike112288 said:
I bought my 452 varmint 22lr probably 9-10 years ago now. It's favourite cheap Ammo is cci blazer ammo. Anybody can say one hole groups but mines a legit one holer at 50 yards 5-10 shot groups barely larger than one bullet diameter it's insane. Not sure why it likes Blazers so badly but that's ok with me lol! I have owned Anschutz 1727,1710, and cooper lvt and I still have my cz it's worth the 650$ i paid for it
Click to expand...

Mike, that $650 seems like a lot to have paid for a CZ 452 Varmint nine or ten years ago. Recently new ones in Canada were going for $599 plus tax and shipping. In any event, your rifle's 5-10 shot groups that are only slightly larger than .22" is nothing short of incredible, and all the more so with inexpensive high velocity .22LR ammo.

CGNer Chilly807 shoots a CZ 452 Varmint and does rather well on the monthly RFC 100 yard BR challenge. That should be testimony to the shootability and accuracy of the 452 Varmint. Perhaps he'll be along to give his impressions of the rifle first hand.
 
grauhanen said:
Mike, that $650 seems like a lot to have paid for a CZ 452 Varmint nine or ten years ago. Recently new ones in Canada were going for $599 plus tax and shipping. In any event, your rifle's 5-10 shot groups that are only slightly larger than .22" is nothing short of incredible, and all the more so with inexpensive high velocity .22LR ammo.

CGNer Chilly807 shoots a CZ 452 Varmint and does rather well on the monthly RFC 100 yard BR challenge. That should be testimony to the shootability and accuracy of the 452 Varmint. Perhaps he'll be along to give his impressions of the rifle first hand.
Click to expand...

Not likely the high velocity Blazers. Standard velocity Blazers at 1070 fps with 40 grain round nose were available 10 years ago. My 452 Style and Varmint have done 1 inch groups at 100 meters with Winchester Bulk Dynapoints. A bit incredible but true...so did my Savage MK2F.
 
Try "tuning" the barrel lug...

Torque to different tensions and see what one gives you the best accuracy... (keep in mind, every ammo might want a different torque spec)

So switching to high velocity and normal or subsonic may wreak havoc on accuracy.

Try some match ammo types, pick the one that shot the best.

Start tuning the barrel.
 
I remember paying that much for mine. It's roughly 9 years ago now. I can't remember if that was with some ammo or not. My rifle was completely factory except I had slapped on a new Boyd's varmint thumb hole stock. I have always had the barrel lug in place. If I remember correct mine was torqued very little. I used the blazer 40 grain round nosers. The black and red bulk box. I think they have a wax paste on the bullets. Dynapoints have been good in some of my guns. I am amazed at the performance of my cz. I have since gotten a picatinny rail, dip adgustable sear, dip steel bottom metal and dip hex screws. All worth it. I have not tested it after upgrading it. The trigger is amazing now no creep or anything. Should shoot lights out! Only thing I'd really really like yet is a manners t4 carbon fibre stock for it! :) I'd take my cz over a Anschutz 64 for sure. I'm probably gonna order a new Anschutz 1712 or 1710 soon. I sold my precious 1727 it was amazingly nice but seemed too much money stuck in one rimfire for my rare outings. So figured a 1710 will be okay for me saves me quite the money.
 
Mike112288 said:
I bought my 452 varmint 22lr probably 9-10 years ago now. It's favourite cheap Ammo is cci blazer ammo. Anybody can say one hole groups but mines a legit one holer at 50 yards 5-10 shot groups barely larger than one bullet diameter it's insane. Not sure why it likes Blazers so badly but that's ok with me lol! I have owned Anschutz 1727,1710, and cooper lvt and I still have my cz it's worth the 650$ i paid for it
Click to expand...

^My CZ452 Varmint loves CCI Blazer too!

easyrider604 said:
Both my 452 Style and Varmint shoot very similarly, accuracy wise. To be honest, I have never thought it necessary to fiddle with lug screw torque specs, or even tightened or re-tightenec the barrel lug screw on my Varmint.
Click to expand...

^ditto. The only thing I added was a YoDave kit to help the trigger a little...but it's my favourite 22. I still have the receipt for mine pinned to the wall behind my computer. $539.99 (before tax) from late July 2015. From time to time, I consider buying a second one just to have it...as this 452 is in storage in southern Alberta for my return engagement with the gophers.

Here is a thread I posted about it; https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...int-shoots-OK!-**UPDATE-photos-added-page-3**
 
I got my Style and Varmint from Reliable Gun back in 2002. Out the door, they were about $400-440 each, tax included, IIRC. A great bonus was that Shane, who was resident gunsmith and counter sales at the time, tweaked both triggers at no additional cost. I do have Yodave kits, but still have not installed them, as Shane's trigger jobs are enough for me.
 
easyrider604 said:
Both my 452 Style and Varmint shoot very similarly, accuracy wise. To be honest, I have never thought it necessary to fiddle with lug screw torque specs, or even tightened or re-tightenec the barrel lug screw on my Varmint.
Click to expand...

You may not find it necessary but when trying to squeeze .100 more out of the rifle... It helps


CanuckShooter said:
Canadiankeeper... I think you might have just talked me right out of buying one. Lol. That sounds like a nightmare to me.
Click to expand...

Eh, if you like to tinker and spend time at the range. If you just want a game getter and something that shoots an inch at 50... grab something else.
 
I don't mind tinkering a little bit if the result of the tinkering will last, but I already have a Lux, Ultra Lux, and American (all 452's) to tinker with if I want to wring a bit more accuracy out of them. Adjusting torque when switching between brands or velocities of ammo sounds a bit tedious to me, but I'm not as skilled as the guys who can shoot a super accurate rifle without becoming the limiting factor, and am very happy with a rifle that shoots MOA.

I'm also curious if the gopher hunters here find that during extended shooting sessions, the heavy barrels like on the CZ Varmint offer an advantage in consistency due to heat dissipation versus a thinner barrel. Can 22lr heat the barrel on a bolt gun up to the point where accuracy might decline a bit?
 
CanuckShooter said:
I'm also curious if the gopher hunters here find that during extended shooting sessions, the heavy barrels like on the CZ Varmint offer an advantage in consistency due to heat dissipation versus a thinner barrel. Can 22lr heat the barrel on a bolt gun up to the point where accuracy might decline a bit?
Click to expand...

If you ask Grand River Gunsmithing, yes! After only a few shots the "bullets start to wonder" :rolleyes:

In reality though, overheating a .22 LR is virtually a non issue. I frequently shoot hundreds of rounds in a row and the barrel gets a little "warm" at most, but not even close to hot enough to have an accuracy effect. Maybe in the heat of summer with the sun beating down on a black barrel, in the current weather the barrel can't even warm up.

What the heavy barrel will provide you is a rifle that should be a little less "sensitive" to ammo types, and shoot a larger selection well compared to a sporter weight barrel that will only shoot a couple types with best accuracy.
 
I've always wanted to purchase a 452 ultra Lux. Or atleast hold one before buying. Isn't the barrel like 28" long?! Lol would be nice with those tangent sights tho
 
easyrider604 said:
Not likely the high velocity Blazers. Standard velocity Blazers at 1070 fps with 40 grain round nose were available 10 years ago. My 452 Style and Varmint have done 1 inch groups at 100 meters with Winchester Bulk Dynapoints. A bit incredible but true...so did my Savage MK2F.
Click to expand...

CCI makes Blazer. CCI's standard velocity ammo is CCI SV. Is there any record for Blazer ever having been anything other than what it is today, that is HV? It is incredible that Winchester Dynapoints would shoot MOA at 100 meters; it doesn't have much of a history of doing that at 50, regardless of the rifle. Accounts about special rifles shooting unbelievably well with cheap bulk ammo, especially at very long ranges where it is increasingly challenging, seem apocryphal.
 
You're over thinking this... you already stated that you are an average shooter... the weak link in the system will be you, not the barrel lug... buy it, shoot it.
 
hoytcanon said:
You're over thinking this... you already stated that you are an average shooter... the weak link in the system will be you, not the barrel lug... buy it, shoot it.
Click to expand...

Agreed....OP is way overthinking things. I have a 452V and have never even had the stock off of it. I've put probably 500 rounds down the pipe and its accuracy always impresses me. I haven't shot any real high end ammo through it yet (and may never), but early on I bought a couple boxes of Rem/Eley Target and without intention, or really trying too hard, met the .5" challenge here on CGN. In fact, I believe that was on my second outing with it to the range.

It shoots CCI mini-mags very well, and I recently discovered Velocitors, which also shoot very, very well. I've clocked those 40 grain HPs at a consistent 1400fps, and they will group into .5"@50yds with boring regularity. I've stocked up on a bunch of these as my hunting round.

OP, you already have several CZs and I'm assuming that at least one is a .22lr; the Varmint version will probably not give you any more accuracy than you already get from the others, assuming they shoot like CZs generally do. You can expect that it would give you more of the same, but almost certainly will it not be any worse unless there is something wrong with the gun. But the lug is a non-issue. Take a look at the 50 yard challenge; there are plenty of 452Vs on the list.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom