CZ 457: Picking the Right Rimfire

Every CZ 457 shares the same push-to-fire action, adjustable trigger and interchangeable barrel system. The variants differ in stock, barrel profile and length — and those decide what the rifle is good at.

457 American

A sporter-weight barrel in a classic stock with no open sights, set up for a scope. It is the generalist: light enough to carry, accurate enough for small game and casual targets.

457 Varmint

A heavy bull barrel with a wider fore-end. It is noticeably heavier, which is the point — it hangs steady on bags and heats up slowly across a long string. For bench work and prone shooting, this is the one.

457 Scout

A short, light single-shot built on a youth-length stock. It is the rifle to hand a new shooter, and it grows with them because barrels and stocks swap.

457 LRP and Varmint Precision

Chassis or laminate stocks with adjustable combs and heavy barrels, made to mirror a centerfire precision rifle for cheap practice. Heavy to carry, excellent to shoot.

Calibers

.22 LR covers almost everything and costs the least to shoot. .22 WMR stretches the range on small game at several times the ammunition cost. .17 HMR shoots flattest of the three and is the most wind-sensitive to load quality.

The trigger and the barrel swap

The 457 trigger adjusts for weight, creep and travel with the stock in hand, and it is genuinely good once set. Barrels pull with two screws, so one action can become a different rifle later — worth remembering before you buy two rifles.

The short answer

American for a do-everything rimfire, Varmint if it mostly shoots off a rest, Scout for a young shooter, LRP if you are training for centerfire precision work.