CZ 457, Bergara B14R, or....?

[trickg]

I was at the range on Saturday with a couple of guys shooting 22s, and now all of a sudden I've got an itch.

One guy had a now-discontinued CZ 457 variant, the other guy had a Bergara B14R, but I'd be open to suggestions. Both guys are really solid marksmen, and both were hitting regularly, which was pretty impressive.

I've got about a grand of crazy money I've been saving burning a hole in my pocket, but at present, I really don't have much knowledge about higher performing 22 rifles, and I can't seem to find much of a consensus on the internet about which would be a good rifle to get into. as a fun plinker. These guys were shooting golf balls hanging from paracord at 100 yards, and I was pretty impressed with that level of accuracy out of a 22.

The Bergara seems pretty cool - it seems to be a 1:1 trainer for their Rem700 rifle, so it's sitting in what looks like Bergara's version of the Bravo KRG chassis, which I'm already familiar with - I have that chassis on my 223 build.

I had my 223 out there, but I only shot 2 golf balls. That rifle is accurate to the point that I won't miss a golf ball at 100. My first shot knocked the ball off the paracord and into the berm, and my second shot obliterated the ball, which wasn't exactly the point of the game. The other guys were hitting those golf balls time after time with those little 22s though.

I like the idea of the Bergara, mainly due to the chassis and the adjustable comb, which I find to be an important thing with my Bravo KRG. It seems that anyone on YouTube who has one of the CZ 457 variants has added a comb to their rifles.

I'm happy for whatever information comes my way in this thread - thanks in advance!

 

[4g64loser]

I was at the range on Saturday with a couple of guys shooting 22s, and now all of a sudden I've got an itch.

One guy had a now-discontinued CZ 457 variant, the other guy had a Bergara B14R, but I'd be open to suggestions. Both guys are really solid marksmen, and both were hitting regularly, which was pretty impressive.

I've got about a grand of crazy money I've been saving burning a hole in my pocket, but at present, I really don't have much knowledge about higher performing 22 rifles, and I can't seem to find much of a consensus on the internet about which would be a good rifle to get into. as a fun plinker. These guys were shooting golf balls hanging from paracord at 100 yards, and I was pretty impressed with that level of accuracy out of a 22.

The Bergara seems pretty cool - it seems to be a 1:1 trainer for their Rem700 rifle, so it's sitting in what looks like Bergara's version of the Bravo KRG chassis, which I'm already familiar with - I have that chassis on my 223 build.

I had my 223 out there, but I only shot 2 golf balls. That rifle is accurate to the point that I won't miss a golf ball at 100. My first shot knocked the ball off the paracord and into the berm, and my second shot obliterated the ball, which wasn't exactly the point of the game. The other guys were hitting those golf balls time after time with those little 22s though.

I like the idea of the Bergara, mainly due to the chassis and the adjustable comb, which I find to be an important thing with my Bravo KRG. It seems that anyone on YouTube who has one of the CZ 457 variants has added a comb to their rifles.

I'm happy for whatever information comes my way in this thread - thanks in advance!

I have a b14r trainer and it works. Currently sitting on my rack as a barreled action since the whiskey 3.chassis is currently supporting my Nuke. If you want to play with the b14r, and don't mind swapping it into your Bravo, let me know.

I went b14r over a cz because of the 700 trigger and chassis cross compatibility. Your decisions may vary. The oem Bergera stock/chassis options don't enthuse me (nor do the cz offerings except the old ones with the manners stocks, tbh).

I'm contemplating either a vudoo or a rimx next year. Probably rimx because I love my zermatt centerline stuff and two of my friends have rimx and are having way fewer feeding issues in chassis systems than the vudoos I see.

 

[trickg]

I have a b14r trainer and it works. Currently sitting on my rack as a barreled action since the whiskey 3.chassis is currently supporting my Nuke. If you want to play with the b14r, and don't mind swapping it into your Bravo, let me know.

I went b14r over a cz because of the 700 trigger and chassis cross compatibility. Your decisions may vary. The oem Bergera stock/chassis options don't enthuse me (nor do the cz offerings except the old ones with the manners stocks, tbh).

I'm contemplating either a vudoo or a rimx next year. Probably rimx because I love my zermatt centerline stuff and two of my friends have rimx and are having way fewer feeding issues in chassis systems than the vudoos I see.

I'm surprised to hear that about the Bergara chassis - it's seems so close to the KRG Bravo my 223 is sitting in that I'd thought maybe they were the same with slightly different aesthetics.

I could probably be persuaded to pick up another KRG Bravo chassis - the dealer who sold me the last one gave me a great deal with military discount, and having a second 700 action chassis wouldn't be a bad thing given that at some point I plan on building another Bighorn rifle.

The RimX looks intriguing - I'm not quite sure I want to go down that rabbit hole for a rimfire though.

 

[4g64loser]

I'm surprised to hear that about the Bergara chassis - it's seems so close to the KRG Bravo my 223 is sitting in that I'd thought maybe they were the same with slightly different aesthetics.

I could probably be persuaded to pick up another KRG Bravo chassis - the dealer who sold me the last one gave me a great deal with military discount, and having a second 700 action chassis wouldn't be a bad thing given that at some point I plan on building another Bighorn rifle.

The RimX looks intriguing - I'm not quite sure I want to go down that rabbit hole for a rimfire though.

Bergaras site doesn't list a true chassis option. I saw.some with XLR chassis a while back but that was either a limited run or distributor exclusive as i haven't seen them again. There are places biying barreled actions and dropping them in whatver chassis or stock as turnkey customs, and.thats a good.thing. the Bravo remains my default suggestion for most people as you are able to upgrade it later to ALMOST a whiskey 3 if you want to and as funds allow. Most manufacturers don't have that level of compatibility built into their entry level chassis offerings.

The hmr stock might work for some but I have shot more.than a.few in both centerline and rimfire that students have brought. I dislike them. A B&C that I fitted to my 6br (the one you saw) has FAR less flex when I intentionally torque on it than the hmr stock.

You know what a snob I am about actions. The b14r is nice, especially at its price point. Definitely a step up from things like a Tikka t1x or cz457. It ain't a vudoo. Depends what you are looking for. I used mine as a positional trainer. I never expected a vudoo so I was not disappointed. If I decide to take competition seriously again, and have the time to practice enough, I'll buy a vudoo or a rimx without a second thought.

 

[Bountied]

I have a CZ 455 in a chassis. It's solid and very accurate. Have you factored in glass into the equation? For the price of a CZ you will have money left over for a nice scope as well. The Bergera will leave your budget for a scope on the low end. Maybe you don't need glass though. Also if you plan on shooting 100yds + you'll need some sort of MOA rail in addition.

 

[trickg]

You know what a snob I am about actions. The b14r is nice, especially at its price point. Definitely a step up from things like a Tikka t1x or cz457. It ain't a vudoo. Depends what you are looking for. I used mine as a positional trainer. I never expected a vudoo so I was not disappointed. If I decide to take competition seriously again, and have the time to practice enough, I'll buy a vudoo or a rimx without a second thought.

I think that I'm looking for something that's good and can be a lot of fun as a side option to my 223. The Bergara certainly seems like it could be a solid option. The guy shooting his on Saturday was certainly doing his fair share of smacking those golf balls at 100!

I have a CZ 455 in a chassis. It's solid and very accurate. Have you factored in glass into the equation? For the price of a CZ you will have money left over for a nice scope as well. The Bergera will leave your budget for a scope on the low end. Maybe you don't need glass though. Also if you plan on shooting 100yds + you'll need some sort of MOA rail in addition.

Maybe not the best glass, but I currently have an Arken SH4 sitting on an AR that barely gets any use - it's the least accurate AR upper of the 4 ARs I own. To be fair, it's not bad, it's just not as tight as the other 3, and as 4g64loser knows, I've started down the rabbit hole of chasing accuracy. The scope is solid enough though - that's what I had on my 223 before I put the Arken EP5 on it.

To my knowledge the Bergara doesn't come with a rail, so finding a decent rail with the proper MOA adjustment for a 100 yard 22 shouldn't be too difficult. Theoretically.

 

[4g64loser]

I think that I'm looking for something that's good and can be a lot of fun as a side option to my 223. The Bergara certainly seems like it could be a solid option. The guy shooting his on Saturday was certainly doing his fair share of smacking those golf balls at 100!


Maybe not the best glass, but I currently have an Arken SH4 sitting on an AR that barely gets any use - it's the least accurate AR upper of the 4 ARs I own. To be fair, it's not bad, it's just not as tight as the other 3, and as 4g64loser knows, I've started down the rabbit hole of chasing accuracy. The scope is solid enough though - that's what I had on my 223 before I put the Arken EP5 on it.

To my knowledge the Bergara doesn't come with a rail, so finding a decent rail with the proper MOA adjustment for a 100 yard 22 shouldn't be too difficult. Theoretically.

Mine has a 20moa on top. I dialed to 310 to 350, depending on ammo.and conditions, using an xtr2 and the horus reticle took care of.the rest. 50yd zero. That optic is on another rig right now. I had some SK Lomg Range that gave me 1moa groups (and more importantly sub 20fps extreme spreads). Most lots of standard plus also shot well. Centerx wasn't much if any better when I tried it. Midas plus was actually worse than the sk lots.

Offer to test drive my barreled action stands. It will.drop right in your Bravo. Slap glass on it and give it a shot. Not like you are going to wear it out.

 

[Bountied]

I think that I'm looking for something that's good and can be a lot of fun as a side option to my 223. The Bergara certainly seems like it could be a solid option. The guy shooting his on Saturday was certainly doing his fair share of smacking those golf balls at 100!


Maybe not the best glass, but I currently have an Arken SH4 sitting on an AR that barely gets any use - it's the least accurate AR upper of the 4 ARs I own. To be fair, it's not bad, it's just not as tight as the other 3, and as 4g64loser knows, I've started down the rabbit hole of chasing accuracy. The scope is solid enough though - that's what I had on my 223 before I put the Arken EP5 on it.

To my knowledge the Bergara doesn't come with a rail, so finding a decent rail with the proper MOA adjustment for a 100 yard 22 shouldn't be too difficult. Theoretically.

If it's a Rem 700 clone then it will be easy. It looks like the B14R is tapped to accept that type of rail.

Here is my 455. Mcree G10 chassis, Area 419 30 MOA rail, Seekins rings, PST Gen II 5-25 moa, Yo Dave trigger kit, Whistle Pig 16" Acculite barrel, Harris bipod.

 

[357Max]

I would suggest if you go the B14R route, get the steel barrel. Even with the steel barrel, at 18" it's hard to get good balance.

Love mine and the ability to run 700 triggers, pic rails, & chassis. 20 moa rail gets me past 300 with EP5 in zero moa mount.
Mack Brothers mags are excellent.

 

[trickg]

I would suggest if you go the B14R route, get the steel barrel. Even with the steel barrel, at 18" it's hard to get good balance.

Love mine and the ability to run 700 triggers, pic rails, & chassis. 20 moa rail gets me past 300 with EP5 in zero moa mount.
Mack Brothers mags are excellent.

I think I can get the steel barrel in 20". I think - I'll have to look into it more. The CZ is intriguing - a couple hundred bucks less - but I have long since learned that when it comes to guns, I don't like to compromise. I want the biggest bang for the buck, and sometimes I'm willing to spend a bit more to get something closer to what I really want. I'm not sure that for this endeavor I'd need to go the Zermatt RimX option - but the Bergara is certainly a solid choice IMO.

 

[357Max]

I think I can get the steel barrel in 20". I think - I'll have to look into it more. The CZ is intriguing - a couple hundred bucks less - but I have long since learned that when it comes to guns, I don't like to compromise. I want the biggest bang for the buck, and sometimes I'm willing to spend a bit more to get something closer to what I really want. I'm not sure that for this endeavor I'd need to go the Zermatt RimX option - but the Bergara is certainly a solid choice IMO.

I have zero complaints in the accuracy dept. & that's most important to me. I don't think std velocity gains anything past 18" & pretty sure the B14r's only come with 18".

Balance is high on my priority list. I just bought the barreled action and put it in a Manners EH4 which is a smallish stock. Looks good & with a little creativity on my part balances perfectly.

If you do go B14R, just buy SK long range match. It loves that. I had one particular lot of Eley 10x that was stupid accurate, but the SK has been consistently excellent across several lots.

I used a Burris steel 20 moa pic rail = good bang for the buck.

 

[Hibs]

Not what you asked for, but I have a Christensen Arms Ranger that is pretty darn accurate and one of my favorite guns to shoot. Bonus that it takes Ruger 10/22 mags which I have a suitcase full. If you ever want to shoot it just let me know.

 

[Swaim13]

I would recommend the cz 457 MTR with the longer barrel for having fun like you are saying and then eventually going to matches. It has a tighter chamber and all of them that I have seen are very accurate. The magazines are also a little more reliable.

CZ 457 MTR

www.czub.cz

 

[tomcatfan]

I've got a b14r and it's awesome. I saw a significant improvement on my prs scores after using it as a trainer. Rimex and voodoo are more money for the gun, IMO the bergara is a better value. Golf balls at 100 yds are boringly easy prone out with my b14r. An ar500 Kyl rack at 100 yds that's a challenge.

 

[CuPbFe]

I was at the range on Saturday with a couple of guys shooting 22s, and now all of a sudden I've got an itch.

One guy had a now-discontinued CZ 457 variant, the other guy had a Bergara B14R, but I'd be open to suggestions. Both guys are really solid marksmen, and both were hitting regularly, which was pretty impressive.

I've got about a grand of crazy money I've been saving burning a hole in my pocket, but at present, I really don't have much knowledge about higher performing 22 rifles, and I can't seem to find much of a consensus on the internet about which would be a good rifle to get into. as a fun plinker. These guys were shooting golf balls hanging from paracord at 100 yards, and I was pretty impressed with that level of accuracy out of a 22.

The Bergara seems pretty cool - it seems to be a 1:1 trainer for their Rem700 rifle, so it's sitting in what looks like Bergara's version of the Bravo KRG chassis, which I'm already familiar with - I have that chassis on my 223 build.

I had my 223 out there, but I only shot 2 golf balls. That rifle is accurate to the point that I won't miss a golf ball at 100. My first shot knocked the ball off the paracord and into the berm, and my second shot obliterated the ball, which wasn't exactly the point of the game. The other guys were hitting those golf balls time after time with those little 22s though.

I like the idea of the Bergara, mainly due to the chassis and the adjustable comb, which I find to be an important thing with my Bravo KRG. It seems that anyone on YouTube who has one of the CZ 457 variants has added a comb to their rifles.

I'm happy for whatever information comes my way in this thread - thanks in advance!

Don't overlook the Tikka T1x

 

[dontpanic]

The CZ 457 really does it for me. I like the 60 degree bolt throw and just how it feels when you operate it. I can also change barrels without a Smith.

You can get almost anything you want for the CZ, maybe not as much as the Bergara, but there are tons of options.

If I was going to buy a .22lr and not change anything, it would probably be a Tikka T1X. But they have very little support.

A couple of mine

This one has a 24" Benchmark barrel in a Manners stock.

20"Lilja barrel in a CZ chassis

Lots of trigger options as well. From a $2 spring change to $200 replacement triggers

 

[4g64loser]

For a cz that's all ready to win, see Jon Addis at area 419. I know one of his shooters and his guns will shoot with a vudoo. Cost about the same, too.

 

[trickg]

Here's another question to throw into the mix:

22 LR, or 17 HMR?

 

[4g64loser]

Here's another question to throw into the mix:

22 LR, or 17 HMR?

Definitely 22lr.

LOTS of places to shoot matches with the 22lr. Great people to meet there, too. No places to shoot matches with a 17hmr. And the ammo costs more. Not to mention, a .22 with subsonic ammo and a can is about as close to practical joke quiet as you can get.

If you want something loud and fast, you own a varmint bullet optimizes 223 that will shoot the pants off any rimfire with a lot less ammo testing and no fidgety stuff.

 

[Hibs]

Here's another question to throw into the mix:

22 LR, or 17 HMR?

Agreed with 4g64.

Or be a nutball like me and have them all. I have six 10/22 or “10/22 pattern” semi-autos, one good bolt action 22LR (posted above), one bolt action 17HMR (Ruger American), and one bolt 22WMR (Ruger Precision). Fun fact, Ruger 17HMR and 22MAG use the same magazine.

And while 17HMR and 22MAG more expensive, both still significantly cheaper than centerfire.