CZ-USA CZ 457 Varmint MTR .22lr Bolt Action Rifle, Brown

Taking our heavy-barreled rimfire to the next level, the 457 Match Target Rifle gets a bit more attention than the average 457 Varmint. Its Match chamber is cut to the tightest specification that CIP will allow, meaning it will perform impressively well with top-tier ammo. The MTR’s Turkish walnut stock is de- signed with ergonomics in mind, and its vertical grip has a comfortable palm swell and laser stippling for texture. A large, flat forend has dual QD studs for running a bipod and a sling, and wrap-around stippling gives much more grip for the forward hand. If we were to pick one thing that our previous rimfire platforms were lacking, it was an American-style push-to-fire safety – something Hunter’s Education instructors and 4-H shooting coaches have begged us to incorporate for years. Though that was the most obvious change, we also took the opportunity to tweak a load of small things at the same time. In addition to the receiver-mounted, push-to-fire safety, we chopped almost an inch of length from the action and slab-sided it to reduce its footprint and weight. The stamped bottom metal of the 455 is gone, swapped for a classy two-piece interlocking system. To make scope fitment easier, we ditched the 90 deg bolt rotation in favor of 60 deg, allowing for larger ocular bell diameters with lower ring heights. To top it all off, the 457 now features a trigger adjustable for weight, creep and over-travel. With the exact same swappable barrel system as the 455 and the same reliable polymer magazine system, the 457 is without a doubt the best rimfire platform we’ve ever fielded.