Accurate CZ 452 Ultra Lux Rifle Ammo (and scope decision)

[devils4ever]

I bought my CZ 452 Ultra Lux rifle a few years back, but really never had the opportunity to shoot it much with the .22LR ammo scarcity. A few weeks back I had the chance to try some Federal Champion .22LR ammo. It was horrible. I only had iron sights, but at 100 yards I couldn't hit a thing. So, does anyone have this rifle and can tell me what is accurate .22LR ammo for it? Eley? RWS? This can save me a lot of time trying dozens of different ammo.

Also, I'm trying to decide if I should put a scope on this. I really like the long barrel which gives a big sight radius, but my slowly aging eyes are having more and more trouble with iron sights. Is it a sin to scope this fine rifle?

 

[Acera]

Herself has one of those that loves Fiocchi Exacta Super Max. Yeah, I know it's a pistol round. I had a brick and tried it out in her rifle. Best load we found. Shot better than some of the more expensive Eley. It also likes Remington sub-sonic for some reason, not as accurate as the Fiocchi, but not bad.

Good Luck,



.

 

[I6turbo]

I had a 452 Ultra Lux and still have 8 other CZ 22 Rimfires. None of them have been poor shooters. Some ammo does better than others, but 2 MOA at 100 yards is doable with even the worst ammo I've tried (out of 6 or 8 different ones including bulk Federal, bulk Winchester, CCI, and a few mid-grade target brands like Wolf Match Extra). If you truly mean you can't hit anything at 100 yards, I'd try a scope to see if the iron sights just aren't working for you, or what. Or, you can try some closer targets, maybe 25 yards or so, to see if you can shoot a decent group at that distance where the target should be easier to align clearly with the irons.

 

[greyling22]

Both my cz's have like wolf match target, and whatever sk ammo is the same stuff. They did not like the eley sport or anything hypervelocity. Remington cyclone did ok, and federal automatic shoots well 70% of the rounds. The other 30% tend to fly pretty bad.

Found my first ammo testing target from my first day at the range with the 452

 

[LoonWulf]

I dont own one, but have worked with my buddies 452V. I found that the standard velocity cci ammo, and wolf match ammo worked VERY well in his gun. Aguila standard velocitys shoot pretty well also, and shoot wonderfully in my 802. The big box hi-v stuff shoots ok to horrible, more dependent on lot than brand. The hypers are also erratic. My buddies 452 didnt shoot any of the ones i could get here worth a damn, but my 802 shot stingers pretty well, but not enough that the extra velocity extended my effective range any.

 

[wanderinwalker]

devils4ever, first off, if you think a scope will help you shoot your rifle effectively, then absolutely try it. One of the compact Leupold rimfire scopes would be perfect on your Ultra Lux.

Second, try shooting at 50 or even 25 yards next time. One hundred yards is stretching the edge of the .22LR's range envelope. Yes, there are 200-yard smallbore events and you can certainly shoot .22s even farther, but for most rifles and non-match ammo, groups will start opening by 100 yards.

Lastly, try CCI Standard Velocity, Wolf Match Target/SK Standard+, RWS Target Rifle, Aguila Rifle Match or SK Magazine. I've tried the CCI SV, RWS, Aguila and SK Magazine in my 452FS and the groups generally range from good to great at 25 and 50 yards. Magazine gave me the most consistently small groups, so it's my pick for "stocking up" for this rifle. The Aguila shoots better than CCI SV on the best groups while being only slightly more expensive. CCI SV is good, consistent ammo at a reasonable price. Not the best for absolute precision but the price is the lowest of everything listed.

(For the simple pleasure of plinking targets instead of shooting photogenic groups I've been using CCI Mini-Mag HPs in the Swamp People bulk packaging. I'm not sure when I picked up that ammo.)

 

[devils4ever]

I had a 452 Ultra Lux and still have 8 other CZ 22 Rimfires. None of them have been poor shooters. Some ammo does better than others, but 2 MOA at 100 yards is doable with even the worst ammo I've tried (out of 6 or 8 different ones including bulk Federal, bulk Winchester, CCI, and a few mid-grade target brands like Wolf Match Extra). If you truly mean you can't hit anything at 100 yards, I'd try a scope to see if the iron sights just aren't working for you, or what. Or, you can try some closer targets, maybe 25 yards or so, to see if you can shoot a decent group at that distance where the target should be easier to align clearly with the irons.

Well, there's a little more to the story.

I had a small amount of plated .22LR ammo that I was able to hit a 3" metal plate at 100 yards more than 60% of the time with the iron sights. I'm not sure what brand it was or any details since I got them in a plastic baggie during the .22LR shortage. After switching to the Federal brick, I was only able to hit the plate about 10% of the time. So, I think it's the ammo. Yes, I definitely need better eyesight and a scope, but I think that's pretty convincing that my rifle doesn't like Federal ammo. I'll save it for my 10/22 at 50 yards.

It seems that most of the accurate ammo is subsonic. Based on eveyone's suggestions here, I'll try:
Fiocchi Exacta Super Max
Wolf Match Extra
Aguila standard velocity

As for scopes, I'm sure the Leupold VX-1 2-7X28mm Rimfire (113872) scope will fit without removing the rear sight. I also like the VX-1 3-9X40mm (113874) scope since it's got a larger lens and is about $50 less, but I'm not sure it will fit without removing the rear sight. Anyone know?

 

[viking499]

Try some CCI standard velocity too.

Any scope will work without removing the rear sight as long as it is 11" or shorter.

 

[Stumper]

Each rifle is a law unto itself. My 452 shoots everything fairly well.....ironically, of the bulk stuff, Rem Golden bullets act almost like match ammo (except for a few fliers and the irritating duds). CCI mini-mags are consistently good.

 

[redneck2]

Both my cz's have like wolf match target, and whatever sk ammo is the same stuff. They did not like the eley sport or anything hypervelocitY

Same with my CZ. I've shot multiple five shot groups of .4 or less @ 50 yards. Other premium ammo isn't nearly as good. A lower price alternative is Federal Auo Match for mine.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Second vote for Wolf Match

 

[tkroenlein]

Wolf Match Target is excellent in my CZ as well. But, I have to second the suggestion to try some CCI Standard as well. It really does shoot pretty well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[I6turbo]

As for scopes, I'm sure the Leupold VX-1 2-7X28mm Rimfire (113872) scope will fit without removing the rear sight. I also like the VX-1 3-9X40mm (113874) scope since it's got a larger lens and is about $50 less, but I'm not sure it will fit without removing the rear sight. Anyone know?

Go here and post your question on scopes and there's a high probability that someone will show you a photo of their 452 with that exact scope. http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=18

With the hogback CZs, it is imperative to me that the scope be mounted LOW. That means, in addition to the overall length and the objective bell diameter, you need a scope with a not-too-large ocular bell to clear the high-lift bolt handle.

For me, I want my hogback scopes mounted something like the one shown below. It's a 3-9x42 non-A/O in very low rings, and the setup suits me as well as my straight-combed CZs.

 

[roval]

at 100 yrds with iton sight , the main limiting factor will be your eyes. in my case i haven't shot for groups even at 50 since i use glasses but no problem hitting golfballs all day long . in my case i do find that i have to use a 6 oclock hold, at whatever distance....you did change the elevation on the rear sight for 100 meters right.( i shoot in yards maybe thats why i have to use a 6 oclock hold) . I'm mainly using fed automatch for golfballs at 50 yrd rested and havent even used my left over wolf match ammo.

 

[bannockburn]

devils4ever

I have had the best results in terms of accuracy with my .22s using Wolf Match Target and CCI Standard Velocity. Have tried a lot of others, including Eley, RWS, Federal, Fiocchi, and Aquila, and none of them came close to the Wolf or the CCI ammo. But you really have to try them to find out for yourself what your guns shoot the best.

 

[I6turbo]

.... But you really have to try them to find out for yourself what your guns shoot the best.

IME, this can't be over stressed if you want to find the best ammo for your individual CZ. The individual guns vary and there can be a lot of difference between how they shoot various ammo. I'm talking about differences beyond that related to muzzle velocity variation from round-to-round of a given ammo. From what I've seen with my guns and also what's been reported on the CZ forum at rimfirecentral, the Wolf MT is indeed one of the more likely to shoot pretty well (short of the super high-price stuff).

 

[Furncliff]

Ammo testing a .22LR rifle at 100 yards with open sights has got to be frustrating.

Scope the rifle and start the tests at 25 yards. That way you are eliminating most of the shooter influences as well as wind. Then move out to 50 with the brands that make the cut.

What kind of a rest are you using?

I have to mail order all my .22LR ammo, so I wind up trying lots of different brands. For the Ultra Lux SK Standard + is a good starting point. Norma Tac 22 has also worked ok for me. Testing the expensive stuff I have seen my best results with RW 50. I shoot my U.L. with Peep sights.

 

[CB900F]

Devils;

As has been stated above: Each rifle is a case unto itself.

Try all the different ammo's you can getcher hands on. In my particular case, I wanted a gun that shot the Winchester X22LRPP well. I only had to buy three 452 American's before I got what I wanted. But, that stuff is still the best terminal performance .22lr I've found and the accuracy is there also. Hard combination to beat for a small varmint shooter like me.

I'll also second the opinion above to go to the rimfire central site & find the CZ/BRNO forum. It's very likely the best single source of information for these guns on the planet.

900F

 

[CoalTrain49]

I use standard velocity Aquila in my 455. No good reason to try anything else as it consistently shoots 1 moa at 50 yds. Thats with a 2x7 Redfield scope though.

 

[devils4ever]

I decided to go with the Leupold VX-1 2-7X28mm Rimfire scope. It has crystal clear optics and looks like it fits the CZ452. Not too large for a rimfire rifle.

I plan on giving it a try tomorrow and see if I can hit something.

 

[flashhole]

I wanted to buy the gun you have for my daughter shooting 4-H competition but it did not meet the requirements. I ended up with a CZ 455 with the straight stock. 4-H in our area has an indoor match every Sunday throughout the winter (16 weeks) where it is first come first serve for entry as they limit the competitive field to 10 kids. It's all off-hand shooting.

I scoped the 455 with a Weaver rimfire adjustable up to 6X max. It has a 33mm ocular and is mounted really low to the barrel.

I'm proud to report my daughter has won the competition 3 years running and 2016 will be her last competition year before aging out of the program. I'll go out on a limb and say she will win this year too as she out shoots the instructor by a wide margin. A perfect score is 300 and she averaged 276 over 16 matches last year ... did I mention this is off-hand shooting with no rest.

If you are serious about a scope look at the Weaver rimfire line.

 

[M1key]

Winchester Power Points shoot cloverleafs at 50 yards for me with a 3-9x Simmons.

Will put five into .30 inches if I do my part. Mine is the Super Brno 2500 (same thing).

Good Luck

M

 

[PabloJ]

I bought my CZ 452 Ultra Lux rifle a few years back, but really never had the opportunity to shoot it much with the .22LR ammo scarcity. A few weeks back I had the chance to try some Federal Champion .22LR ammo. It was horrible. I only had iron sights, but at 100 yards I couldn't hit a thing. So, does anyone have this rifle and can tell me what is accurate .22LR ammo for it? Eley? RWS? This can save me a lot of time trying dozens of different ammo.

Also, I'm trying to decide if I should put a scope on this. I really like the long barrel which gives a big sight radius, but my slowly aging eyes are having more and more trouble with iron sights. Is it a sin to scope this fine rifle?

I would bet the best .22 rimfire ammo is what Biathlon competitors use. I heard those Czech rifles are accurate. My $80 Chinese copy will put 5 into a nickel at 50m using Fiocchi Biathlon ammo. That is from blue brick of 500 that I paid $50 for about 15 years ago.

 

[devils4ever]

I wanted to buy the gun you have for my daughter shooting 4-H competition but it did not meet the requirements. I ended up with a CZ 455 with the straight stock.

What requirements? What disqualified the CZ452?

 

[flashhole]

It was the shape of the Lux stock. Very strict rules on stock configuration in order to compete. Not the model 452 but the specific configuration.