CZ 527 in 22 Hornet - Scope recommendations?

[Esoteria]

Hello all,

I've pretty much sold myself on buying a CZ 527 in 22 Hornet next month. I'm starting to think reloading components and scope now.

My main use for the gun will be 100 yard shooting, shooting for groups and at very small targets. I'd like to be able to consistently hit golf balls and similar sized targets.

I am not experienced with scoped rifles. I have a basic 3-9x40 Bushnell scope on my Savage 22LR and it has performed well, but I feel like I'll need more than 9x in order to even see the targets I'm trying to hit unless I'm pretty religious about setting up a good color contrast backdrop.

I'd really like to stay under $200 but I'm willing to wait on a sale. I lurk on slickguns and the like and notice that mid-range scopes are frequently marked down upwards of 40%. I also like the idea of turret adjustments because there's a decent chance I'll be switching between two different velocities. I don't mind manually holding over if that's the better option in this price range though. What are some good options? As an optics noob, what should I watch out for?

Side note: I asked about the viability of a 42gr lead free bullet for high volume / low cost reloads in this thread, so if you have any thoughts about that I'd love to hear them over there.

 

[Scrumbag]

I have a 527 in .223 Rem. I aim to (and, tend to) shoot smaller than golf ball sized groups with it at 100yds and use a 3-9x36 scope on it.

I'd have thought you could have found something to what you want. Hornet shoots fairly flat at those ranges with a decent MPBR. Not sure I'd bother twiddling turrets...

This is of course just my point of view and whatever you choose I hope you enjoy your shooting.

ATB,

Scrumy

 

[Esoteria]

I'm sure there are scopes for both 9x and above that fit my budget. I've considered a few of them. But because I'm new to the game I figured I'd ask for suggestions.

How do you like your CZ in .223? I'm leaning Hornet for a few reasons, but one of them is that it supposedly performs well when loaded down a bit, and I'm kind of noise sensitive so I like that idea for higher volume. If my uber-accurate load ends up being 2800 FPS and my high volume load is around 2000 then I assume I'll need to compensate on the scope.

 

[Furncliff]

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/vbclassified.php?do=ad&id=79322


The link is for a Weaver K15 with adjustable objective for $175, this scope will focus down to 20 yards.. This would suit your purposes well. At 100 yds you could use just about any scope but if you decide to shoot closer the parallax error on standard hunting scopes is 100 yards or so and shorter distances can be a problem unless you have the adjustable objective. Fixed power scopes will be less expensive than a variable. I've had very good luck buying used scopes, makers like Leupold Weaver and others have excellent customer service. I had a Leupold M84x scope purchased at a pawn shop fixed for free.


The K15 scope mentioned above was on the Rimfirecentral web site in the tradingpost under scopes, there were 51 scopes listed there, the K15 is just the first I came to that I thought would work for you. I just bought a Weaver T24 on this site for a great price and it's in excellent condition.

 

[ZGunner]

I just bought a Nikon Buckmaster 4-12x40 for $150. A few big box stores have the Buckmasters for that now since they're phasing them out.

Very good scope for the money. Plus it comes with the BDC reticle for your holdovers.

 

[bluzman]

I've got .223 CZ 527 Carbine with 2-7x32mm scope (http://www.crosman.com/optics/scopes/adventure-class-2-7x32-mm) mounted with Warner rings (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/111233/warne-permanent-attachable-ring-mounts-cz-527-16mm-dovetail).




Here are two 3-shot groups at 50 yds compared to a dime.

 

[Esoteria]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've been looking at the adjustable objective feature and I feel like I could take it or leave it. I'd like the versatility of having it but since 90% of my shooting would be at 100 yards anyway it's probably not a must-have.

@bluzman
Some nice groups there! I guess it goes to show I don't need a super fancy or high magnification scope to get some good results.

Speaking of high magnification, other than just having a harder time finding my target, what are some potential disadvantages of going up to, say, 32x? Besides the "seeing the golf ball" thing, I like the idea of being able to see my groups from the bench if I'm shooting at paper. Seems like at a high enough magnification I could get away with no spotting scope (I don't have one)....

 

[cpt-t]

Esoteria:
My Son and I both Shoot CZ 527 22 Hornets, and both are extremley accurate. We are both using Bushnell 4200 Elite`s in 6-24X40 AO`s Mil Dots. So watch for the sales from the big distrubtors. Just get a good quality scope your CZ rifle deserve`s that at least. Hitting a golf ball at a 100 yds should be no problem, with a CZ 527 22 Hornet. Also they are very quite compared to our 223`s and 17 Rem`s. As far as using lead free bullets, I think you will run into problems for they are just two long to fit into the magazine`s or at least the one I tried were. The twist on our CZ 527 22 Hornet is 1 in 16 I belive but not more than 1 in 14. So long bullets have been a major problem for us. You are getting a really great rifle and a super caliber.
ken

 

[pps]

For the lead free rounds that do stabilize in the 1:16 twist I use 14.4 grains (yes...it's a compressed load) of Lil Gun with a 30 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade at 3350 ft/sec.

Here in the PRK we are stuck with the lead free crap. I prefer v-max for squirrel popping, over the Varmint Grenade.

 

[rcmodel]

I have shot flys more then once on my 100 yard target with a .223 CZ-527 using a 3-9x40 scope.

If you couldn't see a golf ball at 100 yards with a 9x scope there is something really wrong with your 9x scope.

100 yards divided by 9x is 11.1 yards apparent distance!!!

You can see an aspirin tablet at 11.1 yards with no scope!

rc

 

[Esoteria]

@cpt-t Great to hear the rifle's been doing so well for you. I'll be on the lookout for a similar scope

@pps I guess a 30 gr lead free probably isn't comparable, but it's good to hear they can be pushed so fast! I'm really excited to try out different loads.

@rcmodel It's not that I couldn't see it at all, it's just that they'll tend to blend in. I have a dirt backstop and after I've hit my 2" steel targets with 22 LR a few times they're grey and I can't see them against the similar colored backstop. Still, I take your point -- it shouldn't be that bad even at 9x. I'll try it out next weekend with my 9x.

 

[hinton03]

I put a Bushnell 4200 Elite on my Ruger 77/22 Hornet. great scope and excellent clarity.

 

[dagger dog]

Simmons Pro-Hunter 4X12X42 on my Savage MDL 40 22 Hornet.
They don't make that scope anymore sure wish I could find another for my Savage 12FV
.223 Rem.

 

[Esoteria]

I think I'm leaning pretty heavily towards the Vortex Crossfire II 6-18x44mm AO. It's at the top of my price range, but there's nothing but great reviews on the scope and Vortex's customer service, and 18x seems like it might be the practical limit for a lower-end scope as far as still being clear. There are some other options at the higher magnifications, but many of them seem to be 50mm objectives, which seems like kind of overkill on a small rifle like the 527. (then again, 44mm isn't that much better I guess, but I'm used to a 40mm and it's not bad).

 

[Olympus]

I was in the same boat as you until I started researching 22 Hornet ammo and reloading. Once I realized the cost, I learned that I could buy the .223 and reloading components were much easier to find AND cheaper and that the .223 could be downloaded to 22 Hornet velocity. I bought the 527 American in 223.

 

[Esoteria]

Yeah, .223 is definitely the more cost effective option. I believe 22 Hornet is known to have better accuracy and consistency over a wide velocity range (1300~3100 FPS), but I have no personal experience to back this up, and it may have been a bunch of dedicated handloaders looking through nostalgia glasses who could've achieved the very same performance from a .223 had they spent the time on it.

But I'm OK with all of that. I like the look and feel of the 22 Hornet cartridge, and to a certain degree I like the "weird" factor of it. It's a calculated lack of logic. =)

Have you had a chance to load for accuracy with your .223? How is it doing?
I think I'm going for the Lux stock. I feel like it fits the rifle's size and shape.

 

[Olympus]

I haven't had a chance. New baby has been restrictive on my shooting time. One of these days maybe.

 

[zerobarrier]

I would go with this Vortex Diamondback HP 4-16 It is on sale right now for 229, 100 off and free shipping. It has side parallax adjustment and a vplex reticle. I have the BDC one on my savage 22lr and it is awesome. Clear picture at 16x and great eye box. I liked it so much I just bought a viper hs 6-24

My brother has that crossfire6-18 with vbright reticle. I think my diamondback hp is way better...

 

[Sniper66]

Hey Esoteria....I have a Savage Model 25 in .22 Hornet with a Leupold 4-12X AO, which is more money than you want to spend on a scope so I'm not recommending it. I'm addressing the .22 Hornet/.223 issue. I reload both and can easily hit golf balls at 100 with both. The .223 is easier to load; the Hornet is tedious, but manageable. I use Li'l Gun powder and bought a bunch very cheap ($12.50 lb) when I had the chance so loading is slightly cheaper than .223. I have killed 100s of prairie dogs with the Hornet and 1,000s with the .223. There are so many pluses for both options that the only answer is to eventually have both. The only suggestion I can make is to buy the best rifles and scopes you can squeeze out of your budget. $200-$300 difference spent on a better rifle will be forgotten if you keep the rifle for a few years, but you will be much happier. I guarantee it.

 

[WelshShooter]

Hi Esoteria. Congrats on the purchase, you won't be disappointed!

I have a CZ527 Varmint Kevlar in .223 remington and I shoot with a Leupold VX-2 3-9x50 scope on top. One thing to point out (for 1" tubes anyway) is to make sure you have some high mounts, not because of objective lens / barrel clearance, but for bolt clearance. CZ's are notorious for having a high bolt lift which can rub against the occular lens casing if the scope is mounted too low.

Anyway, I shoot this at 100 yards and can consistently get 0.5-1.0 MOA shooting of a bipod. I am aiming at 1-inch diamonds and can see them quite clearly. I'd probably recommend something like 4-12x40 and a good scope in this range is the Redfield Revolution. The glass is superb and is really clear. I used this on my .308 until it was replaced by a Vortex Viper 6-24x50.

Pic related.

 

[Scrumbag]

I'm sure there are scopes for both 9x and above that fit my budget. I've considered a few of them. But because I'm new to the game I figured I'd ask for suggestions.

How do you like your CZ in .223? I'm leaning Hornet for a few reasons, but one of them is that it supposedly performs well when loaded down a bit, and I'm kind of noise sensitive so I like that idea for higher volume. If my uber-accurate load ends up being 2800 FPS and my high volume load is around 2000 then I assume I'll need to compensate on the scope.

Short answer: Love it!

More accurate than I am, not overly heavy, not ammo fussy and is legal for fox and our 2 smallest deer species