Christmas is just 20 days away. If you are looking for a great gift for a shooting buddy, books have always been popular holiday gifts. Here are some recommended titles that should please the serious shooters and firearms enthusiasts on your shopping list. For shooting clubs, books also make great end-of-season member awards. Most of us would rather have a useful book than one more piece of wood to toss in a box in the closet. Check out these ten titles — for yourself or your shooting buddies.
Here Are TEN BOOKS Recommended for Serious Shooters:
If you’re a serious long-range shooter, consider adding this book to your library. Relying on extensive ballistics testing, Modern Advancements Volume II is a great successor to Volume I that contains some fascinating research results. UK gun writer Laurie Holland notes: “Volume II of the Modern Advancements series is as fascinating as Volume I and if anything even more valuable given a series of ‘mythbusters’ tests including: case fill-ratio, primer flash-hole uniforming, neck tension, annealing, and much more. The work also addresses that perennial discussion of a bullet ‘going to sleep’ and shooting smaller groups (in MOA) at longer distances than 100 yards.” The amount of testing done for this Volume II work, with a staggering amount of rounds sent downrange, makes this book unique among shooting resources. There is a ton of “hard science” in this book — not just opinions.
Nancy Tompkins is one of the greatest long-range shooters in American history. She has won five National Long-range Championships. Tompkins’ treatise is a must-read for serious Palma, F-Class, and High Power shooters. The revised Second edition includes F-Class equipment and techniques, and newly updated information. Color pictures. Topics include Mental & Physical training, Reading Wind & Mirage Shooting Fundamentals, International Competition, and Loading for Long Range. Nancy Tompkins is a 4-time winner of the National Long Range Championships, and has won countless other major events. Nancy has been on six Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach).
The new, 2020 Edition of The Wind Book was released a few months ago. The updates make this very helpful 144-page book even better. The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters by Linda Miller and Keith Cunningham, first published in 2007, is a very informative resource. But you don’t have to take our word for it. If you click this link, you can read book excerpts on Amazon.com. This lets you preview the first few chapters, and see some illustrations. Other books cover wind reading in a broader discussion of ballistics or long-range shooting. But the Miller & Cunningham book is ALL about wind reading from cover to cover, and that is its strength. The book focuses on real world skills that can help you accurately gauge wind angle, wind velocity, and wind cycles. Readers have praised the book, earning it 93% 4- and 5-star reviews on Amazon.
Ryan Cleckner is noted for his ability to explain complex topics in an easy-to-comprehend manner. Now Cleckner has authored a book, the Long Range Shooting Handbook, which expands on the topics covered in Cleckner’s popular NSSF video series. The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. You can view Sample Chapters from Ryan’s Book on Amazon.com.
Visualization is a process of mental preparation that is done before you get to the range. Many of the greatest shooting champions have used this technique to get ready for big matches, and to optimize their performance during record fire. If you want to enhance your “mental game” through pre-match visualization, we strongly recommend Lanny Bassham’s book, With Winning in Mind. As a competitive smallbore 3P shooter, Bassham developed a mental management system. Using this system, Lanny Bassham won 22 world individual and team titles, set four world records, and captured an Olympic Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976. His techniques have been embraced by professional and Olympic athletes in many sports. With Winning in Mind covers a complete system of “mental management” techniques used by Olympians and elite champions.
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
Tony Boyer, the most successful shooter in the history of short-range benchrest competition, shares match-winning tips in this 323-page book. The book covers all aspect of the benchrest discipline: loading, windflags, rest set-up, addressing the rifle, and match strategies. This is a high-quality publication, filled with valuable insights. Every serious benchrest shooter should read Tony’s book. Boyer has dominated registered benchrest in a fashion that will never be duplicated, having amassed 142 U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame points. The next closest shooter, Allie Euber, has 47 Hall of Fame points. This handsome, full-color book is 323 pages long, with color photos or color illustrations on nearly every page.
This book by 11-time National High Power Champion David Tubb focuses on position shooting and High Power disciplines. Section One covers fundamentals: position points, natural point of aim, breathing, triggering mechanics and follow-through, sling selection and use, getting started, getting better, avoiding obstacles. Section Two covers mechanics of offhand, sitting, and prone positions. Section Three covers shooting skills, including wind reading and mental preparation. Section Four covers the technical side of shooting, with extensive discussions of rifle design, load development, reloading barrel maintenance, and rifle fitting. We consider this book a “must-read” for any sling shooter, and there is plenty of good advice for F-Class shooters too.
Gary Anderson’s book, Coaching Young Rifle Shooters, is an excellent, fully-illustrated guide for training young shooters. This 187-page, full-color book is the most comprehensive instructional guide of its kind now in print. Anderson created this resource for coaches and parents who work with beginning and intermediate junior rifle shooters. Anderson’s guidebook provides coaches with the tools needed to develop young shooters and improve their marksmanship skills. Gary Anderson is the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) Emeritus. In his 11 years of international competition, Gary won two Olympic gold medals, seven World Championships, and 16 national titles.
Bullseye Mind (Mental Toughness for Sport Shooting) by Dr. Raymond Prior, $15.95 (On Sale now) (Softcover).
Having a Bullseye Mind means thinking in ways that create confidence and consistency, even under pressure. A “must-read” for competitive shooters, Bullseye Mind is a mental training book written specifically for the shooting sports. The book is well-organized, with handy highlighted lists and key “talking points”. Each chapter concludes with examples from a world-class shooters such as: Matt Emmons, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist; Vincent Hancock, 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist; Jamie Corkish, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist; Petra Zublasing, 2014 World Champion/ISSF Shooter of the Year; and Nicco Campriani, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2010 World Champion. This book has earned rave reviews from competitive shooters who found it really helped their “Mental Game”. One recent purchaser states: “This book is as though you had a coach in your back pocket…”
Austin Orgain was the top finisher in the 2021 Precision Rifle Series season, winning the Golden Bullet award for the second year in a row, as the Pro Class Open Points Series Champion.
PRS competitor Austin Orgain took home the Precision Rifle Series Pro Series Golden Bullet award for the second year in a row. With his many wins and top 5 performances, Austin is now ranked #1 in the PRS Bolt Gun Series PRO Division. Austin took top Pro Division honors at the PRS Series Finale held Nov. 6-7, 2021 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Some 200 of America’s top PRS shooters competed in the challenging Finale.
Orgain’s PRS match rifle features a PROOF Research steel competition contour .243 1:7.5″-twist cut-rifled barrel chambered for the 6mm Dasher. Note the left bolt action.
Remarkable Record in PRS in 2020 and 2021
Austin Orgain has shot 61 total PRS matches, of which 47 are Pro Series matches. Orgain’s best Pro Series finish was at the 2021 PRS PRO Series Finale match where he finished first (#1) out of 214 shooters. Orgain has won his last three matches straight, for a fantastic finish to 2021:
Winner: November 6, 2021 — 2021 PRS PRO SERIES FINALE Raton, New Mexico
Winner: September 18, 2021 — BOX CANYON SHOWDOWN AG Qualifier, Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Winner: August 28, 2021 — OKIE SUMMER SHOWDOWN, Ninnekah, Oklahoma
PROOF Research’s cut-rifled barrels are designed for extreme accuracy, performance, and reliability under any environmental condition. Orgain commented, “The consistency and accuracy that I see from PROOF barrel to barrel makes my job so much easier. Break one in, load the same charge, and go hammer.” The Competition Contour barrel and all of PROOF Research’s barrels are single-point, cut-rifled, lead-lapped, and thoroughly inspected at multiple quality-control stations.
About PROOF Research
Headquartered in Columbia Falls, Montana, PROOF Research maintains research and manufacturing centers in Montana and Ohio. PROOF Research has developed next-generation composite materials for carbon fiber barrels, premium hunting rifles, and weapon systems. PROOF Research’s goal is to make reduced weight, durability, and match-grade accuracy a reality.
While Austin Orgain shoots with an all-steel barrel, PROOF Research produces advanced carbon-wrapped barrels offering significant weight savings.
Here’s something you’ve probably never seen before — a rimfire tracer bullet split in half on the blade of a machete. This pistol trick shot is performed by 22Plinkster, an avid rifle/pistol shooter with a hugely popular YouTube Channel. This impressive split bullet demonstration was filmed with high-speed cameras. This lets you see the bullet fly onto the machete blade in slow motion, with red tracer particles streaming behind. And then a freeze-frame clearly shows the two bullet halves after they have passed through two balloons. Check it out:
The high-speed camera (which allows super slow-motion playback) was provided by RatedRR studios. The .22 LR tracer ammunition was provided by Piney Mountain Ammunition Company.
Watch .22 LR Tracer Shooting Montage (Shots Synced to Music):
Here’s a very cool video that shows .22 LR Rimfire Tracer Rounds shot at a variety of targets. There’s a nice musical background that adds to the entertainment value. This video has been viewed over 240,000 times with over 2600 “likes”!
CMP Guide to Target Shooting with Vintage Military Rifles
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) now offers VMR: Target Shooting With Vintage Military Rifles, an instructional guide by Gary Anderson, Director of Civilian Marksmanship Emeritus. Gary himself was a world-class marksman who earned two Olympic Gold medals in rifle shooting.
The CMP says this 284-page illustrated book is “likely the most comprehensive manuscript ever written about the methods of training and competing with popular American and foreign vintage military rifles.” Fans of vintage military rifles will likely find this 18-chapter book “to be the most complete coverage of the topic, from a competitor’s and historian’s point of view”, said Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief. The book is up-to-date, having been released in early 2021.
Anderson definitely has the credentials — he won Olympic Gold Medals in Tokyo and Mexico City in the 1960s. Gary also set multiple U.S. and international records. The originator of the CMP’s competitive vintage rifle program, Anderson set out to present a detailed manual covering all aspects of shooting vintage military rifles. The book covers 1903 Springfield, U.S. Krag, 1917 U.S. Enfield, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine and many more, including rifles from “across the pond.”
Target Shooting With Vintage Military Rifles Topics:
Origins and Fundamentals of Marksmanship
Operation, Cleaning, Loading & Unloading
Sight Adjustment, Zeroing & Fine Tuning
Highpower Rifle Match Procedures
Firing Rifles in Competition
Prone, Sitting and Standing Position Building
Using a Scorebook/Databook
Strategies for Improvement
Critical Value of the Sling
Rifle and Range Safety
Purchase Online at CMP E-Store (When Available)
This informative Gary Anderson book is sold through the CMP E-Store for $29.95. You can also print out and submit the CMP Publications order form (order item NLU # 792, $29.95). The CMP stores in Alabama and Ohio also carry this Gary Anderson book. Unfortunately it is currently back-ordered on the E-Store.
Wind effects are complex. In trying to access wind speeds and angles, you’ll want to watch multiple indicators — mirage, dust, wind-flags, grass movement, and more. You’ll also need to be concerned about wind cycles. In the video below, Bryan Litz talks about variable wind speed along a bullet’s flight path. A respected ballistics guru, Bryan is the founder of Applied Ballistics and a designer of Berger’s Hybrid Match projectiles. He is also a past F-TR National Champion and a High Master Palma ace.
In this video, Bryan discusses how wind effects can vary in intensity at different points along the bullet’s flight path to the target. Sometimes the firing line is sheltered, and the strongest winds come into effect in the middle of the trajectory. Bryan concludes: “Wind matters everywhere … but the best thing you can do is try to get a handle on the wind [velocity and angle] where you are. That may or may not represent the wind down-range — that’s when you have to look downrange and make a judgment[.]”
Litz Competition Tip: Select your wind shooting strategy carefully. For beginners and veterans, most points are typically lost to wind. Successful shooters put a lot of thought into their approach to wind shooting. Sometimes it’s best to shoot fast and minimize the changes you’ll have to navigate. Other times it’s best to wait out a condition which may take several minutes. Develop a comfortable rest position so you have an easier time waiting when you should be waiting.
More Wind Tips from Wind Wizard Emil Praslick
In these two short videos, Emil Praslick III, former coach of the USAMU and USA National long range teams, explains how to find the wind direction and how to confirm your no-wind zero. Praslick is widely considered to be one of the best wind coaches in the USA.
When Winds Are EXTREME — Near Gale Force at Ben Avery
This video shows INSANE winds at NBRSA 100/200 Benchrest Nationals. This was filmed at the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, AZ during the recent NBRSA 100/200 yard National Championships. Extreme to say the least. Based on what we’re seeing here, there are 20-25 mph crosswinds, with gusts to 35 mph — near Gale Force. Video by Hall-of-Fame Benchrest competitor Gene Bukys, whom we sadly lost to COVID last year. RIP Gene.
Texas gunsmith Mike Bryant reports: “This video shows the Unlimited Class 200 at the Nationals in Phoenix. I had three 10-shot groups in the low 2″ range with a 2.228″ being my big group and was glad they weren’t bigger. Thursday and Friday were the worst of the windy days. Unfortunately those were the days for the UL 200 and it was about as windy through most all of the Sporter 200.”
Excellent Wind Reading Resource
The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters covers techniques and tactics used by expert wind-readers. The authors provide a wind-reading “toolbox” for calculating wind speed, direction, deflection and drift. They explain how to read flags and mirage, record and interpret your observations, and time your shots to compensate for wind. Here are two reviews:
This is a must-have book if you are a long-range sport shooter. I compete in F-Class Open and when read it from cover to cover, it helped me understand wind reading and making accurate scope corrections. Buy this book, read it, put into practice what it tells you, you will not be disappointed. — P. Janzso
If you have one book for wind reading, this should be it. It covers how to get wind speed/direction from flags, mirage, and natural phenomenon. This is the best book for learning to read wind speed and direction. — Muddler
Late season hunting success. Photo courtesy Winchester Blog.
Nikki Boxler, a former NCAA athlete, is an avid huntress who hunts game and waterfowl around the country. Nikki grew up on a large dairy farm in Western New York and continues to reside there today. This setting has shaped her love of the outdoors and is how she developed a passion which drives her to spend as much time hunting and fishing as possible. For her, hunting is not about the kill, it is about the experience, the memories, the moments and having fun. Her most memorable adventures take place not only in the woods but also around the grill. Nikki says she thoroughly enjoys her role as co-host of Winchester Life providing content about hunting, fitness training, cooking and other topics. An athlete in college, Nikki works out regularly.
Nikki has authored a number of helpful articles for the Winchester Blog and is featured in many other stories. Nikki is the host of some good videos about hunting and fitness. CLICK HERE to see all of Nikki’s Winchester articles.
Nikki Boxler Hunting Articles
Here our some of our favorite Nikki Boxler stories from the Winchester Blog:
Nikki wrote an excellent article about late season hunting that offers very helpful advice for hunters of all experience levels. Nikki offers many smart, practical tips in this article Late Season Whitetail Tips & Tactics. Here are examples:
If you find food then you find the deer! Bucks can lose up to 30% of their body weight during the rut so they tend to concentrate on filling their bellies and putting weight back on after the rut. Identifying several hot food sources in the area could be the key to success.
After gun opener, deer seem to be on edge. So, I keep the location I hunt low pressure and take every precaution to be stealthy in hopes that deer use my section of property as a safe haven.
If the wind isn’t blowing in my favor it is critical to adapt and change up the game plan. I am a firm believer in hunting the wind. If I have the slightest hesitation about wind, I will move to a different stand or rely even more heavily on scent blockers.
Binoculars can be one of the greatest tools for helping you locate bucks and watch their movement patterns without getting too close. Scouting and knowing the popular travel paths are great, but if you don’t know which path they are going to choose you may be wasting your time. Instead, opt to watch bucks from afar. Once you see which path he chooses, hustle to beat him to the punch.
Nikki Boxler takes to the woods in search of whitetail on her family’s property in Varysburg, New York. Despite the cold and snow, Nikki is ready and willing to dial in on a buck with her Winchester Model 70. READ MORE HERE.
Getting Ready for Whitetail Hunting — Sighting-In Your Rifle
In this video, Nikki shows her set-up for Whitetail hunting — a Winchester Model 70 rifle chambered for .270 Winchester. In the video Nikki sights-in her rifle and gets ready for hunting season. READ MORE HERE.
Tips to Stay in Shape for Late Season Hunts
Here are a few basic (and relatively simple) exercises Nikki uses and can recommend for starters. These exercises can add flexibility and improve your core strength. That helps when you’re packing out the harvest from a successful hunt. READ MORE HERE.
Splatterburst 1″ circles, 62 per sheet, 10-pk $8.99. These can be pasted on other paper backers.
We’ve all seen conventional splatter targets with a single large black bullseye. When a shot hits the target, a halo (usually neon yellow) appears around the bullet hole. This makes it easier to see your shot placements indoors, or at long range outdoors. Today we feature a variety of other targets that also offer the cool halo/splatter effect. We’ve found grids, multiple bull targets, sheets with 62 one-inch circle pasters, handgun training targets, and even white background splatter targets (that produce black halos). Try out some of these targets for fun (kids love plinking with splatter targets).
Thanksgiving is just one week away. What better way to celebrate the Thanksgiving season than to practice your marksmanship shooting some bearded gobblers (of the paper variety). Here’s our custom Turkey Target, ready for family fun. This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
If you prefer color targets, here’s another turkey target, courtesy of the NRA. Hone your skills on a trio of turkeys. The target features three red bullseyes, centered on the gobblers. You can print the target in black and white, but they look best in color. Click the image below to download a FREE printable PDF file.
Get a Full Set of Animal Targets
For your convenience, we’ve packaged the Turkey Target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.
This Wednesday, November 17, Shooting USA will feature the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit (ADSS) held September 10-11, 2021 at the SIG Sauer Academy in Epping, New Hampshire. Camp Freedom and SIG Sauer teamed up with Trevor Baucom for the third year of this accessible shooting event, designed for people with disabilities. The ADSS helps adaptive shooters train and learn at a world class facility. For persons with disabilities, including injured military and law enforcement members, the ADSS Summit provides the opportunity to learn new skills and adapt to challenges.
This hour-long episode will be broadcast on the Outdoor Channel Wednesdays at 9:00 pm Eastern/Pacific, and 8:00 pm Central. The entire episode can also be streamed later online for a small fee.
Adaptive Shooting Programs
Marksmanship is one of the few sports where physically-challenged persons can compete at the highest level — with some provisions for wheelchair access and mobility. For example, in the world of F-Class competition, Matt Schwartzkopf is one of the best in the nation. Matt, a rangemaster at Ben Avery in Arizona, is a double amputee (below the knee). He hasn’t let that challenge stop him. He has been a Top-10 finisher at major F-Class matches, and was chosen to shoot with F-TR Team USA.
NRA Resources for Adaptive Shooting Events
The NRA Adaptive Shooting Program also provides information for organizations planning an event to include person with disabilities. Events may be organized by veterans’ groups, rehabilitation facilities, and gun clubs. For more information visit AdaptiveShooting.NRA.org.
Making Ranges Suitable for Disabled Shooters
The NRA Club Connections magazine has a feature on Adaptive Shooting. This article explains how range owners can make their lines of fire more accessible with the addition of a simple mat.
NRA’s Hunter Services and Adaptive Shooting Programs have maintained a list of organizations offering people with disabilities outdoor opportunities. Now available in a searchable database, any adaptive shooter can easily choose from adventures such as guided whitetail hunts, chartered fishing trips, and accessible hiking trails anywhere across the country. To find a program, visit the NRA Adaptive Shooting Program’s Hunting/Fishing Trip Database.
Adaptive Shooting Programs in the United Kingdom
Across the pond, the National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom (NRAUK) also has adaptive shooting programs. The NRA.ORG.UK website has a wealth of information for disabled shooters.
The NRAUK states: “There are many different types of target shooting available… in Great Britain. Some of them are readily accessible to disabled people, others less so. Also, shooting clubs and facilities do not all cater for every discipline; some only offer one, whilst larger complexes can cater for many of them.”
Pursuit of Accuracy’s Josh Thomas has done well with his upgraded CZ 457 precision rimfire rifle. Shown above are Open Division trophies he won in the 2021 season.*
Interested in the Rimfire Precision game — NRL22 and PRS Rimfire? Then this article is for you. Today we feature the CZ 457 of Joshua Thomas, the talented host of the Pursuit of Accuracy YouTube Channel. Josh loves his CZ 457, which has been upgraded with a Lilja barrel and Timney trigger. Josh tells us: “You don’t need to spend $3000 on a precision rimfire — you can win with a $700 CZ. Here’s how….”
Rimfire Precision Report by Joshua Thomas, PursuitofAccuracy.com
In the precision .22 LR market, the CZ 457 offers stellar performance for the price. For $400 to $1000 you can pick one of many CZ 457 models that will suit your needs and shooting style. Every model offers the same exact receiver and trigger assembly. I have found both standard 457 and the “match chamber” 457 barrels to be accurate and extremely well-made. There are lots of aftermarket choices for the rifle that make it easy to get exactly what you are looking for out of your rifle — triggers, stocks, chassis sytems, barrels, bolt knobs, scope rails, and more.
Best Features of the CZ 457
The CZ 457 may be the most modular precision rimfire on the market. You can swap barrels and magazines easily. The interchangeable barrel feature is by far the best feature of the CZ 457. Want to shoot .22 WMR for varmint hunts then transition to a .22 LR for precision shooting? No problem — five minutes and four screws are all you need. The CZ 457 is also an excellent value — it’s WAY better than a 10/22 but a fraction of the cost of high-end custom rimfire rigs. [Editor: Josh does own a Vudoo V22, but he says with a barrel upgrade the CZ 457 offers very similar performance at a fraction of the cost].
With his CZ 457 Josh drives nails at 100 yards. But it did take multiple shots.
CZ 457 VPT MTR Equipment List
Barrel: Lilja 1:16″-twist, 21″, .920″ straight taper
Scope: Athlon Cronus BTR Gen II 4.5-29x56mm
with Mil APRS1 Reticle
Rings: Athlon 34mm Low height rings
Scope Base: Area 419 +30 MOA base
ARCA Swiss Rail: Area 419 14″ weighted
ARCA Clamp: RRS ARCA clamp (Atlas)
Trigger: Timney 457 Curved Shoe (5 oz.)
Magazine and extensions: Anarchy Outdoors
Dope Card: Coletac Cheatsheet
Cheek Rest: Victor Titan universal cheek rest
Bipod: Atlas BT46-NC
CZ 457 Accuracy — What Can It Deliver?
I have done extensive testing with my CZ 457 using both factory and aftermarket barrels. You can expect the stock barrel to group most match ammunition around 0.3″ at 50 yards. This can obviously vary but this is a good general standard. Aftermarket barrels, such as the Lilja, are capable of shrinking those average group sizes down to 0.2″ or lower. I have personally shot a few 0.1″ groups with my Lilja at 50 yards with ELEY Match ammunition. While this doesn’t sound like a huge difference at 50 yards that variance between the factory barrel and the Lilja grows the further out you go.
Upgrade Strategies for the CZ 457
As I’ve noted, the CZ 457 is easily upgraded. But first buyers need to make an initial decision. Do they want to build a CZ 457 or just slowly upgrade as they go? If a buyer wants the best performing rifle he/she can start with the cheapest 457 model they can find. Remember all CZ 457s have the same receiver assembly. Then buy a Timney trigger, buy a Lilja custom barrel (e.g. .920″ straight taper), and upgrade to your choice of stock or chassis. I recommend a Manners stock if you don’t already have a different preferred aftermarket chassis.
For those looking to upgrade as they go on a tighter budget I would recommend the YoDave trigger kit — basically a spring change. With the YoDave upgrade my trigger averaged around 9-10 ounces. Next I would buy the Lilja barrel, then a stock later.
Ammo Selection for the the CZ 457 — Why Comparison Testing Is Important
Every gun and barrel is different, so you so should always lot test your gun with various ammo types and lots. If you’re serious about rimfire accuracy, then lot testing is a must, whether at your own rage or a testing center. There is no replacement for starting with a good lot of ammunition your rifle likes. A lot of guys want to buy various ammo in small quantities then use a tuner or sorting to get the ammo consistent. If you compare how much ammo you’re wasting in that endeavor it’s much more cost effective to lot test FIRST and buy a case of what your rifle likes.
Lot Testing Ammo — What You Will Discover
Improving Results for Your Rimfire Rifle
To get the best results from your CZ 457 rifle, first check your action torque — that’s something many rimfire precision shooters overlook. Then collect as much data as you can. From a cold bore find out how long it takes to foul-in, and determine the round count for the best accuracy. And learn how many rounds you can shoot before you need to clean (this will vary from gun to gun).
Also work on your gun handling. With a rimfire, good follow-through is vital because of the “long barrel dwell time” of the rimfire bullet. (A rimfire bullet, since it runs 1000-1100 fps vs. 2800-3200 fps for a centerfire bullet, spends much more time inside the barrel). Follow-through is huge in 22s as far as accuracy goes. For my rifles I try to keep a relatively light but constant pressure on the butt/comb.
Comparison — CZ 457 vs. Vudoo V22 vs. Ruger Precision Rimfire
Editor: Josh owns a top-tier Vudoo V22 as well as CZ 457 rifles. In this video, he tests his Lilja-barreled CZ 457 head-to-head vs. the much more expensive Vudoo V22. The results may surprise you.
Here is the Vudoo V22 with F3R Machine +20 MOA mount.
In this video Josh compares the Ruger Precision Rimfire to a CZ 457 AT-ONE .22 LR. Josh reports: “We show accuracy at 100 yards and talk about the advantages and disadvantages to each rifle. If you are looking for your next .22 LR purchase check out the video and see which rifle comes out on top for you.”
Favorite Accessories: Timney Trigger, Area 419 scope base and ARCA rail
The Timney trigger is the best aftermarket trigger available for the 457 currently. Mine averaged 5-6 ounces and is extremely crisp. It’s a great trigger for Benchrest or PRS/NRL style shooting. The Area 419 Scope Base has the best fit and finish in the market with no close seconds, in my opinion. It is available a +15, +30, and +50 MOA versions. This can allow rimfire competitors to reach 400+ yards without needing to hold over. That’s roughly 20 Mils of elevation travel at 400 yards.
The Area 419 ARCA rail is another best in class in my opinion. The 14″ universal weighted ARCA rail really helps for for PRS / NRL style shooting. The rail’s weight helps the rifle settle into the support bags, and helps to steady the reticle for cleaner shots off of barricades and props.
Upgrades — Installing and Headspacing a Lilja Barrel
One advantage of the CZ 457 platform is the ease with which the barrel can be upgraded. In this video, Joshua installs and headspaces a Lilja .22 LR match barrel onto his daughter’s CZ 457 AT-ONE rifle. The video shows the process for setting headspace.
Josh explains: “Different rimfire ammunition manufacturers use different rim thickness for their ammunition. CCI, Lapua, and SK have a thicker rim thickness than that of ELEY. I like to start at the standard of .043″ for headspace and work my way in .001″ at a time. I’m working my way in looking at accuracy changes, extraction reliability, and the feel of the bolt close. I have found that this will vary barrel to barrel as the chambers are slightly different. For the Lilja I have found .041″ was best for Lapua, SK, and CCI while .039″ was what worked best for ELEY.
Always follow the barrel manufacturer’s directions and work in small increments. Lilja provides instructions on how to set your headspace, and how to make the required measurements to achieve this. I believe Lilja currently is the only barrel manufacturer that is offering a barrel for the CZ 457 for which the end user can easily set the headspace themselves.”
Reactive Targets — Why They Are Fun to Shoot and Good for Training
I love to shoot small steel swinger targets. Reactive targets give the shooter instant positive feedback that what they have done is correct or working. These can be great training tools for both the novice shooter and the expert shooter. However I recommend competitive shooters use smaller reactive targets so they don’t get over-confident with big plates. I like to stick to 1-2 MOA size targets in relation to the distance.
If the rifle is capable of 1″ groups at 150 yards I will use a 2″ – 3″ target as I’m usually shooting these from a field position and not a bench. This allows for small errors on my part and wind calls without making it so easy a bad shot hits.
About the Pursuit of Accuracy Video Channel
Mission Statement: We push the boundaries of rimfire accuracy through education and a shared learning experience with our audience. We claim no professional status … we are simply a small team of dedicated marksmen attempting to redefine the generally-accepted limits of what can be done with .22 LR rifles. We remain committed to our viewers and community. We do not conduct paid reviews. We feel this must be the standard as the trust and honesty we share with our viewers is simply worth more than any paid product review.
Q: What is the biggest challenge in creating videos?
Josh: The biggest challenge with creating rimfire content is dealing with changing environmentals. Not only does all the preparation to film need to be completed but the weather must also cooperate. It’s nearly impossible to demonstrate the accuracy of a platform with a varying amount of wind affecting bullet flight.
Q: How has making videos has helped your shooting and your knowledge of rifles?
Josh: Creating content for YouTube has pushed me to shoot nearly every single day of the week. The increased time behind the trigger and the opportunity to see my mistakes on camera afterwards create a unique learning environment. I have thousands of people seeing my mistakes and quickly pointing them out to me. The amount that I have learned in the last seven months of daily rimfire shooting has proven to me I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did! You can always keep learning and improving.
Joshua also competes with his daughter. The young lady is a talented shooter and has actually outscored her father on occasion:
Q: What you like most about making rimfire marksmanship videos?
Josh: Making videos for YouTube constantly pushes me to rise to challenges I would have never thought achievable with .22 LR rifles. My audience is attentive and well-informed. That makes me bring my best game to the range every time I have the camera in hand.
* Trophies for 2021 Open Division Precision Rimfire matches: Large IPSC plate for 2nd overall in VOD 2021 series; Small IPSC plate for 2nd overall VOD series finale; State of NC trophy for VOD rimfire 3rd overall; Gray griffon trophy for Liberty Precision rimfire 4th overall; Small IPSC dark plate for Top MIL/LEO in Frontline Defense Match.
Nikki Boxler, a former NCAA athlete, is an avid huntress who hunts game and waterfowl around the country. Nikki grew up on a large dairy farm in Western New York and continues to reside there today. This setting has shaped her love of the outdoors and is how she developed a passion which drives her to spend as much time hunting and fishing as possible. For her, hunting is not about the kill, it is about the experience, the memories, the moments and having fun. Her most memorable adventures take place not only in the woods but also around the grill. Nikki says she thoroughly enjoys her role as co-host of Winchester Life providing content about hunting, fitness training, cooking and other topics. An athlete in college, Nikki works out regularly.
Here our some of our favorite Nikki Boxler stories from the Winchester Blog:
CZ 457 VPT MTR Equipment List
