Henry Rifle Forums

Finally got some time to go to the local range yesterday to put the 1st rounds through this CZ 455 varmint, .17 HMR. UNREAL how scary accurate this thing is. I put a Leupold VX2, 6—18X40 on it weeks ago, and got it zeroed in yesterday, as close as I can I think.

I put about 60-65 rounds through it yesterday, the first 50 were the Hornady, then the CCI for the remaining 10-15 shots.

GROUPS:
1st groups with Hornady V-max, .17, FPS 2550, 17 grain
2nd groups with CCI V-max,.17 polymer tipped, FPS 2550, 17 grain

If you look at the target paper, you'll see colored circles around each group:
https://ibin.co/w800/3yMBuDmucc8g.jpg
RED = Hornady V-Max
BLUE = CCI vmax, polymer tipped

I found that the first 30-40 shots with the Hornady were just ok, as I was dialing in the scope, trying to make double holes in 1" squares. A few POI random shots, just to see how far off I was. Hard to see those tiny holes in paper at 100 yards, but with this scope on full magnification you can see them, but you have to squint. A spotting scope is in the works to make it easier.

But once I got towards the end of the Hornady ammo, and opened the CCI box, I noticed that the groups started to focus in tighter. Not sure why? Is this the conditioning process of the barrel, the previous fouling shots? No idea, but it got better.

I'm not a great shot by any means, but this thing is scary accurate. Whatever you aim at, you hit. At the end of the range session, I drilled small pilot holes into the top edge of the target board with a Ryobi driver, pushed in the toothpicks, and then spiked the potatoes onto them. Completely obliterated. I was astounded at how accurate this thing is. I hit every potato, every single time, no misses. Not the case with the Henry 22 mag.

Any little fragments of pieces that hit the ground, (literally the size of a quarter), I hit those too. This rifle and scope combo is amazing. It almost seemed like cheating at times. You just aim, point, squeeze, and you hit whatever is in those crosshairs.

Enjoyed the "surprise" Range Report along with you, Henry. Sounds like a very fun range time.

For sure, my target time didn't show such accuracy as yours. The closest I've come to your tight groups was shooting my Henry .22 Magnum way-back-when. I wasn't at 100 yards, only shot at 50-60 yards, off hand, with a Skinner barrel-mounted iron peep sight. But I definitely remember how easy the Henry was to shoot, and especially having the cool feeling that "I couldn't miss."

Nice range report. Hope you have a lot more range visits like this one!

P.S. I'm a member of RFC, and from time-to-time check the chatter over there. A lot of folk really go for the CZ rifles, and great accuracy is often their theme. I've never shot one...maybe some day. Still love my Henry SGC though!

PT7 wrote:Enjoyed the "surprise" Range Report along with you, Henry. Sounds like a very fun range time.

For sure, my target time didn't show such accuracy as yours. The closest I've come to your tight groups was shooting my Henry .22 Magnum way-back-when. I wasn't at 100 yards, only shot at 50-60 yards, off hand, with a Skinner barrel-mounted iron peep sight. But I definitely remember how easy the Henry was to shoot, and especially having the cool feeling that "I couldn't miss."

Nice range report. Hope you have a lot more range visits like this one!

P.S. I'm a member of RFC, and from time-to-time check the chatter over there. A lot of folk really go for the CZ rifles, and great accuracy is often their theme. I've never shot one...maybe some day. Still love my Henry SGC though!

You need to shoot one. The bullets seem like they are laser guided to the target.

Very pleased to read you range report, but not really surprised, of course. A CZ rifle in 17 HMR is a sure thing, as sure as it gets in the gun world. Your shooting, of course, also gets credit. Well done.

Don't forget to try some other brands of 178 HMR, too. One of my favorites is the Federal Premium. Our single shot Low Wall in 17 HMR loves these.

Definitely get that spotting scope. Under some lighting conditions, you won't be able to see those holes with the riflescope. Been there.

Well much thanks guys. To be honest, I don't think I'm a real shooter. It's kind of hard to miss with this thing, and this scope. And I wasn't really going for bulls-eyes, but rather trying to group shots in those squares. I don't like this target, the blue is too dark. I need something with LOTS of round black outlined circles on white paper, from 4", to 3", to 2" down to 1"
SEE: https://i.pinimg.com/236x/f7/ac/8a/f7ac ... -paper.jpg

I was just so impressed with the consistency of the rifle. Mind you, it does have the heavier bull barrel, compared to my H001M which I absolutely love. In hindsight, I actually prefer the working of the lever, and the feel of the Henry, and the more pronounced little "jerk" I get from the Henry firing, but in terms of accuracy, this CZ is absolutely what Sir Henry said, "laser guided bullets". That's exactly how I was describing it to my dad. At times it felt like, "ahh, ok, so you never miss with this thing", almost less fun than the Henry in some way. Clinical, I suppose, like using a fish finder, instead of trolling your line - when you get a bite, it's a big kick because it's unexpected. With the CZ, it hits everything, every-time.

The one thing I'm discovering, is how important the rest is. Even with the bolt, to re-acquire the target, it's like there's too much play in the rest. I'm using a Caldwell elevator/riser front rest with the wheel. It's ok, but I wish it was softer, filled with buckshot, and more compressed, so that when the fore-end is resting on it, it doesn't move at all. I should look at one of these, the "Softy" by Edgewood:
http://www.edgebag.com/Softy.JPG Or these by Protektor http://protektormodel.com/index.php?mai ... ex&cPath=1 They look awesome.

Last, I wish I could hook up a video camera to the eyepiece on the scope, so people could see what I'm shooting, from my perspective, in real time. For the next trip, I think I'm going to drill 1/16th holes into shelled walnuts, as many as I can do in an hour, and slide those onto toothpicks. There's nothing quite like shooting a reactive target.

Enjoy your weekend guys.