The CZ 452 American: My Favorite Squirrel Rifle

This article has been a long time coming, but with such a great rifle I had to have time to collect my thoughts, and make sure I did this rifle justice in text.  Where do I start?  How about the journey that led me to my first CZ.  

Back in 2010 I felt the need for a bolt action .22 long rifle.  I was getting the itch for a highly accurate .22 capable of making tiny groups at a distance of 50 yards or more.  I wanted the best .22 for squirrel hunting I could afford.  So the research began and I settled in on two choices; the new (at the time) Browning T-bolt or a CZ 452 American.  The lure of the T-bolt was awfully strong.  Being a fan of Browning and having a unique chambering system led me to choose this rifle over the CZ.  I still wasn’t completely convinced on the CZ, yet…  If you’ve spent anytime combing my squirrel stories, and articles you know that’s been a 180° change.  Now, the T-bolt served me well.  I straight hammered some squirrels with it in 2010.  It then wore a Weaver RV7 and shot 36 grain, bulk box, Remington Golden Bullets.  I know, pretty much the turd of .22 ammo, but boy were they accurate and deadly on the squirrels that year.  Even after much success with this setup, I could still hear the echoing call of the CZ in the back of my mind.

I picked back up where my research left off and gave the CZ’s another consideration.  My mindset was, “I’ll get a Scout” (which is the youth model) and just see if it’s all they are cracked up to be.  I also doubled down, and purchased one for my then one year old daughter.  When you hear internet rumor of CZ’s having the propensity to reproduce, let me tell you for a fact, it isn’t a rumor.  If you shut your safe or even closet door on two of these rifles, they are bound to reproduce!!  The Scout turned out to be the gateway drug into the CZ’s for me.

 

After seeing a few fellas glowing reviews of using a CZ Scout with squirrel dogging I figured there must be something to it.  After receiving my Scout I quickly added a Weaver RV7, which just seemed to fit that rifle perfectly.  The only thing I felt it needed was to raise the comb of the stock to align my eye with the scope.  I did that with an Accu-riser.  I’m only 5′ 10″ and the 12.5″ length of pull isn’t too short for me. Extended bench time can be fatiguing to my wrist, but other than that the CZ Scout is a miniature 452 American.  This setup makes for a just over 6 pound rifle.  It’s a perfect “stroll through the woods” rifle.

 

Now that I had finally figured out for myself what the CZ was all about it was time to start researching the other models.  So the story goes, and you’ve read enough of my introduction to CZ’s to get the gist.  I eventually made it to the CZ 452 American.  

 

Where do I start on the list of good about this rifle?  For one, the craftsmanship for the money spent should be double, about the only other rifle in this class, with this workmanship is the Ruger 77/22 and it is double the price!  I’ll take a CZ any day…. The walnut stock has a great finish, along with effective checkering.  The bluing is smooth and clean.  The bolt, straight out of the box, will need a little working to get it to smooth out, but that’s nothing that can’t be accomplished by shooting or even some light sanding with a high grit sandpaper.  Some of you may like the trigger out of box, and between 3-4 pounds isn’t bad for a stock trigger.  I always tend to lower mine to the 2 pound mark.  I also like to polish the tooling marks out of the firing pin, but neither of these are necessary to make this rifle function.  Once the trigger is turned down it’s time to work the accuracy.  Good ammo and good technique make a huge difference.  All CZ’s seem to have a particular ammo they like the best. Here’s just one example of the accuracy you can expect.

 

 

Other than what’s been listed above, What makes it my favorite squirrel hunting rifle?  The value, that simple.  You won’t find a better rifle, at this price point, with this accuracy on the market.  You’re not going to find a Savage with this nice of machine or wood work.  Nor will you find a Marlin in the same class.  True you’ll spend a little less, and may even get a rifle that will “compete” with the CZ on accuracy, but I still hold true to the vintage walnut and blued steel rifles of yesteryear.  I wanted a rifle I could take to the squirrel woods, make accurate, lethal shots with, and be able to pass down 50 years from now.  In the same way my Daddy or his Daddy would have purchased a rifle. That’s the allure of this brand of rifle to me, and makes it one of the best 22’s for squirrel hunting.  

The CZ 452 American is produced for optics only and has a straight “American” style comb.  If sniping squirrels from 15 to 100 yards is your game the CZ 452 American should be on your list.  Some 452 American’s come with the 3/8″ scope rail and some show up with 11mm rail for mounting a scope.  The way I get around that discrepancy is a set of BKL 257 rings, which are designed to fit both measurements.  Depending on the optic of your choice, your CZ 452 will weigh in between 7-8 pounds. 

“Supposedly” the CZ 452’s are being “phased out”, and I’ve been hearing that for a few years now. (Or it may be the best marketing scheme ever!!) There are a few gunshops in the the states that still get batches of them from time to time (mainly Whittaker Guns).  Maybe 100-200 rifles at a time, and they go in a matter of weeks.  If your looking for that heirloom .22 the next time you hear of them making landfall I would certainly not hesitate to pick one, or two up.  You won’t find a better heirloom rifle for the money spent.

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