Other than needing more scope power, the results do not surprise me. I've owned 452 Scouts and they all shot well. Enjoy it and all your rifles. :bthumb:

 

This reply is intended to be helpful to you and please don't take it as anything but that. Your 1712 should shoot much better than it did. It should shoot .4-.3 with regularity with several quality brands of ammo and you should get some sub .3 groups occasionally. Your limited scope power is most likely a factor. What kind of bench are you shooting from and what type of bags/rest are you using? You should also consider trying some Lapua Midas Plus and Eley red box or black box.

My limited experience with CZ Rimfires is that they typically shoot well, but not as well as a 54 Anschutz.

 

I'm sure my set-up and my technique are the weak links in this chain.

My table is just that, a table. I can't get behind the gun very comfortably. My front bag was too high and my back bag too low. I had to move the Anschutz more between shots than the CZ to work the bolt. You can see my front and rear bags in this photo.

And yep at 7 and 8 power the crosshairs would move off the POA on every heartbeat. I tried to time the trigger to go off when the crosshairs returned to the POA.

I realize, other than a hole in my mitt and the sun in my eyes, I'm listing every excuse in the book. Actually, I'm surprised I achieved the groups I did with either rifle.

The thing that impressed me was the little youth scout shooting so well with easy and cheap to buy CCI SS. I'm tickled I won't be putting the grandkids at a disadvantage with the Scout.

I am going to put more scope on this 1712. I have one of the older Leupold VXII 4x12 AO.

 

I have had several 54 (and 64) Anschutz rifles that were outshot by CZ 452s. And several that were not. So has my shooting group. I'll remember forever the day I shot a good target with a huge Anschutz 1911 and Doug, with a smile, handed me a six pound CZ that did as well or better.

Accuracy is dispersed in a bell curve, like everything else in the world, and the bell curves overlap. My experience is that the Anschutz bell curve is not that much different from the CZ bell curve. Yes I would give the nod to Anschutz but there is a reason CZs are a bargain. Plus CZs eject flawlessly and the mags drop free with one finger. Imagine that!

Of course this last statement regarding the location of the bell curve is subjective (and should not be relied upon) as no one has the means to plot both curves as so many samples would be required and the testing protocol would require the same shooter, the same windless range, and many other things held constant. Particularly difficult would be holding ammo constant as different rifles like different ammo...Tom

 

The wobbly bench and bag set up and the low power scopes pretty much equalized the playing field here. Get a solid bench and a rest and the Annie will shoot a lot better, so will the cz, but you need more magnification, you spent your money on a hunting scope or long distance steel ringing scope. your target is a 1 inch circle at 50 yards not a 600 lb elk at 300 to 600 yards.Sell it and buy a target scope, Mueller 8x32 work fine, and then there is better. And your wife won’t have to run down to the target. :bthumb:

 

Ha! Good advice.

I started to list the March for all these reasons and replace it with 2-3 others. However, a squirrel looks Sooooo good in that circular crosshair and FFP.
So, I think I'm going to keep the March and use it for squirrel hunting, sometimes. I may put it back on the Steyr air rifle which is why I bought it in the first place. I fear I'd take a terrible beating on it anyway.

I just put the Leupold 4x12 AO on this McMillan stocked 1712. I also like that swapping these scopes out cut 1/2 pound off the weight of the 1712 rig! I suppose something with a bit more power is in my future though. Thanks for the recommendation.

Who knows, I don't have the drive to see how tiny a group I can get .... yet. If I keep reading on here though, who knows? I really do want all shots touching most of the time though, at 50 and under.

My next move is to improve the shooting bench set up. I see some nice plans on the net and I have a bunch of scrap, treated lumber left-over the from the deck re-do.

 

This bench I threw together might be a little much for your deck, but you get the idea.

 

Sweet!

Now that's a heavy duty set-up.

Thanks for sharing!

 

This looks more like a fighting position than a shooting bench. Nice job

 

Get a good shotgun vest to take the heartbeat out of the equation, then work on your breathing and trigger control. Also if you want to shoot .3 groups, your platform and bags have to be rock solid.

 

March scopes keep their value well in the used market. I would sell it, buy a pair of Leupold 36x scopes and more ammo with the sale price and br good to go.

 

March scopes keep their value well in the used market.

Now that there's no U.S. distributor and customers will likely have to send their scope overseas to get support... I wouldn't call it a smart buy. Their value on the used market just got effectively cut in half.

 

Thanks for this info.

 

I agree the Anschutz should shoot better than that, and you still have a lot of testing to do (that's the fun part, right?), but some of us have horror stories of our Anschutz rifles that did not shoot that well (not going to open the ejection can of worms again ); mine happened to also be a 1712. So, it happens, but I would say the jury is still out. FWIW, the two Scouts I've owned were also very accurate and were perfect for the kids and grand kids because they still enjoyed shooting them even as they grew.

As I get older, my need for magnification has increased proportionally, but I detest the Mt. Palomar-class scopes mounted on nice sporters. My quest has been a scope with about 5x on the low end and 18x on the high end but the size and weight of the average 3-9x40 scope. I've managed to get close with a Leupold VX3i 4.5-14X40 boosted to 6.5-19x. It's attractive and still lightweight. Still, I think 8x at 50 yards would have been enough for shooting tight groups, if the reticle and bullseye are compatible. The best set up for me has been a dot reticle with an orange or white dot on the target that appears just large enough, at the highest magnification, to show a thin ring around the reticle dot. This allows very accurate centering of the dot in the dot and has been the best recipe for me. I've always done better with circles in circles than with quartering a circle with cross hairs...maybe it's just me.

Nice work around on your balcony, BTW.

Good luck

TBR

 

When you put the 1712 back in the stock, did you torque the screws back to 30inch Lbs?

 

I did not check the torque, embarrassed to say, I have a torque driver (Wheeler) that I've never used.

I spent yesterday upgrading my shooting system. I had a bunch of left-over lumber and TREX boards so I found a DIY plan on the net and set to work. My 9-year old grandson got a kick out of helping.

Here's a picture. You'll see the new Vudoo Crow and the Anschutz McMillan on the bench. Also dragged out my spotting scope because there is NO WAY my wife is going to go down two sets of stairs and into the backyard to fetch my target (and I'd never ask, she does more than plenty).

I love the bench. It was great fun building. I don't like the seat much. It is comfortable enough but I'm looking for some type of retro-fit swivel adjustable pedestal that I can insert in this wooden structure. If anyone has idea I'd love to hear it!

 

You'll see the new Vudoo Crow and the Anschutz McMillan on the bench. Also dragged out my spotting scope because there is NO WAY my wife is going to go down two sets of stairs and into the backyard to fetch my target (and I'd never ask, she does more than plenty).

bowwild:

You need to leave that Vodoo in the house when you shoot your Annie.... You will embarrass the Vodoo... LOL

I didn't know there was another "old Wildlife" guy who played with wood construction.... Ya done good on the bench. Hope there are no lefties in your group..... LOL again.

Nice stuff, Just sayin.

 

Nice setup there.

Regarding the seat, other than putting some padding on it, try and pickup a second hand swivel stool or an office swivel chair, being height adjustable they make shooting more comfortable.

Giz

 

Thanks!

I just cut 3" off each leg. Now it fits me and all the other Lollipop kids! When someone taller than me, a 6 foot GIANT, I could set it only wooden blocks.

Now I need some hooks and trays attached to the side, and a 2-4 vertical rifle rack (DIY) separate from the bench (I don't want to be banging barrels moving around on the bench).

Then, I'll dig up my old BREAD 8-Track and player, CB antennae , and be good to go.

Thanks

 

Thanks!

I just cut 3" off each leg. Now it fits me and all the other Lollipop kids! Thanks

If you have a router or good old sand-paper, round off the bench top and all edges, it stops clothing getting snagged and its safer for the lollipop's.

A piece of old tarp will protect it from the weather.

Giz

 

Most comfortable seat that I use for benchrest is a drummers stool. Go to a music shop and test them out. Height adjustable as well.

 

I bought a keyboardist seat, it's padded, adjustable height and very stable.

 

Great suggestions all!

 

The drummer’s chair (“Throne” in the business) works very well. A cheaper option is a pneumatic garage work stool. The detract is it has wheels, but it will work for sure. I bet your shooting will improve with the bench. Be sure to report in,

 

Funny you mentioned lefties. I'm a left-eye dominant person. I shoot a bow and shotgun left-handed, but rifles and handguns righty.

But the funny thing, now that it is history because I didn't laugh right away, is that I built the top first. Then I installed the legs.

When I turned it right side up, yep, you guessed it. It was backwards for a full-leftie. I had to dismantle almost the entire piece and re-organize to righty. Good thing, like Foghorn-Leghorn, I keep my feathers numbered for just such occasions!