What is your primary application, br, casual shooting, hunting, etc.? CZ identifies their rifles with the match target barrel with "MTR" aka match target rifle. I have 2 Varmint MTR's 20.5" and they are wickedly accurate for br with several brands of ammo. The most accurate is RWS R50 and some SK rounds, haven't tried much else. In off the shelf bulk stuff Norma Tac-22, CCI SV and Federal Automatch as these are what I have on hand.

 

My purpose in looking to acquire a CZ MTR or accuracy equivalent is to have a very accurate bolt action .22. I stirred up this bee in my hat when I was testing some Norma Match-22 and others in two of my rifles, a Remington 541S and a Bergara BXR. I've always known that bolts, by and large, are more accurate than semi-autos. It became glaringly obvious when all 3 ammo brands I had that day shot better in my 541S. That said, the BXR is a terrific rifle; I killed 10 squirrels on one hunt with it and almost all were head shots. But, I started getting hungry for another bolt gun. I've also always thought about a CZ. Lord knows they are incredibly popular. My 541S is a crazy good gun, but you know how these itches start and are hard to ignore. I'l leaning toward a Varmint Precision Chassis style, but then I see the carbon fiber stock and it resembles other rifles I have in 17HMR. I would prefer the 20.5". So, Rudedawg, do you have a 20.5 "Match" barrel?
And, BTW, my primary use will be a toss-up between hunting (Chassis style) squirrels, prairie dogs, starlings and pigeons and paper targets (carbon fiber stock). In either case a high quality barrel is the most important feature.

 

I believe the Varmint precision trainer has the same barrel as the Varmint. You are getting a very nice carbon fiber stock for that extra cash. Some models will state having the MTR barrel. I cant recall that exception at this moment. So if you want the MTR barrel I'd buy the MTR. You can always add a MTR barrel to any 457 with a stock having barrel clearance. The MTR barrels are generally about $300.00 from CZ directly. Or as many do, if you want more out of your non MTR rifle, or expect even better groups from a MTR rifle the aftermarket world is available to you. Just don't forget to keep it fun.
Hope I didn't just confuse things for you!😯

 

so to answer your question, No, not the same. If they dont say MTR , in the info, they are not MTR. But ,that does not mean they are not accurate. The MTR barrel, marked so on its side, is the same barrel as other CZ barrels with a Match chamber. A mattch chamber generally means its tighter and shorter , so the bullet is more engraved on the leads, start of the rifling, This sometimes results in you not being able to extract a chambered but unfired round. I do not have a MTR barrel, but Do hava bunch of cz barrels. All of them are wickedly accurate, some more than others . I suspect this is also true on MTR barrels. Give me a good lot of ammo, and my 24 inch Heavy Taper will shoot as good or better than a MTR with the same lot . The only thing I can advise is buy the longest barrel you can, they seem to shoot better, or just are easier for me to shoot better. If you want to drive your friend crazy, buy the Jaguar 457, that 28 inch barrel, will give his mtr a run for the money👍

 

The barrel will be stamped "MATCH", if it is not, its a standard chamber. I went with the CZ457 Varmint 20.5 barrel (wood stock) just for the simple reason it is less picky with ammo than the MATCH barrels. I shoot right next to 2 other fellas with CZ457 MTR-MATCH rifles, they shoot very expensive ammo, i shoot NormaTac22 and they don`t seem to get any better accuracy than i`m getting. All depends on what YOU want and what your needs are.

 

I have sampled many different internet 22LR web channels. Many different types of shooting 22LR, almost all informative & have gleaned alot of info from some of the channel’s…but I really like XRing the best. Guy does his homework & shows you the results. What I learned from him mostly:
16” & 16 1/2” is the typical barrel twist for 22LR. 22LR rifles need 16” or 16 1/2” for a full burn. Anything shorter & you compromise velocity .
17”, 18”, & 19” are the best barrel lengths. You might squeak into a 20”, but after 20“ & 20” plus, your target velocity 22LR bullet has achieve a full burn & the extra barrel lengths begin to slow down the bullet. XRing did a barrel length test with a chrono, & multiple lengths barrels. 20” & beyond bleeds off peak velocity. The extra barrel length is more about balance than velocity.
Compensators & suppressors affect velocity negatively too. A test of a rifle with both devices, on & off show velocity differences. Some compensators also affected accuracy negatively.
And, most serious 22LR shooters are lot seekers. When they find a lot number that shoots very accurately, they look to buy whole lots or more of the same ammo.

 

Thanks for the XRing suggestion.

XRing, and I, are more concerned about ELR shooting than benchrest.

I just watched these two of his videos,

18” or 20” for NRL22X and PRS Rimfire?
16” and 22” rimfire velocity test

I came away with the conclusion there is no significant difference in velocity between an 18" and 20" barrel.

The 16" barrel he tested, a factory CZ, was 30fps slower than the 18"/20". The 22" barrel, a factory Savage, was 60fps slower than the 18"/20" barrels.

An 18" to 20" barrel would seem to be ideal for full burn so flip a coin unless you have other reasons to be concerned about the extra couple of inches in length.

I have sampled many different internet 22LR web channels. Many different types of shooting 22LR, almost all informative & have gleaned alot of info from some of the channel’s…but I really like XRing the best. Guy does his homework & shows you the results. What I learned from him mostly:
16” & 16 1/2” is the typical barrel twist for 22LR. 22LR rifles need 16” or 16 1/2” for a full burn. Anything shorter & you compromise velocity .
17”, 18”, & 19” are the best barrel lengths. You might squeak into a 20”, but after 20“ & 20” plus, your target velocity 22LR bullet has achieve a full burn & the extra barrel lengths begin to slow down the bullet. XRing did a barrel length test with a chrono, & multiple lengths barrels. 20” & beyond bleeds off peak velocity. The extra barrel length is more about balance than velocity.
Compensators & suppressors affect velocity negatively too. A test of a rifle with both devices, on & off show velocity differences. Some compensators also affected accuracy negatively.
And, most serious 22LR shooters are lot seekers. When they find a lot number that shoots very accurately, they look to buy whole lots or more of the same ammo.

 

Just go see what the benchrest winners use, and they aint 16 inch,or 20 inch. . On a bullet thats going 1000 fps how much speed could be lost in 8 inches. But maybe that extra 1/2 spin or more at 1000 fps makes a difference. Length matters , always has , always will. 👍

 

@tbates66
I checked out the CZ website, if any have the MATCH barrel, it will say so in the description "MTR". Can you give more details, like the model number of the CZ457 Varmint Precision you are questioning? Reason i am asking is because there are different models of "Varmint Precision`s", ones that HAVE a MATCH chamber, and ones that do not. From what i see and know, unless you are seeing MTR chamber in their descriptions, its a standard chamber. And what is your actual goal for the rifle in question(?). Kinda left your post a little vague here.

 

IMHO, the non match barrel is the way to go if you are planning to shoot Norma( and like priced) ammo.

 

BINGO! That`s what i did! And i can play with the big boys and keep up with no problem. I couldn`t see spending more than i did compared to seeing what the others guys were getting out of their guns that cost a bunch more. Call it luck, but this CZ457 Varmint (wood) that i have, shoots r_e_a_l good with the standard heavy barrel.

 

I’ve got a decent idea of what barrels do work. I’ve shot 21 ARA Factory class matches at Five different venues this year. The MTR’s and rifles with the 24” heavy taper barrels (VPC, VPT and At One) usually rise to the top. There are definitely exceptions to this though. With CZ’s it’s a barrel lottery. I had a Varmint MTR that wasn’t that impressive. I shot a 16” Pro Varmint a couple weeks ago that was real accurate. I have a 24” Trainer (skinny barrel) that is a tack driver too.

If so we’re going to buy one today it would be a Varmint MTR, or one of the rifles that have a 24” heavy taper barrel, VPC, VPT or At One.

Ive had no issues with shooting cheaper Ammo in my MTR’s

 

Can confirm. I shoot CCI SV, Norma TAC 22/Match/SubSonic, RWS Target Rifle out of my MTR and have ZERO issue with Accuracy, Feeding or Extraction.

 

Nice groups.

 

Just something to think about...

The factory CZ chamber is good. I doubt you'll have problems hunting with it. Last I checked, the chamber they use in their hunting/sport barrels is a well cut CIP standard chamber. It will provide good service with minimum field reliability issues.

Proper "Match chambers" often make poor choices for hunting. They are extremely tight and engrave bullets, thus may not allow extraction of loaded rounds. Second, they often have almost zero body taper which can make extraction of fired ammo dicey.

 

A friend/shooting buddy has an MTR and has never had extraction problems. I have generally preferred heavier barrels, having had problems (over heating with loss of accuracy in high volume shooting situations) with thin sport barrels. Heavier barrels solve that problem. I think a varmint barrel will serve me well without the match chamber.

 

A friend/shooting buddy has an MTR and has never had extraction problems. I have generally preferred heavier barrels, having had problems (over heating with loss of accuracy in high volume shooting situations) with thin sport barrels. Heavier barrels solve that problem. I think a varmint barrel will serve me well without the match chamber.

@tbates66 sir,

Which option did you choose? Match or non-Match chamber? Varmint or Sporter profile barrel? I’m curious if the contributors to this discussion convinced you one way or the other.

This thread is old but I am curious about the OP’s final decision.

Curious Ed.

 

Hey Curious Ed, I just picked up my new CZ 457 Varmint, which has a 20.5" heavy barrel and a non-match chamber. I decided against the MTR and Manners stocks. I had narrowed the search down to the Varmint with 20.5" barrel or the CZ 457 ProVarmint with a threaded 16" barrel. Finally found a ProVarmint at Sheels which allowed me a hands-on look at it. I really can't get past the stubby barrel, so the regular Varmint got the nod. It looks and feels well balanced and is finished nicely. The weight is ideal for me. Eager to get the rings and mount the Meopta Meapro Optika5 4-20X50 scope. The scope is a bit much for my use, mostly squirrel hunting, but I might switch it out for a Tract 4-12X I have on an Anschutz 1517D 17HMR.

 

Hey Curious Ed, I just picked up my new CZ 457 Varmint, which has a 20.5" heavy barrel and a non-match chamber. I decided against the MTR and Manners stocks. I had narrowed the search down to the Varmint with 20.5" barrel or the CZ 457 ProVarmint with a threaded 16" barrel. Finally found a ProVarmint at Sheels which allowed me a hands-on look at it. I really can't get past the stubby barrel, so the regular Varmint got the nod. It looks and feels well balanced and is finished nicely. The weight is ideal for me. Eager to get the rings and mount the Meopta Meapro Optika5 4-20X50 scope. The scope is a bit much for my use, mostly squirrel hunting, but I might switch it out for a Tract 4-12X I have on an Anschutz 1517D 17HMR.

Thank you Mr. TBates sir. I’m getting the itch for another 457. The regular 457 Varmint 20.5” non-match barrel model is calling me.

I started out with a 455 Varmint, then a 457 Varmint MTR. Followed by a 457 Training Rifle, ended up with a 457 VPT 20.5” non-match chamber. Picked up a couple of barrels along the way. All of them .22LR.

Got infected with CZitis, made worse by the ENABLERS (you know who you are) here. I hope you have better self-control than I[emoji12]

Ed

 

BTW, this is my first CZ. Friends have them. I've shot theirs. All good experiences, but never got around to buying one. Have lots of other .22s and 17HMRs. I'll post a range report when I get mine all together

 

I bought a 457 Varmint last year and it shot ok with SK STD+ and PMS but I wanted better so I bought an MTR 20.5 barrel and Pro Varmint stock from the classifieds and ordered a Harrell tuner. The groups are smaller with both those ammo lots and the tuner should get them even smaller once installed.

I sold the original parts in the classifieds and I have $31.00 extra in the new parts. I call it my Pro Varmint clone.

Bill

 

I bought a 457 Varmint last year and it shot ok with SK STD+ and PMS but I wanted better so I bought an MTR 20.5 barrel and Varmint Pro stock from the classifieds and ordered a Harrell tuner. The groups are smaller with both those ammo lots and the tuner should get them even smaller once installed.

I sold the original parts in the classifieds and I have $31.00 extra in the new parts. I call it my Varmint Pro clone.

Bill
View attachment 370204

I would rather have that Pro Varmint stock for BR than the Varmint MTR.

 

Hey Guys.......How do you get along with that stubby seems-all-wrong barrel on the ProVarmint? I got to handle one at a local retail outlet and really did. not like it. How does it shoot?

 

I have an AT-One 24” and my son has an AT-One 16” and both guns are super accurate, one is just as accurate as the other and that is using CCI SV, Mini-Mag or Tac-22.

 

Makes sense. Most .22 lr ammo, from everything I've read, has burned the powder and accelerated the bullet to it's max velocity by 16.5" or thereabouts. I chose the CZ 457 AT-One, with 16.5" barrel as it was available, had threaded barrel (saves me the trouble of threading it) and the shorter length is convenient as I'll mostly be shooting it with a can. Can't speak much to accuracy as I haven't shot it much, just sighting in and that all looks good. Snow is deep out there, so I'm working on guns more than shooting.

 

OK Guys, here goes my "report". Took the new 457 Varmint to the range today for the first time. Started with cold and windy conditions, not good for zeroing or shooting without gloves. But, I did it anyway. i'm disappointed to say the least. My new Meopta scope with Illuminated dot would not work and the dot without light is very hard to see against a background that was bathed in bright sunshine. I changed the battery when I got home and it still won't work. So, I may have to return the scope for a warranty repair. Sent an email to Meopta: I'm eager to see what they have to say. Second disappointment: the trigger weighs in about four lbs. I'm used to <2lbs so it's hard to shoot a trigger like that when you are wired to shoot much lighter triggers . Do not like the trigger, so an adjustment or replacement is in order. I shot 3 other .22s today along with the CZ and all of them shot better. I'm also more comfortable with my guns I've shot a lot, so there's that. I had to laugh at myself. Here I had 3 other 22s that have all had their turn as my favorite squirrel rifle. So, I'll get the trigger adjusted or change it, get the scope issue resolved and start over. sheesh!!

 

Cold, windy, bad scope, first shots with new rifle, look to me like all the element where there for a bad start, give that poor rifle a chance.

 

My 457 Pro Varmint MTR has a 12oz trigger after installing a McMaster Carr 611 trigger spring.

Bill