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Newbie looking for advice on cz457 barrel choices.

P

pepelefrog

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Minuteman
Aug 3, 2019
83
11
Sorry if this have been ask before, but I want to buy the best barrel for my cz 457 that i can afford. My current cz is not inaccurate by any means but it leaves me wanting more. My current budget is around $600. I have been looking at area 419, proof, lijia, and the current group buy on sniperhide. Beside Lijia, they all seems to be around the same price range. I do not have much experience regarding changing barrel so the most realistic options is a prefit barrel. I want to see what have been you guys experiment regarding these barrels and hopefully some recommendation on where to spend that money.

Thank you for your time.
 
I did not see any options from the factory but a range buddy got his with a 24'' bull barrel where ever he got it i don't know mine is just the 20 1/2 '' stock barrel it came with . I thought I saw a post in the forums about a group bartlein barrels group buy not sure if Its still around or up that would be nice if its still around . I am sticking with stock one till Its shot out a bit . good luck with yours which ever barrel you decide on .
 
Proof gives you lighter weight, but a fluted Bartlien is amazing. I absolutely love the one I got from 419. It has a bentz chamber, which isn’t as snug as a “match” chamber, but it’s not as picky. The bentz can run lots of ammo without feed issues. And to me, that is worth a great deal when you’re on the clock and jams mean dropped points.
 
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Codiekfx400 said:
Padom is doing a Keystone Accuracy group buy.
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I am considering it, but i want to know if that's a better option than the others since i don't have to know how to glue the barrel. So i will have to use the screw set instead.
 
pepelefrog said:
I am considering it, but i want to know if that's a better option than the others since i don't have to know how to glue the barrel. So i will have to use the screw set instead.
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If you glue it in or use the set screws your still gonna have a custom fit barrel over a drop in.
 
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Well if you want somebody to do the work for you Keystone is your only option I know of in that $600 range. If you could do it yourself then I believe Bartlein makes a prefit. Or if you had about $850 to spend you could send it to a gun smith and have a Shillen ratchet custom fit to the action.
 
AirCapitalOutdoors said:
Once you add on the charges for fluting, its roughly the same as 419's cost with fluting.

I'm running a Bartlein on my 457 and couldn't be any happier.
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Oh, does the place that sell the barrel matter or as it's all good if it's Bartlein barrel? I think this might be my choices after looking around. Also for fluting, is it recommended before cerakote or after? I know the cerakote help prevent the barrel from rusting.

P/S: Also what kind of grouping are you getting on those may i ask?
 
All the Bartleins are being chambered with Bentz chamber and tenon cut to fit all 457 actions at Bartlein then sent to these different resellers as far as I know. So no, there is no difference on a "pre-fit" Bartlein whether you buy it from Bartlein directly, Area419 or Craddock. You can just choose fluting, length, muzzle threads, etc.

These are all prefits though... headspace will vary from action to action, tenon fitment will vary. From the last group buy the numbers from all the actions sent in varied greatly... so that is the difference between a pre-fit vs a custom fit.
 
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Bartlein drills the bore and the chamber. But the fab shop can order without a chamber and do it themselves. 419 sells a Bentz chamber on their Bartlein barrels. Which isnt as tight as a match chamber, but its less apt to jam from small chamber debris and build-up. It's not a ammo picky either. Some match chambers won't allow the bolt to close, depending on rim thickness. Ideally, if you want to run a certain ammo and want a match chamber, then I'd request it to be cut to certain specs matching the ammo of choice.

419 will do custom fluting if you call them and discuss it.

The barrels are stainless. They're rust resistant either way. The cerakote is mostly for looks. But it does add a small amount of durability and scratch resistance.

As far as grouping... I can easily attain 1/2" @ 50 and 1" at 100. My AVERAGE is MOA, which I'm more than happy with considering I use somewhat cheap ammo. Some groups are less than a 1/4" @ 50, and I've had groups less than 1/2" at 100. Depends on wind conditions and how many Monster's I drank that day! ?

I typically run SK Standard Plus. Which isn't Lapua X-Act by any stretch, but its relatively cheap and groups good enough for NRL22 matches.
 
AirCapitalOutdoors said:
Bartlein drills the bore and the chamber. But the fab shop can order without a chamber and do it themselves. 419 sells a Bentz chamber on their Bartlein barrels. Which isnt as tight as a match chamber, but its less apt to jam from small chamber debris and build-up. It's not a ammo picky either. Some match chambers won't allow the bolt to close, depending on rim thickness. Ideally, if you want to run a certain ammo and want a match chamber, then I'd request it to be cut to certain specs matching the ammo of choice.
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Correct, any shop can buy any blank and chamber it. Thats not whats happening with them is all Im saying from my contacts at Bartlein. Bartlein is doing the tenon and chamber work with a Bentz chamber. A Bentz chamber is a semi-auto chamber. But is a good chamber for pre-fits that you cant control all the measurements when you dont have the action in hand. My experience when I did the review and testing of the Bartlein Bentz chamber pre-fit they sent me was the opposite of yours. It was actually more picky than a Lilja or other true match chamber with ammo. Now when I say picky, Im talking about achieving .2-.3 consistently @ 50yd and submoa @ 100yds when shooting 6x5's. MOA is no problem with the Bentz chamber at these distances. Once I tested a bunch of match ammo and lots I found it specifcally shot the tightest with R50. It was not as consistently at distances past 100yds compared to the full custom match chamber versions.

I dont know of anyone getting bullets stuck in the chamber or having any extraction issues on any of the Lilja chambers either from Lilja barrels or any group buy barrels I ran. Both will work. But you have to decide what your end goals are and what your doing with it. If your looking for MOA accuracy the Bentz is perfectly fine. Submoa accuracy is achievable if you put the time and money in testing different quality match ammo and lots. If your goal is to buy an aftermarket barrel to ring every bit of accuracy possible out of your rifle then I personally wouldnt be spending the money on a Bentz chambered barrel designed and intended for a semi-auto. Thats my $0.02. We are talking about 6x5's that avg in the high .2's and low .3's @ 50yd and 6x5's avg in the .6's @ 100yds and shoots consistently MOA and often submoa @ 300yd. That has been easily achievable on 3 full custom barrels I have on 3 different actions with custom fit GM and Bartlein barrels chambered with Lilja or Lilja 2 or my custom match reamers.

You the buyer have to decide what your goals are and what you plan to do with the gun.
 
padom said:
Correct, any shop can buy any blank and chamber it. Thats not whats happening with them is all Im saying from my contacts at Bartlein. Bartlein is doing the tenon and chamber work with a Bentz chamber. A Bentz chamber is a semi-auto chamber. But is a good chamber for pre-fits that you cant control all the measurements when you dont have the action in hand. My experience when I did the review and testing of the Bartlein Bentz chamber pre-fit they sent me was the opposite of yours. It was actually more picky than a Lilja or other true match chamber with ammo. Now when I say picky, Im talking about achieving .2-.3 consistently @ 50yd and submoa @ 100yds when shooting 6x5's. MOA is no problem with the Bentz chamber at these distances. Once I tested a bunch of match ammo and lots I found it specifcally shot the tightest with R50. It was not as consistently at distances past 100yds compared to the full custom match chamber versions.

I dont know of anyone getting bullets stuck in the chamber or having any extraction issues on any of the Lilja chambers either from Lilja barrels or any group buy barrels I ran. Both will work. But you have to decide what your end goals are and what your doing with it. If your looking for MOA accuracy the Bentz is perfectly fine. Submoa accuracy is achievable if you put the time and money in testing different quality match ammo and lots. If your goal is to buy an aftermarket barrel to ring every bit of accuracy possible out of your rifle then I personally wouldnt be spending the money on a Bentz chambered barrel designed and intended for a semi-auto. Thats my $0.02. We are talking about 6x5's that avg in the high .2's and low .3's @ 50yd and 6x5's avg in the .6's @ 100yds and shoots consistently MOA and often submoa @ 300yd. That has been easily achievable on 3 full custom barrels I have on 3 different actions with custom fit GM and Bartlein barrels chambered with Lilja or Lilja 2 or my custom match reamers.

You the buyer have to decide what your goals are and what you plan to do with the gun.
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padom said:
Correct, any shop can buy any blank and chamber it. Thats not whats happening with them is all Im saying from my contacts at Bartlein. Bartlein is doing the tenon and chamber work with a Bentz chamber. A Bentz chamber is a semi-auto chamber. But is a good chamber for pre-fits that you cant control all the measurements when you dont have the action in hand. My experience when I did the review and testing of the Bartlein Bentz chamber pre-fit they sent me was the opposite of yours. It was actually more picky than a Lilja or other true match chamber with ammo. Now when I say picky, Im talking about achieving .2-.3 consistently @ 50yd and submoa @ 100yds when shooting 6x5's. MOA is no problem with the Bentz chamber at these distances. Once I tested a bunch of match ammo and lots I found it specifcally shot the tightest with R50. It was not as consistently at distances past 100yds compared to the full custom match chamber versions.

I dont know of anyone getting bullets stuck in the chamber or having any extraction issues on any of the Lilja chambers either from Lilja barrels or any group buy barrels I ran. Both will work. But you have to decide what your end goals are and what your doing with it. If your looking for MOA accuracy the Bentz is perfectly fine. Submoa accuracy is achievable if you put the time and money in testing different quality match ammo and lots. If your goal is to buy an aftermarket barrel to ring every bit of accuracy possible out of your rifle then I personally wouldnt be spending the money on a Bentz chambered barrel designed and intended for a semi-auto. Thats my $0.02. We are talking about 6x5's that avg in the high .2's and low .3's @ 50yd and 6x5's avg in the .6's @ 100yds and shoots consistently MOA and often submoa @ 300yd. That has been easily achievable on 3 full custom barrels I have on 3 different actions with custom fit GM and Bartlein barrels chambered with Lilja or Lilja 2 or my custom match reamers.

You the buyer have to decide what your goals are and what you plan to do with the gun.
Click to expand...

What’s shooting best in your Lilja 2 chamber? I’m strongly considering getting one as my Bartlein with the Bentz chamber leaves more to be desired.
 
padom said:
A lot. It isnt picky. Federal Match and Ultramatch, SK RM and center X
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That’s great to hear! Do you think that .2-.3 at 50 yards and .6 at 100 type accuracy is attainable with the Lilja 457 pre-fits?
 
Greg0326 said:
That’s great to hear! Do you think that .2-.3 at 50 yards and .6 at 100 type accuracy is attainable with the Lilja 457 pre-fits?
Click to expand...

With pre-fits? Not from all the ones I tested. .2-.3 @ 50 with lot testing and finding the specific ammo it loves yes its possible for sure. But 0.6moa @ 100yd, no. You have to understand how difficult 0.6 consistently @ 100yds is with a 22lr. Just look at the 6x5 22lr thread. Its rare. Shooting some groups @ 100yds that measure .6 sure. But consistently shooting a 6x5 that avg .6 is no easy task.

The barrel and chamber in my eyes is 50% of the battle when looking for that kind of consistency at anything past 50yds. A quality stock chassis and bedding the action helps a lot for consistency. I have an MDT ACC that was very accurate but would throw some shots here and there. I bedded it a few months ago with 10110 and man its consistency at distance is boringly accurate. submoa @ 300yd is not abnormal now. .6 - .7 6x5 @ 100yds, yep. The trigger plays a big part as well. The BScar 2 stage is downright amazing on my CZ. I have it at 8oz on the 2nd stage and its one of the best upgrades made. Lastly, the weather. If youre shooting outdoors, you better have one dead calm day to shoot consistent 6x5's submoa.

Guys think they are gonna throw at barrel on a 22lr and its going to shoot these crazy 6x5's. Its possible, but rare. All the things mentioned above help you achieve those 6x5's but the ammo and the lot play another large factor in the end result.

Thats my $0.02
 
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padom said:
With pre-fits? Not from all the ones I tested. .2-.3 @ 50 with lot testing and finding the specific ammo it loves yes its possible for sure. But 0.6moa @ 100yd, no. You have to understand how difficult 0.6 consistently @ 100yds is with a 22lr. Just look at the 6x5 22lr thread. Its rare. Shooting some groups @ 100yds that measure .6 sure. But consistently shooting a 6x5 that avg .6 is no easy task.

The barrel and chamber in my eyes is 50% of the battle when looking for that kind of consistency at anything past 50yds. A quality stock chassis and bedding the action helps a lot for consistency. I have an MDT ACC that was very accurate but would throw some shots here and there. I bedded it a few months ago with 10110 and man its consistency at distance is boringly accurate. submoa @ 300yd is not abnormal now. .6 - .7 6x5 @ 100yds, yep. The trigger plays a big part as well. The BScar 2 stage is downright amazing on my CZ. I have it at 8oz on the 2nd stage and its one of the best upgrades made. Lastly, the weather. If youre shooting outdoors, you better have one dead calm day to shoot consistent 6x5's submoa.

Thats my $0.02
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BScar trigger? Whaaaa??? More info please! Is that "Triggers by Scar" for the 455?

Has anyone else seen the new trigger for the 457 that was posted on FB? No info yet, just a short video.
 
AirCapitalOutdoors said:
BScar trigger? Whaaaa??? More info please! Is that "Triggers by Scar"?
Click to expand...

Yes it is. And is the reason I have not purchased any 457's. And I was able to get 455's for stupid cheap when the 457's were released. Hands down the BESTTTT trigger ever made for the CZ 455. Bill sent it to me for the MD ACC 455, Bartlein CZ 455 Pre-fit and Custom barrel reviews. Fully adjustable, zero creep, breaks like glass. Ive actually been trying to mimic Bill's trigger on my Vudoo its that fucking amazing. Closest Ive got is the Bix'N Andy TacSport Pro 2 Stage which is very close but that damn BScar is nicer.
 
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padom said:
Hands down the BESTTTT trigger ever made for the CZ 455. Bill sent it to me for the MD ACC 455, Bartlein CZ 455 Pre-fit and Custom barrel reviews. Fully adjustable, zero creep, breaks like glass. Ive actually been trying to mimic Bill's trigger on my Vudoo its that fucking amazing. Closest Ive got is the Bix'N Andy TacSport Pro 2 Stage which is very close but that damn BScar is nicer.
Click to expand...

I've been looking for something better than the "fly". I'll look into this. Thanks!
 
AirCapitalOutdoors said:
I've been looking for something better than the "fly". I'll look into this. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I was not impressed with the FLY trigger at all. YoDave upgrade I thought was better for pennies. Timney sent me their newly updated adjustable trigger to BETA test a year or more back that fixed the bolt flying out the back issues. It was nice and at the time the best option for a CZ. But this BScar reminds of an Anschutz trigger. Nothing even comes close on the market today for a CZ. I dont know if Bill's making them for 457's yet.
 
Greg0326 said:
That’s great to hear! Do you think that .2-.3 at 50 yards and .6 at 100 type accuracy is attainable with the Lilja 457 pre-fits?
Click to expand...

Here's the Lilja 2 type chamber shooting 6x5 @ 100yds BEFORE bedding. It really likes whatever ammo I feed it and hasnt been lot picky so far. This is my reamer based off the Lilja 2 with some slight changes with the help from Don.


 
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padom said:
Here's the Lilja 2 type chamber shooting 6x5 @ 100yds BEFORE bedding. It really likes whatever ammo I feed it and hasnt been lot picky so far. This is my reamer based off the Lilja 2 with some slight changes with the help from Don.


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That’s great info! Thanks for that. It’s probably worth the $500 in my eyes to move to the Lilja or something similar. Keeping my eye on that Lothar as well for now.
 
Greg0326 said:
That’s great info! Thanks for that. It’s probably worth the $500 in my eyes to move to the Lilja or something similar. Keeping my eye on that Lothar as well for now.
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Lilja is still a pre-fit drop in. I didnt have accuracy from my Lilja anywhere close to what I posted above. If ultimate accuracy is your goal, full on custom fit to your action is your best bet. I may have something in the works for all the people that have asked me about the full custom fitted Bartleins... Stay tuned.
 
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padom said:
Lilja is still a pre-fit drop in. I didnt have accuracy from my Lilja anywhere close to what I posted above. If ultimate accuracy is your goal, full on custom fit to your action is your best bet. I may have something in the works for all the people that have asked me about the full custom fitted Bartleins... Stay tuned.
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If that's the case, i don't mind paying extra over the current group buy.
 
I have tested lothar, bartlein, and whistle pig ultra lite barrels. Bartlein is the most consistent from my testing. I tested each barrel in 3 seperate actions. The tightest fitting was the bartlein. It has a very loose chamber. Clean barrel I can drip the bullet in and turn it upside down and it fall out. Whistle pig was same way. Lothar does not engrave the bullet so it's not a true match chamber. With Sk rifle match and cci std velocity the bartlein does very well. Anything else nope. The lothar shot lots of Ammos well nothing spectacular.
 
There are lots of options. The simple answer is, buy what you're comfortable with, be it Bart, Lilja, Benchmark, LW, etc. Just be sure to test a LOT of ammo. You're bound to discover several rounds that produce fantastic groups.
 
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I just want to give a quick update. Thank you guys for your advice and suggestion. I end up decided to go with the current Bartlein custom fit group buy from Padom for $550, which seem like a crazy good deal for me.
 
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Agreed. 550 for a custom fit bartlein is awesome
 
Agreed. 550 for a custom fit bartlein is awesome
 
JohnTheFisherman said:
I’m very happy with my lilja. Great results so far and shimming the headspace was super easy.
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Ditto. I have a Lilja 18" on my 455 Tactical and it's the bee's knees. 50-yd groups in the 2s & 3s are commonplace. I picked the Lilja over other fine barrels 'cuz I could set the headspace.
 
Hmm, i have heard mix reaction regarding the quality of Lijia barrels. While most of the review i see report high accuracy, they seems to have feeding, extracting, and other problems.
 
"Lilja is still a pre-fit drop in. I didnt have accuracy from my Lilja anywhere close to what I posted above. If ultimate accuracy is your goal, full on custom fit to your action is your best bet."

Padom, I thought the Lilja drop in barrels are custom fit to your action since they cut the tendon long and supply shims to adjust the headspace? Speaking of headspace, I see most folks use 0.043", but lately some folks are posting 0.041" as their headspace preference. Is this due to the rim dimension on the particular line of ammo they have picked as the most consistent? What headspace dimension are you at with your rifle using the Lilja 2 modified chamber in your postings above at 50 & 100 yds.?
 
45ACP223 said:
"Lilja is still a pre-fit drop in. I didnt have accuracy from my Lilja anywhere close to what I posted above. If ultimate accuracy is your goal, full on custom fit to your action is your best bet."

Padom, I thought the Lilja drop in barrels are custom fit to your action since they cut the tendon long and supply shims to adjust the headspace? Speaking of headspace, I see most folks use 0.043", but lately some folks are posting 0.041" as their headspace preference. Is this due to the rim dimension on the particular line of ammo they have picked as the most consistent? What headspace dimension are you at with your rifle using the Lilja 2 modified chamber in your postings above at 50 & 100 yds.?
Click to expand...

Headspace is set with the shims.... But the tenon diameter is not custom fit to your action like a fitted full on custom. I am running 0.041" headspace on the above setup.
 
padom said:
Headspace is set with the shims.... But the tenon diameter is not custom fit to your action like a fitted full on custom. I am running 0.041" headspace on the above setup.
Click to expand...

Got it, diameter of the tenon mating up to the receiver for a tight fit is the custom part. Makes sense now. Thanks for the reply!
 
45ACP223 said:
Got it, diameter of the tenon mating up to the receiver for a tight fit is the custom part. Makes sense now. Thanks for the reply!
Click to expand...

Well no the tenon length properly headspaced to each action is the other half. You're just getting there with shims, but that tenon is not custom heads paced to your action.
 
I'll chime in. I have one of the first group buy barrels and my CZ, with a Scar trigger, is the most consistently accurate .22 Ive ever shot. You would have to dig for my old posts but it will average in the mid .3's all day, not just cherry picked groups.

Also, like Padom said, the Scar trigger is only available for the 455 and I wouldn't consider a 457 without one. Bill picked me and one other guy to beta test the trigger before he started selling them and I still feel like I won the lottery, it's that good. Combine both the trigger and the custom fit barrel and you will have an absolute hammer.
 
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My comment is for the OP. MPA will custom fit and set the headspace on one of their barrels to your receiver. They use the Anschutz chamber. You send them your receiver and bolt. Cost is $400.

Personally I will be getting a barrel from IBI. I have one of their barrels on my T1x and am very happy with the results. IBI uses the same shank size specification as CZ does so there shouldn't be any headspace issues. You can get a Win 52D chamber or a Callfee 4. I'm going with the Callfee 4 this time because I never shot one and it will feed better than the 52D. Their barrels are $319 unfluted and $409 fluted.

Here is what a fluted barrel will look like.
IMG_20200111_195848.jpg


Here is how it should shoot. Six targets, six different ammo. This is why I'm choosing another IBI barrel.
Tikka IBI2 Lapua Center-X 3-1-20.jpg
Tikka IBI2 RWS R-50 sc 2-21-20.jpg
Tikka IBI #2 Eley Edge 2-3-20.jpg
Tikka IBI #2 Eley Match 1-19-20.jpg
Tikka IBI #2 Fed GM Ultra Match 1-19-20.jpg
Tikka IBI #2 Lapua Pistol King 1-19-20.jpg
 
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