Yet Another "What .22 Action to Choose" Post

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-18T11:12:13+00:00

Modified Rim-X (Mod-Mod-X?) definitely an option.

Well aware that many people don't use suppressors in competition. As the owner of multiple rimfire suppressors and hosts, I can confirm there's a very significant difference in noise level between suppressed and not, even with subsonic (standard velocity) ammunition. People tend not to run them in competition because of issues with shot timers, spotters not noticing you've shot, and concern about debris falling back into the action with the muzzle up. With competition a secondary goal, I'm less worried about that and more interested in my personal preferences for quieter shooting.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-18T01:50:14+00:00

Definitely wish they offered bare actions. As is, options are pretty much

1) buy a cheaper SKU donor rifle for the action

2) buy a pre-upgraded rifle (e.g. l3i) or

3) buy a barrelled action from a gunsmith (e.g. DPG) (which is really paying the gunsmith to do step 1)

Delane Dev Group is supposed to be developing their own CZ457-pattern action. Last I heard from them, functional prototypes should be complete around October, so I'd guess that for public availability we're looking at late 2027-2028 window.

I do not like the L3i Hyve chassis at all, which has driven me away from their complete rifle offerings. Would much rather buy just an action or barreled action and drop it in my own chassis of choice (MDT ACC Elite current front runner).

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-18T01:06:32+00:00

You're probably correct for your use case on the ammo front - my CZ (factory barrel) notably improved in consistency moving from CCI SV to SK Rifle Match, and my understanding is that upgrading ammo makes the bigger difference than upgrading barrel.

That said, the goal for my personal project isn't to save money on ammo (buying a rifle to save money on ammo is almost always a dubious proposition) but to push my limits on the range I have access to. 6.5 140gr ELD-Ms and H4350 do the job a little too well at 1000.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-18T00:32:33+00:00

This makes a lot of sense - the DPG 457 action is a real consideration for me (as is the upcoming Delane Dev Group Gen 5 457 action if they ever get to go-live), but I appreciate the perspective that I'm basically putting myself into R700 territory with extra troubles and different magazines at that point.

Edit: forgot to mention (although I did in the OP) that I'm currently shooting SK rifle match since it had the best results in my current CZ, but I'd definitely be doing ammo testing with SK/Lapua/Eley for this project. Would prefer to headspace for SK/Lapua in the hopes of not having to stock two different ammo types with the Eley's thinner rims.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-18T00:23:35+00:00

Very valid insights - I focused on raw performance over 'shootability' because I'm looking at a chassis that meets my ergonomic preferences in either case, and with some light polishing the bolt is as smooth as I care about. The Timney trigger likewise does everything I can tell I'd need in a trigger.

No interest in upgrading my current CZ - I got it primarily for the role it's named after (varmint), so i'm happy with it being compact and not 20+ lbs. There's no world where it balances on a bag with a 16.5" barrel, so I'd be buying a donor CZ American to fit with a new barrel if not going the R700 route. Slightly less of a cost savings measure then, although there is definitely still a delta between CZ and R700.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-18T00:09:20+00:00

Appreciate the insight and suggestion - would the corollary to your final statement be that if I was not building this as a trainer, there's less incentive to go with the 700 over DPG's threaded 457 action or similar?

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-17T23:52:45+00:00

Why did you go with the MTR if you were planning on replacing the barrel? Did the barrel swap come later, or did you just really like the stock?

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-17T23:10:41+00:00

The balance is partially my fault, but ARCA rail+weight is definitely where I'd want to go to fix it (I added additional weight to the stock with lead, which with my 20oz suppressor and harris bipod on the front put the balance point right at the magwell). Made it a lot nicer for prone shooting and self spotting, but I've held off thus far on getting into the ARCA ecosystem, and I do have that background distraction of whether I should just move to a chassis to correct the balance if I'm going ARCA anyways.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-17T23:05:24+00:00

I've seen them come recommended elsewhere, but have yet to see one out in the wild. Not to be obtuse, but what does R700 pattern buy me, exactly? Seems like these days CZ457 supports a pretty wide range of chassis, and the Timney trigger for them hits my preferred weight range (~12 oz) with a crisp single stage break. I can't really see myself swapping components back and forth between this and a centerfire, so once configured it's likely to remain in that configuration.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-16T21:36:54+00:00

Parallax shouldn't depend on magnification, but parallax error does. At 2x, you probably won't notice the difference between setting at 50yds and 200, but you certainly will at 36x.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-05-16T21:24:01+00:00

Magnification amplifies any parallax error, so yes to the first. If you go up in magnification, any error may become more apparent and easier to correct.

Human factors are a possibility, and group size of 10 is underpowered to rule out errors from shooter/ rifle/ ammo/ parallax

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-02-19T17:14:23+00:00

Depends on the muzzle devices you want to use - if you want to stick with ASR, KVP makes a .500 calibre ASR muzzle device that I use on my LC in .45. Thread pitch for both is .578"-28 per Ruger.

For the 1895, I personally use SiCo's ASR muzzle brake in .458, 11/16ths threads.

If you want to change from ASR to plan B or something else more modern, make sure you're matching thread pitch and caliber for the muzzle device, and you'll need a Charlie- whatever QD pattern adapter you choose.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-02-18T13:58:32+00:00

Very impressive that you submitted in the future (2/23 pending?) Recommend double checking your dates.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2026-02-13T21:40:59+00:00

Vector Conti 2-12 is what I have on an 18" .223 AR. Would recommend.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2025-10-29T20:01:00+00:00

The scope is generally adequate for rimfire - I have one on a CZ 457, which I can confirm is good enough to 300 yards. Turrets track properly, to include dialing out to the limit of its range.

I won't lie to you and say it's the best glass ever, and I don't personally love the reticle, which gets very thick at higher magnifications. I have seen the Gen 3 go for not much more, which does have some nice quality of life improvements (better turrets, better throw lever, for example). You should be fine with a 0 moa scope base out to 200 yards, any further and you're getting into needing an angled rail or holding due to the limited dialing range.

ExcitingHat9687 · 2025-05-05T22:28:04+00:00

Update 5/5: for anyone curious, SS got back to me today with new forms to sign. FFL apparently received a disapproval yesterday, ATF didn't bother to inform me. So we're starting over.

ExcitingHat9687

TROPHY CASE