Project Paper Puncher

In recent months, my .22 target rifles have become a favorite platform for tweaking. And the results have been impressive. Ammo is cheap, and with minimal recoil, I can focus on shooting and improving both my performance and the rifle's.

Last summer I added a CZ 452 bolt action in .22LR. If you haven't looked at CZ's, they're well-worth it. Beautifully constructed, and very affordable - mine was under $300. Right out of the box, they're a solid investment.

Naturally, I couldn't leave well enough alone...

After some online reading, I decided an Eric Brooks trigger kit to bring the pull down, and take up the creep a little would be a good investment. For $30 it's a can't-lose mod. Crisp, light, super-short pull.

Then a Montana sling, which necessitated replacing the sling swivels with some Uncle Mike's. The sling is beautiful and just adds to the aesthetic, even if it's not really functionally necessary for a bench shooter. And again, didn't cost much.

I'd originally planned to just shoot this one with iron sights. But then a friend gave me a cheap scope and I figured out that optics on an accurate rifle like this were just a ball. So, this weekend I added a Bushnell rimfire scope. Was planning to to go the range on Sunday, but 15 degrees in 25 mph winds didn't really sound like a fun day shooting on a concrete bench. Maybe next weekend.

The end result is a minimal investment in a rifle I truly enjoy. It looks great, shoots even better, and brings me hours of entertainment.

But there is one more thing. I think an R&D machined trigger guard to replace the lousy stamped steel stock one is a must-do. It's the one aesthetically clunky thing on this otherwise exceptional firearm.

Shoot straight.

-Sean-