If you are about to get a scope on your CZ 457 rifle, you need a scope base or scope mount for it.
Into the consideration come many factors:
- diameter of the scope rings – most common are 1″ (25.4mm), 30mm and 34mm,
- diameter of the scope lens ~ so that the mount is high enough,
- intended use of the rifle – tactical, hunting or static at shooting range.
Two types of sope base
There are two types of scope bases:
- bases with picatinny attachment, and
- bases with dovetail attachment.
How do they differ? CZ 457 models are equipped with standard 11mm dovetail with 60° angle. If you want to use mounts with picatinny base, you have to get first a picatinny rail to attach to the dovetail of your CZ 457. And the rail has to be made for CZ 457 specifically so that the ejection window is not blocked by the rail. And if your CZ 457 is for left handed shooters (“LH”) then you have to get also different rail – with the cut for ejection window on the left side.
On the other hand, you could also use mount with dovetail attachment – then the scope mount would attach directly to the dovetail. We go further into detail of this in this article.
Diameter of the rings
Diameter of the scope rings is the part most first time buyers make a mistake. Simply by not noticing there is such a detail as diameter of the rings.
There are few diameters of the rings. The most common diameters are:
- 1″ (25.4mm),
- 30mm and
- 34mm.
In US market you will find most of the scope rings in the diameter of 1″ while in Europe most often you will meet 30mm diameter scope rings.
Its worth noting that the scope rings can be also reduced by reduction, but its always preffered to have the rings correct as they come, not by making the rings smaller by reductions. Also the reductions are made for specific thickness of the rings and thus it will not fit properly universaly.
In each case, the scope rings diameter is the inner size of the rings. The size of the scope at the point where the rings hold it have to fit the size of the rings. I.e. if your scope is diameter 30mm, you have to go for 30mm scope rings.
Diameter of the lens
Once you have the matching scope rings, the fight is not over yet. You have to make also sure that the height of the rings will be proper so that the lens do not interfere with the gun.
Most scope rings / scope mounts the the height from the very center of the scope ring to the bottom of the mount. Although most of the rings are made in adequate height, it is not 10% of them and you still have to take this into consideration.
For example if the height of the scope mount would be 30mm but the diameter of the lens were 64mm, that would mean that it would interfere with the dovetail / rail on which the scope rings would be installed. How to check if the proper height is adequate?
The diameter 64mm of the lens means that the radius of the scope lens is 32mm. That is from the center of the scope rings. If the height of the scope rings is only 30mm, that would make it 2mm too short.
Intended use
And lastly you have to consider the intended use. If you plan to mount the scope once for shooting range usage only, you can go ahead with classic scope rings installed directly to the dovetail. You will not need any QD (quick detach) mounts or side rails for mounting of additional red dot.
On the other hand, if you intend to use the rifle for hunting or tactical shooting, you may as well go for picatinny mounting systems as those offer wider range of options for these purposes.