Best Scopes for the CZ 457 in 2026

The single most important specification for any CZ 457 scope is the minimum parallax setting. Most centerfire scopes bottom out at 50 yards, and many budget optics are fixed at 100 yards — neither is acceptable for rimfire work where you will regularly shoot steel or paper at 25 to 50 yards. Look for a side-focus or adjustable-objective parallax knob that dials to 25 yards or lower. If the manufacturer lists '10 yards' as the minimum, that is ideal; '25 yards' is workable; '50 yards' is the bare minimum you should accept. Without proper parallax elimination at short range, you will see apparent point-of-impact shifts simply from moving your head behind the scope, negating the CZ 457's superb mechanical precision.

Budget-tier scopes in the $150–$300 range typically offer second-focal-plane (SFP) reticles, capped turrets, and good-but-not-exceptional glass. For a standard CZ 457 sporter used for small-game hunting and casual target shooting, this tier is perfectly adequate. You get clear images at moderate magnification (3-9x or 4-12x), and the best examples in this range — such as offerings from Vortex and Bushnell — include lifetime warranties and surprisingly good coatings. The trade-off is that SFP reticle subtensions are only accurate at one magnification, turret clicks may not track as precisely over multiple revolutions, and maximum magnification typically caps around 12x or 14x.

The mid-tier bracket ($300–$600) is where CZ 457 Varmint, MTR, and Pro Varmint owners should focus. At this price point, you gain noticeably sharper glass with better edge-to-edge resolution, exposed and locking turrets with more precise click values (typically 1/4 MOA or 0.1 MRAD), and parallax knobs that are more finely calibrated at short distances. Many scopes here also offer illuminated reticles and higher magnification ceilings (16x–18x) that let you resolve small targets at 100+ yards. Leupold and Vortex both field strong contenders in this range. A common mistake at this tier is choosing a scope with too much magnification and not enough field of view — for most rimfire work, 4-16x is more practical than 6-24x because you lose mirage management and field of view at the high end without meaningful resolution gain on .22 LR-sized groups.

PRS-rimfire competition scopes ($600 and above) need first-focal-plane reticles so holdover and windage marks remain accurate at every magnification setting. They need zero-stop turrets to prevent dialing below your established zero, and they need click tracking that can survive a 60-round NRL22 course of fire without walking off. At this level you are shopping against optics from Vortex's higher tiers, Bushnell's match-grade lines, and dedicated precision rimfire glass. MRAD (mil-radian) reticles are the dominant choice in the US PRS community because stage data is typically called in mils. Remember that 0.1 mil equals 1 centimeter at 100 meters, or roughly 0.36 inches at 100 yards — fine enough resolution for the sub-MOA groups a tuned CZ 457 can produce.

US buyers should be aware of a few common mistakes. First, do not over-spend on a mount and under-spend on the scope — the CZ 457's 11mm dovetail is well-machined, and a quality set of dovetail-to-Picatinny adapter rings or direct 11mm rings from reputable brands costs $30–$80 and solves the mounting question completely. Second, do not assume that a scope marketed as a 'rimfire scope' is automatically better than a general-purpose scope of the same specification — some rimfire-branded models are simply standard scopes with a lower parallax setting, which is exactly what you need, but the label alone does not guarantee it. Always verify the minimum parallax distance in the spec sheet. Third, avoid scopes with turret mechanisms designed for heavy centerfire recoil if they add cost without benefit on a .22 LR — you are paying for durability you will never test.

From a brand landscape perspective, Vortex dominates the US rimfire optics conversation in 2026 thanks to an unconditional lifetime warranty and a deep product line that spans every tier discussed here. Leupold remains the go-to for buyers who prioritize American-assembled glass and brand heritage, with strong options in the mid and upper tiers. Bushnell has aggressively expanded its match-grade lineup and offers excellent value in the mid-tier for NRL22 shooters on a budget. Pulsar sits outside the traditional daylight-optic conversation but is worth mentioning for hunters who want to pair a CZ 457 with night-vision or thermal clip-on capability for legal nighttime predator or pest control — check your state's regulations before pursuing that route, as thermal and night-vision hunting legality varies significantly across US states. For purchasing, Amazon.com offers fast Prime shipping and easy returns, while OpticsPlanet often carries deeper stock of niche SKUs and runs periodic discount codes.