Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Cooper vs. Kimber action

The Cooper Rifle for 257 Roberts is built on the Model 54 short action (308-243 size). I have one in 243 so I tried a 257 Roberts loaded cartridge in the Cooper magazine and it works OK, but not a great deal of room to spare.

Gun shops around here suck. I've seen one very plain Cooper and one Kimber Select. I thought the Kimber was far more expensive looking. I've also seen exactly one Sako 75 laminated. For two hours in every direction it's the the same plastic junk and lots of AR's and hand guns. Must be nice having a real gun store that carries nice rifles and shotguns near. I get the Cooper might have had more man hours in it, but it sure didn't show. I've not seen the higher grades----they look sweet on the website.

Don't agonize over intagibles and buy which ever one suit your fancy, unless you are dying in the near future you can buy one and if you don't like it then buy the other.

drover

I have a Kimber 84M Classic Select in .257 Roberts and a Cooper Model 22 Classic in .257 Roberts. Both have been excellent in their accuracy and function. The Kimber has Mauser-type action, feeding from a magazine with a dropping floorplate below the stock. The Cooper is a push feed single-shot, no magazine. Kimber has a short action, in the .308 case family. The Cooper action can accommodate longer cartridges. I have had no problems whatsoever with rounds loaded to the length indicated by the throats of the rifles.

The Kimber is very light with a 22 inch slim barrel. The Cooper has a thick stock and a thick, almost varmint type, 24 inch barrel. I like them both and use them both for hunting deer in Georgia and South Carolina.

Can someone explain the similarities and difference between the actions in these two rifles? Does the Kimber .257 Roberts use the same action as is used in the .243 ? I can't see why a base model Cooper costs twice as much as a wood stocked Kimber so I'm asking.

to be honest, I did not understand that the Cooper 22 was a single-shot when I ordered it. It was my first sporter rifle ever. I selected it by reading a lot about the quality of Cooper and the perfection of the .257 Roberts for the game in my part of the country. It was meant to be the first and last sporter I ever bought, so I put price out of consideration (though it was a real reach for my pocketbook, to be honest).

When the Cooper arrived about ten months later, I was not upset that it was a single -shot, having read meantime all the benefits of the solid, magazine-free, receiver. Plus - and this has nothing to do with my skill - I've never needed a second shot on an animal. In my world, the ranges are short, and the game lightly constructed. I hunt on a rest inside a sturdy blind. Its a matter of selecting the deer, not hunting any.

The Kimber was purchase as a result of reading too many posts on 24hourcampfire. Hearing so many fights for and against the brand and model, I had to find out for myself what the deal was about. In my case, an absolutely gorgeous Kimber showed up after months on order. The thing shot as well as I could, but its just about too pretty to risk banging up in the truck. Its taken a deer; however, it will likely just be that one, as I will put the rifle aside for my daughter. The Kimber is lovely and just the right size for a smaller person. The .257 Roberts cartridge could not be a better match.

If anyone wants my opinion on the two makes of rifle, I'll only give my experience. The Cooper is unpleasant to carry. The thing can't decide if it wants its barrel down or up. The point of balance is awful when on a sling. I have removed the sling, carry it in my hands, and shoot it with joy from rested positions. It is heavy and I enjoy the steadiness that confers.

The Kimber is graceful - has spare rounds in the magazine, but not one has been needed. It's great looking, except for the black cap on the forestock. I'd get plain wood if it were available, like the Cooper Classic stock. Most seem to think the addition of an end cap on the stock something special; I just don't.
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To confuse things all the more, my favorite, most used, highest game count .257 Roberts is my Ruger Hawkeye - without a 1913 rail or blown out threaded barrel. They grandly messed up when they stopped making those rifles.