Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Convince me a Cooper Varminter is better than a Rem 700 VS...

I have a stable of Remington 700 Varmint guns and have installed Jewell's set at 8 oz, and I have been very happy with the resulting groups with little reloading attempts.


I "NEED" one more in 17 caliber and am looking at a Cooper Varminter in 17 rem, but hate to stray from my Remington fleet. I know everywhere I read Coopers are like a Jewell trigger, once you try one you will never go back, but would like opinions on their triggers, customer service and if customer service is the norm or a rarity.


Expecting to be able to shoot around 3/8" 100 yd groups, and can do so on 2 of my 223 remingtons and a CZ 527 fireball.


Any opinions greatly appreciated. The Cooper is a used firearm with no history from current owner other than it looks good for wear and compares to a 500 rd Cooper he owns.

Thank you

Allen

Take the plunge, I'm very happy with mine... Never needed customer service.

I bought a used Phoenix at a local gun store and just couldn't be happier with any other rifle. The action screws were sorta messed up on mine so I emailed Cooper for a new pair and gave them my CC no. but they sent the new screws at no charge and told me that mine left their shop with the wood stock but the original owner sent it to them to get the composite stock fitted. It would shoot under 1/2 inch all day long. No problems at all.

Then one of the members here advertised an unfired Cooper .223AI barrel so I bought it and had a local, well respected gunsmith do the trade. It, too, will shoot 3/8ths five shot groups consistently.

My only 700 is a 25-06 and of course the Cooper will outshoot it easily. You can't go wrong with a Cooper and the people at their plant are great.

Buy it and do some real shootin.'

Besides, you've all ready strayed with the CZ, so go ahead and treat yourself.

I like you have 700's with light Jewell triggers. You will not get a comparible trigger on a Cooper. Even if you send it to them for lighter spring it won't come close to the 8oz. you're accustomed to.

My Cooper went down the road. It was a great shooter, but not better than my heavy barreled 700's. I also don't like the long trigger reach of a Cooper for bench work.

Coopers are hard to beat for out of the box accuracy.

DF

Thanks

Well, after talking to the seller for an hour, I am going to get it. Some things in life need to be tried first hand, and I don't have any friends with coopers to try without buying this one.


I think I can get used to a heavier trigger and still get good groups, but it is a nice concept to have multiple "matching" guns in different calibers to rotate while shooting squirrels to keep the barrel cool. I just put a Kidd trigger kit in a 10-22, and got it to just over 1#, so the cooper will be used after the 10-22 eliminates the close in targets..lol


Besides, even though it has been tough for me to sell vs buy, I started selling recently and am trying to balance my vault instead of buy, buy, buy.


Thanks

Allen

You will like the Cooper. The trigger will not adjust as light as your Jewell. I have a few and a trigger pull between 1.25 and 1.5 lb. should not be a problem. I have been unable to get their triggers to safely hold an adjustment lower than 1 lb. Be careful if you mess with the sear engagement because the safety will have to be readjusted to get it to work properly.

Another good point about the Cooper will be the resale value. You stand to get more of your money back on it than the money put into a customized 700.

I have always felt that Cooper made a very nice $800 rifle that they sold for $3,000. Others think better of them, but the dozen or three that came through the shop I worked for didn't impress me overmuch.

No offense Rocky, but I'd like to see the factory production rifle that matches the quality, fit and finish and accuracy of a Cooper Custom Classic that costs $800 or even close to $800.

Got 3 Coopers, and 7 flavors of Remmy, Rugers, and Winnys. IMO isnt any rifle around 800 that will shoot with the Coopers out of the box with no extra work needed. Your wait to see one may take awhile. Rocky you are wrong on this one.

Swifty

I last handled a Cooper about ten years ago. If we add a decade of inflation to that $800 perhaps I'm not so far off even today. Then too, Coopers may have greatly improved over that time. I'll yield to folks with more current appraisals.

Nor will any of those listed promise Cooper accuracy. You might get it with the Remington........might and I've never heard of a Cooper that doesn't shoot fantastic. Their triggers are excellent (bordering on superb) too and are adjusted nicely from the factory. Not the case, nor close, with Remmy's, Winchester or Ruger's.

Thanks for more input.

I know my FIL shot a friends, who is now no longer with us to go see one, and his opinion was he loved the 20 Vartarg, but he disliked the small action and said he would rather have a rem 700 SA built, but in 20 BR. I picked up a rem VS 204 laminate and gave it to him to play with, he now has a bad pair of glasses to go with his MDS ( like Leukemia)and after he prepped the brass and loaded some ammo I ended up shooting it. With a jewell, his Nikon 14x scope ( I like 18x but didn't have a scope to loan) and of 3 ea 3 shot groups w/ 32 SBK the best was 0.181, the other 2 groups were 3/8" . The initial plan was he wanted to show his Cooper friend with loads a Remington could be as accurate as his $1400 cooper, but that will never happen, but it was worth me buying him a "loaner" to fill his wants to build a custom bench gun he never will build ( too tight and 76 yrs old, and sick more than not). For the $650 for the bare gun, a set of RCBS dies, 100 rds of new brass, rings and bases, and bullets I think he is happy with the results, and of course asked me to take a 10% premium to buy it from me. I told him he can borrow it for as long as he wants, I am not selling a good shooting gun, family or not, LOL. He can "lifetime loan" it and enjoy it... until the cooper arrives..lol


One question, is Coopers guarantee like Weatherby's and Leupold's, does it apply to second hand owners?

I know the current owner is a Machinist and after talking to him I suspect the smoothness and metalwork is probably killer as he described it, and all I can hope is I don't get in the trap I am in with needing Jewell triggers... lol I a sure a crisp 1.5# trigger will be plenty good enough.

Thanks again


Allen

Used Coopers at around $1000 to $1200 are hard to beat . The wood on the older ones is sometimes pretty nice . If you're a wood nut , you will have to look for awhile for a new one or pay extra . If you are fussy , look at the wood before you buy ! I rate the Triggers as very good , not excellent like the Jewell . I have measured many Cooper Triggers and to get one to SAFELY adjust to 16 Oz. or lower is rare .

Not even in the same park... I doubt you could buy a similar stock inletted as nicely for a 700 for the Cooper rifle asking price....

W

Over the last 20 years or so well over 100 centerfire bolt guns by A-Z manufacturers have come and gone. I typically buy used and let someone else pre-enjoy the MSRP. Two years ago I stopped counting at 55 centerfire rifles. I'm in the process of winnowing my collection. Funny how it works, I've sold over 40 rifles in the last two years and still have 35 or so. Darn things keep following me home.
I think I'm down to 2 Remingtons, 6 Sakos . I currently have a dozen Coopers. What other manufacturer that you can think of can you purchase 17 ackley hornet, 17 hebee, 20 vartarg, 20 Tactical,(not to mention the AI's) with killer wood, excellent fit and finish, decent triggers, that shoot sub inch consistently, and do so for 10 to 12 benjamins? Last rifle I built, Sako S491 acton $300 (10 years ago) Richards Microfit Laminated thumbhole stock that had been previously glass bedded) $150. Shilen Barrel $400, Gunsmith $400, Vais Brake (optional) $150. I believe that's $1500. From my experience Cooper rifles, purchased right, are darn near impossible to beat for value received. Of course, I've been heard to say, if the only thing I was interested in was accuracy, all my rifles would be Savage.

Best

GWB

Fit and finish does not matter to some folks. How else can you rationalize Remington's continued successful sales record. From what I hear, they still work, but they seem to be far from "finished" to me in most of their models. (CDLs excepted) jack

If you get your cooper you will be very happy with it I love mine very much.

Someone else must have greatly improved ones, Of the 2 i've had the first a .17 HMR had a fail to fire problem, as in NO firing pin protrusion. I really wonder where the test target for this one came from.

The second a 6.5 Creedmoor has a chamber so rough that some of the factory Hornady ammo will not chamber.

That's $6000.00 spent and not a winner in sight, don't think i will be buying any more Poopers.