Would you sell several rifles to get a Cooper?

Recently I've developed a desire to have a nice wood stocked LH rifle.
I'd like a Kimber but they are jerks and they don't make a LH rifle.

Cooper does make a LH rifle and I've been looking at the regular Cooper Classic repeater chambered for the great .270WCF.
With a few upgrades and the LH option I'm looking at ~$2000. To make that happen I'd have to send a few of my other rifles down the road. Not a problem for most of my rifles but I really like my LH 700KS .270. Selling that would be hard for me to do but it would have to be done in my present financial position.

Who here has experience with Cooper rifles?

Are there any other LH bolt rifles stocked in nice wood that I'm overlooking?

How about having my 700KS restocked in nice wood?

Just in the kicking it around stage here but am interested in hearing about Cooper rifles.

Even though they are a fine rifles,a couple of problems with the Coopers for what you need.

1st- the m52- their long action bolt repeater is HEAVY. It was about 8lbs+ sans scope.

2nd- Due to their three lug bolts and steep cocking nothc ramps-the cocking effeort on Coopers is rough for shots from the shoulder. The bolt sure don't work like m700 from the shoulder .

3rd. To get TRULY high grade wood on any Cooper you are looking at sending them 600-$1,000 JUST for the wood upgrade on standard Classic.

I would buy the blank from a good vendor for about $500 or so and then send it to Cooper. They charge a handling fee of $100 for your wood. Most dealers discount that a bit. It is worht it as you can inspect/approve the blanks before it is milled into your stock.

For a Cooper as you are wanting -you are looking at about $2,500 +

$1,500 to $2,000 would build one HELL of a walnut stock for any m700 if it was made by a reasonable smith like Dennis Olson of Montana.

nsaquam:I am not familiar with Coopers,but would not sell the KS to get it.You know and trust the KS,so don't leave yourself without a trusted rifle to buy a new one...evaluate what else you have that is expendable,sell those to work toward the "dream" wood stocked rifle....but don't sell a trusted friend for an as yet unknown commodity.

Look at the dream rifle as a longer term goal until finances improve and the new rifle is within reach.

I speak from bitter experience here.....

Sounds like eminently logical advice guys.

As I was typing my post I thought of just having a nice walnut stock made for my KS and the more I think about it the more I like that idea.

Jim, I didn't realize that the Cooper was so heavy and although I know that less bolt rotation equals steeper cocking ramps I hadn't considered that as a factor.

I would worry about selling off rifles I liked, and end up not liking the fit or feel of the Cooper.

For me, there is more to liking a rifle than just the grain of the stock.

No

Nox2
There's something about the Cooper stocks that leaves me cold.
The forends are too thick.
I don't own a Cooper, and probably won't in the future.

Nsa,

How do you plan to hunt with the rifle?

The reason I ask is if you mostly ambush animals and don't do alot of walking, the weight won't be a big issue.

3-Lug bolts do pressure up when you start the lift; but It also has the benefit of having a shorter throw, so you won't get your hand into the scope either.

If you have several rifles that don't get used I would consider doing it, but only after I handled one and made sure it was what I wanted.

I have shot 4 Coopers, but only one was a wood stocked rifle. All were very accurate and very well made.

JM

I'd sell several Brownings to buy anything else.....

Ingwe

I was ready to sell one sat. after my trip to the range...

Tis a poor workman who blames his tools....

Ingwe

Not me. I'm not a wood worshipper. I buy my guns to shoot and hunt with. There are plenty of guns that look nice but not gorgeous, that shoot just as well for half the price.

the Montana boys are getting kinda pesky this morning

You misundertsand.

It shot so good that others at the range were throwing money at me, begging to buy it for 3,4,5 times what I paid...

I was tempted to sell.

Originally Posted by nsaqam

How about having my 700KS restocked in nice wood?

Surely you jest...

Originally Posted by JohnMoses

You misundertsand.

It shot so good that others at the range were throwing money at me, begging to buy it for 3,4,5 times what I paid...

I was tempted to sell.

Yep...and I have a goose that lays golden eggs out in a coop in the back...
Lee24 did the genetic work on it..

Ingwe

I think the beauty and Hunter of the Coopers is the Model 54 SA in a 7mm-08. 6.5 lbs. sans scope. Now that is the temptation...
Buckfever1

I have a classic in .270. Several guys in my hunt camp have sold there rifles for a Cooper .270 since hunting with me. They probably think it is all the rifle, but it does make a guy look good when his rifle drives tacks as far as he can drive it.

I sure like mine.

7.5 lbs
Stiff bolt shooting off hand? Never experienced that with the excaliber or classic.

I know that little 50 yard test target don't matter much, but ... [Linked Image]

Hang a pic when you get it.

Rather than sell guns to buy another one, I just save up and get another gun, but my guns are all like family and unless they shoot like absolute dogsh!t after full load development with multiple bullet weights, I won't sell any of them. I see guns as similar to toilet paper in this sense, there's no such thing as too much of either one.

You know your economic situation better than anybody else. So that is your business.

However to your question. Yes-by all means. I would gladly sell two or three or four rifles that I thought were inferior if I could afford to upgrade to one fine piece of craftsmanship. I have done the exact same thing.

I know a guy who has 25 sub $200 muzzle loaders. And all he talks about is a custom built flint lock. I just shake my head. I would sell off as many of his 25 rifles that I had to in order to get the money for that one rifle.

The only flaw in your idea is that in order to get nice wood in a Cooper it is going to cost more than $2,000. They have lowered the quality of their wood, and raised the price.

Do you like single shot rifles?? There are some nice single shots out there. I really like the #1's. I am also a lefty. But I like the single shots.

Selling to upgrade is not a bad idea IMO. I have certainly done it. In rifles and optics. Tom.

You've got to do what makes you happy. IME if I settled for less or cut corners on a project I could never be fully happy with it, even if it shot good. The thought is always creeping that "it's nice, but not exactly what I wanted." Get what you want regardless of the price or what you have to sell or save up to get. You'll never regret it that way or look back and wonder... and in the end it's actually cheaper to buy the more expensive thing first instead of stopping for the cheaper stuff along the way and buying and losing money on it as you buy and try and buy and try. It only hurts to lay the money out, but that rifle will remain long after you forgot what you paid for it. Just my 2 cents.......

No.
But I would sell a couple for this.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=185585454

nsaqam,
Nothing wrong with getting yourself a really pretty walnut stock for your KS. You could switch stocks based on the type of hunting on the menu and your mood. I've kicked around the same idea for a couple of my rifles.

Originally Posted by jim62

Even though they are a fine rifles,a couple of problems with the Coopers for what you need.

1st- the m52- their long action bolt repeater is HEAVY. It was about 8lbs+ sans scope.

2nd- Due to their three lug bolts and steep cocking nothc ramps-the cocking effeort on Coopers is rough for shots from the shoulder. The bolt sure don't work like m700 from the shoulder .

3rd. To get TRULY high grade wood on any Cooper you are looking at sending them 600-$1,000 JUST for the wood upgrade on standard Classic.

I would buy the blank from a good vendor for about $500 or so and then send it to Cooper. They charge a handling fee of $100 for your wood. Most dealers discount that a bit. It is worht it as you can inspect/approve the blanks before it is milled into your stock.

For a Cooper as you are wanting -you are looking at about $2,500 +

$1,500 to $2,000 would build one HELL of a walnut stock for any m700 if it was made by a reasonable smith like Dennis Olson of Montana.

Jim 62 hit the nail right on the head on all counts! I have two coopers and both are wonderfully accurate, just a sight to behold and shoot very well. But they are heavy, bolt lift sucks compared to even my rugers with after market triggers, let alone my rem's and savages. As for accuracy, well they are not better then my other rifles mentioned. And yes, buy a nice stock blank and put it on you favorite stick and save some bucks.

Originally Posted by JohnMoses

You misundertsand.

It shot so good that others at the range were throwing money at me, begging to buy it for 3,4,5 times what I paid...

I was tempted to sell.

You get into that bad batch of moonshine again? I warned you about that...

Originally Posted by sambo3006

nsaqam,
Nothing wrong with getting yourself a really pretty walnut stock for your KS. You could switch stocks based on the type of hunting on the menu and your mood. I've kicked around the same idea for a couple of my rifles.

Yes, I'm leaning heavily in that direction right now.

I think the barrel contour is just about perfect on the KS, it's accurate, fast, lively, and reliable.

A sweet high grade walnut stock for the KS is sounding pretty good.

No.

Originally Posted by ingwe

Originally Posted by JohnMoses

You misundertsand.

It shot so good that others at the range were throwing money at me, begging to buy it for 3,4,5 times what I paid...

I was tempted to sell.

Yep...and I have a goose that lays golden eggs out in a coop in the back...
Lee24 did the genetic work on it..

Ingwe

Did Lee inseminate that chicken?

also NO Coopers are too heavy and overrated. Get a NULA.

Not me!

Jim

Originally Posted by jimmyp

Get a NULA.

NULA won't whittle me a stock out of high grade walnut.

Got a nice light rifle with a great Kevlar stock, want a killer walnut stocked rifle.

Get a custom stockmaker to whittle what you want on "your" choice of rifle.

They do things like that.

That is the path I'm likely to take as I mentioned above.

At the end of the day, do what YOU want. I think that sometimes we spend too much time soliciting the opinions of, and trying to impress, a bunch of guys on the internet. Figure out what will blow your hair back, and do that.

The problem is that I have no experience with Cooper rifles and was looking to hear what folks who had them thought about them before I made any decisions.

Hey, I'm not knocking that.

I'm saving my pennies right now for a Custom Classic 22LR. And I have never seen one either!

The Classics sure do have eye appeal!

Not after Cooper himself contributed to the Obama campaign for Prez.

You might just wanna check out the level of involvement Dan Cooper has with the company today. Just a thought...

Get Canyon Creek to do your walnut. It will have the look and feel (somewhat) of the Cooper in the rifle you already own. Get a Pelican case and package the rifle and both stocks and you are ready to go anywhere and hunt, rain or shine.

Originally Posted by nsaqam

Originally Posted by jimmyp

Get a NULA.

NULA won't whittle me a stock out of high grade walnut.

Got a nice light rifle with a great Kevlar stock, want a killer walnut stocked rifle.

got to be a better way than a KOOOper, in short you kind of want a "looking rifle" that shoots good. Me I would try one of the Kimber supergrades, I have 3 that shoot well, guess I am more lucky than most. You don't want to trade nice rifles for a Koooper.

I have three Coopers and previously owned another. All three are synthetic stocked. Accurate, dependable, well balanced. They are heavy, but I really like them.

I also have owned four NULAs.

Cooper and NULA each make fine rifles and provide superior service. Just depends on what you're looking for, your hunting style and your budget.

I will be buying another this year, BTW. It will be a wood stock model 54, catalog weight of 6 1/4 or 6 1/2 pounds as I recall.

I notice nobody is throwing money at the Sako. It seems over priced even by Canadian standards. Just my .02 cents.

Jim

Don't sell a rifle you really like, period, especially betting on the come that you will have a similar affection for the Cooper. They don't warm me up, for the reasons mentioned by some above, but that's preference.

JimR, what cal in the 54? I like Sako, but no doubt, for a little more......you get more of a Semi-Custom, and if they fit you......well it may be worth it.

I'd really like to see some SS/Syn from Cooper. If not mistaken, a CHUNK of rifles sold today are SS/Syn so that option would be welcome I would think.

I have dealt with Cooper customer service and I would definitely not sell anything to buy a Cooper.................Hillbilly.

Originally Posted by jimmyp

Me I would try one of the Kimber supergrades, I have 3 that shoot well, guess I am more lucky than most. You don't want to trade nice rifles for a Koooper.

I'd love a Kimber but Kimber hates left handers like me.

As a lefty my factory choices are pretty slim.

VA, when was that incident?

65BR,

I plan to buy a 54 in 250 Savage. Currently have an Excalibur in 25-06 and Jackson Hunters in 30-06 & 22. My previous Cooper was a Model 22 in 257 Roberts.

Regarding their customer service, my experience with it has been excellent. The trigger on the Excalibur had a slight amount of creep. I called Cooper, they said to ship it in. Within two weeks, IIRC, I had it back, trigger adjusted and they paid shipping. Whenever I've had a question, I've always been able to speak to someone that was personable and knowledgeable at Cooper.

My experience with some other gun makers and custom smith's has not always resulted in the customer satisfaction I have had with Cooper.

Originally Posted by nsaqam

Recently I've developed a desire to have a nice wood stocked LH rifle.
I'd like a Kimber but they are jerks and they don't make a LH rifle.

How about having my 700KS restocked in nice wood?

I'm thinking you fell and banged your head today..

Not Coopers but two times I have sold a couple rifles to buy one.

A couple years ago I sold two Ruger 77/22's one in LR the other was a hornet to raise cash to buy a Kimber .22LR Classic with AAA wood.

Just this last January I sold a Winchester 70 and a Weatherby Vagaurd to buy a used Weatherby MK V SBGM in 7 mag.

JimR, if I hit the lottery, I'd try a 250, 260, and 7/08

Will see over time if I can gather some nickels........

Yes, especially if they were Savages. lol

Originally Posted by RickF

Hey, I'm not knocking that.

I'm saving my pennies right now for a Custom Classic 22LR. And I have never seen one either!

You won't be sorry you did.

[Linked Image]

Originally Posted by 65BR

VA, when was that incident?

I had the Cooper problem in April of this year, it ended up going well into May and I was never satisfied, though I do still have the rifle....................Hillbilly.