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Its been a long road to my first Cooper Varmint Rifle!
Last month I was shopping Rifles and scopes from a recently deceased Varmint Hunters extensive collection.
In fact I was told by the broker the collection consisted of over 150 guns mostly rimfire and centerfire Varmint and target Rifles with a few pistols thrown in.
Among other guns I chose was my first Cooper Rifle a Model 21 Montana Varmint with AAA+ wood and a fluted stainless barrel in caliber 223 Remington.
Now Lord knows I did NOT need another 223 Varminter but the wood on this one and the immaculate condition it was in (as new with box and papers) pushed me over the edge and I brought it home.
I had been after a Cooper Varminter for 28+ years now and over that time various things just kept coming between me and owning one for all that time.
First it was my doubts about those beautiful Rifles actually living up to their accuracy guarantee (stupid me back then!) this worry was based on my ill advised opinion that an action that small and dainty could not shoot as well as the company maintained (even with their guarantee).
Secondly the cost. This is self explanatory and I kept piddling around year after year hoping to find a "clean one" on the used market for "cheap"!
No such luck was to befall me, for many years anyway.
Every year I would start my Varmint Safari 10 day vacation to Montana with a trip through Ronan, Montana where the wonderful Ronan Sport Shop used to exist. The owner there had an "in" with the Cooper Firearms owner/factory personnel and of all the shops I had perused Cooper Rifles in this Ronan Sports had by far the best inventory of Cooper Rifles! And they always had exquisitely stocked Coopers in both rimfire and centerfire versions.
Still I did not "pull the trigger" on one.
Then in about 2,008 I got wind of the owner of the Cooper Firearms Company having given money to, and endorsed, barrack hussein obama for President of the United States of America! And to top that off he had given money to barrack hussein obama when that anti-American rat ran for the United States Senate!
I was put off by that to the extreme - and to Cooper chasing, for a few years.
Numerous Varmint Hunting friends of mine owned Cooper Rifles though and from time to time I shot them (both rimfire and centerfire) and the Cooper flame began to grow again in me.
Finally here in December of 2,020 I came across this estate liquidation and the AAA+ wood (or so the serialized factory carton it came in says) Cooper Montana Varmint Rifle.
I quickly looked up the current prices for this Model and for the upgrades (AAA+ wood $375.00 to $600.00 extra and the fluted barrel $185.00 extra) and eventually negotiated a price near 1/3 the current cost for this barely used (bore scope and bolt face inspections verified this!) Rifle.
I simply think the broker for this estate did not fully understand that "options" on Cooper Rifles add up quickly and varying models have different price ranges?
Off I go with my long sought treasure with the thought in the back of my mind "what if it doesn't shoot very well" - what then?
I mounted a nifty Weaver Grand Slam 6.5x20 variable scope with the fine cross hairs and fine dot reticle onto the Rifle. I had been saving this scope for a special occasion.
The scope looks great on the Rifle and the trigger, dry fired with snap caps (as I am not to familiar with Coopers), let off at an amazingly crisp 30 ounces!
I was pumped and couldn't wait to make dedicated handloads for this Rifle (or for the winter winds to quit) so I grabbed some known accurate 223 Remington Varmint ammo I have on hand for another Rifle and when the winds quit I headed for my friends private 100 yard range.
It was 14 degrees when I got to my friends range shack but the air was dead calm and the sun was blazingly bright and at my back!
As I loaded the first round into the Coopers chamber I again feared that this dainty Rifle would be hard pressed to attain "accuracy" with!
And, my "accuracy load" I brought along was built with the humble Hornady 40 grain V-Max bullets (along with Winchester brass, Federal 205M Match primers and W 748 powder).
I shouldn't have worried - after getting the load on paper the first group (5 shots at 100 yards) measured .410" and the second five shot group measured .348" there at 100 yards!
I was thrilled.
I was tempted to fire some more rounds but I was starting to shiver and half way through the second grouping the dead calm air was allowing the 1/2" white square inside the 1" black square bench rest target to "blur" with the tiny amount of heat coming off the Coopers fluted barrel. I mean I could barely feel the barrel "heat" with my ungloved hand but it was showing up in the bright sunlight wavering/distorting my aiming point.
AND.. then my battery operated fan for dispersing heat waves off of barrels had dead batteries - I decided to call it a day however brief it was.
I was cold and trembling when I loaded up the Cooper but could NOT have been happier with the results of the day.
My next handloads to try are made with the wonderful 52 grain Berger bullets and I have some brass dedicated to this Rifle that I will be fireforming then.
All in all (accuracy, beautiful wood stock and exceptionally fine trigger) I could NOT be happier with my first Cooper Rifle.
Anyone holding "on the edge" regarding buying a Cooper Varminter - I now heartily and personally recommend the purchase.
Long live Cooper Firearms.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

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It's the shooter, not the rifle.


I'd rather die in a BAD gunfight than a GOOD nursing home.
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Remington6mm: I take that as a compliment - but as for my shooting prowess I think it has as much to do with my patience in waiting for near perfect shooting conditions and in the quality of the Rifle in question!
Hold into the wind
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I grew up shooting prairie poodles in central Montana and did not have a fancy rifle. It was a wore out .22 Remington model 35.with a plastic steel mounted four power scope. But I do remember me killing more poodles than any of the other kids with much fancier rifles.

Same thing now days when I shoot with guys in Idaho. I might not have the most expensive rifle, but I still hold my own by knowing where my rifle shoots.
Familiarity with your rifle counts more than dollars paid.


I'd rather die in a BAD gunfight than a GOOD nursing home.
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I have been through Ronan one year when on vacation. Visited the national buffalo range near there. I think that's the name of it.

Great score. We need a picture of that wood!


Faith and love of others knows no mileage nor bounds. That's simply the way it is.
dogzapper

After the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
Italian Proverb

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Nice buy Dale! I loved my Cooper in 17 Mach 4

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I fully agree on the "know your rifle" concept to good shooting, but as a multiple Cooper owner, they have very few flies on them. I've never seen one yet that won't shoot better if challenged by a very good shooter than 95%+ of normal people can shoot them.

I've never regretted any money that I've spent on a Cooper in the past 20+ years..


It's official. I missed the selfie deadline so I'm Maser's sock puppet because rene and the Polish half of the fubar twins have decided that I am.

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I agree 👍 Bayou.


I'd rather die in a BAD gunfight than a GOOD nursing home.
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Good on ya'
and
Congrats, VG!

It may have taken a bit of time,

but at least you got there!


Originally Posted by Remington6MM
It's the shooter, not the rifle.


Quien Sabe?

Just think what these Coopers could do if there was a real shooter breathin' n' squeezin'


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Cooper M22 Varmint Extreme, 308 Win

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Not 50 yd test target, but 100 yds at the range.


and a few more......

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Primer test with a M21 lefty, Varmint Extreme


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

10 shots as fast as I could cycle and get back to a steady hold with my M 21 Varminter in 20 VarTarg

and just fer schitz n' giggles,

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

a few Test Targets!

ya!

GWB





Last edited by geedubya; 01/30/21.

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A Copper is on the bucket list. Y'all just move it up.

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I have found those 40 grain Nosler B/T shoot great. They work just as well on critters of all sizes.


Randy
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Cliff notes?

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Top of the morning to you.. I had the very same rifle when I was working on the Prairie Dog removal project in Montana.

I bought it new from Scheels in Great Falls. I set the target at 50 yards to get it on paper. I could not find shot # 2 so I walked up to inspect the target.

! & 2 were almost one hole. My first 5 shot group was.32. And then I went hunting.

Glad for your find. Enjoy it .

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I had a Cooper in 264. I thought the safety kinda rinky dink and I didn’t like the magazine being loose. It was well made other than that.

It shot really well. I Sold it to someone here, bought a C-grade 700 I like better.

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Nice to see Bobby Tomek and Bob Brown have not found this thread yet !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I finally got there myself with a Cooper Jackson Varmint Rifle in .221 FB. I do wish that we had more stuff to shoot at here in WI. I know that those one hole targets that they include are shot indoors in a tunnel at something way short of 100 yards; more like 36 yards I'd read, but the thing still shoots way better than I could ever hope to.


My other auto is a .45

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Nice buy Varmint.

I too shopped at Ronan years ago. Bought a Browning Low Wall 260, 2 Dakota Model 10;s and a Classic Cooper 223 from Dan Toelke. They sure did keep some nice rifles in stock.

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Windfall: I had dreams (25+ years ago) of finding a Cooper I could afford in either 221 Remington Fireball or 17 MachIV. This was before the 17 Remington Fireball came along in some Remington Rifles.
I found a Remington 700 700 VSF (Varmint Synthetic Fluted) in 17 Remington Fireball and "settled for that".
From this same estate I got my Cooper from is another beautifully stocked Cooper in 6.5x284 Winchester caliber - to much recoil for my Varminting needs but it sure is a beautiful Rifle and it has a high end Leupold variable scope on it as well. Anyone interested in it I could get you the contact information.
I have a pair of Rifles in caliber 221 Remington Fireball and have used them in Rock Chuck and Prairie Dog colonies as well as a few Ground Squirrel shoots.
It is a FINE cartridge and capable of excellent accuracy.
My 221 Rifles are a Kimber of Oregon Ultra-Varmint and a Remington 700 Classic - both of which shoot very well indeed.
Enjoy that Jackson.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

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They are some nice rifles , only owned one , model 57 that was originally 22 mag and original buyer had Cooper rebarrel it to 17 HMR .
Checked with Cooper to verify they did the barrel change and brought it home with 22 mag barrel in a sleeve .
At that time I was a squerril hunting fool .
Backed the trigger up to around 12-14 oz and head shot after head shot .
Haven’t squerril hunted in years . Need to get rid of it to somebody who would put it to goo use .
Often thought of trading it on a center fire model Cooper .
But have talked myself out of that notion .
Kenneth

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Coopers are OK.
Bob

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