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What's you guys' thoughts on Cooper being bought out by and moving operations to Nighthawk Customs in Arkansas??

Almost purchased a Cooper here on the fire a few weeks ago and started looking into ordering a rifle from them and now this. Operations closed until further notice.

What says the fire??

For the price....build a custom.

Hard to have a custom built for what one can buy a Cooper, should one be diligent.

Chances are it wiil not shoot better and should you desire to let your custom follow someone else home it will bring less.

Ask me how I know??

ya!
GWB

Every one I've owned (10 I can think of) has been a solid, reliable, and very accurate rifle.

If I wanted a nice wood stocked rifle, I wouldn't look any further.

In synthetic stocked rifles, they have less appeal to me, though the M92 Backcountry is a fine lightweight rifle.

The good news is that if you change your mind on it, you may even make money on the resale.

Typically a home-grown custom loses 50%.

At a certain point, who cares.

There are enough model 16's, 21's, 22's, 38's 57m's, 52's, 54''s , M56's, etc, that a fellow could not buy them all should he win the lottery, and I'm behind the curve.

Here is an example of which I'm trying to restrain myself as I've bought a half dozen in the last couple months.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...6-zeiss-scope-and-rcbs-dies#Post17996948

Figuring in the scope and dies, you're in this rifle for a max of $1,550.

If ya take your wife and kids to dinner you're gonna spend a Benjamin. That will last a couple hours. This rifle can be enjoyed until it's time to let it follow someone else home and most likely you can make a profit.

Hard to lose by making a profit!

If you lose a Benjamin or two, that 's cheap entertainment should you keep it for a couple years.

Ya!

GWB

I’ve got a few and had a few more, nothing shot better out of the box. I shoot them quite a bit and like them.

I don’t like them leaving Montana, but there is nothing I can do about it..

I have had two Cooper model 52 Excaliburs, one 30-06 and a 25-06, and they both shot very well and were very reliable. I only shot factory loads in them and they put all I tried into less than 1" 5-shot groups, and with the ammo they liked would be closer to 3/4" 5-shots groups. I also had a Jackson Squirrel Rifle in 22lr that had beautiful wood on it and put many different rimfire brands into little small 10 shot groups at 50 yards.

My very lucky 19 year old grandson now has all three rifles.

Damn, all I got was my grandads pipe

Friend of mine was fond of Coopers. Went to the range with him one day and he put one on the bags at the 200 yard butt. .308 it was. 5 shots from a cold, clean barrel = one ragged hole.

I am with geedubya on his outlook. IMO now is the time to buy a Cooper, with a little diligent shopping it is possible to find them at very reasonable prices.

I am reminded of the Kimber of Oregon situation where that after they shut down Kimbers could be had for a song, those same rifles today bring much more than they were bought for, I forsee the same with the Cooper of Montana rifles.

drover

Absolutely! Because of the economy, Cooper rifles are selling at a big discount right now.

My thoughts are that if they don't try to change it into something else, no big deal. However, if they have stars in their eyes such that their thoughts are: "We can change this, that and the other thing for cost savings while maximizing our profits by charging the same as has been charged in the past", then I'm concerned. We'll have to wait and see I guess.

Had a 264 Win mag, damn sure a shooter, beautiful stock.

I have three varmint rifles and a Western Classic 22LR. All are excellent shooters. I also have several custom rifles that shoot much better than I do. At the end of the day a custom rifle might not bring the return that the Cooper might in a resale situation but you have exactly what you want.
Look on Guns International there not being given away. I have my eye on two and both are over $4500 that's not a fire sale price.

I'm still thinking about buying a Cooper that is on my radar. Great deal too. I realize they shoot well, but much the same can be said about Tikka. But you can buy 3 Tikka rifles for the price of a Cooper. That is why I'm on the fence..



That is 5 shots from my buddies tikka we took out a month ago. ^^^^ He's in the local SWAT and he wanted me to shoot his rifle to see what it could do. I told him to never sell the damn thing...

You guys are spot on.

I have trouble walking when carrying 3 rifles . . . I stumble around. They snag stuff. I drop them.

So since I can only manage one, I sure like having a Cooper in my hands.



Added: In reality, by the time you factor in good glass and mounts for one rifle versus multiple rifles, It's closer to 2 Tikkas per Cooper.

I own quite a few rifles...My two Coopers are my favorite. Short of a full custom build, I dont think you can get any better.....if any better at all.

No doubt the Tikkas shoot lights out. But the two Coopers I've encountered in person had some of the nicest walnut I've ever seen and the overall quality was in another league from any of the entry/mid-level plastic guns. (That said, I know not everyone here is into walnut/blued, so that factor may not matter to you.)

I have 7 right now and have had 8 others . All of them shot as well as the factory target. A couple of them I wish I still had. I had a 260 with a synthetic stock. It just didn't feel right not to have a nice piece of walnut on a Cooper