Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles cooper vs kimber

Hey fellas ive been looking at picking up a nice 243 for coyotes and deer and was planning on just ordering another kimber montana until i found a really nice looking cooper m54 excalibur. I love kimbers (have 3) especially the Montana but i really like the specific cooper im looking at. It has a sprial fluted bolt, straight fluted barrel and a nixe synthetic stock with aluminium bedding block's. I actually like the fact that the cooper is 6.5 lbs compared to the 5.5lb montana because ill most likely be stationary while using the 243 as compared to my 338 fed montana that im usually walking while deer hunting with. I also like the fact the Cooper has a detachable magazine. I normally dont prefer a DBM but think itll be nice for a coyote rifl. Any experience with Cooper's? What would you get if it were up to you?
The kimber $1200
The cooper $2100

My next rifle is going to be a Cooper!

I have both Kimbers and Cooper. While I really like my Kimbers, Cooper is a notch above. They feed smoother, accuracy is excellent. The removaable mag is inconspicuous, you would never know it was a detachable mag.

apples/oranges - but $900 can buy a lot of apples.

I own 2 Coopers, wish I had more!

I had a Cooper Custom Classic model 52 in .30/06. It was a beautiful rifle in every respect with many areas color case hardened, gorgeous wood, superb workmanship, etceteras.

However, while it shot .5" to .75" with most hunting loads, so did my friends out of the box FN Winchester Model 70. The Cooper was heavy, you had to remove the magazine to load cartridges (i.e., it could not be top loaded) and the safety did not lock the bolt. IMHO, a work of art, but not a real hunting rifle. I sold it for more than I paid for it.

My advice for a hunting rifle is to get an M70, or a Sako 85. If you want to spend more serious money, buy a Dakota 76.

BTW, I have a Kimber Caprivi in .375. It is a beautiful rifle in every respect and shoots an inch at 100 yards with monotonous regularity and reliability. The Caprivi offers features, workmanship and wood that one would only expect in rifles costing twice the price. This is my only Kimber, but if it is any indication, I would not hesitate to buy one in a smaller caliber.

I have a Cooper 54 Excaliber and a 52 Classic. They both have been worth every penny that I paid for them in my opinion. BTW, my 54 has the fluting on the bolt and barrel as well, looks nice!

Cooper by a mile.

Coopers are a cut above Winchesters, Brownings, Sako's and Kimbers.

Well you guys helped me make up.my mind! As soon as i get the other grand i need to buy it lol. Ive got someone coming to possibly buy one of my dirtbikes tonight and a fellow fire member that seems interested in the Kimber i have for sale so hopefully i can order it this weekend. Nowi need ro figure out the scope to put on it... Leupold vx3 4.5-15? Trijicon accupoint 3-9? I do have a brand new Zeiss conquest 3-9 without a home yet.

I have owned both and still own the coopers...and I have one on order.
I have sold off all my other rifles and only going to have cooper in the safe. I did like my kimbers, I had three of them in the montana variety but nothing like my Coopers.

And by the way, there is a nice 4.5x14 for sale in the classifieds

You will not be disappointed.

Gary

Cooper for sure unless super light weight is critical. I'm coming around to the practicality of the detachable magazine for easy unloading and quick reloading. Of course the extra magazines are expensive. Figure $100. And I've never lost one, yet.

If you can live without the fluted barrel and fluted bolt you should be able to get into one for around $1600. On the other hand there is a lot to be said about having exactly what you want in a rifle. Check out gunaamerica.com - there are usually quite a few Coopers listed there.

I also am going to Coopers for all of my rifles, there is just something about having a rifle that all you have to do is scope it and go shoot - no messing around with bedding, rebarelling, etc.

drover

Well, at least the Cooper will shoot and have a good Montana company to back it. Not so much on either case with a kimber.

cooper.

I'd give serious thought to a Montana in .308. It'll work quite well for yotes as well as deer.

Bounce a 2-8 Leo w/M1 on top and rock on.

Dober

Currently, I like the Kimber Montana. My next favorite would be the Winchester M70 Extreme Weather. Next, I could go for a Sako 85 Finnlight.

A Cooper is in a different class. Very fine rifles, but how much more do they give me than my Kimbers? The Kimber is lighter, and right now that is important.

For the time being, I will stick with the Montana. If I hunted from a stand, with little walking, I would consider a Cooper, or maybe as a ground squirrel rifle.

If I'm paying $2100 for a Cooper, it better have phenominal wood.

You have to honestly ask yourself if you bought both and accuracy/performance was equal, would you keep the Kimber and the money, or do you just really want the Cooper?

I'll never sell my Cooper 6ppc. My Kimber Montana 300wsm went down the road without a second thought when I found a steal on an ULA.

That'd be the day that I spend $2k on a guzzied up PF with a detachable magazine,and a Wilson barrel, as a hunting rifle...it isn't "custom" and is more than a decent factory rifle.

I'd build, or take the Kimber.JMHO.

I have to admit spending another $1,000 over the Kimber is really hard for me to do especially knowing my other kimbers will shoot at least moa if i taje my time. But having a guaranteed 1/2" rifle that already has everything i want says something too. Is that worth the extra $$$$? I really don't know...yet

When I face decisions like this, I try to think a year ahead about how I will feel. Would I look at the Kimber and wonder what a Cooper would be like? Would I look at the Cooper and wish I had saved a grand? The sting of writing a check goes away relatively quickly, so try to look past that and see how you'll feel down the road with each rifle in your hands. It's worked for me.

This is just me, but the Montana and the Coopers have two completely diff feels. So, I'd take that into account.

On the real, how much do you hunt coyotes. Most people toss yotes into the equation and yet are taking maybe only 1-3 or so a year. Not many truly get after the yotes. Point being, for the fella who's passive about his yote hunting pretty much most all hunting rigs will do for them.

I'm guessing here that you're taking yotes on a passive kind of basis. And that's fine, but I still feel that a Montana in .308 would be a fantastic rig for you.

Dober