SmallCaliberCentral

Hi everyone! I am new to this forum but from what i have read it will be a great one! I have a question. I just picked up a new cooper in 204 and now looking for a new scope to put on it. What are your opinions on the best scope. This will be a praire dog rig. I would like to try to stay around the 600 dollar range if i can. Thanks in advance for your advice!

First of all welcome to the forum! Now here's what you need to do.... Send me that Cooper, I'll put my Leupold 6.5-20 X scope on it, shot sage rats like crazy and then I'll let you know how she shoots! I know what you are thinking...What an amazing offer! Now on a serious note I do think that you should consider a 6.5-20X scope and I'm a fan of Leupold. Other goods brands out there such as Nikon, Bushnell Elite, etc, but Leupold has a life time warranty no matter who the original owner was so you can pick up a used one with confidence. Check out a site called SWFA and look at their "Sample List" you'll find some great deals there. Remember we love pictures around here so post a pic as soon as she is ready to go! Gary

Haha that is a tempting deal but ill pass. I have a 6.5x20 Leupold with the 30mm tube on my kimber 204 and i really like it. I just wish it had the varmint hunter reticle. I have a friend that will sell me a 6.5x20 Leupold with a 1 inch tube for about 500.

dk: I'm a verified Leupold nut, and will just mention that any VX-3 scope can be sent to the factory and have the VHR installed or any other reticle such as the Long Range installed by the Custom Shop for a nominal fee. They completely go through the scope in the process, and when you get it back, it even comes with a chart listing the actual amount of elevation and windage available, along with the new reticle optically centered perfectly.

You can also have any custom elevation turret installed such as their M1, M3, target or a custom one made up with your load/ranges engraved on the turret for "dial-a-rat".

I prefer the M1 elevation adjustment....this is it on my Kimber 84M Varmint in 204 on my Lupy 6.5-20X LR:



If you get a deal on that Lupy, just consider sending it in for the work and end up with more or less a custom Lupy set up just for you and your shooting style.

Rick about how much does that cost to have leupold change the reticle and the m1 turrets put on?

I've got a Leupold 6.5-20 with varmint reticle on one of my .204 Coopers. I'm shooting a Bushnell mil-dot 7-21 on the other .204 Cooper. Both work very well, but I really like the varmint reticle the best. I'm not much into "cranking" the dials on my scopes (while pd hunting), although I know it works. This is due mainly to our method of shooting. I often shoot from a table in the bed of a truck, rotating around for shot opportunities. I try to use my rangefinder more, and I know where and how to aim with each reticle. Plus, I get to shoot only one time a year, so I want to use more time shooting.

dk: Prices vary depending on scope and modifications requested. Here's a link to the custom shop:

https://customshop.leupold.com/

Using the link, you can literally 'build' a scope custom tailored for your exact uses and get all pricing dialed before you send your scope in; no surprises.

You may find that just the VHR is enough for your shooting style. I'm a "range/dial/shoot" guy, but when the action is fast, or for when I just prefer not to dial, the VHR gives you the option to just use the reticle for various shot distances as long as you return the elevation knob to the "dead-on" range of 200 yards for that rifle and load combination.

IMHO though, the Leupold VHR is the best reticle out there for the work we do with our rifles.

http://www.swfa.com/pc-7281-185-bushnel ... scope.aspx

Could be had cheaper if you look around.

don't forget to look at opticsplanet.com, they have one of the best inventories i have found. and most of the time when i have been shoping for glass, they are the most reasonable and no freight charges.

Well I bought a leupold 6.5-20X40 LR with the varmint reticle. My ? Is do I need medium rings for thiss scope to fit the Cooper?

I just put the 6.5X20X40 scope on my new Cooper 204.
I used the low mount, and the bolt handle will just clear the objective. It touches just enough that it wore the blue off the bolt handle. If you put the Butler Creek flip up cover on, you can't open the bolt all the way. So, a medium mount will work better. I have one ordered.
This gun flat out shoots, and I love it.

A VX-3 6.5x20x40 would be a great choice. the new models are out now for around $800 but there are probly still a few of last years models around for a lot cheaper. I know a month or so ago they were selling last years VX-3's for around $100-$200 off.

dk: I also just got a Cooper M21 (in 223) and mounted a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10X LR M1 40mm that I had here, used Low Leupold rings, and the objective bell just clears the varmint weight barrel. It only has about .060" of clearence, and as such, the Butler Creek flip cap will not fit the objective without touching the barrel, so resorted to a temp cap to use for storage and cleaning.

The ocular flip cap clears the bolt with no problem whatever, and the bolt handle of course clears the scope ocular bell also.

This scope has the exact same dimensions as a 6.5-20X, so the Low rings will work perfectly, and really gets that scope down low where it belongs.

Rick in Oregon wrote:dk: I also just got a Cooper M21 (in 223) and mounted a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10X LR M1 40mm that I had here, used Low Leupold rings, and the objective bell just clears the varmint weight barrel. It only has about .060" of clearence, and as such, the Butler Creek flip cap will not fit the objective without touching the barrel, so resorted to a temp cap to use for storage and cleaning.

The ocular flip cap clears the bolt with no problem whatever, and the bolt handle of course clears the scope ocular bell also.

This scope has the exact same dimensions as a 6.5-20X, so the Low rings will work perfectly, and really gets that scope down low where it belongs.

Will this 223 soon be 223AI? OR you gonna stick with the 223 itself? Just curious is all.

Schrutester: As I already have a custom 223AI and other standard 223's, this nice Cooper will not get mutilated in any way, as it's just the way I like it as-is. "Rosa" is going squirrel shooting this week for a few days, so we'll see how she shoots as-is, but the rifle's innards looked perfect, so I don't see why she won't.

(Rosa was my favorite nurse in the hospital, and a GOOD nurse. "My" Rosa is going to be a very BAD nurse! Got her on Cinco de Mayo, hence the name. It may also stand for Rodent Obliteration System, Automated.....with me being the 'automated' part).