SmallCaliberCentral

After waiting 6 months for a new Sako 85, I was informed this PM that it will be at least another two to three months. I can not wait that long. I have been thinking about a Cooper Montana Varminter. The only thing holding me back is the weight. My Sako 75 is 8 5/8 lbs. The Cooper is 7.25 lbs. I am wondering if I am still going to be able to see my hits. Any advice from Cooper owners or anyone else for that matter would be greatly appreciated.

Assuming you're meaning a .204 and shots thru 200yds, the easy answer is yes.

Good Luck and go after the 204 in Cooper, you won't be sorry

That Cooper you are looking at is one freakin' sweeet looking gun.

WHISTLEPIG
Being a big Sako fan (I own several older models), I feel your pain.
I have no direct experience with Cooper rifles. I did get a chance to fondle and drool on a Montana Varminter at our local Sportsman's Warehouse. Too bad it was in .223 Rem (nothing against .223, I already own several). If it had been a .204 Ruger, I may have been tempted.
My vote (if it were to count) is go for it .

Rgds, Gerry

i love my cooper 204 i shoot it first and then swap to my savage or ruger as my bbl start to warm up

i love my cooper 204 i shoot it first and then swap to my savage or ruger as my bbl start to warm up if i my sons are with me i will have to go to the remington because they already using the others (it has the poorest groups )

WHISTLEPIG wrote:After waiting 6 months for a new Sako 85, I was informed this PM that it will be at least another two to three months. I can not wait that long. I have been thinking about a Cooper Montana Varminter. The only thing holding me back is the weight. My Sako 75 is 8 5/8 lbs. The Cooper is 7.25 lbs. I am wondering if I am still going to be able to see my hits. Any advice from Cooper owners or anyone else for that matter would be greatly appreciated.

I think a lot depends on the magnification power of your scope. The only complaint (if you call it that) about my Cooper is that I wish it was a tad heavier. If I use a lot of magnification, I can't see hits well.

I don't have any experience sitting behind a Sako, but I can tell you without a doubt that shooting my Cooper is an entirely different experience than shooting most other rifles. It's sort of like jumping from a Mitsubishi to a Mercedes for a road trip. Both will get you from point A to point B, one just gives a more satisfying experience.

I have a few Coopers and they are great shooting machines, though I dont have one in 204. You wont be disappointed with them. Here is my latest long range varminter, a 6.5x284 topped off with Leupold Mark 4 8.5x25x50 LR M1.

I just picked up a new Cooper varminter in .204 yesterday. The scope will be here today from Midway, good buy for Nikon 6x18 SF with BDC reticle. Hope for good weather on Sat to start breakin. I will post early results as soon as I can.

doubleA wrote:I have a few Coopers and they are great shooting machines, though I dont have one in 204. You wont be disappointed with them. Here is my latest long range varminter, a 6.5x284 topped off with Leupold Mark 4 8.5x25x50 LR M1.

Beautiful rifle, doubleA! Welcome to the forum.

Whistlepig,

I bought a used Cooper .204 Varmint late last fall. The price was right, and I was unhappy with my M700 sporter's accuracy. The Cooper .204 is terrific, as the past 4 groups I shot wtih 32 gr and 39 gr Sierras with RL10X were all under 1/4", with the smallest 0.110" CC at 100 yards! Thes are all three shot groups. It shoots V-max and Ballistic tips into 1/2". Although I haven't shot a varmint with the .204 Cooper yet, the Remington M700 sporter was OK to see hits with a VX4.5-14 x 40 turned all the way up (weighs less than the Cooper Varmint). Actually I found it easiest to see hits at longer ranges due to the time delay for the bullet to get there. Note that my other Cooper centerfire is a 22-250 which makes it difficult to see action due to more recoil. It doesn't get as much use since the Remington and Cooper .204 took up residence with me.

By the way, I'm getting a Pac Nor 1 in 11 twist .204 barrel installed on the M700 in May. Buying the Cooper unexpectedly set that project back a few months, but I'm progressing with it finally.

Go for the Cooper! I have 4: those mentioned above and .a 22LR Classic and a .17HRM Classic. I love them! All super accurate and super nice. Mine are all the "bottom-of-the-line" versions, but way nicer than my other rifles! Accuracy runs 1/4" with .204 and 3/8" with 22-250 and .17 HMR @ 100 yards, and about 1/4" at 50 yards with the .22LR with Wolf Match Extra or Winchester Power Point ammo.

Kurt

The Cooper looks alot better, prob. shoots as well,and is cheaper. If the only concern is weighing 20oz. less, lay a sanbag over it when you shoot.

doubleA, That is a beautiful rifle.

Va Varminter, I can buy the Sako for a lot less than a Cooper. I just can't get one. My 75 Varmint has a better piece of wood than the Coopers I held today. It is no where near the the wood Double A has though.

Thank you all for the replies. I went out this morning and looked at several Coopers at Cabela’s. They had none in .204 but two in .22-250. Both were the Varminter with the Buick style stock. On to Sportsman’s where they had in stock a Phoenix in .204 and a model 21 Varmint in .204 also with the Buick style stock. Both are beautiful rifles. I almost bought the Phoenix, but it is just too light at 7.25 lbs. The 21 at $1450.00 had a rather plane piece of wood on it for the money. It weighs the same. The stocks remind me of a carry rifle with a rather thin wrist. I also had a hard time getting my finger set on the trigger which seemed a little too far away. Maybe I’m just not used to the wide trigger.
I was really tempted as I have had the money saved for a long time but it just did not feel right for me. To all the Cooper guy’s; please don’t take this as a knock on Cooper. I know they are great rifles.
Going to talk with the smith who just built my brother’s .221 Fireball. May have to add a few more clams to the stew and go with a custom. I have been thinking about it for a while. I can get what I want for under three thousand and be done with it. That would get me a little farther towards what I think a really good bag rifle would be. I’m thinking a 1” Lilja finished at 26”, Stiller action, Jewell, H-S stock. I have a collection of reamer prints, including the one that Skipper is using. I know the smith has several, so I have to find out what he has exactly.

Sorry Whistlepig, I was just going by MSRP from the Coop and Sako web sites

Va varminter, No problem. I get an amazing deal on the Sako's. Just can't buy them if they won't make them.