.204 Cooper Varminter

[southernfairy]

Hi guys,

I am from the UK and new to the forum, i've been reading stuff from the site for months and have learnt a huge amount about this calibre from you guys . I decided in March to take the plunge and have ordered a Cooper Varminter in .204. I see there are a number of you that use these rifles. Mine unfortunately won't be arriving till September/October or so i am told by the guy here i've ordered it from. I am so totally overexcited that i've begun getting everything ready for its arrival already. So far i've decided on a Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 scope, i travel over to the US often with work so am going to save myself 400 bucks by buying it in the states (you don't want to know what i've had to pay for the rifle!!!). Do you think this is a good scope for the rifle? If there's anyone out there with this combo i'd love to see a few photos and hear what you have to say.

I do have a couple of questions about accuracy/ammo for the rifle. There are a couple of guys over here in the UK who have coopers in .204 and most of them tell me their rifles group around the 1" mark at 100 yards. However i see that a lot of you guys are getting considerably better than that, am i going to have to hand load to get better than an inch or do these things shoot factory ammo well? I am happy to start handloading but wouldn't even know where to start building a load from, all the handloads i've used to date for my TR shooting have been done for me by team armourers. Any additional info anyone may have about the rifle i'd love to hear. Cheers!

[Lee C.]

Welcome to the forum southernfairy, I don't have a cooper rifle. But the guys around here that do seem to really like them. But the cooper and zeiss conquest scope should be a great combo together. I can't help ya with factory ammo as i reload every thing i shoot in my rifles. For me reloading is the only way to go. Well i;m sorry i couldn't help you out more. But let us know how your new toy shoots when you get it ok.

[Captqc]

Welcome to the forum! You are the second person today to post that he is getting a new Cooper I sure wish I could say the same. Hope you are able to post pictures when you get it. Gary

[Mike]

First, congratulations on the new Cooper! There's a lot of hype surrounding these rifles, but I can honestly say that mine has exceeded all expectations.

Second, I think that the Zeiss is an excellent choice to pair with your Cooper. I don't know what kind of shooting you have planned, but the Conquest is a versatile scope that should serve you well.

Third, you need to hang around some better shooters! I have tried several types of factory ammo in my Cooper and get the best results from Hornady 40 gr V-Max's. I can consistently get groups between 1/4 and 1/2 inch at 100 yards.

[Keith in Ga]

My Cooper really didn't like either the Hornady 32 or 40 gr loads. I loaded some 32 gr v-max which didn't shoot all that well either. When I switched to 32 gr Blitzkings, it really started to shoot. I'm loading Benchmark, but some 10X powder shot almost as good. Even though it's a Cooper, doesn't mean it will shoot any and every load.
I talked with Rob Behr at Cooper and he said the .204 was really designed to shoot 32 gr bullets. He also gave me a oal of 2.235, which is right on the mark for my gun. I have read where some owners were getting good accuracy with 39 gr Blitzkings, but I haven't gotten around to trying them, may do so in the new gun. The 32 gr loads shot so good, I haven't tried anything else.

[southernfairy]

Guys thank you all for your answers. I shall certainly be letting you know the results on the long range rabbits i plan on shooting over here with it. As i said i am totally overexcited and i've no idea what i will do for the next 4 months. Keith thanks very much for your suggestions on loads, I fully intend to start loading when this thing arrives! Cheers

[southernfairy]

Another question for you guys, I am picking my conquest up next month when i am over in the states, my cooper is coming with Leupold bases but what do i need in the way of rings to mount that conquest with a 50mm objective, can i get away with medium mounts does anyone know? Iam not really keen on having a great rifle that you then have to lift your cheek off to get a sight picture. What do you think, medium or high rings? Cheers!

[birddog]

I'm working on getting the same setup (cooper with Zeiss 6.5-20 x 50). I was told to go with the high rings due to the 50mm objective. I don't have the gun or the scope yet, but I've ordered Leupold standard high rings (as my cooper is coming with Leopold bases as well).

Birddog

[gopherbroke]

I have a Cooper Phoenix 204 with a Ziss Conquest 6.5x20x50 with MD. A set of high rings are what you want ! You will really love this set up,glad you got a Cooper,you will love it! I am waiting for my third Cooper,ordered the Varmint Extreme.Long waiting period.6-8 months,only 4 more months to go. Have fun! GopherBroke Great Falls Montana