Cooper .308 accuracy

I would expect smaller from that cooper, but you may have to start reloading to get the utmost out of it. I've never heard of a cooper to shoot bad.. but there are lemons in everything. Hows the bore and crown on it?

Try Federal Gold Medal Match.

TJ.. I dont doubt it. I would ask what ammo you have ran through it?

Several things to try (I am a reloader, so I'm approaching this from a reloaders perspective.. the expensive route for ammo buyers)


!. What is the twist rate of your barrel?
2. What weight projectiles have you tried? (168gr, 150 gr, 178 gr, etc.)
3. What projectiles have you tried (a-max, sierra match king, nosler ct, etc)
4. This is where it gets expensive
a. Buy several weights of match ammo.. all the same brand, all the same projectile. Federal gold medal match is great stuff.. but your rifle may mnot like it. Black Hills Gold match is also awesome stuff.
b. Shoot for groups each of the different weight projectiles. The one that shoots best.. should stick in that weight when trying out other ammo.
c. try other projectiles in that weight (very expensive here.. I can get you in touch with a good guy who will do custom loads in what ever you want for this rifle.. he aint cheap though). Test to see which one fires best..

Don't Coopers come with a sub-MOA 3-shot test target with powder, charge, and bullet listed?

1) Call Cooper and ask
2) Return it if you can. I would not pay that much for a Cooper and have it perform that bad.
3) Buy a Sako instead.

Walk, totally agree.

Also, what is your usual capability of shooting? I'm a 1 moa shooter... give or take. Probably closer to .75 moa - .5 moa on my good days.

I'm not trying to be insulting.. my question is how much larger than your normal ability is the groups you're getting?

Have you considered other factors such as weather and operator error?

I hate to tell you about this weekend , but was out to my friends farm and he just picked up a new Ruger American in 308 for $360.00 and had a 18 power Nikon with the side focus on it, don't know what model, and he was shooting at 200 yds. also. He shot several 3 shot groups and they were under 1 1/2 in. I know he was shooting Federal ammo but don't know just what it was. Needless to say he was very, very happy.
Dave

New? I'd be talking to Cooper. Used? I'd be tweaking the forearm bedding.

if it's new-new (not just new-to-you), I'd hold off for about another 150 rounds...

IMX, it takes about that many rounds to get the barrel broken in, and I usually see an improvement beginning about 200 rounds

What scope and scope mounts do you have on it? There was a nice article in G&A not too long ago saying how many a shooter has traded in perfectly good rifles (some of which were VERY expensive, HIGH quality firearms) because of poorly mounted scopes/poor quality mounts.

If your equipment is mid to high quality, maybe have someone else take a few shots with it to make sure it's not just human error.

Cooper rifles are very nice, and I agree that a call to Cooper would be in order if everything else checks out. I've never had any experience with their customer service, but I'd imagine that they'd stand behind their product and take care of you. Good luck, and Happy Hunting!

Now that you're FINALLY down to 1 MOA, I wouldn't be surprised if you got that rifle down to 1/2 MOA.

Make sure to post groups!

I see the suggestions on ammo but I'm curious as to how the OP is shooting. For instance, are his results based upon prone with a bipod and scope? Or perhaps with sandbags front and rear? Just curious to know how his 2.5" groups are related to his shooting position at that 200 yards..

Yes, 1.25" is much better. Now its time for a load calibration. That should tighten up those groups a little bit more.

Thats very good grouping for 200. Not a whole lot of people can hold 1/2 moa

I know this thread's old, but I've been working with a Colt/Cooper 2012 in .308 & was curious about others' experiences. Searched & came up with this.

TJ, any updates?
You should, I'd think, be able to do much better than what you were getting when last heard from.

Last week my best 200-yard three-shot group on the gun's first outing was 5/16 of an inch with some old Hornady 165 TAP.
Today, best 3 at 200 was an even half-inch with Black Hills 165 Nosler Ballistic Tip.

Shot off a carpet-covered wooden box at my local range, 1.25-4 powered Leupold Patrol Scope (not the best to take full advantage of the rifle, but what I had on hand that was already wearing Leupold's heavy-duty alloy mounts to clamp on the rail).

Hadn't bothered with any break-in, didn't clean between sessions.
Probably about 110 or so rounds through it with four different 165-168 grain factory loads.

This has been my first experience with a Cooper product & I'm quite impressed.
They seem to shoot!
Denis