New Cooper

[retiredsgt]

After waiting about six months, as they had stated, I finally received my new Cooper, Model 22, Phoenix, in 6.5 x .284. What a gun. I slowly broke it in, as they suggested, and after firing about 40 rounds, I ended up with a group of .314" and one at .186", using 142 gr. Sierra Match King bullets. Yeah, they are only three shot groups at 100 yds, but I have only started to break it in. I also worked up a hunting load using Hornady's 129gr. SST's. The final group with that measured .336". I suppose I shall have to take a whitetail or two with it this year.
What a delight !

 

[Quintin Likely]

How in the world can you start a Cooper thread without a picture of that gorgeous rifle??

 

[pete f]

Coopers suck, After all, after you start shooting one, not much else is worthy, they remove about 99% of all excuses for missing and what fun is that. And if you can not shoot .250 groups all day, that means that you sux too, cus the rifle can.


See coopers suck.

 

[lunde]

Very nice! I ordered a similar one, an M22 Phoenix in 6.5x55 SE with 26-inch barrel, a year ago, and got it in February of this year. The target below is the best group it shot, using hunting bullets no less:

I am 20 days from driving to Wyoming to hunt antelope using this rifle, with my dad. Here is the rifle:

Its scope is a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 LR with Varmint Hunter's reticle.

 

[dakotasin]

sgt - quintin nailed ya... you are not allowed to say anything at all about owning a cooper if you can't post a pic. its a rule, you just need to abide.

lunde - good luck on your goat hunt - tensions are starting to rise here in anticipation of rifle seasons opening up - lot's of folks already out doing their thing. wish i could be out hunting right now! if you'll be in n.e. wyoming, good chance i'll bump into ya.

 

[redneck2]

Yeah, they are only three shot groups at 100 yds, but I have only started to break it in.

I love the guys that say "yeah, but it's only 3 shots". How many shots are you gonna take when hunting??

Taking the average of the first three doesn't count for much. I'm interested in something that puts the first shot where I want, and maybe one more. Number two and three just verify the first.

Evidentally "Cooper" defines accuracy, at least in hunting configuration.

Its scope is a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 LR with Varmint Hunter's reticle.

Nice to see somebody put a good scope on a good rifle instead of asking "what's the best scope I can get for under $50"

I would add Butler Creek caps to protect the glass.

 

[BrainOnSigs]

Coopers suck!

OK...I lied.....

My M22 Phoenix in 6.5x55mm Swede topped with a Leupold VX-III 8.5-25x50mm Long Range scope.

It will do a 1000 yards at my range quite comfortably.

Cooper's do define accuracy.

 

[BrainOnSigs]

I would add Butler Creek caps to protect the glass.

Lunde uses Leupold Alumina Threaded Lens Covers.
I have scrapped my Butler Creek caps and have converted also.

 

[BrainOnSigs]

Nice rifle and nice groups RetiredSgt!!

 

[BillinNH]

Lunde writes:
an M22 Phoenix in 6.5x55 SE

Lunde, what is 6.5x55 SE? How does it differ from standard 6.5x55 Swedish?

BTW, is your Cooper the repeater or the single shot?

Bill

 

[redneck2]

Lunde uses Leupold Alumina Threaded Lens Covers.
I have scrapped my Butler Creek caps and have converted also.

May be fine for target work. I've never used threaded covers, but when I'm deer hunting, the Butler Creeks cover and protect the lenses quite well and open instantly. I'm not gonna mess around screwing off lens caps when a 12 pointer is 50 yards away looking in my direction. YMMV

 

[BrainOnSigs]

May be fine for target work

These aren't target rifles.

I've never used threaded covers

Then how can you knock them?

the Butler Creeks cover and protect the lenses quite well and open instantly.

Yup. I've also had the flipped up cap hang up on something and cost me a shot.

To each his own.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Lunde, what is 6.5x55 SE? How does it differ from standard 6.5x55 Swedish?

Same round, just two ways of writing it.

SE is abbrev for Sweden
http://archive.dante.net/np/ds/osi/iso-3166.txt

Regards.

 

[lunde]

dakotasin, you wrote:

good luck on your goat hunt - tensions are starting to rise here in anticipation of rifle seasons opening up - lot's of folks already out doing their thing. wish i could be out hunting right now! if you'll be in n.e. wyoming, good chance i'll bump into ya.

My dad and I will be hunting antelope in the NE area of Wyoming, specifically in Area 3. This is the fourth consecutive year that we have drawn successfully for Area 3. We'll be hunting on Don Kinstetter's ranch, which is a few miles due north of Moorcroft. We'll be staying at the Moorcourt Motel in Moorcroft on the 30th.

 

[lunde]

I had another range session with my M22 Phoenix in 6.5x55 SE yesterday. It didn't like my Nosler 120gr BT loads, using Winchester brass, and two types of powder (Varget and RL-22), but it continued to prefer my original load, which is the Sierra 120gr Spitzer Pro-Hunter bullet in front of 40.1gr of Varget. I shot three three-shot groups using that load, two of which measured 0.4 inches, and the third measured 0.46 inches. I can live with that, especially for a hunting load using a hunting bullet. And, the Sierra bullets are significantly cheaper than the Nosler ones. Sierra's load book states that this load is giving 2800fps.

 

[jlmurphy]

I have enjoyed the 6.5x55 for a long time, mostly handloading. One thing I have found is that American Swedish brass is smaller at the base than Lapua or Norma. There can also be some variation of chamber size, so I would recomend using Cerrosafe to cast your chamber and check. Once fired brass would also indicate chamber dimensions.

 

[hessy]

Cooper repeater?

Does Cooper make repeater rifles in centerfires or they are all single-shot actions? Looking at their Website, I think larger calibers are all single-shot...

 

[lunde]

hessy, you wrote:

Does Cooper make repeater rifles in centerfires or they are all single-shot actions?

Cooper Arms is about to debut the Model 52 action, which is their first centerfire repeater. It is a long action, to be chambered in .270, .280, and .30-06 (and similar) cartridges. I ordered one for my dad, in Classic configuration, and chambered in .280 Ackley Improved. I am expecting it to be ready by year's end. It's not yet listed on their web site, but it can be ordered.

 

[lunde]

Here are target photos from Saturday's range session: