Finally tracked down what I was after (cooper phoenix)

craigyboy · #1 01-03-2007, 09:58 PM

I am at last on the brink of purchasing my new .204 rifle, Phoned a place today that imports kimber and Cooper, on the off chance they might have a Kimber pro Varmint in stock, good news he will have one in about a weeks for £850 ($1658) which is the exact price of a remmy XR100 Over here, he then goes on to mention that he sells Cooper, I said I know but the six month wait is far to long for me, he then tells me he has a Phoenix in .204 for £1000 ($1950) this is close to what you will pay for a Remmy VSSF II which is £950 ($1852), the phoenix is the model I would have ordered and its in the right cal, I cant get to the shop for a look as I do like to inspect a rifle before I buy it, but I am sure it will be fine, cooper seem to have a good rep for producing consistently good rifles. It seems crazy that for an extra £50 ( $97) I can have a cooper over a remington. Though the kimber tempted me as its cheaper and a repeater, but i think ill just stick with the cooper. Just one question What bases and rings can i get, I hear that they come with bases that are windage adjustable, not so keen on these I would prefer just fixed ones, Do burris make bases and rings for them? I wanna use burris rings so I dont have to lap the rings, I am mounting a very expensive swarovski scope and dont want to kink it.

Alex · #2 01-04-2007, 01:05 AM

... Warne Weaver style bases. I'll look tomorrow and tell you which ones and where I got them. It was either Lock Stock and Barrel or Midsouth.

No one else seems to make them.

Alex

nycstripes · #3 01-04-2007, 02:51 AM

I have a new Cooper Phoenix in 17Mach4 and I am waiting for Mid-South Shooters Supply to fill a back order for Burris Signature Insert Rings since November 28th.
They are my main choice for scope rings, and they are excellent for preserving the finish on your expensive optics. Besides that they are good rings too. They will also fit right up to the based provided on the Cooper rifle you are considering.
Ken

BJS · #4 01-05-2007, 02:24 AM

The rifle will probably come with a set of factory supplied Leupold bases that take the standard Leupold style turn in front ring and windage adjustable rear ring.

Assuming that is the case you can just use the Burris version of the standard style rings. I know some don't like that type of ring but I have used them on planty of rifles and never had an issue.

I also believe that there is a Leupold dual dovetail base set made for the Coopers but if memory serves me correctly they are an extension style rear ring which is probably a backward step on a model 21.

I saw your question about Kimbers elsewhere but didn't get a chance to reply. I have had several new style Kimbers (including a varmint 204) and now have a two Coopers. I kept the Coopers and sold the Kimbers to help fund a bench rest rifle that I need to scratch an accuracy itch. I am certain you will be well pleased with the Cooper and feel it is the best choice from the options you had, by far !!

My Coopers are in 17AH and 6PPC, they are untouched from the box except for trigger tuning and shoot better than any other factory rifles I have had and better than several rebarreled and bedded and tuned varmint rifles as well.

I am in NZ so know what it is like having limited choices without special ordering, you are lucky that Cooper is available, GRAB IT !!!

Bryce

LT17 · #5 01-05-2007, 03:00 PM

Can you post a photo if possible? If I had known Coopers were that affordable (relatively speaking) I would have got one in preference to the SAKO I have now. I traded a .223 Rem vssf in for this and got £600. Considering the use ithad it was a good price. I agree though the price of Remingtons in the UK is far too high, especially with the current dollar weakness. I saw a vssf advertised for £1100 new which was is on a par with the SAKO price. The difference is the SAKO is all stainless including the trigger guard and magazine unlike the Remington which is plastic and pot metal. Remington make lovely accurate rifles but they lack the quality feel of Cooper, Kimber et al.

craigyboy · #6 01-05-2007, 06:48 PM

I know LT17, I think we get completely shafted on prices, I looked at the .204vssf nice rifle but for £950 there was a sako varmint beside it in .222 for the same money and it put the remmy to shame the only reason I didnt buy the sako was because I wanted .204, the sakos are lovely though I love the vamint stock feels great in the shoulder first class finish on the whole rifle as well, I own a sako Finfire great little rifle, 1/4 at 50 yards that thing has claimed some buunys. As soon as I get the cooper ill post a pic and hopefully its first blood, these sites are great as you can still post pics of kills but most british sites have banned any pics of dead animals.

cooperman223 · #7 01-06-2007, 06:54 PM

I got my cooper .223 just before Xmas, it was ordered about May (through brian fox) so you have been lucky, mine is the mod 21 and came with leupold basses, it now has a leupold 4.5x14x50 varmint hunter reticule sitting on top. I posted a pic on pigeon watch in the UK of a rabbit i shot at 248yds and got some abuse about shooting vermin at that range saying it was out of order and too far, it was a toss-up between the .223 and the .204 Good luck with yours, hope you like it know i am

. with mine.

johno · #8 01-06-2007, 07:27 PM

craigyboy, lt17, cooperman. glad to hear you blokes can get hold of good rifles over there. Ive just got back from a kids cricket clinic at the local primary school, they had the english test side there. The kids were very patient with them, spent a lot of time teaching them how to bat and bowl but in the end they had to give it away. They just could'nt get the hang of the idea you have to hit the ball with the bat, not with the wicket. Sorry fellas its been a long couple of years.
johno

craigyboy · #9 01-06-2007, 07:56 PM

i think most of the british sites are far too PC and namby pamby about pictures of kills etc and good on you cooperman taking that rabbit out I love taking long shots on magpies, crows etc, I would really love to try a rat at long range for the fun you wouldnt know if you hit it or not as there wouldnt be anything left to tell you. Cant wait on the cooper.

LT17 · #10 01-07-2007, 01:17 PM

Johno you're a cruel man mentioning the cricket. On the positive side at least we have seen the last of Shane Warne and Glen McGrath but no doubt they have just as good replacements lined up!
Getting hold of rifles in the UK is better now than twenty or so years back. The licensing is now done by civilians rather than as used to happen by the police. The police here don't want anyone to have a gun so they were never very helpful. Now it is still a complicated process and prices are outrageous but at least if you have land and reason to shoot you can get hold of a rifle.