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  #81  
Old 04-24-2014, 03:52 PM
Chuck Miller Chuck Miller is offline
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Default Coopers

I think that in the earliest days that Shilens were also used. I talked to Doug Shilen in the middle to late 90's while I was there picking up a trigger and they were in the middle of a 25 barrel run of 22 cal barrels for Cooper. I also had a 22CCM and a VE 22-250 that both had Shilens on them. Both were bought from a guy that had ordered them together and was given the Shilen option by Cooper. The boxes also denoted Shilen barrel on them which was rare compared to all the other Coopers I've owned.

I had a discussion with Dan Behr back in the old days about a repeater, his comment was that maybe a repeater in the future, but right now they were sticking with what they did well. He felt like if your staking your reputation on accuracy then their platform was the way to go. Hard to argue with that when they shoot as well as they do. Couple that with you can't build a rifle that competes with a Cooper and have it hold it's resale and those of us that have tried have the hole in our wallets to support that.

Last edited by Chuck Miller; 04-24-2014 at 03:59 PM.
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  #82  
Old 04-24-2014, 04:30 PM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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No doubt that Shilen barrels would also have been a very likely option. IIRC, I asked Dan Pickett about barrel options once in those days and he told me that they kept small supplies of several different barrel options on hand to quickly fill customer special requests.

I just don't remember what he told me they had on the shelf at the time, but they were all known barrel maker's products......

-BCB
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  #83  
Old 04-24-2014, 04:49 PM
drover drover is offline
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Custom barrels from your choice of makers is still an option. From the Cooper website under options -

Custom bbl twist & make $325+cost of bbl

drover
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  #84  
Old 04-24-2014, 04:52 PM
Eagle_view Eagle_view is offline
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I know that they used a lot of McGowen barrels because a saw a WHOLE bunch of them ready to be shipped one day when I was visiting McGowen in Kalispell, MT I found out only by reading the shipping tag as we walked by.

Lowell
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  #85  
Old 04-24-2014, 04:55 PM
mav007 mav007 is offline
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Default But they can shoot

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobtails View Post
I am getting my first Cooper a Model 38 Montana Varminter in 20 VT next week and am super excited. Pdogs be warned. I think that the single shot stiffer action will be great.
Bobtails,
You wont regret the choice, only thing that will bother you is they tend to multiply. I started with a similar cooper, 20VT but in a Model 21 MTV. I have never regretted the single shot setup. Follow up can be quite fast, or so I have heard as I have never needed one.
Added a Classic in 17hmr. Both will shoot in the .3's at 100yards.

Just recently added a 57m Jackson Squirrel in 22lr. Splurged a little with the wood. It was built in 2006 and I purchased it used - unfired.
[IMG][/IMG]
Saw the test target and was a little skeptical.

The below are the first two 5-shot groups (only at 30yrds) but with a 7x scope. Don't think it will be a problem at least matching the test target.


Whether you agree with the FORMER owner's political views or not, you cant argue with how they shoot, unless I just got real lucky with the three I have.

Have had numerous other rifles in various calibers and most of the major companies, some good some bad. But none have matched the accuracy of the cooper out of the box.
Just my 2 cents
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  #86  
Old 04-24-2014, 05:50 PM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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I have never talked to the owner of a Cooper that had any problem with the accuracy of their rifle. They are put together to shoot, about as accurately as any rifle can, especially a carry/sportster type stock. Bill K
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  #87  
Old 04-24-2014, 06:49 PM
xring xring is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eagle_view View Post
I know that they used a lot of McGowen barrels because a saw a WHOLE bunch of them ready to be shipped one day when I was visiting McGowen in Kalispell, MT I found out only by reading the shipping tag as we walked by.

Lowell
Lowell , I asked the Question of Barrel Makers to Cooper in June 2007 . Barrels came from at least five sources , but prior to that Date , 98% of all Barrels were Wilson . This from a fellow at Cooper who researched my Question . The actual breakdown of those few non-Wilson Barrels is a bit complicated . For example : all 19's came from Montana Rifles except for 300-400 that came from Shilen and Pacnor ! Really Odd-Ball Twists came from Montana Rifles ..... I don't know if that is the same as McGowen , but would be interested to know .
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  #88  
Old 04-24-2014, 07:02 PM
ray h ray h is offline
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Well I have to say I have, me. I bought several as a "happy retirement to me" present with my unused vacation money. The 20 Tac shoots good, the 221 is fantastic but the 17 Ah and 17M4 were flat terrible. I spent the whole month of May 2003 trying to get them to shoot so I could go on the 1st saubier shoot with a small caliber. I simply gave up after running nearly 600 rounds thru one and nearly 800 thru the other. Don't remember which. Well I rebarreled the 17 AH to another 17AH with a Lilja but I couldn't shake the mental image of the first barrel and sold it to a member here. The Mach 4 was rebarreled to my 17 Marmot round. I bought a new Phoenix stock from Chuck. I bolted everything up and from the first 5 shot gp that rifle has become one of my most used guns. The original M4 barrel was rechambered to 17Jav Imp and I gave it to Gary who has had great luck with it. Eddie Harren did the rechambering, so the barrel was good, just not the chambering that Cooper did. I suspect the 17AH barrel would have shot if chambered properly but I used a Lilja not taking a chance and threw the Cooper barrel away.
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  #89  
Old 04-24-2014, 08:39 PM
montdoug montdoug is offline
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Ray, as pointed out it appears Cooper rifles have had all kinda barrels at one time or another. I too had a Cooper "problem child" in .17 MachIV, it was a major pain. That rifle made more trips over to Stevensville then a UPS driver . It was my opinion (repeat, "OPINION") that Wilson made good barrels but when it came to .17 caliber they had problems, Then
I bought a .17 Ackley Hornet that blew that theory out of the water with consistent half inch or better groups. I am now of the "opinion" that everyone makes a clunker once in a while and life ain't perfect . The thing that kept me a believer in Cooper after my major bummer was:

A) the fact that a vast majority of their rifles shoot like crazy.

B) the customer service on my .17 MachIV from then employee Rob Behr was truly above and beyond anything I'd ever experienced in the way of a warranty, phenomenal! He just kept at it till it finally shot after more than one new barrel. Try to get any other company to work on a rifle that is shooting from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inch 100 yard groups till it actually shoots to the warranty claim of 1/2 inch 100 yard groups, he did!

C). After donating to Potato Head for President Dan Cooper got the boot as chief officer at Cooper and sold out. Because like "Seeking Coyotes" posted, I too would not support a company that was run by a man that financially supported someone like our "Potato Head In Chief" whose goals are as diametrically opposed to mine as his are. I'd fight to the death for Cooper's right to be ignorant and support any anti-gun dishonest politician he wants to but I certainly wouldn't offer my money to help in that endeavor ! Certainly glad that Dan Cooper is history so I can continue my admiration of Coopers beautiful rifles like that .22 "mav007" posted a picture of.
Sorry for the "Hijack" .


I find the Cooper barrel history thing real interesting, there has long been a lotta takes on it. I too heard long back that they originally used Shilens??
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  #90  
Old 04-24-2014, 09:38 PM
dlong dlong is offline
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I have 13 or 14 coopers, can't remember. They all shoot extremely well.
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