Anybody here hunt with a Cooey 84?

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys~a long time ago, I inherited a Cooey 84 in .410, and as much as I wanted to find a good use for it, I never could..never did. I ended-up selling to a friend who wanted a .410, but always sort of liked the simplicity of it and thought I'd like one in 20ga. one day. Well, I finally took delivery of an old 20ga 84 yesterday in pretty decent condition. FULL choke. I was struck at how beefy the thing is then remembered I'd never held/owned/shot anything but that .410.

Anyhow, I don't do allot of bird hunting but there have been lots of fall camping/fishing trips over the years where I've wondered "bring a gun? don't bring a gun?"...then over-think it to the point where I do NOT bring one. Guess how many birds I see when that happens? lol My main hang-up is whether or not I want to risk getting a finer gun rained on, left (out of sight/locked-up) in my vehicle and ultimately stolen, etc. I know myself...and if I ever lost a gun that meant allot to me that way, I'd probably never forgive myself.

So, I am looking forward to practicing with it a bit this weekend...maybe try some clays at the farm...but it got me wondering~is the 84 ANYONE'S preferred gun for grouse? They're handy things, come apart in literally 5 seconds with no tools, and VERY inexpensive. Glad I have mine, it will be put to use for grouse this fall for sure!
 
I've got a 12 (my first shotgun, back around 50 years ago as well) and a 20. 12 is a cannon on a stick, kicks like a mule. 20 is a nice trade off, good pattern and not so punchy. You're right, they are rather elegant in their simplicity. I guess I should find a .410 to complete the set.
 
My first firearm wa a Wincheste/Cooey Model 84 28 gauge.Used it a lot back then.Had the old 28 gauge Model 84 out a bit last year and it still bags game as well,as when it and owner were much younger.LOL
 
bogozzo said:
I've got a 12 (my first shotgun, back around 50 years ago as well) and a 20. 12 is a cannon on a stick, kicks like a mule. 20 is a nice trade off, good pattern and not so punchy. You're right, they are rather elegant in their simplicity. I guess I should find a .410 to complete the set.
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^lol..I hear you. Being so light, even the .410 would get your attention...and I shoot 12ga pumps all the time. :) My nephew bought an 84 in 12ga. a year or so back, and while he's a huge guy...I'm anxious to hear how he likes it when he eventually shoots the thing! I don't imagine I'll reach for this 20 as a "fun gun" but I'll be shooting it a fair bit in the coming weeks to get a feel for it.
 
Lol...cannon on a stick! Made me smile. My first shotgun was a break open 16g, great gun to learn on (and to a 13 yr old, definitely lots of recoil to enjoy), shot what feels like hundreds of grouse and rabbits. The 20g is perfect for grouse. I'm going to use mine this weekend!
 
I bought an 84 20 gauge from a buddy of mine for $20 when I was 15 (1979 or so) and probably shot more game with that over 5 years than I have since. For a 20 gauge had a solid kick, spread probably wasn't the most predictable but the safety aspect of carrying a break barrel around is second to none. I spent some time refinishing it a couple years later (re-blued the barrel, and refinished the stock properly (ie: no varnish) and it looked better than new, wish I hadn't got rid of it when I was 19. Have been actively searching for this shotgun for 15 years now with no luck.
 
I have an old 84 20 gauge that belonged to my late father in law. He bought it in about 1969 to try hunting with his dad, but decided he didn't really like it enough to stick with it, but he kept the gun. I've had it for 9 years since he passed away and carried it in the truck the last few years, but hadn't put much effort into grouse, so had not fired it, let alone shot any birds with it.

A couple weeks back I took my son's out to find some birds, and after missing a few times with the .22, I was getting tired of missing so I grabbed the old 20 gauge, and dropped the first bird I fired on, then got a couple more later that morning with it.

The gun hadn't been fired in 30 or more years, but worked perfectly. As said, they are a simple tool that is perfectly suited for potting a few birds and throwing in the truck in case a shotgun is needed. They aren't fancy, but they are reliable workhorses that can still put some meat on the table. Mine has some catching up to do after so many years of non use, which works fine by me to pot some birds for the table.
 
Shot my first duck with a Mod 84 20ga wen I was 12 yrs old (early 60s). My father gave me that gun and now my son has it. It will stay in the family. Just a reliable Canadian built shotgun.

DF
 
Just got my dad's 84 12 ga and I have the 840's in all gauges except 16..............getting real fond of the 28ga..........Harold
 
Thanks for all the input guys~greatly appreciated! It's nice to see these old birds getting some love! Even though I just got my '79 Citori's lower-barrel firing pin issue sorted out...I know the Cooey won't have to wait long before I reach for it. Until then~time to see if I can shoot it!
 
Seems like everyone had some kind of a Cooey single back in the day. I sure knew alot of people with them. They were definitely the northern grouse gun at one time. Have to be honest and say, though they are reliable they were never my cup of tea. I found them clunky and chunky and definitely were not made for wingshooting but for ground and tree branch sluicing grouse they are just fine and with proper care will last for a lifetime of potting grouse.
 
the spank said:
Seems like everyone had some kind of a Cooey single back in the day. I sure knew alot of people with them. They were definitely the northern grouse gun at one time. Have to be honest and say, though they are reliable they were never my cup of tea. I found them clunky and chunky and definitely were not made for wingshooting but for ground and tree branch sluicing grouse they are just fine and with proper care will last for a lifetime of potting grouse.
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^I can appreciate that for sure. I don't have a big collection, but do have at least 2 other shotguns that would be a way "better" choice for grouse than this Cooey 84. It's why I've held-off on buying one for so long. However, as mentioned, there are times when I don't want to be worried about my Citori being left in the car when I'm hiking into fishing spots. I wouldn't want the 84 neglected/damaged/stolen/rained-on but I'd feel allot better if it was THAT gun vs. something nicer. The 84 means I won't have any excuse NOT to have a gun with me when I'm in grouse country.
 
I have a soft spot for the 84's. I owned more then I can remember and still have a set...one in each gauge. I do take them out every now and then, but most of the time they seem to be just ornaments

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1963beretta said:
I have a soft spot for the 84's. I owned more then I can remember and still have a set...one in each gauge. I do take them out every now and then, but most of the time they seem to be just ornaments

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Your set is in very nice condition from the pics. I have a complete set also of 84's but not as clean overall as yours. My 16, 28 and 12 are either new or mint 20 excellent used and the 410 I still watch for a better one Are you not missing one?? I also added a 36" 12 to my group
Cheers
 
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