Tell me about Coopers versus Weatherbys

sbound

sbound

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On station eight, shooting the second low house.
I am seriously contemplating the purchase of a .257 Weatherby Magnum to be used for some anticipated hunts over the next few years in the Western US for antelope and mule deer. I have more or less decided on this particular cartridge but am torn over which rifle to buy.

On the assumption that price is not really a huge consideration, and I am a southpaw so it would need to be a left-handed action, what would you choose between the following and why?

1) Cooper Model 56
2) Weatherby Mark V Accumark

I know both are excellent rifles, but I have also heard that there have been various quality issues with each over the last few years.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has owned either of these as to what you like or dislike, and how the accuracy is? I am an avid handloader, so tailoring a load won’t be an issue.

Thanks
 
Red Ford, Blue Chevy, Black Dodge , the debate is a matter of preference and how deep your wallet is.
I had an Accumark Mrk. V and the fit and finish was what one would expect from an $1800.00 rifle, no tool marks or dents in the stock .No blemishes from a gun right out of the box from the factory.
I never shot it though, because I couldnt get myself wrapped around the stock (fit issue) But I still liked the looks of the rifle.
When it is all said and done though ""Nothing shoots flatter, hits harder or is more accurate. Guaranteed.” ;)>

They may have been the first to brand that line and offer an extraordinary accuracy claim (3 shots in under 1-1/2)
Today there are more manufacturers today who have stepped up to the plate and offer similar results except maybe for the speed claims.

Tight Groups,
Rob
 
I've got three Mark Vs (only one an Accumark) and a couple Coopers. All are very good rifles and much will depend on what feels best to you, things like whether you want a removeable mag and what looks best to you. The Weatherby safety locks the bolt handle and striker which I strongly prefer. The Cooper's trigger blows the Weatherby away. I'm convinced that whoever designed the Cooper doesn't know what primary extraction is, where-as with the Weatherby it was assumed that the owner would be loading the snot out of it.

On average it was easier to find loads for the Coopers than the Weatherbys, but that's luck of the draw on a small sample. Or maybe its light actions with heavy barrels compared to a heavy action with a light barrel. In any event, loads were found and the success of a hunt won't depend on which name in on the side of the rifle.

Great choice of classic cartridge BTW. I marvel a bit when I think ole Roy put that together in the 40s.
 
Some very good stuff, Dogleg. As mentioned, the Cooper's trigger will be much better, and the Cooper will "likely?" be more accurate in my experience. I have owned a few Weatherby's and Coopers. All Coopers now, if that tells you something.
 
I own 3 Coopers and 5 Weatherbys. On a very small scale the cooper is more accurate, 1/8th of an inch more accurate than the weatherbys............big deal. Moreover, fit, finish and function are just as important. Both rifles have the quality of premium craftsmanship and any choice will do. Personally I prefer the looks of the weatherby over the cooper, it has sleeker lines and better balance than the cooper. Triggers work equally well, both makes set at 2.5 pounds with no creep or after travel. Oh ya, Vanguard is not a true weatherby, but a Howa in cognito................you will have to read the history to understand, most don't.
 
"true Weatherby" interesesting choice as Roy was a marketer more than a gun designer, he would find whoever to build his guns and changed suppliers often.
Is a Citori a real Browning?
 
I have both a Weatherby MK V deluxe and 2 Coopers. I love my Weatherby butI'll be shooting my Coopers this fall. It has been said before, the triggers are great. I just wish they would put some models on a diet to shave a little weight.
 
I have owned two Mark V rifles, and ten Cooper rifles. I may purchase another Cooper or two, but I will never purchase another Mark V. Comparing the two, the fit and finish on my Coopers is superior, I prefer the balance of my Coopers, and the accuracy of my Coopers has been far better than my Mark Vs. I consider the Mark Vs to be way overpriced, for what you get, although I consider the Vanguards to offer great value for the price.
 
I have owned 5 mark v rifles....bought a cooper last year cause STUBBLEJUMBER loves to show of his(and he has the finest) i had to buy one! Since then iv sold all my mark v's and own 5 coopers for life!!! A dream to shoot and easy to find a good load for,not picky at all!!
 
I've had a Weatherby Accumark in 257 and a few Coopers, though not in the 56 or magnum action, they were all Excaliburs in long action( 30-06,270,280AI). The Accumark is a pig and I'd say it's definitely not a "walking gun", but meant for short hikes and tree stands. Think Remington VSSF/VLS, Ruger MKII VT and the like. You could go to a Mark V Ultra lightweight, but from what I hear they're generally not as accurate due to the pencil barrel.

While the Cooper is certainly no lightweight, it's borderline "sporter" weight. There were too many things I found to nitpick on both rifles, so I'm not really a fan of either, but if I had to choose between the two for using on a western spot and stalk hunt, it would be the Cooper.
Since you mention you're a handloader, just make sure that whatever you buy, it has a 26" barrel so you can take full advantage of the 257, a great caliber.
 
sbound said:
I am seriously contemplating the purchase of a .257 Weatherby Magnum to be used for some anticipated hunts over the next few years in the Western US for antelope and mule deer. I have more or less decided on this particular cartridge but am torn over which rifle to buy.

On the assumption that price is not really a huge consideration, and I am a southpaw so it would need to be a left-handed action, what would you choose between the following and why?

1) Cooper Model 56
2) Weatherby Mark V Accumark

I know both are excellent rifles, but I have also heard that there have been various quality issues with each over the last few years.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has owned either of these as to what you like or dislike, and how the accuracy is? I am an avid handloader, so tailoring a load won’t be an issue.

Thanks
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Tough call....Imo,both rifles have attributes that are better than the other...what bothers me is that A model 56 cooper chambered in a weatherby cartridge will cost you $3000.00,but for $1000 less you can buy that same weatherby cartridge in a Mark v accumark weatherby rifle for $2000......

Off topic.....If you can afford to wait another 6 months,new for 2014 weatherby is coming out with a new Ultralight Mark V rifle,that is as light as a Kimber montana and has a 3 shot 1" group @ 100 yard garantee and is range certified...not bad for light weight rifles that are chambered in Magnum cartridges...The stock color I believe is black with speckled orange or red,kind of colored like the red&black stocks on the synthetic coopers.
 
I have both the weatherby for function and ergonomics but the trigger wont go below 3.5 pounds thats bad on that alone cooper but then the cooper magazine is stuck all the time that alone annoys me enough to equal weatherby but weatherby is a well wrung out design cooper is not. Mine is a lightweight barrel 6 mm with unsuitable synthetic stock in the way of my trigger finger if i didnt know better i would say my tikka is a similar idea better gun in fact i cant say its not.
 
porpoise said:
I have both the weatherby for function and ergonomics but the trigger wont go below 3.5 pounds thats bad on that alone cooper but then the cooper magazine is stuck all the time that alone annoys me enough to equal weatherby but weatherby is a well wrung out design cooper is not. Mine is a lightweight barrel 6 mm with unsuitable synthetic stock in the way of my trigger finger if i didnt know better i would say my tikka is a similar idea better gun in fact i cant say its not.
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Dude Tikka is a very decent rifle......If your clip gets stuck its your own fault where is it getting hung up? if you can't figure it out ther costumer service is out of this world!! How many cooper rifles have you fondled? Did you actually own any? But no not even close to cooper......
 
i have never owned a weatherby just because i hate the stock. i would retock to a different pattern and that would be too costly.. my cooper excalibre is nice the way it is. to me the stock could be a little thinner but all in all for a factory rifle its nice. i love the mag, the trigger is good from the box and it shoots well with no fiddling. i will be buying another cooper before the year is out. i see no real downsides to coopers except the cost.
 
double gun said:
not to hijack, but any chance of a link? My google search turned up nothing.
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I couldn't find anything either.

The current Ultra Lightweight in standard, non-magnum calibers weighs 5 3/4 lbs., which is just a touch heavier than an 84L Montana. As soon as you go to a magnum, it jumps to 6 3/4 lb. due to the 26" bbl and 9 lug bolt. If they got a 26" ULW in a Wby magnum down to under 6 lbs. with an accuracy guarantee, I'd be thoroughly impressed.
 
yes i own it and i like the 6 mm rem cartridge. But the details are not as good as the weatherby or tikka for instance the bolt stop is tiny and hard to operate and you have to push it before the bolt is against it because it only opens exactly so far. The magazine doesnt hang up on anything but its a steel untapered box sometimes it drops free sometimes you have to open the bolt and push it down from the top if it wasnt sitting perfect. A magazine should want to come out like a tikka or x bolt or 783 or ruger rotary 22 or any design that is well engineered. The latch is also tiny and sometimes releases easy sometimes not but if it releases easy that doesnt mean the box will come out
 
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