Cooper .22LR - Who has one?
- Thread starter grauhanen
- Start date
I purchased a used one on here a while back.
It is the squirrel model with a blued receiver and stainless barrel. Quite fancy wood and checkering. I have Leupold rings and used scope on it, but would have to check what power now.....4-12 with AO I think.
Craftsmanship is impeccable. The bolt is smooooth. Single stage adjustable trigger which is nice and crisp at let off. I only tinkered around with it a bit and have not shot it now for a couple years. I recall it did well with Lapua Centre X and was under 1/2" @ 50yds. But there was wind as I recall and I did not finish testing with all ammo and really getting a definitive answer on accuracy. I remember now that I had a scope initially mounted that I was not fond of and then switched to the Leupold and only sighted it in but never did any real experimenting.
CD
It is the squirrel model with a blued receiver and stainless barrel. Quite fancy wood and checkering. I have Leupold rings and used scope on it, but would have to check what power now.....4-12 with AO I think.
Craftsmanship is impeccable. The bolt is smooooth. Single stage adjustable trigger which is nice and crisp at let off. I only tinkered around with it a bit and have not shot it now for a couple years. I recall it did well with Lapua Centre X and was under 1/2" @ 50yds. But there was wind as I recall and I did not finish testing with all ammo and really getting a definitive answer on accuracy. I remember now that I had a scope initially mounted that I was not fond of and then switched to the Leupold and only sighted it in but never did any real experimenting.
CD
I bought one as a x-mas present for myself a couple of years ago. The wood is the best of any rifle I own, the action is topnotch, the trigger is sweet. The test target had a group of around .1 of an inch at 50 yards. My efforts with the same brand of ammunition were not as good, lot number must make a difference. It will put the cheaper brands into 1/2" average groups and the better stuff into 3/8". I have bought any number of rifles over the years, but from here on out, quality will play a higher role.
I've never owned one in 22LR, but had one in .204 Ruger. Incredible workmanship, metal finishing superb, trigger was stellar, action glass-smooth and lacked the loose/sloppy feel that Tikkas have. They ooze quality, and tend to shoot very well. Like someone else said, I never quite got the same accuracy as my test target indicated, but got super close with hand loads. The company responds quickly to inquiries too.
Thanks for the comments and information.
To go by owners remarks elsewhere, the test targets always look really good. For what it's worth (and it's all free on the internet), I read a post by a fellow who quotes these words from a Dan Pickett at Cooper Arms: "Our indoor shooting tunnel is 42 yards long. We shoot 3 shot groups for centerfires and 5 shot groups for rimfires."
The M57 LVT model is the one that piques my interest most. It has a wider "beavertail" style forearm that would seem to lend itself more to shooting from the bench than other models.
To go by owners remarks elsewhere, the test targets always look really good. For what it's worth (and it's all free on the internet), I read a post by a fellow who quotes these words from a Dan Pickett at Cooper Arms: "Our indoor shooting tunnel is 42 yards long. We shoot 3 shot groups for centerfires and 5 shot groups for rimfires."
The M57 LVT model is the one that piques my interest most. It has a wider "beavertail" style forearm that would seem to lend itself more to shooting from the bench than other models.
What range were you shooting at? Aren’t their test targets shot a 50yards?
I used a 57M custom classic as the base for a build and learned a little bit about Coopers along the way!
I've exchanged a lot of info with the OP re my experiences with just one sample of the 57M - I'll just say that like all mass produced rifles, not all will perform equally well.
The LVT would be my choice for an all purpose range rifle and the potential accuracy would be determined as much by the shooter's ability and ammo choice as it would by the build quality of the rifle.
I've exchanged a lot of info with the OP re my experiences with just one sample of the 57M - I'll just say that like all mass produced rifles, not all will perform equally well.
The LVT would be my choice for an all purpose range rifle and the potential accuracy would be determined as much by the shooter's ability and ammo choice as it would by the build quality of the rifle.
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I owned one for a couple of years. I put several thousand rounds through it.
It was one of the best finished, smoothest actions I've had the pleasure of handling. The stock was AAA Walnut with incredible 36 lines per inch checkering which was incredibly well done BUT was really to fine for a hunting rifle and bruised easily.
As far as accuracy goes, it was fussy as to the type of ammo it liked. I went through a lot of different brands until I found what it liked and I could purchase in quantity.
It shot everything reasonably well but really preferred STANDARD VELOCITY AGUILA. IT shot the AGUILA Premier into a half inch consistently at 50 yards, if I did my part and had the AO on the scope dialed in properly.
A good friend and I each bought one on the same order and the serial numbers were only 5 apart. Mine ended with a 1 and his ended with a 6.
Now, I'm anal about accuracy but my friend was way beyond anal. He replaced the factory barrel with a Ted Gaillard barrel. But that's another story in itself
Mine was predictable right out past 100 yards with suitable ammo.
Cheap ammo, such as Federal Eagle shot into an inch on average at 50 yards. The groups really started to open up after that.
CCI standard velocity also shot very well. Slightly over 1/2 inch at 50 yards and 3/4 inch at 100 yds.
The scope I had mounted on it is a Shepherd Premier made for 22rf velocities and with a special reticle that is graduated with circles of diminishing diameters equal to a ground squirrel height when sitting up on its hind legs, appx 8 inches. This scope is regulated for STANDARD VELOCITY ammo so it was ideal for the rifle.
I sold that rifle soon after my good friend passed on. To many memories of a great friend who was into shooting and hunting as much as I am. Lots of people like to shoot but sadly lack real passion.
OP, if you can afford a COOPER, my advice is to buy it. ONE CAVEAT, every one of those rifles I've seen have a definite ammo preference. If you're satisfied with ho hum accuracy, there are other cheaper rifles out there that look almost as nice.
If you're going to put out the big bucks for a rifle such as a COOPER, go all the way and get rings/bases/scope of matching quality.
TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
Liberals really like POOR people, they're making more of them every day
If you can't vote CPC, stay at home in protest
It was one of the best finished, smoothest actions I've had the pleasure of handling. The stock was AAA Walnut with incredible 36 lines per inch checkering which was incredibly well done BUT was really to fine for a hunting rifle and bruised easily.
As far as accuracy goes, it was fussy as to the type of ammo it liked. I went through a lot of different brands until I found what it liked and I could purchase in quantity.
It shot everything reasonably well but really preferred STANDARD VELOCITY AGUILA. IT shot the AGUILA Premier into a half inch consistently at 50 yards, if I did my part and had the AO on the scope dialed in properly.
A good friend and I each bought one on the same order and the serial numbers were only 5 apart. Mine ended with a 1 and his ended with a 6.
Now, I'm anal about accuracy but my friend was way beyond anal. He replaced the factory barrel with a Ted Gaillard barrel. But that's another story in itself
Mine was predictable right out past 100 yards with suitable ammo.
Cheap ammo, such as Federal Eagle shot into an inch on average at 50 yards. The groups really started to open up after that.
CCI standard velocity also shot very well. Slightly over 1/2 inch at 50 yards and 3/4 inch at 100 yds.
The scope I had mounted on it is a Shepherd Premier made for 22rf velocities and with a special reticle that is graduated with circles of diminishing diameters equal to a ground squirrel height when sitting up on its hind legs, appx 8 inches. This scope is regulated for STANDARD VELOCITY ammo so it was ideal for the rifle.
I sold that rifle soon after my good friend passed on. To many memories of a great friend who was into shooting and hunting as much as I am. Lots of people like to shoot but sadly lack real passion.
OP, if you can afford a COOPER, my advice is to buy it. ONE CAVEAT, every one of those rifles I've seen have a definite ammo preference. If you're satisfied with ho hum accuracy, there are other cheaper rifles out there that look almost as nice.
If you're going to put out the big bucks for a rifle such as a COOPER, go all the way and get rings/bases/scope of matching quality.
TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
Liberals really like POOR people, they're making more of them every day
If you can't vote CPC, stay at home in protest
I have owned two Cooper rifles in 22lr, as well as two in 17hmr, and another nine in centerfire chamberings. The fit and finish is very good, and the rifles in 22lr averaged better than 1/2" at 50 yards with SK Standard Plus. The rifles in 17hmr, average better than 3/4" at 100m. I use five shot groups for both. My current 22lr was built on a New Zealand blank, and is a one off, as it is a Jackson Squirrel with an ebony fore end.
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Sakoman .308
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
/\/\/\/\ That's a beautiful rifle sir./\/\/\/\
I have never tried to go lower than 2lbs. I set all of the triggers on my hunting rifles at 2 to 2-3/4lbs.
I also read that somewhere about their indoor tunnel. Wish I had a setup like that which could be heated for winter use.
Anyway, my test target also states that a Leupold 36X benchrest scope was used and I believe the ammo was Eley Tenex if memory serves. Nothing but the most expensive.....apparently.
The wood on my Jackson Squirrel is pretty showy walnut but does not compare to the one Stubblejumper has.
I have owned more than a dozen Cooper rifles, and all but one met the accuracy guarantee. The one that didn't wasn't far off, but Cooper rebarreled it anyways. I matched the test targets with several of my center fires at 100 yards, even though the test targets were shot at half the distance. The 22 pictured was built on a lower priced New Zealand blank that cost me around $600 , but the finished stock turned out much better that was expected by looking at the blank.
I had 2 Copper rimfires 17 HM2, and a 22, loved them both, but niether of the shot better than the CZ 452's I had at the time, sure the wood is nicer , and assorted other cosmetics, but for me the CZ 452 shot just as well. My guns go gopher hunting, so a cooper bouncing around the prairie isn't too good for that super pretty wood.....FS
I'll say the stock turned out nicely!
Apparently there is a trick that is learned over time for judging rough cut blanks. A guy I know that makes muzzleloaders and knives seems to be able to look at blanks and tell if it is going to be nicely grained or not. I just see a rough block of wood with very little grain showing.
