Saving up for a higher end rifle (like cooper), which caliber?

[Frog4aday]

The Cooper sounds like a fine rifle and it's what you want, so get that.
As for cartridge/caliber: based on what you described, the .25-06 Rem would be perfect. Good power. Very flat shooting. Mild'ish recoil. Deadly on deer and black bears. 115 Nosler Partition will be your go-to bullet here. Good expansion out to 400 yards and great penetration, even on close shots where impact speed is high.

Next choice(s) would be the .260 Rem or 7mm-08 Rem. Again, good power, manageable recoil, and factory ammo available. Flat'ish shooting.

 

[Mike 338]

Hmmm, well I haven't really ever hunted whitetails but I hear it doesn't take a magnum to be in the game. I figure a hunting rifle is only a hunting rifle for a few weeks a year but it's a target/plinking/vermin/fun gun the rest of the time. For that you need something you can shoots a lot without getting you all stressed about barrel wear or cost of components. Also it helps if you don't need a barrel that's super long to get a good burn on the powder. The very first thing that comes to mind is a 308. The next one, and for me would maybe be my first choice, is a 6.5x47. Bang 75 rounds off a bench without any shoulder pain. You'll be sad you didn't bring more ammo! 100 pieces of good Lapua brass should last the entire life of the barrel (I have over 30 loadings on mine and still going). Long barrel life. Components are very available and the round itself is maybe the most efficient of the 6.5's. It also has a fabulous reputation for ease of loading and accuracy. Should work great on any whitetail and probably larger assuming your not shooting next zip code. I wish mine was a Cooper. Got me thinking now!

 

[COBrad]

I've had 5 Cooper rifles, all with beautiful wood, all meeting or exceeding their half moa guarantee. I still have 2. I have regrets about selling the others but I just couldn't bring myself to drag the upgraded wood on them through the woods and weather hunting. All my Cooper triggers adjusted like custom triggers. IMO they are probably the best value out there. My first reaction to your thread is 270 Winchester. The one I had accounted for many marmots out to 750 yards, and the few elk I shot with it expired as quickly as any I've shot. I'm scheming on my next Cooper, a Backcountry. Just need to get a long range bolt action handgun taken care of first.

 

[Greyfox]

Can't go wrong with a Cooper. Mine, a 520 in 6.5x284, Jsckson Hunter has proven to be exceptionally accurate and reliable for 8 seasons and a few dozen deer.

 

[Quintus]

I would also go .260 Remington, or if you are open to other than Cooper, maybe a 6.5 Creed in a Barrett Fieldcraft. That would be ideal in short actions. I have a Cooper Jackson Game in .270WCF and it is everything I hoped for with good weight and balance it shoots much, much better than it carries.

 

[SemperFi]

Another option is a Nosler custom. About the same money and they shoot great. I have one in 264 win mag, and 280AI. Both may be more than you need, but dead is dead.
Any of the 6.5 to 7mm will serve your needs,6.5x55,260,7-08,6.5x284,284, the sky is the limit. Find a rifle that fits you well, then pick your caliber! Have fun, and good hunting!


SemperFi

 

[SeboCreek]

Have Cooper 280 and shoots every weight bullet great. Also Cooper model 92 280ai and also great gun, but a little more picky on bullet weight.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

OK so if you were me what would you want both caliber and brand rifle for my needs. I hunt whitetails with a max range of 400 yards. A very rare chance at a black bear may happen and I stress the word "may". I like a handy rifle (lighter weight, 9lbs or less with scope would be desirable) and I do prefer lower recoil with flat shooting. I do a lot of tree stand hunting with shooting rails (those shots would be 200 yards and less) but we have some shooting blinds on fields that can stretch 300-400 yards. We cannot shoot prone in these blinds and I will likely not be shooting prone ever with this rifle so im thinking I would prefer a typical sporter style stock. So what caliber would be at the top of your list with this info and what rifle? As for rifle brand I have been eye balling cooper because they offer beautiful rifles and a 1/2MOA guarantee. As for caliber...ive shot 300 win mags and while I am ok with them I certainly don't like them. Even a 3006 in a lighter rifle feels a bit stout for my tastes these days. FYI, I do not care for brakes and would rather not have one so lets focus on a caliber which is less recoil than a 3006 with out a brake. I do reload, but prefer rounds which are somewhat available at the gun stores. So what are your thoughts? Thanks!

6.5 PRC would be perfect, check out the Christensen Arms Ridgeline.
You could cap the threads or run a compact suppressor.
My go to is an unbraked 6.5 saum that weighs 7.5 scoped

 

[HOBO270]

Just bought Cooper Model 92 in 257 Roy. Light as hell, no recoil, and right now I'm at .475 with 100 ttsx. Currently working to shrink that down a bit more. This is my second Cooper and I have been very pleased. Both have easily shot less than half inch.

 

[gator378]

Why not a 25-06. For those ranges it's very flat and will drop what you are hunting in a hurry. Or the 6.5 creed. For those distances I use my .257 Roy or my 6.5 creed.

I have one. Great and fun caliber. shoots great

 

[sodakota]

270 or 280 or 280AI

 

[Pacecount]

I would use a short action with a 20" - 22" barrel. If you look at BC I would look at the following.

6.5 CM with a 143 gr ELDX... BC of roughly .610

7mm-08 (284 in a 308 case)... if you are shooting the 150 gr ELDX round your BC is .570 ish

For the money I don't think you can beat Sako and Tikka. Both of these rifles are sub MOA and I have seen them shoot the ELDX round well.

Cooper makes a solid rifle and I tried their Long Range version but found it hard to get a good cheek weld... I took off their high rail for a lower mount and found the case hitting my scope and getting knocked back into the chamber. also their action is proprietary and tough to find a stock with an adjustable cheek weld.

 

[richhymas]

6.5 creedmoor makes sense to me. Popular, available, has plenty of energy and mass for deer or black bear at those ranges. Lots of factory Ammo also available. Low recoil.

The reality is, any rifle .243 or bigger will do the trick at those ranges for deer. Pick your favorite caliber and go for it. More important for you is gun design. Stock, weight, optics etc. personal preference.

 

[Slick8]

Maybe it's a backward-academic way to go about things, but I look at what bullet I want to shoot first, and then decide how much powder I need to push it.

Given your requirements I'd be looking for a 140-160gr bullet between 2850-3000fps.

For one limited to factory ammo, don't overlook the 270 Win, but for a reloader, 280 offers incremental gains. I'd suggest 280Rem/280RCBS/280AI. Personally love my 280Rem as a deer rifle.

^^^This is exactly the way I approach a custom build.

If you're looking at a Cooper, for just a little more money take a look at APR. They're using their own action supplied to their specs as well as some great stocks from MCM or AG Composites.

I'd build something in a short mag or the new PRC line with a 22 inch carbon fiber barrel. This along with a CF stock will be under 7 pounds, short and handy. It can be had for a little more than a Cooper and built to your desire. Or on a long action, as stated above it's hard to beat anything in an 06 case.