One Cooper or Two Savages

MillerTime69

New member
So I have a dilemma...Im in the market to buy a new rifle...Ive already decide on the glass but heres the real question...There are two ways about getting what I want but I have no idea which way to go...
I've read numerous articles and reviews about Cooper firearms...From all claims they seem to be [beeep] good rifles...The one Im particularly interested in is a Model 54 Phoenix...With the options that the voices in my head tell me I want, the rifle will cost right at 2K give or take...The way I picture it is synthetic stock, detachable box, fluted bolt and 26 barrel chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor...Cooper firearms are known for their accuracy and workmanship but is one hunting rifle worth it...
The other option Im kicking around is ordering two Savage Model 10 Predator Hunters in the new Max 1 Accustock...These rifles have the accutrigger, detachable box and a 24in fluted barrel...If I go this route Im going to order the 6.5Creedmoor also and the other in .223...Savage also has its followers and are known for their "out of the box accuracy"...
The figures add up with in 50 bucks of each other...One gun with a scope or two guns with two scopes...
If it matters both 6.5s would have a Vortex Viper so that cancels out and the 223 would be topped with a Nikon Coyote 4-16-40...
Another difference in the two 6.5s is, the Cooper is a 1-9 twist, the Savage 1-8...
The Cooper I could get away rolling some lighter pills for duel purpose varmint/medium game...
The Savage choice, I would load up some 130-140s and have a longer range gun and a dedicated critter gun...
Im sold on the Creedmoor so the cartridge choice is not an issue...
The fact in the matter is, "Is Coopers reputation worth two Savages...And are those two Savages accurate enough with handloads to justify not buying a semi-custom rifle???"

Choices choices...What would you do? Any input on these two rifles would be much appreciated...
Thanx Shad
 
IMO if you have the cash to buy the Cooper now then that is definitley the way to go.

I would rather have one high quality rifle and scope than four lesser quality rifles and scopes.

And Cooper is top notch equipment. About as accurate as most basic custom rifles. You have to spend a whole lot more for a custom before you see a real difference in accuracy between that custom and a Cooper.

Go Cooper. Tom.
 
Having both a Cooper and 2 Savages, I will say, get the Cooper.

When you find the right load, the gun flat out shoots. Plus the quality, trigger etc.
 
Everbody here knows i'm a savage fan so take what i say with that in mind.

Years ago i was out hunting in another state with a "high quality" rifle, while climbing up a very steep rim rock wall at about the top the front sling stud pulled out of my rifle. Of course i grabbed for it and almost went with it, i watched it bounce off the wall on the way down and i went down and looked at what was left, i saved the bolt to remind me of what happened.

I then went back to town to walmart and got a cheap savage package rifle, it got my elk and tought me a lesson, since then i don't take custom rifles hunting.

Get whatever one you want you already know which one it is. The savage will out shoot most of the people who own them, but they will never beat a custom. blue
 
I don't own any high dollar guns so my vote would be the two Savages. If I owned the Cooper I'd be afraid to take it in the field and get a scratch on it. For hunting gimme a good shooting beater. If I were shooting paper from the bench then maybe I'd go the Cooper, but probably not knowing my cheap @$$. I do own 3 Savages a 223, a Muzzleloader and the 20g bolt action slug gun. Haven't shot the slug gun yet but the other two can shoot better than I can in the field.

peace.
unloaded
 
every saveage i have had shot under an Inch easily out of the box with factory ammo. When i reloaded for them (mostly 22-250s) they all shot 1/2inch. What more can you ask for. Not saying a custom rifle isnt sweet. I have a custom AR in 243wssm. But in your case i would go with the 2 savages. you will be happy
 
I'd go the 2 for one.If you want Cooper accuracy,you can get it cheaper by building one -or maybe get it with the Savage anyway.
Not knocking Coopers at all,just saying....
On the other hand,if beauty matters,go Cooper.
 
OR.....you could get one Savage and build on the action. you could send it to Hart for a barrel, put a new stock on and maybe a trigger on it and have a very good shooting rifle that will be as good or better than the cooper and look exactly the way you want it. however, a cooper is a cooper and will always be more sexy than a savage and will probably function a lot smoother.
 
I'd have to evaluate that decision based on a couple of factors... How much actual hunting (as well as type) would I be doing with the rifle, vs how much paper punching...

And how much would it hurt to lose, through damage, theft, or resale, should things get really bad in the future...

If I were the type to go 'out West' for weeks on end chasing big game of various types...then a $2K expense for a quality rifle would be very justifiable, but if I only spent one weekend, during a limited season for an iffy chance at harvesting a desired animal...frugality would have to be a serious consideration...

While I would love to own a really high quality hunting firearm, I also have to acknowledge that I'm more clumsy now than I used to be in my youth and the likely possibility of me falling on the rifle in rough terrain is much higher...I'm not sure I'd be willing to risk the damage now..to me or the firearm...
 
Guys he is talking a Model 54 in Phoenix,which is not pretty wood it's syn. Much easier to take afield than nice wood.

Here is my 2 cents......

Everyone can have a Savage ,but not all can have a Cooper.
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I'm on the fence on this one and feel your pain. I'm actually in the process of eliminating some guns and upgradeing with fewer, nicer guns. At least nicer to me. But then I have an aversion to buying guns that may or may not be better for the task at hand for twice the money.

It also has a lot to do with your intended quarry. I can get away with one .243 because the biggest critter I'm likely to hunt is deer, the .243 isn't all that much harder on fur than my current .22-250 and I don't sit over prairie dog towns. If I was more worried about damage to smaller predators, shooting mucho ammo over a dog town or hunting game like elk my one gun scenario really stinks.

Overall though I could care less about owning, shooting or hunting with any gun more costly than a decent brand name, off the shelf rifle.

I'd like to point out another option: Build a Savage and you can have whatever calibers, twists, triggers, stocks and barrels you want all for the same gun.

CB
 
I have both. (My Cooper is a M21.) Both shoot excellent. Both have great triggers. Both function flawlessly. With the walnut stock, my Cooper is reserved for varmints and targets but I'd feel better about field work if my Cooper had the Phoenix stock. The one factor that no one has addressed is pride of ownership. If that is an important issue for you, the Cooper will probably satisfy you better whether it ever functions better or not. Part of it is the accuracy and part of it is the craftsmanship. My wife gets tired of hearing me walk back in from the range with my Cooper and say, "Man, I love this rifle!" You can't really justify that based solely on performance. That said, I happen to have more of a Savage Budget for my Cooper Tastes....
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Originally Posted By: tt35My wife gets tired of hearing me walk back in from the range with my Cooper and say, "Man, I love this rifle!" You can't really justify that based solely on performance.

Some good stuff here !
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Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeGuys he is talking a Model 54 in Phoenix,which is not pretty wood it's syn. Much easier to take afield than nice wood.

Here is my 2 cents......

Everyone can have a Savage ,but not all can have a Cooper.
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But if I had $2000 to buy a rifle with a plastic stock....Id scrape up another $2000 and get a gun with some real wood on it!
 
not much of a question in my mind. cooper.
when i didnt have many guns, i was more of a quantity vs quality guy, as the years have progressed i have become more of quality vs quantity. i NEVER bought cheap crap (not saying a savage is), the best guns i ever bought i dont regret, only a couple of guns i bought because of price did i regret, and sold.
i dont own a high dollar bolt rifle, but several semi-autos. my next bolt will probably be a custom or semi-custom like a cooper.
i hear that the savages are great rifles, shoot good out of the box, but i just cant bring myself to buy a rifle that uses a jamb nut on the barrel. i looked at one up close and was not impressed with fit and finish. i am a utilitarian kind of guy, but fit and finish matter.
 
I'd rather put a custom barrel on an existing action that I have and put a minimum spec SAAMI chamber in the barrel by a known gunsmith...buy the reamer if you have to.

A High quality barrel, MINIMUM spec chamber will shoot tiny groups no matter what the action you put it on, including mauser, ruger, and winchester.
 
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