Debate... Sako 85 varmint or cooper Phoenix 21

[1raggedhole]

I've got my eye on a sako 85 varmint in 204 Ruger, but the price is near that of a cooper. I guess it is a long shot, but anyone have experience with both? I am sure there are many with a only slightly biased opinion??

 

[Rick in Oregon]

I own a Sako M75 Varmint Stainless Laminated Fluted with set trigger, along with a number of Coopers also. The Sako is a repeater and the Coopers are single shots, but that aside, IF I had to pick one, I'd grab the Cooper every time.

Keep in mind that my rifles primarily get shot from the bench at colony varmints and rock chucks, so a repeater is not the hot setup for that pastime. I love all my Sako's for sure, but once you own a Cooper.........well, let's say you'll cozy up to it in short order. The Coopers will all outshoot the Sako too, but not by much.

My Sako M75V in 204R cooling off between strings:



My Cooper M38 20VT on the bench in the rat patch:



My suggestion.........buy either one and plan to buy the other as soon as you can, as they both have different attributes and characteristics. You need both!

 

[dbduff]

Best advice ever-choose one and buy the other as soon as possible. What's not to like?
D

 

[ReedG]

Great advice from Rick, etc. You will not be disappointed with either one. Sako is probably the finest factory-produced rifle available today. Cooper is a notch above that.

 

[Geno C]

Funny my experience is opposite. My 75 will outshoot my cooper. But like you guys, not by much. The stock feel is entirely different on the two. Hold each one and see which you like better. The obvious difference is repeater vs single. Depending what youre doing with it that might end it for one or the other.
Only complaint about either gun is the 75 ejects pretty weak and sometimes drops a case in the action. Not sure if the 85 fixed that problem or not

 

[Bangs OH]

I have a couple of Coopers, one a .204 M21 Varmint. Don't own a Sako 85, but did pick up one of those lower-end A7 Cabela's Varmint specials (B&C stock, 24" fluted bbl.) in .243 that they seem to have on sale every month; shoots surprisingly well enough that I might get one in .22-250, too. You might check over at the sakocollectors website; last time I checked there were rumblings of discontent concerning quality and service/warranty since Beretta took over.
Me? I'd pop for the new Cooper 51 repeater. A few more hundred $, but: made in America, great service, and a real 3-shot target and load used; not a vague MOA "guarantee".

 

[Geno C]

You might be upset if you knew the distance that test target was shot at...

 

[Bangs OH]

You might be upset if you knew the distance that test target was shot at...

No, not really. I was well aware they (allegedly) were at <50 yards when I bought my first Cooper. No matter: with first powders tried I ran groups only half-again as large, and with bullets in the weights I prefer (different than the test), at 100 yards in both my Coopers. Also, each ran under 5/8" with the only factory I tried (3 shots groups, as that stuff's expensive) in a breeze.

 

[spencerhenry]

i have a couple of coopers, all shoot very well.

 

[drover]

Since Cooper moved into their new facility a couple of years ago they have a true 50 yard indoor range.


drover