Sporter Barrel Length

C

Cooperguy

Guest
Hi, is there a problem in using aa 18" or 19" inch barrel in IR 50/50 sporter class in order to make the 7.5 lb limit. I was thinking of using a Cooper Classic and have them reduce the barrel from 22" to say 19" to help make weight. Cooper stated that doing so would not affect shooting performance as long as I only shoot subsonic ammo, which I would for bench competition. I also planned on putting a JARD 2oz trigger in the set up. I think this would make a nice sporter build. Any comments would be appreciated.

Cooperguy
 
There are instances of competition ammunition going supersonic in shorter barrels, particularly in warmer climates like where I live.

We couldn't use the earliest Federal match ammunition in those prone Anschutz rifles with the short barrels & bloop tubes because about 1 in 4 would go bang instead of pop & hit the target anywhere.
 
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You can do that if you wish, but the liklihood of it being a winner is not very good. I have what I consider a great shooting Cooper Classic. It won't make IR50/50 weight, but I've shot it informally. It scores in the mid to upper 230s on an IR50/50 target and my high target with it this season was a 241. When I had Gordon Eck build me a true custom sporter late last season, my first 4 targets were 249s with good X counts and I got my first IR50/50 win.

I love my Cooper, but I would just get a custom sporter, built on the Turbo sporter action, and, if you get Gordon to do the work, well, IMO, you will have a world class sporter capable of winning any sporter match.
 
The Cooper M57 action could make a great Sporter now that there is a sub 3 oz trigger available. Cutting off a barrel to make weight is a real crap shot. A better way might be to put a barrel that was designed for the sporter class. That’s what I did. Here is a picture of one with a standard reverse taper barrel I got from Benchmark.
http://teamcooper.us/Old/page10.html
For years I bugged Dan to offer a BR trigger & to build a Cooper Sporter that would make weight. From my experiences with the Trp3 I felt this could be a great combination. I finally wore him down on the trigger. Once I saw the trigger was going to be a reality I decided to do my own test to see if a sporter build would work.
I had Benchmark send Rob one of their standard barrels and even sent him a reamer from P&G that was recommended for Eley ammo. I was real surprised when I got the barreled action from them and put it on the scales. A little under 4 lbs. With a Burris 6x , rings, action screws & trigger guard I was still under 5 ½ lbs which left me with close to 2 lbs for a stock. The picture from above is where I dropped it into an early Trp3 stock for testing. Took it to a local match and shot a 245 in the 10 ½ lb class. After Rob and Dan left Cooper I just put it in the gun rack where it sits today.
 
Gordon Eck

Bill B said:
You can do that if you wish, but the liklihood of it being a winner is not very good. I have what I consider a great shooting Cooper Classic. It won't make IR50/50 weight, but I've shot it informally. It scores in the mid to upper 230s on an IR50/50 target and my high target with it this season was a 241. When I had Gordon Eck build me a true custom sporter late last season, my first 4 targets were 249s with good X counts and I got my first IR50/50 win.

I love my Cooper, but I would just get a custom sporter, built on the Turbo sporter action, and, if you get Gordon to do the work, well, IMO, you will have a world class sporter capable of winning any sporter match.
Click to expand...

Bill, thanks for the advice on the Cooper. I have the BR TRP-3 and really love it. But I need a sporter gun. I like you recommendation for a custom sporter gun. How much are they and how do I get hooked up with Gordon Eck? I apprecicate your help.
Terry
 
I'm working on a Cooper 57M sporter right now. Jard 2 oz trigger, Stith stock, Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20 scope and the factory Leopold rings and factory barrel. Weighs in a 7 pounds 4 oz. I shot it for the first time just a few minutes ago. It needs to sit a few more days as the finish on the stock is still a bit sticky. I think its gonna work. Only time will tell if can shoot winning targets.

The factory wood and trigger can go back on in just a few minutes and I'll have a squirrel gun. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. bob finger
 
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