So there you have it. I emailed a guy who had posted used 255 75 17 Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx as I really wanted to see how that tire would feel. However, he never replied.
Meanwhile, I noticed the SL Wildpeak in 265 for 114 at Amazon. 114! I don't need a set till July and my current one will be useful till December (just too old for the planned summer offroading) but I could not resist.
I also had a 170$ gift card so I paid less than 350 for 4 SL Wildpeaks delivered.
At the end of the day, I love experimenting and learning, but this is a tire that works extremely well in all conditions. Longevity is a non-issue at 114/tire and the possibility of an occasional puncture once in a blue moon is small price to pay for the excellent on road manners every day.
I will store them till July, then use them, then finish my current set, then get back to the new ones. And I will keep them pristine with the stickers on so I can re-sell them by July if something makes me change my mind.