The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles Kimber 84M Montana Evaluation: UpdatedGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Evaluation: Just brought home a new Kimber 84M Montana in 7mm-08. This is Kimber's entry into the superlight weight, synthetic stock, stainless action. Physical evaluation: Matte stainless steel barrel, 22" long and .560" @ muzzle. Action is also matte stainless, with a two position Model 70 type safety. Stock is gray fiberglass (?), with a 13 5/8" LOP, over a black recoil pad. The Good: This action is very smooth. No galling at all. Very lightweight overall, 5.25 lbs naked. Everything is well finished. The stock was made by Mel Forbes @ NULA for Kimber, I was told. Very nice. Trigger pull is 3.5 lbs, and crisp. No Lawyer designed trigger. 8-40 Scope base screws The Bad: Blind Floorplate. Better to have a floorplate than not. Two position safety is ok, but does not lock the bolt in the safe position. I guess they did this due the blind floor plate, which is another reason, not to have one. For around $900. you'd think they could afford a true 3 position safety. The rifle is shipped with 4 allen head capping scews in the scope base holes. No problem, allen heads. Except, the smallest allen wrench I had in the gunroom was 5/64". That was too big. Came up with one that would work, and egads was it small. Don't know its size but was smaller than 5/64". Again for $900 you'd think they would include a 25 cent wrench. The only bases that will fit, are Kimbers own. And the good news is that they are shipped with the rifle. The bad news is that they are sold seperately. And so it is marked on the box. "Baes included, but sold seperately". They take the standard Leupold, Redfield, Millet, and Burris rings. The Ugly: Nothing really horrendous to report on the 84M. But beware the Kimber 8400M. These are made in 270 Wizzem, and 300 Wizzem. They are shipped without bases. The model 84M bases will not fit. Kimber is having Warne make the bases and rings, but none have been shipped yet. So you can buy the rifles, but you cannot shoot it. Even Kimber in Yonkers has none to sell, as they were called. The Gun shop I deal with, was pissed. Three 8400M rifles to sell, but no bases and rings to go with them. Anyway mounted a Leupold Vari X III in 2.5x8 in low Leupold silver rings. Made up 20 140 grain Hornaday SST's, and 20 140 grain Hornaday Interbonds, in new Federal Premium Nickle cases, using Federal 210M primers. Using 4 weights of RL-19. Shooting Update: : 4 loads each of RL 19 (46 thru 49 grains) Hornaday 139 SST Hornaday 139 Grain Interbond New Federal Premium Cases Federal 210M primer No groups were under 2". SST's were terrible, 3" or more. No more shooting was done, as had a hunting trip in South Carolina week of December 2nd. Will try other combinations, including 140 Noslers and 130 Northforks. Also checking bedding and scope, before next shooting trip. Bob [ 12-08-2003, 23:38: Message edited by: Shadow ] | ||
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Shadow, thanks for the report. I drooled over a Montana in the local shop here this week. It is on the top of my list for my next rifle. One thing I was concerned about, perhaps not rightly so, is that the bolt seemed quite loose in the action. Other Kimbers I have examined seemed that the bolts were, if anything, too tight. Like they would need some stoning and polishing to smooth them up. The Montana, however, had quite a lot more tolerance between the bolt body and the action. Also, it seemed that it did not lock up very tight. With the bolt closed, you could grasp the bolt handle and move the bolt back and forth maybe 1/32nd of an inch. I have no idea if that is a problem or not, but it did make me wonder. How is the fit on yours? Savage99: Your 260 sounds like an amazing shooter. I can only hope that the 84M I eventually purchase will shoot well. How does your 7mm08 shoot? | |||
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quote:The catalog lists it as 5lbs 2 oz's. Did you weigh it on an electronic scale? If your weight is correct, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, the rifle will come in at 7lbs or a bit more with mounts, scope, sling and rounds... that's missing the mark by quite a bit. | |||
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| <Savage 99> |
The 7-08 shot a couple of small groups when it had the Zeiss Conquest on it. That scope is too big for such a small rifle so I got a new Leu VX11 2-7 for it and the groups opened to MOA or worse. Right now it's sighted in with 150 gr Partitions that group into 1" at 100 yds. I ran into a black bear and went back for it with the Partitions. I will be back at the range playing with the 7-08 after the game season in a few weeks. Everyone who has seen these rifles is impressed. Of course there are cheaper guns that function as well. | ||
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Brad, Your right, the weight I listed is a typo. It should read 5.25 lbs. Killsoft, Bolt lockup is tight. Thanks, Bob | |||
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quote:Not that RE19 won't work, but 39.5-40grs. RE15 and Rem. or CCI primers will probably work better with the 139gr Hornadys, never had any luck with 210M primers, flatten out to easy. ![[Wink]](images/icons/wink.gif){kind=icon} Jay | |||
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Shadow, Thanks for the evaluation. I am very interested in the same rifle. I saw them at the SHOT show and was quite impressed. If you have had a chance to shoot it yet, I would like to find out how it groups. Thanks, JQ | |||
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Shooting update posted Bob | |||
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| <Savage 99> |
Shadow, I missed your shooting report somehow as you did it, it seems, by editing the orginal post. That's ok. What's not ok is the groups with the rifle! When any bolt rifle shoots 2" groups or worse I don't blame the ammo. I would expect a decent rifle to shoot almost well assembled ammo into better groups. I would take it out of the stock only if you can grind a screw driver very thin to fit the fine slotted screws so as not to bugger them up. Of course just try to tighten them first. Then look the bedding over very carefully. The scope bases, mounts and the scope must be checked and questioned. If you do take it out of the stock I would be interested in what the bedding is like. The Classic (wood stocked) model is pillared, glassed and free floated. Finally shoot it again but this time hand held! Don't rest the forend on any bag but hold it with your hand and rest your wrist on a bag. Of course at this point I always load Sierra bullets. If the 140 gr Sierra Pro Hunter does not shoot with all the above done then I would send it back. I use RL 15 and CCi BR primers. | ||
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I'm considering the Kimber also. Actually I'm deciding between the Montana and the Sako Finnlight in 7-08. The Sako is heavier. We had to send back Kimbers in 308 because they wouldn't feed correctly and some other problems. That worries me. The groups that you're getting aren't all that impressive right now. With work you'll come up with the magic load. My other concern is that I already own a Remington Classic in 7x57 that shoots very well and the 7-08 may be redundant. Bob257 | |||
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How are the cases formed? Any help would be appreciated Which case I must use to make The specs are as follows: case length? At shoulder? Neck length? Degree shoulder? COA ? Of which case I can form them ? | |||
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