Been waiting to buy a short mag since they came out several years ago. Really been hoping for a 6.5 WSM or 25 Saum, but thinking a 270 WSM might be a good alternative.

Wondering if anybody has a Kimber 8400 Montana in 270 WSM and what kind of performance results they get from it? Overall likes and dislikes, etc.

Another gun that sort of intrigues me, and isnt too terribly much more than a KImber, is the Model Seven AWR in 300 SAUM. Have heard of some real small groups being produced with them. Anybody have anything good or bad to say about these guns?

I have one of the first Kimber Montana 270 WSM's that came out. I like the rifle a lot and used it this fall with excellent results.

For a rifle to be selected by me it must be really special as I have dozens that all do the same thing. Thus it must also fit me, be lighter that the others and in this particular hunt have long range.

This Kimber has been quite good from the first shot. There have been a couple of "burps" however. One is that every once in a while the groups open up. I shoot a lot so I might run back to the range with a rifle the next day with some other load or modification.

So far I have traced this to the exact spot that the rifle is positioned on the front rest.

I shoot and finalize big game rifles hand held off the bench and this one shoots well that way but not spectacular.

At the moment I suspect that positioning the front rest just over the chamber, which is quite far back, gives the best results. What I mean is that it has shot one hole groups up to four shots at 100 yds like that. With other positions it's a 1.5 MOA rifle.

The rifle functions very well. It feeds very well and those who say the short mags don't feed, extract or eject well are wrong as far as this rifle or my M70 goes for that matter.

The fired cases come out round and the magazine is nice and long so that bullets can be loaded to the lands with ease.

The trigger is very easy to adjust yourself. Of course do drop tests on it.

For a thousand bucks where can you get a pillar bedded, state of the art stock, fine trigger, CRF, SS lightweight magnum? The answer is Kimber.

To add that I have loaded up some 110 gr VMax's that should start out over 3400 fps. If these group well, and they do in other 270's, then the rifle will be used for long range coyotes. If this bullet does not shoot well I will go up to 130's till next fall.

I dont have a kimber... i got a savage. But! it is a .270WSM and in that 7 pound rifle its a hard hittin (at both ends) round. Maby im just a little recoil sensitive? I am just 15 ya know. anyway the round is extremely accurate in the 24'' bbl. I just love it deer season is over for this year. And sadly no luck for a first hand .270WSM field test.

This is a 200 yard group from my Kimber 8400 270 WSM:




It doesn't shoot this group every time at 200yds but I've shot several similar groups with this load. At 100 yds this rifle is a drill.
The 8400's fit me better than any other commercial rifle. They feed smoothly and reliably and have excellent triggers. They often have very beautiful wood are nicely pillar bedded from the factory and are American Made. Every person who has shot one of my Kimbers at the range has bought 1 or more of them. They cost a little more than average but are far above the average rifle. I highly recommend that you buy one..........DJ

It is purely a personal preference, but I would only consider the Kimber. The SAUM is not exactly burning up the sales these days. It is a little slower than the WSM, and then Remmington always sticks a 22" barrel on the rifles, dropping the performance more form their publishe ballistics. SHells are a lot harder to find anywhere I have been. Big Green also has their SAUM in regualr, not lightweight guns. SO they go with a slower caliber in a heavier gun adn watch the WSM's run away in the race

But both rifles are too heavy. The only real reason for the short mags is to have a light rifle. They should be no more than 6# clean to qualify as a lightweight. With a good pad this is totally managable, an dI can assure you I am not some big he-man. ANd the gouprs from the Kimber listed above are good in my book. Light rifles do not shoot as well off the bench, but they are not made to do that. They rae kinda specialized and there is no need to have it shooting like a prarie dog rifel, though personally I sure like it when my rifles do shoot that way. Given your two choices here, I would get the Kimber montana and not look back. If I had to go with a factory rifle, it would be this one

Another question. Are the Kimbers, (or the AWR for that matter) free floated? Reason i ask this is i love to use a sling. I believe in shooting hunting rifles from "field" positions once they are sighted in a loads developed to some degree. When using a military style sling (get that from my highpower competitive shooting), a lot of guns change their POI because they are not floated and the barrel tip pressure is changing when i use the sling.

It seems amazing to a lot of people at the range when someone can sling into a gun and shoot better from the prone positon than off the bench!

Given the .270WSM is faster than the .270win what grains do you guys suggest? i currently use 140's but season is over and i can switch. (i just want the most out of my short mag). And to the topic starter. The .270WSM is a great caliber as i stated before. Alot of great advantages in the open country.The only other choice i would suggest is a .300WSM nothin but good things there too.

257,

Yes all the Kimbers are free floated. The 84M and 8400 Classics have pillars and are epoxy bedded on the rear tang and around the front of the action all the way to the end of the chamber. The Montana's do not use epoxy but are also pillar bedded.

I too use a military sling in the field.

Critter Killer,

Even the 140's are starting at 3200 so perfect people don't shoot cup and core bullets over 2800 fps MV.

Now the reality of it is that the bullet should always be matched to the game and if it's whitetails your talking about then a 140 at 3200 will paste any whitetail real good.

One can shoot a premium bullet however and get better penetration. Everything has a give and a take. I am one who carries reduced loads and all kinds of inventions. If I were woods hunting with a 270 WSM for deer I would load the 140 Accubonds and for long range I am staying with the 140 Ballistic Tips.

I used to say to shoot Sierra's in the summer and Partitions in the fall. That's still good but now I am using plastic tipped bullets.