I have a question,
I own a 300 wsm Kimber 8400 and have tried several bullets and different loads and the best I am able to get is 1" -1.5" at 100 yrds.
My question is, is this the best i can expect ? Is this the average ? It is true this is fine for a hunting rifle but at $1000. a pop a Browning or what ever can do the same for less money,you know what i mean.
Old Timer

Here are groups from several different Kimber 8400's:

325 WSM Montana 4 different loads including Factory at 100yds:



270 WSM at 200yds:


7 WSM with Factory ammo at 200yds:



A different 270 WSM at 100yds:


And the 1st group I shot from my 300 WSM FW:





Every Kimber I've ever shot as shot from good to great. I have had 2 different buddies get better accuracy after recrowning so that might be something to check. The only one of mine that I did anything too was that on my French Walnut Stocked 270 WSM I had to bed the floorplate.........................DJ

That's great shooting if i could get that good of groups i would be happy.
Old Timer

I recently purchased a Kimber 8400 in 300WSM. I just finished putting a box of Federal 180gr Nosler Accubonds through it. The two groups I shot to test accuracy were 5/8" and 9/16". I was very pleased with this out-of-the-box accuracy with the first batch of factory ammo I tried. If this discussion is still going by the time I get around to photographing my target, I'll post some photos.

Keep trying OldTimer, somewhere there is a load just waiting to drive tacks from your Kimber.

Thanks for the encouragement,
Old Timer

I have just talked to James at "Kimber" and he informed me that the Classic 8400 in 300wsm is spect out at 1.5" at 100yrds with a three shot group amd2" with a 5 shot group you know thats not so hot! so what are you guys doing to get .5 and below or even 1" ???
Old Timer

I have three: 22-250, 22LR and a Montana in
7-08. The 22LR notwithstanding, all shoot very well with my hand loads if I do my part. I have only tried cheep bulk ammo in the 22 and it's very acceptable; however the squirrels won't agree. Lou

quote:

Originally posted by OldTimer:
...so what are you guys doing to get .5 and below or even 1" ???
Old Timer

So far, all I've done is loaded some factory ammo into the magazine and pulled the trigger. Maybe I just got lucky. If so, it's bloody well about time!

Old Timer...
I'm sure you've already checked but have you made certain that the stock isn't putting pressure on areas that it shouldn't be?
Are all the actions screws good and tight; to spec that is?
How's the trigger; is it clean, crisp, smooth?

Sometimes the difference between a 2" gun and a MOA gun is a little sanding in a stock, a few tweaks of a trigger, and snugging up all the action screws...

Though I'm certain you have probably tried all these items I still felt it worthy of asking to try and help...

It certainly looks like it helps if you use the right bullets. If you notice djp uses the TSX and the Accubonds. IME the TSX's are the most accurate followed closely by the Accubonds.

Maybe he's a good shot too.

OldTimer, I've got an 8400 Custom Classic in .300 WSM, too. When I first got it, it would only shoot 1.5" groups, no matter what I fed it. After 40-50 rounds, and a couple of cleanings, it has finally settled down to consistently around an 1". My Browning A-bolt II in .300 WSM will outshoot it any day of the week.

One problem I've had is that it is apparently very short chambered. I've had trouble chambering some Winchester factory loads and had to buy a second set of dies (RCBS) to be able to size small enough to chamber the empty brass. No matter how I set the Hornady dies, the brass will not chamber in the Kimber, but does so easily in the Browning. I'm going to try shortening the necks on some new brass and see if that helps. BTW, my favorite load for both rifles includes 180g Barmes TSXs and RE-19....67.0g for the Kimber, 68.0g for the Browning. The Browning load is too hot in the Kimber.

If the damn thing wasn't so pretty, I'd sell the Kimber and hunt with the Browning. I can live with a 1" hunting gun, but for the money, I sure wish it was an even better shooter.

MKane160

what are you expecting varmint rifle accuracy with a skinny pencil barrel, 1" is plenty for a hunting rifle in my book

As promised, here is the gun and its performance:

quote:

I have a question,
I own a 300 wsm Kimber 8400 and have tried several bullets and different loads and the best I am able to get is 1" -1.5" at 100 yrds.
My question is, is this the best i can expect ? Is this the average ? It is true this is fine for a hunting rifle but at $1000. a pop a Browning or what ever can do the same for less money,you know what i mean.
Old Timer

sadly alot of the kimbers dont shoot that well, talked to a guy whose 22-250 did 2" groups at 100yards on a good day.
he sent it back to kimber because the barrel was rough as, they sent him a new one and it did 3/4" with reloads which isnt anything spectacular from a 22-250, especially for a gun that isnt so cheap.

mine on a good day does an inch, i have a 300WSM montana..it wasnt even free floated properly so i did it myself, found on the stocks arnt that thick! took a bit off and then underneath it was like pumice. just a toughesh outer shell. luckily i didnt go too deep and ruin it. the bedding job on mine rugged aswell, would re-do it but i just cant be bothered.

actually i know someone who does reloading for a job aswell as run a reloading supplies shop. he said he has never got a kimber to shoot well with reloads, and this man does benchrest so its not his shooting that isnt flash! he goes on to tell me that all of the barrels are rough like mine. maybe over here we ordered a whole batch that have terrible barrels. who knows.

Wooly, that's a GORGEOUS piece of Walnut!

Mine's stocked in African Walnut:

Paul,
I have spoken again to Kimber and after shooting it again a nother fella at the range said my bullets were key holing i could not see it he was looking through a scope as i fired I talked to Paul at Kimber the Chief eng and he told me to sent it in so i have and will inform you all when i get it back, hopeful.
Old Timer

I'm glad to see that Kimber will stand behind their product. Please be sure to let us know how it works out.

Old Timer,

Good luck with that rifle but as I mentioned on other forums I think that it's shooting ok and that you have not shot it all that much? Did you change the torque on the screws as suggested?

At the range how did your spotter know that the bullets were keyholing? Did they keyhole on the target? To be frank with you I would not have taken that rifle back if I were Kimber.

I would send mine back...but i think i have void the warrenty by taking a bit off the stock so the barrel is really free floated! also living down in the southern hemisphere it takes a while to ship it up there, probably be a while, few month turn around is my guess.

hey brad, what sort of mounts do you have on your montana??

actually, my experience with kimber isnt that good.a company over here stopped dealing with them because we got very bad customer service.

from everything i have heard about them over here, i doubt ill ever buy a kimber again.

Paul, those are Talley Lightweight's with the anodizing bead-blasted off.

64.0 gr's H4350 under a 180 Nosler Partition gives sub 1" groups. Ditto a 180 Hdy.

quote:

Originally posted by Brad:
Paul, those are Talley Lightweight's with the anodizing bead-blasted off.

64.0 gr's H4350 under a 180 Nosler Partition gives sub 1" groups. Ditto a 180 Hdy.

oh very nice, did u have to do any smithing to the rifle or the mounts?

I put weaver style mounts on my montana. have to counter sink the mounts and use 2 differnt brands but otherwise works well with the cross slot, i have leupold QRW rings.

Paul no smithing per-se, I always mount rings in epoxy on the receiver top and lap the rings and set the scope in rubber cement. I adjusted the trigger to 3lbs and bedded the forward receiver and barrel under the chamber... the rest of the barrel remains floated.

ohh ok! i adjusted the trigger so it was lighter but dont know how light it is, how do you get the weight anyway? i was going to rebed it but i got lazy, instead i just stuck some loctite down there and did it up haha, dont know if thats any use or not, might even eat the stock

on the right is the group when i was working up loads. i later went out and did some more shooting with the same load and got the results on the left. both groups at 100yards and in calm conditions

the group on the left was done from a clean barrel.

using winchester wsm brass, 68gr of VV N160 and 168gr berger VLD moly, fed 210 primers out of my kimber montana 300wsm 8400

Maybe your rifle likes to shoot with a fouled barrel, I'd try not cleaning it between your next shooting session and see how it does.
Also some rifles just don't like VLD's, have you tried other bullets like TSX's or Accubonds?

If it shot the .65" group it should do so agaiun, why it didn't is an interesting question................DJ

Its been my luck with kimbers is that you have to send them back so they can fix them and then sell it to DJ befor it will shoot good

That's odd, I have about the same experience with Stainless M-70 375 H&H's before selling them to PRDATOR........ .........DJ

OK point well made
At least I got the 22-250 shooting Ok. I mean .2 and .3 for 5 rounds @100 is ok for a factory gun right?
I do have to love them Kimbers!! especialy your 325 wow

Yea .2 to .3 5 shot groups at 100yds, to bad it's not a Remington or Savage - it might really shoot then.
I'm still thinking that one or both of us needs a Montana in 7 WSM. Why don't you buy one at a great price, sort it all out and then trade it too me later. I mean what are freinds for?......... ..............DJ

i have tried ballistic tips in it, which is the same as accubonds. i have tried 150s and 165s. i got a group of 150s to do .3" but it averages about an inch even after doing 5 groups in a row with the same load, i think the first two groups were 1.7" each, then the next 3 groups all around an inch. didnt have alot of luck with the 165s, got a load 2 .9" but ran out of projectiles, awaiting some more.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul from nz:
on the right is the group when i was working up loads. i later went out and did some more shooting with the same load and got the results on the left. both groups at 100yards and in calm conditions

the group on the left was done from a clean barrel.

using winchester wsm brass, 68gr of VV N160 and 168gr berger VLD moly, fed 210 primers out of my kimber montana 300wsm 8400

Sure you didn't tighten something up between groups? I would try magnum primers. I had poor groups from 210's.

quote:

Originally posted by Savage99:
Sure you didn't tighten something up between groups? I would try magnum primers. I had poor groups from 210's.

nope i didnt do anything to the rifle. i have now taken it off, properly floated it and yeah, it needs re-bedding as the factory job is a bit rough.

Interesting stuff Paul. I was not far from ordering a kimber but will now reconsider. Trouble is there are not many good options here to choose from. Back to the drawing board.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul from nz:

quote:

Originally posted by Savage99:
Sure you didn't tighten something up between groups? I would try magnum primers. I had poor groups from 210's.

nope i didnt do anything to the rifle. i have now taken it off, properly floated it and yeah, it needs re-bedding as the factory job is a bit rough.

In what order were those targets shot? I notice that the POI is not the same at all? Were the sights moved? A different load? Find anything loose?

What do you mean that you properly floated the barrel? How was the factory bedding rough?

I am interested in your answers as not everything is always perfect here either. I do really prefer my Kimbers however to all others.

quote:

Originally posted by Savage99:
In what order were those targets shot? I notice that the POI is not the same at all? Were the sights moved? A different load? Find anything loose?

What do you mean that you properly floated the barrel? How was the factory bedding rough?

I am interested in your answers as not everything is always perfect here either. I do really prefer my Kimbers however to all others.

i re-floated the barrel because it was touching the stock in places and at the end of the stock it was touching there also! which has to be the worst place.

the bedding job is just a bit patchy, just not as smooth as i would like it.


the target on the right was shot on a different day but it was the first of that load that i shot.
I had cleaned the barrel up, kept everything the same and the left target are the results.

actually, i did twist the scope over as it was leaning, also moved it forward a tad so i wouldnt get hit again

I notice you are using moly on the bergers and the groups are bad after a cleaning. I have used a bit of moly and always found that they barrel will not settle down till at least 10-20 shots have been put through the tube. In my .223AI I run moly and only clean when groups get over 3/4moa. So far Im over 480 rounds without cleaning and still hovering about 1/2 to 3/4 moa at 200 yards.

Im sure a loose scope and getting hit in the head by it is not exactly helping with the groups either.

yep. the moly takes me about 6 shots to settle, just did 9 shots, the first to 3 shot groups being about 2" or a little more, the 3rd 3 shot group was about 3/4inch. i knew it was possibly the moly. I just took it out and did 300 yards with it, the first 3 shots being lower then the target, not really a surprise, so i wound it up a bit, fired another shot, realised the ring had come loose where it is attached to the mount, which im sure is just exceptional for accuracy. after doing it up as tight as i could, it did the next 2 shots about 3" apart. this is the second time the front one has come loose, the back one never has, and i tighten it as much as i can, but it works its way loose.

anyway cant handle anymore shooting for today, getting to much of a pounding by the recoil.

Paul, You need a set of Talleys baaaaddddd.............DJ