Does anyone have any experience/opinion on the kimber 84m varmint model(heavy sporter/light varmint barrel) in 22-250 caliber? Is a 26" barrel required or necessary? All replies are appreciated.

I have handled a few of these rifles more to check the action out than anything as I already have plenty of heavy varmint rifles. However I don't have any first hand knowledge of how they shoot.

A 26" barrel is nice on the hot .22 cf class but not necessary unless one really want's one. There is a valid theory that a heavier barrel will shoot better when hot. I am sure you appreciate that.

I did just buy a pair of 84M Classics. Although I already had over a dozen cf's sighted in I wanted a lightweight. In general I feel this rifle gets me as far as anything could for only $800 with features that I appreciate. From the way that they shoot I am sure that they compare to a $2500 NULA.

Note that the lightweight 84M Classic can be ordered with a 24" barrel and maybe longer. I don't think it's chambered in 22-250 however but they do chamber the 243.

By the time one adds a 6-18 scope to even a 26" sporter barreled rifle the weight can get near ten pounds. A ten pound varmint rifle is not all that bad. It's not like a game rifle as you can rest it on a bipod. For a calling rifle a light game rifle will work except for pelt damage.

Savage99...thanks for the response....how well did your new kimbers shoot.....whats "NULA"?..thanks

I spent a good deal of time trying to work up a load recently for a Kimber 84M in 22-250. I was quite excited when I got my hands on the gun, but by the time I had shot nearly 300 shells in it and still was not truly satisfied with the accuracy, I guess I was somewhat dissapointed.

The gun is quite nice looking and all, but just not up to my varmint caliber standards when all was said and done.

The 26 inch barrel is a good deal, the velocities obtained were pretty good. The barrel is not very heavy and the balance was reasonable.

I was dissapointed in how rough the action was. I did not like the angle of the pistol grip. NOBODY makes scope bases for it except Kimber. (Leupold rings will fit these but you have to buy the bases from Kimber for close to $50.)
The cheap-ass allen wrench they sent me with the bases stripped off before I could get the bases tightened down. That's right, the wrench stripped, not the screw! Good grief! None of my multitude of bore guides would fit the darned thing. And the list goes on, but the real dissapointment was the accuracy.

I have plenty of experience with the 22-250 cartridge and generaly can get one to shoot if it is going to. I used up lots of components and only got this thing to shoot under an inch when using Sierra or Hornady match bullets. These are good bullets, but not really that good for varminting.
They are very accurate, but erratic in their terminal performance on varmints. I would much prefer to shoot varmints with a conventional Sierra or Hornady or one of the many plastic tipped versions now available.

So, while the Kimbers are pretty and all, I cannot really recommend that someone buy one. I have a number of old Remington and Ruger rifles chambered in 22-250 sitting around here that will shoot much better than the 84M.

And just for you doubting few out there, I did all the neat tricks to load the ammo. I did all the usual case prep stuff, uniformed the primer pockets, etc. The powder charges were all weighed by hand, the bullets were seated using a Redding Competition die, the bullet seating depth was altered to see if that did any good, etc. etc.

Anyway, just my experience recently with an 84M.

RF

Old Guns,

My Kimber 84M's are lightweights. The 260 Rem is a 1/2 MOA rifle and the 7-08 is at least a 1 MOA gun.

But your after a heavier barrel and you read the report above. Most of the inventory of those 26" varmint weight Kimbers seems to have been on the shelf for a while. Most around here are .308's as well.

When I mentioned NULA I was thinking a one off semi custom competator to the Kimber 84M Classics. They are an old design hand made by what used to be called the Ultra Light Arms. After a go around with Colt they now have "New" as the first name thus the NULA. Sorry to bring this up as these lightweights are not relevant to your question.

R Flowers..Savage99...thanks again for the replies. I am walking away from the Kimber 84m Varminter. The Kimber 84m(non varminter) does sound like a excellent light deer rifle. Savage99...in the 7-08 you said the groups were generally around 1MOA over or under??



What do you think of the Weatherby Super Predator Master, say in 243 for a walking(light) varminter? Thanks again!!

Old Guns,

My 7-08 is a much older rifle than the 260 as it's sn is 25XX compared to 7XXX. The first group was fired hand held at 100 yds and the 140 Sierra flat base was 7/8" for two shots. Then another of 1.5" but at 200 yds it was 4" and all vertical. The load was the first fired in the rifle and only 2541 fps. Those were with IMR 4350. But then on the same day the rifle shot 3/4" group a 200 yds with RL 15. So just on this day it's hard to say how the rifle shot!

A week later I shot some 130 Speers at 100 yds and got a 1" group and 3" at 200 yds with the same load.

Another day it shot the 140 Sierra into 1.5" at 200 yds again with RL 15.

By early Nov. it was crunch time as I wanted to hunt with the rifle on 11-15. It shot a 1/2" group at 100 yds as the RL 15 was increased. The load that won me over was 3/4" with some old 150 gr Partitions and at 200 yds 1.5". Again RL 15 was the propellant.

The rifle is pretty accurate but is hampered with a new Leu 2-7 that is not that sharp an optic. Right now it's in the varmint mode and the 120 Nosler BT shot really well. I would have to look up the groups but they are pretty good.

The 260 is my favorite as it's so accurate. Just a variation in rifles that's all. One cartridge is as good as another.

I call the 7-08 a MOA rifle. It's a good shooter but not great. For a rifle that goes 6 1/2 lbs with a scope it's just fine for big game don't you think?

My hunting partner ( teacher ) got one not to long ago , he just traded it off . He had several problems , mainly accuracy , said trigger had creep , and action was rough . This is reliable info , from someone who knows guns , and hunting . Calibre was 22-250 . We have hunted together for about eight years , and if he say's it's junk , it is . Just what I heard .

I have no experience with the model of Weatherby you mentioned, but think it is probably a pretty good rifle.

While there is a lot of Weatherby bashing on these forums, I still think they are good guns. The recently manufactured rifles I have seen lately seem to have pretty darned good quality. I really like the stocks they are using now, and their triggers are among the easiest on the market to adjust.

My dad has a Ultra Lightweight in 25-06 that is remarkably accurate considering the scrawny little barrel on that thing. He really likes to hunt with that gun because it is so light. He has really put the hurt on a lot of coyotes, deer, and wild hogs with it.

R F