kimber montana

[newfie bullet]

Hi all ,
new member here and really enjoying the great information i'm getting here. i'm thinking of getting a new rifle, as i'm not getting any younger , and carrying my sako's through our hills and bogs here in Newfoundland after moose gets harder every year it seems. Sako classic 30-06 and deluxe 338 wm. heavy rifles.
got my mind set on a kimber montana , 30-06 looks like it will be , have had great results with mine on moose. likes the 338 WM as well but i figure in a kimber montana , recoil might be more than i would care for.
Any of you got both 30-06 and 338Wm in a kimber montana ? if so is there a great deal difference in recoil?
I have always handloaded so i can improve a little on 30-06 velocity , as well as reduce some 338 wm loads .
Regards
newfie bullet

 

[WCS]

I currently own a Montana in a 30-06 and I've been happy with the rifle so far. Haven't shot one in a 338 wm, but I have shot one in a 325 wsm and the recoil in that was not something you would want to shoot from a bench all day. If you're looking to get a lighter rifle I'd go with the .30-06, it's built on the 84L action which is noticeably lighter than the .338 (which is built on the 8400 action).

 

[elkguide]

I have Montanas in 7mm08, .270 WSM and .300WSM.
The .300 WSM definitely has more recoil than the 7mm08 but I don't find it intolerable.

 

[GKPrice]

I'll stick my neck out on this one ... Kimber Montana's are hit or miss on what the QC was before leaving the factory and apparently CS is not what we down here have come to expect - Unless you have a fair amount of experience "smithing" rifles or have a good gunsmith there I'd advise against that model - It's really too bad, the design and engineering on the 84 L and M models is a huge "bang for the buck" - I've been shooting a Tikka T3 superlight for a few seasons now and can't say enough good about it or the Tikka T3x in general - popular rifle here on Rokslide - easy to carry and dependable accuracy, get a Mountain Tactical picatinny rail and rail mount rings of choice, scope it and shoot (OH, and get yourself a Limbsaver AirCell recoil pad too !) I was a "magnum man" for 20 + years and haven't been handicapped or lost any sleep over the 22 1/2" barreled 30.06 either

 

[WCS]

I'll stick my neck out on this one ... Kimber Montana's are hit or miss on what the QC was before leaving the factory and apparently CS is not what we down here have come to expect - Unless you have a fair amount of experience "smithing" rifles or have a good gunsmith there I'd advise against that model - It's really too bad, the design and engineering on the 84 L and M models is a huge "bang for the buck" - I've been shooting a Tikka T3 superlight for a few seasons now and can't say enough good about it or the Tikka T3x in general - popular rifle here on Rokslide - easy to carry and dependable accuracy, get a Mountain Tactical picatinny rail and rail mount rings of choice, scope it and shoot (OH, and get yourself a Limbsaver AirCell recoil pad too !) I was a "magnum man" for 20 + years and haven't been handicapped or lost any sleep over the 22 1/2" barreled 30.06 either

I know Kimber's CS here in Canada used to be downright awful, some of the stories I've heard were worse than some of the horror stories I've heard from south of the 49th. Hopefully now that it's being handled by the Korth Group it has improved. Finding a dealer with a Montana in stock in Canada is likely to be a lot more problematic than finding a Tikka.

 

[GKPrice]

I know Kimber's CS here in Canada used to be downright awful, some of the stories I've heard were worse than some of the horror stories I've heard from south of the 49th. Hopefully now that it's being handled by the Korth Group it has improved. Finding a dealer with a Montana in stock in Canada is likely to be a lot more problematic than finding a Tikka.

when did the Korth Group transition happen ?

 

[elkguide]

when did the Korth Group transition happen ?

I believe that Korth is the Canadian distributor.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I got a montana in 308 a few months ago and I've been very impressed with it. Put a Swarovski scope on it and it's shooting great.

I was nervous about the "kimber roulette" thing but glad I took the chance because it's a sweet rifle for sure.

 

[WCS]

I believe that Korth is the Canadian distributor.

Yes they are. They handle the warranty claims for Kimber in Canada now. I've been told that they did a good job of addressing some of the issues that Leopold's CS used to have up here, although I have no personal experience with them.

 

[coiloil37]

I've got a Montana in .338 and had a 84l classic in 30-06. There's a huge difference in recoil, no different then any other lightweight '06 to .338 comparison. That said, I had a browning xbolt in .338 before this Montana and it was more obnoxious to shoot then the kimber. Even with the browning being a lot heavier it had more muzzle jump and perceived recoil. The browning also had a 26" tube and my kimber is cut to 23" but for whatever reason this kimber seems to soak up recoil.
The aught six was never any type of issue recoil wise, it was a sweetheart to shoot and carry. When I got it I had an occasional fail to fire which the previous owner failed to mention. So I emailed Korth and they were a dream to deal with. In the end it was a bent firing pin but from start to finish it was well handled.

Both of mine are/were accurate as well, I wouldn't worry about these internet rumors about this presumed kimber roulette. They're great rifles to handle and the guys who have an axe to grind or felt like they got a lemon are always vocal about it, most guys got a nice rifle and you'll never hear a word out of them.
Finding one isn't much of an issue, several online retailers have kimbers in stock and Canada post knows how to get them to you. Ellwoodepps has several and good prices as well. Grouseriver can get you any caliber you want but they probably don't have what your looking for in stock. It took me three or four years to find a .338 Montana on the used market and I looked hard.

 

[GKPrice]

I've got a Montana in .338 and had a 84l classic in 30-06. There's a huge difference in recoil, no different then any other lightweight '06 to .338 comparison. That said, I had a browning xbolt in .338 before this Montana and it was more obnoxious to shoot then the kimber. Even with the browning being a lot heavier it had more muzzle jump and perceived recoil. The browning also had a 26" tube and my kimber is cut to 23" but for whatever reason this kimber seems to soak up recoil.
The aught six was never any type of issue recoil wise, it was a sweetheart to shoot and carry. When I got it I had an occasional fail to fire which the previous owner failed to mention. So I emailed Korth and they were a dream to deal with. In the end it was a bent firing pin but from start to finish it was well handled.

Both of mine are/were accurate as well, I wouldn't worry about these internet rumors about this presumed kimber roulette. They're great rifles to handle and the guys who have an axe to grind or felt like they got a lemon are always vocal about it, most guys got a nice rifle and you'll never hear a word out of them.
Finding one isn't much of an issue, several online retailers have kimbers in stock and Canada post knows how to get them to you. Ellwoodepps has several and good prices as well. Grouseriver can get you any caliber you want but they probably don't have what your looking for in stock. It took me three or four years to find a .338 Montana on the used market and I looked hard.

I've had or worked on many more Kimbers than I can recall and although I too believe they are great rifles (especially for the price) the CS horror stories are well founded I can assure you - QC has not been good either - "bent" FP ?? how does that happen in a barely used rifle ? The 84L short or weak FP stories are not "internet rumor", they are/were real and Kimber simply handled it poorly, a knowledgeable shooter can take care of that from WOLFF spring easily enough - One out of ....... will not feed worth beans, just needs to be dealt with (refer to shitty QC) - poor barrels is entirely another problem that has cropped up here and there

 

[Daniel_M]

I've got a Kimber in 30-06. Zero issues. Out of the box I put .334" on paper from a rest @ 100, cold bore. Added a Leupold 3-9 w/ a custom turret and right out the bat was hitting steel at 300.

Best way to describe recoil is the 06 is a quick snap, the 338 is harder shove on the shoulder.

Many rifle makers put out a rifle on occasion that isn't up to par. Winchester and Marlin come to mind. But the internet makes it appear 9 out of 10 are lemons.


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[GKPrice]

I've got a Kimber in 30-06. Zero issues. Out of the box I put .334" on paper from a rest @ 100, cold bore. Added a Leupold 3-9 w/ a custom turret and right out the bat was hitting steel at 300.

Best way to describe recoil is the 06 is a quick snap, the 338 is harder shove on the shoulder.

Many rifle makers put out a rifle on occasion that isn't up to par. Winchester and Marlin come to mind. But the internet makes it appear 9 out of 10 are lemons.


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good to hear you got a good one !

 

[Huntindog45]

I'll stick my neck out on this one ... Kimber Montana's are hit or miss on what the QC was before leaving the factory and apparently CS is not what we down here have come to expect - Unless you have a fair amount of experience "smithing" rifles or have a good gunsmith there I'd advise against that model - It's really too bad, the design and engineering on the 84 L and M models is a huge "bang for the buck" - I've been shooting a Tikka T3 superlight for a few seasons now and can't say enough good about it or the Tikka T3x in general - popular rifle here on Rokslide - easy to carry and dependable accuracy, get a Mountain Tactical picatinny rail and rail mount rings of choice, scope it and shoot (OH, and get yourself a Limbsaver AirCell recoil pad too !) I was a "magnum man" for 20 + years and haven't been handicapped or lost any sleep over the 22 1/2" barreled 30.06 either

Could not agree more.. my buddy has a kimber in 300Wsm and it is a boat oar at best... he is a good gun guy and knows his stuff and this gun is now a back of the safe dust collector because the problems were just too significant.. so much so that he said he would actually feel guilty even selling it to someone


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