Kimber or Winny?

[TwoTikkas]

Been spending a lot of time on bear stand lately. Lots of quiet time to ponder the finer things in life. Like which rifle to buy. I'm looking for a new mountain weight rig. I've got it narrowed down to the Kimber Montana in 270 WSM,and the Winchester Extreme Weather in 7 WSM. Any owner opperators of either here? I'm leaning toward the Kimber. Quite simply because I've never owned one of them. I've had various Winchesters. A couple classics,a super grade, an old XTR, a couple feather weight classics. 270 Weatherby,7 Rem mag, 300 Win mag ,30/06, 270 Win, you know the drill. I'm a huge fan of the old M70 trigger. Simple and simply functional. I know nothing about the new concoction. I don't like change. It usually stems from law suits and B.S.! Case in point.......the X Mark Pro trigger. Call me old fashioned but I could adjust an old Remington 721 or 700 trigger safely and completely and go merrily on my way. But I digress. These two rifles seem to run about the same price,and the Kimber is very light. The Winchester nearly as light. I can't begin to afford an U.L.A rifle so that's out. Well,what say ye?

 

[shaun]

Why not look at tikka t3 lite in 270 wsm. I personally don't think you can beat them for a mountain rifle

 

[Shrek]

I'm a 7mm wsm fan and the new m70's quality is suposed to be tops. I have heard the kimber quality is hit and miss.bad barrels or feed problems. I think rifle basix is going to make a trigger for the m70. Might be able to find an older m70 classic and order the bell and carlson stock for about $250 tyd. Your choice of stock color then. I know of a "new" old model 70 classic in 270wsm. Still has the tags on it. Its blued. Don't know how low the shop would go. If I didn't have sooo.. many more wants than I got gots I would already have a new extreme weather in 7mm wsm. I'll just have to live with my push feed blued m70.

 

[wapitibob]

Put this in Google: kimber montana feed problems

 

[Shrek]

Check on rifle basix and rhey show a m70 trigger. Doesn't say if it fits the new trigger m70. My bet is the mounting pins and and engagement is the same and the trigger is the only change. Just my guess though.

 

[philw]

I had a Montana in 270 WSM, it shot under MOA and fed fine.

 

[fillthefreezer]

Why not look at tikka t3 lite in 270 wsm. I personally don't think you can beat them for a mountain rifle

x2
just bought my wife this exact rig

her weatherby is probably just a safe queen now...

 

[Justin Crossley]

x3 on the Tikka! I can't really help you with your question but I can't see spending twice the money when the Tikka is better IMO than both of those guns.

 

[crazy_davey]

Do some research on the new Kimber 84L, a totally different animal than the old 8400 that had all the problems that everyone mentions every time Kimbers name comes up.

I know a few folks that own them including myself, MOA accuracy, awesome trigger(one of the best), great factory stock, better than the majority out there and the new design is much nicer than the old 8400(yes they are different). And it wont make you want to throw up everytime you touch it like a TIKKA does

Just kidding of course! Well, sort of

 

[thru-hunter]

I really like my 84L. That said the feed rails had sharp edges that cut into the brass and made it catch when cycling a round into the action. Some Emory paper and a little time got it smoothed out bit it isn't nearly as slick as the tikka 270wsm it replaced. More "mechanical" feeling if that makes sense. The inline mag on the tikka feeds like butter. The Kimber feels better, looks better and is higher quality in every other way though. I recently ordered an aluminum trigger guard to shave a little weight and because I am a nerd...

 

[Goober]

I've been eyeballing a Kimber myself..........300 wsm. I'm not a gun geek, I am a bow guy. Looking for that "one" rifle to be wed too, to love and cherish for ever. And that will kill everything, whitetails to speed goats to grizz. I am digging the Kimber, but I am really paying attention to you guys and these threads. Like I said, I am not a rifle geek at all. Load the shell, pull the trigger-hit a paper plate, good to go. I'm not even sure what MOA means (dead serious). But I like the Kimber, I guess cause it's USA made, and not everyone has one. Slightly unique, but not $5000 custom. I'll keep lurking on these threads though and learning..........thanks!!!!

 

[Wrongside]

Tikkas are a good rifle, I've owned them. They are not equal to or better than a Kimber Montana or M70 Xtreme, IMO. The 84L/M is one of the best factory built mountain rifles ever. And that's coming from a huge M70 FW fan.

 

[Shrek]

Something to think about. If you are not a gun guy and don't shoot much the ultra light rifles in magnum chambers are going to be unpleasent to shoot. Unpleasent to shoot means you wil become a bad shot in no time as you develope a flinch. As you will shoot very little due to cost and unpleasentness you will never be able to hit much beyond 300-400yards. At those ranges a 308 win. will kill anything and be easier and much cheaper to shoot. I shoot over 2000 center fire rounds a year and even for me a 300 wsm in an ultra light is a hard gun to shoot well. If you are not a large man with a large muscular frame to take the recoil it is even harder on you. For an ultralite mountain rifle the 308 is much better. Check out Patricks rifle on kifaru or beccas here.

 

[TwoTikkas]

I may have solved my "Next rifle" quandry. I'm holding a work order from Red Hawk Rifles. After hunting season I'll be sending them my M700 short action Guide Special to be reborn. It will be returned to me a 24" fluted stainless 300 SAUM. Floated,cryoed,spiral fluted coated bolt,sako extractor, and so on. I've started gathering brass already. Picked up 50 Remington today and have 50 Nosler in a shopping cart I need to go drop the hammer on. I'm pretty anxious about it.

 

[Shrek]

That sounds sweet ! Are they throating it for a particular bullet and col. ? What stock are you going to put it in ? I think norma makes brass for it. If so it is well worth the price IMO. Good luck !

 

[TwoTikkas]

We talked and agreed that the 180gr Accubond and Partition would be likely candidates. It's already in a Gen 1 Ti stock. I've yet to see Norma brass in person,but I do believe they make it for the 300 SAUM.

 

[Shrek]

Sounds great. Those two bullets will take care of just about anything that walks. Midsouth carries the norma line.

 

[TwoTikkas]

Well thank you sir. I'm off to check it out. Woo Hoo!

 

[Ray]

I have a model seven in 300 SAUM, SS with the 22 inch barrel. Almost all factory, except for the gre-tan pin, spring and shroud, and a HS stock.

I had trouble getting 180g ABs to shoot. They are too long to seat out to the lands. And due to the really short magazine box I have to stick to the real short OAL.

However, 180g partitions shoot into a small clover leaf at 100yds using H4350. Worked well on this years caribou.

This winter I plan on working on loads with a variety of 165g bullets.

 

[Shrek]

Twotikkas , the 700 has a longer magazine and the barrel will be custom throated to match the magazine lenght and ogive to lands lenght. You will be dumping all the short magazine long free bore factory bs. My bet is the rifle will shoot better than you can aim with just a little load work.