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Joined: Jan 2006
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Well guys this little rifle is just getting more and more love from me.I went to the range today hoping to spend a little more time shooting the Federal factory 180 grain Barnes TSX's and also brought along a box of Winchester 180 Accubonds to see if she liked them any. I also adjusted the trigger myself and got it just perfect. First off had a guy pull up at the range about the same time I did and it just so happens he was also shooting a fairly new 300WSM in a Winchester M70 Featherweight, pretty nice gun. He proceeds to tell me how he has been working up special loads that his gun shoots unbelievably and we talked some more, he looked through my Leica Televid 62, I looked through his Sawro STS80 and we chatted some more, then it was time to shoot. Now keep in mind that the ambient temp oustide today is 28 degrees and heres a picture of what it looks like at our range.



[Linked Image]



After some fouling shots this was my first group at 100yards with a clean barrell with some factory Winchester 180 grain Accubonds that I have not shot yet through this rifle, not to shabby

[Linked Image]

This wasn't too bad , very similar to the results I got with the Barnes MRX's last week. I then switched her up and loaded 3 Federal 180 grain TSX's which shot well through the rifle last week and this was my 3 shot group with the TSX's

[Linked Image]

Now I am pumped, it doesn't get too much better than that. So I switch to the 225 yard target I put up. I did some calculating with a ballistics program and decided that 225 yards point blank zero gives me the best overall performance with my 300WSM and this is where it gets great. This was two 3 shot groups at 225 yards with 2 windage and elevation adjustments.

[Linked Image]

My conclusion is that this little Kimber is one sweet riifle and my confidence in its abiility to deliver a narly 180 grain Barnes TSX with deadly accuracy is growing.I also found out that my theory on her liking a dirty barrel was false, she just shoots the TSX's better than anything else. Damn happy I neglected all the negative comments about Kimbers and chose this bad ass little rifle.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the fella that was shooting to my right that I spent a good deal of time talking too was wishing like hell that his new Winchester M70 300 whizzum was my Kimber. His handloads were producing about like mine did with the factory Accubonds in the above photo. He was way envious. He said he knew of a gun store in Fairbanks that had the best price on a new Kimber Montana 300 WSM and he was going to buy it. I was just a bit modest. I am eating crow though from when I used to argue Tikka vs Kimber threads cuz this thing is shooting as good as my Tikkas did in a tougher package.

BP-B6

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Quote
Damn happy I neglected all the negative comments about Kimbers and chose this bad ass little rifle.


Yup... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The Big Sky 300 WSM is a killing machine. Lots of power, easy to pack and suprisingly easy to shoot. I'm gonna try the 180 TSX's soon as I can lay hands on some.

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Yeah I am loving it Brad. Thanks for helping sway my decision on the Kimber. Oh, and I got one of those UM Mountain slings on its way from Midway. Saw you point those out on another foum, and it looked just perfect for my uses.

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I am sure the Tikka is a good shooting rifle. There are a lot of satisfied users out there.

But you gotta love the aesthetics and top-quality construction of the Kimber. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


FÜCK Jeff_O!

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Your groups and mine are almost identical. Them Kimbers are shooters

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You got the best thing going in terms of what's out there on the market factory wise, IMO. The next Sportsman's Warehouse visit will probably have me toting one home as well.

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You know I was sooo close to buying the Sako FinnLight when I bought this Kimber and the biggest reason was accuracy. The Kimber was surely tougher in feel and I was having trouble liking the fluted barrel, but the rep for accuracy had me leaning Sako. But I am tickled pink over the function and accuracy of this here Kimber its as good as I could have expected and especially with the bullets I ultimately wanted to use. It dont get much better on a rifle purchase than where I am at right now. I hope a lot of guys out there arent swayed from the Kimber by the problems with some of the early production models cuz they'd be missing out on a kick ass rifle.

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Oh and one more thing. From my first visit to the range I had mentioned an issue that the bolt was hard to open after some shots and I did not experoence that not even once yesterday so dont know why thats not happened again.

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AlaskaCub

Awesome picture of your range. In stark contrast to ours in my neck of the woods where I was wishing for a bucket of water to cool the barrel on my rifle after 5 shots - its was so hot it was taking ages to cool a barrel!!

Glad you have success with your Montana - I have just ordered one in a 7mm08 for deer hunting and I was a bit concerned that maybe I had done the wrong thing after reading a couple of negative posts on various forums over the last couple of weeks.

If my Montana works out like yours I may get a 300wsm as well!!

Like you I also have Tikka T3s and they are great budget rifles but I like the concept and the feel of the Kimbers.

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Yeah at 28 degrees the barrel is pretty cool after say 30 seconds to 1 minute. It sure allows you to shoot strings without a lot of cooling time.

IC B3

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Even though you are having good success with the Kimber, you can't fault the Tikka's at half the price. I've had both and each has their pros and cons. The US gun companies could learn a thing or two from Sako/Tikka.
Good luck!


My home is the "sanctuary residence" for my firearms.
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Absolutely, I am not knocking my Tikkas, just never thought that the Kimber would shoot as well as it does and thats the big + about the Tikkas, they will shoot!

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My wife has the Montana in 7mm/08. Great lightweight rifle. It will digest anything I toss in the magazine and shoot 3 shot under an inch at 100 yards and I am far from being a good benchrest shooter.


My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
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The Kimber shoots, and TSX's to boot?

Who'd have thunk it......?

<grin>

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If you don't mind me asking....WTF is that strap around your barrel?

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was curious bout that one myself...


Check out my new website

http://www.howemtnknives.com/
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I know it looks redneck but heres a pic of my setup. I found that for shooting the Kimber off the bench that an extra nylon compression strap not tightened just wrapped around the rifle and my bench rest with a couple inches of slack keeps the front of the rifle from bouncing off the benchrest. I couldn't find the strap I took it out of the truck last week and all I had was a ratchet strap in the bed so I layed it over the rifle and just hooked the 2 hooks together under the table. The recoil pad is snugged in there with one of my bearfeet ( fleece slip ons for final stalks bow hunting) so the rifle wont rock side to side and theres a Thorlo sock under each front rubber foot of the benchrest cuz the rubber gets so hard in the cold it slides all over the cold metal bench.

[Linked Image]

When I am trying to decide what ammo shoots best I want no human interference and this fiasco you see before you is what works. Minus the rachet strap normally. Here we go cmon Bro dave and Steelhead let the laughs begin!

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Interesting....

Here's how I do it.

[Linked Image]

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So whats your point Dave? If thats how you determine what the best load is and or the most accurate ammo your gun will shoot, then your the man.

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Dude, no point....whatever works is the way to go....

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