Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber 84 vs Winchester 70 in 7mm-08

My buddies extreme weather 300 WSM (2012 manufacture) is having fits in barrel break in. It was copper fouling terribly when he first got it, but it's getting better with some break in. He is at 250+ rounds down range now. Wonder how much money he's wasted in ammo? 12 boxes of ammo with an average price of $45.00= $540.00... Hmmmmm.. Not every rifle is the same and Kimber isn't the only manufacture that has problem rifles..

I own a lot of Model 70s. Each and every time I buy one I look at Kimbers and talk to dealers and shooters. Kimbers run lighter, and also a lot more variable for accuracy. I am driving 2,000 miles once again and either will come home with a Model 70 or a Kimber Select 84 M or order a Super America in 7mm08. I have been told by Kimber dealers that accuracy in their 7mm08 is the single most variable in that caliber. Since the Super America has a match grade barrel it must be very accurate. Problem there is that with an ordered rifle I have to take whatever stock wood grain it comes with! For a high end stock that is not the way I want to go! On the other hand if I get a Model 70 Featherweight I spend about $500 more at least for a custom stock with exactly the wood I want.

The Kimber Classic 7-08 is a far handier and smaller rifle than the M70 Featherweight or even a Brno 21h.

With a Leu. 2-7 the Kimber weighs only 6# 12oz and the old 'Featherweight' M70 is much heavier at 7# 11oz with it's 4X Bearcub. The M70 is also thicker and bulkier.

The Kimber is in a class by it self.

At least the old Brno 21h looks thin. It's 7# 8oz.

The old Savage 99f is handier than the M70 and goes 8# 2 oz with it's 2-7 Leu.

The Superamerica has the same barrel as any other Kimber. Superamerica barrels and receivers all come off the same line as the others, they are then polished and blued on the outside instead of beadblasted to a matte finish and blued. Kimber claims all its barrels and chambers are match quality.

Interesting, I have a similar pairing - M70 EW in 300 WSM, Montana in 270 Win. Both with slightly different purposes. I was wanting a Kimber 280 AI but stumbled onto a 270 that I couldn't pass up.

Where do you live that you must drive 2,000 miles to decide between the Winchester and Kimber?

Thanks to Bush Rat for the information on Kimber barrels!

The Adirondacks is where one of my farms is. So I'll drive to Vermont, thru NH, to Maine to the Kittery Trading Post. I don't know anywhere else that has enough of an inventory to make this choice.

Davey J where you from?

Lake Placid & Harpursville, NY