Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 8400 Montana or FN M70 Featherweight?

SO,

I've owned an 8400 Montana for the past 4 years or so. 300 Win Mag, shoots great with a variety of handholds. The last two months or so though, I've had the itch for a featherweight. It would be current production (FN), and would also be chambered for the .300 Win Mag. I love the cartridge. Rifle would stay original except for a bedding job, and a new Timney trigger to replace the factory MOA unit. Topped with a Bushnell elite 6500 2.5-16.

I can only really afford this though If I sell another rifle I own already. Of everything I have, I'm least attached to the 8400 and it has the least sentimental value. I do own another synthetic stocked rifle for extra bad weather so that base will remain covered.

So, If you could only have one...What say you?

I'd go with the one that shoots the best. Those are the ones I tend to form a sentimental attachment to.

SP, I think he doesn't own the FN yet...

Personally, I wouldn't want the 8400 in any sort of Long Action configuration, nor would I want its no.1 contour on a 300 WM, so that's easy to me. I'd prefer the M70.

The FN M70 300 WM is a "Featherweight" in name only. Traditionally, what makes an M70 a "featherweight" is the barrel contour, with its tiny 1/4" shank and straight taper to .55" at a 22" muzzle. It's stock has nothing to do with it.

The M70 300 WM has a "standard" contour barrel that's really a no.2+ contour, not a Featherweight contour. In the last 10+ years or so USRAC, and now FN, started putting the schnabel/french whorehouse stock that is currently associated with actual "Featherweights" on rifles that are not Featherweight's and calling them thus... which is akin to Putting a VW Bug shell on a F350 and calling it an econo car.

You may have noticed I don't like the "Featherweight" stock

Sell the Kimber and get the Featherweight.

Yep, and therein lies the conundrum. The Kimber shoots very well, and if the M70 doesn't it would be hard for me to like it.

Plus, I'd be kicking myself for getting rid of a rifle that was chambered in a cartridge I like, that shoots great.

What's to be gained by tripping a steady performer for a pig in a poke?

I would not spend time jonesing for a rifle. Sell the Kimber if needed and buy the winchester. If you dont like it , sell it and buy whatever you want next even if its a Kimber again. Nothing has to be permanent, i know howvyou feel . I am the worlds worse at letting rifles go once I own them.

Exactly how I feel.

I do in fact have two FN made M70's in the safe as I type this, but no 300WM. One shorter in .270 Win, and one featherweight in .325WSM. They're great, accurate rifles and both shoot under MOA with my dads handholds. Accubonds in the .270 and Woodleigh's in the .325. The .325 puts 3 touching at 100 yards. Im sure with some more load development this would improve. In saying that though, If the new featherweight shot between .75 and 1 1/4 MOA, I would be perfectly happy.

I could just hunt with my dads rifles, and I do, but am reluctant to take them out If i know the weather isn't predicted to be the best, and am worrisome when I use them because he passed away last year, and thus they mean very much to me. I don't want them damaged or marked. I don't want to have to worry (overly) about the rifle being scratched.

I guess thats what keeps shooting so interesting though. Personal opinion and individual taste! I can understand the stock is not for everyone, with its funky fleur de lis checking etc.

That's what makes it for me though. Interesting about the barrel contour on the .300s though. So what your'e saying is, I can actually expect a heavier than standard featherweight profile barrel? Closer to a sporter profile? This wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, but I would like to know for sure before I order one sight unseen.

And again, on the 8400, I sort of agree. Kinda. Grin.

The stock "pot belly" and overall big size are part of the reason I'm willing to let it go. I love the rifle, and it is a hammer with 200gn accubonds pushed by RL22, but geez sometimes i feel it handles like a club. It would also be nice to have a floor plate magazine again.

Theres very few guns I regret selling, but my last 84L is one of them.

Maybe, Keep the Kimber and save up over time for the featherweight? I really like my Kimber Montana .300 WM. Accurate and balances great. I owned another one and sold it to buy a NULA or something else I don't have any more. Regretted selling and a few years later, bought another.

The typical CF condition seems to be the endless accumulation of rifles that maybe hang around with their owners no more than 12-18 months.

I am not sure but I think this comes as a result of people not having a clue what they really want in rifles or calibers.

That's my exact question. I'm also wondering what's to be gained by going from one box trigger to another?????? The MOA trigger on the FN is not a bad unit once you get a spring kit made by erniethegunsmith.... I've installed the ernies spring in at least 5 MOA's and it's made a noticeable difference. Personally, I'd probably hang on to the Kimber.

Bob, I think it stems from guys wanting to find the "perfect" rifle. Luckily for us, we know what that is.

If it ain't broke...

Just saying.

That's not my problem by a long shot. There's WAY more that I'm in love with than I can shoot and hunt with. They are accumulating in the safe right now.

What are your intended use for the rifle?

Pieter

Exactly, the M70 has a heavy sporter-weight contour. Should be around 1/2lb heavier than the Fwt.

And yes, selling an 84L is usually a mistake... ask me how I know

Sounds good guys.

I don't need the gun per se. I just like featherweights, and want to avoid potentially damaging dads by hunting it non stop. The more I thought about this whole thing today, the more it made sense to keep the Montana also. Screw it, it's only money right? The box trigger issue isn't that important in my parts. Temperature doesn't drop much below 35 fahrenheit or so during winter, and snow isn't too much of an issue. I don't fly "out west" for guided hunts or anything like that where my rifle/trigger might crap itself in the middle of a once in a lifetime hunt.

I'm in Victoria, the sambar capital of Australia. I do hunt the mountains, but they're only a shortish drive away and I almost always take a back up rifle if spending more than a couple of days out bush. Small mountains when you compare them to say the Rockies or the Brooks range, but mountains none the less. Thanks for all the feedback so far.



Brad,

After reading what you told me about the barrel contour on the .300 Win, I had a closer look at the .325wsm and found it to also have a sportier profile barrel. Compared that to a friends 7mm/08 and realised for the first time ever that It doesn't have the short 1/4 inch or so shank that the featherweight traditionally does. No biggie, never noticed it before on the .325 so doubt it will be an issue on the .300.

Getting rid of very accurate rifle that you like to move on to the next thing has almost always been a mistake for me. YMMV

Buy the FW THEN decide. Put it on your Visa or whatever and shoot it along side the Kimber, decide which one you want to keep and sell the other. Warning, you may decide to keep both.