Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber Montana .300 Win: Cut Barrel?

Anyone shortened their Montana barrel to 24"? I'm thinking of picking one up as my all purpose back up rifle. My .300 Weatherby's wear 26" bbl, not necessary in the Win Mag.

If you have, any opinions? Has it affected balance?

I'd cut it to 23" personally. Haven't done it but wouldn't hesitate to do so.

I think you would be fine to cut the barrel down to 24inch. The stock forearm is on the long side for me in the 300win.

nyrifleman do you not like the Montana in 300wsm?

nyrifleman,

How a rifle handles is up to you. I have had an 8400 Montana in 270 WSM for some time and because its on the light side the 24" barrel does not bother me. In fact I view the rifle as a 'magnum' and I have lighter yet and shorter rifles.

Until I touched up the crown my Kimber did not group that well. I would use your 300 WSM at 24" for a while and then ........

Randy, the .300 WSM has never tripped my trigger, so to speak. I like Nosler Partitions at 3100+ The only WSM I've cared to own is the .270 version. I also need a longer LOP, the WSM version is a shorter stock....

Savage, rifle will be the Win Mag version. I was wondering with that light stock if I'll have enough weight out front or if she'll seem "jumpy". Any thoughts?

A 24 inch barrel is fine for the 300WM but even an inch shorter seems to increase muzzle blast out of proportion to the inch difference. In general 23 inches is my ideal but usually go 25 on anything on the order of 7RM or larger.

The Lilja and some other barrel makers web sites have the weight per inch calculation usually for a .308 barrel. I would calculate the weight difference and then tape a test weight of that amount near the recoil pad. This won't duplicate the shorter barrel exactly but will give you an idea of how the balance will work out.

That 8400 LA is a LONG sucker! I'd work on your trigger and get the 8400 SM 300 WSM.

NYrifleman,

Be sure to handle both a 300 WM Montana, and a 300 WSM Montana.

I think that will make the choice clear.

I'd be more concerned with the length of the STOCK on the LA Kimbers. That fore-end is loooong. I handled one just the other day and felt like a little kid playing with Dad's rifle or something. I'm 6'4".

-jeff

It's not a .300 WM, but I have a .30-06 Montana that I shortened to 21" and the balance is great for me. I can post pictures if you like.

Pics would be great!!!

Here's two pics of it; I'm not exactly a good photographer, so you'll have to bear with me.

that fore end sure looks loooooong with the 21" barrel ...

I have been up and down this Kimber Montana road before, so I feel obligated to say it one more time.

The 300 WSM is the only smart play in a thirty caliber Montana other than the .308 Winchester. Kimber has two great platforms, but the 8400 LA isn't one of them.

I've read comments to this effect often here about the 8400 LA. When discussing the 'chubby', 'clunky', etc feel/looks of the 8400 LA are you folks comparing that to the other Kimber models or to other makers LA offerings?