Thinking FX3 6-42 or VX3 2.5X8...what are you guys running in your Montana's?

4x 6x36 2x7 or 2.5x8. IMO 6x42 is two large. My Montana308 wore a 2.5x8, my25=06 has a 6x36 my 300wsm 2.5x8.

VX3 2.5-8x36mm w/M1

I have a VX II 2-7x33 on a very light HVA. It works very well and is compact. I'm thing about an upgrade to VX-2 2-7x33 CDS.

DF

I'd put a 3-9x33 Leupold VX2 Ultralight on it.
9.3 ounces and really nice glass.

6x36 or 2.5-8 if you prefer a variable.

I'd go 2.5-8 on a 7-08 Kimber myself and that's what I put on mine. The 6x42 looks retarded on that rifle.

2.5-8 or 2-7.

I haven't tried a 2.5-8 yet but would like to someday.

The 6x36 works great and the 6x42 works even better when hunting black animals in low light.

I don't think the 6x42 looks bad at all. That said, I'm more concerned about what the view through a scope is than the view of it.

I am running the new VX-2 2-7x33 CDS on my Tikka "Super" Lite, the new VX-2's are very bright and at 9.9 oz whats not to like?

I'm currently using an older Vari-X II 2.5-8 on my Kimber Classic, but if I were to do it over again, I'd probably do the 6x36...

That's what I'm running on my .325 Wizzum Montana...

Well just make sure you leave it set on high and use see through mounts to have all bases coverd!

Any idea what this scope weighs with the M1?

6x36 with dotz on my 270 Montana.

And where the heck did you find a 7-08 Montana? That's about the unicorn of rifles.

If I told you what she gave for it you would puke...

Best to keep it to yourself

VX-3 2.5-8x36 or VX-2 2-7x33

I've leaned toward the VX-3's, but have read that the new VX-2's are about the glass quality of the previous VX III's. And, that's not bad.

DF

I would go with a Leupold VX3 1.75-6x32 HD Ret.
Where did you find a Kimber Montana 7mm08 at?
I have looked for one for years now not even a sniff of one for any price.

I waited 2 years for one. Had order in with Kimber.

Found a 270 and gave up the dream. Very happy with the 270.

I have a VX2 2-7 on my 223 Montana. Great scope. Better then the 6x36 glass IMO.

I'll never tell...jk
A very, very kind member here hooked me up big time!

A straight 4x or 6x Leupold would be near perfect.

6x36

A Leupold VX II 2-7X33 with LR Duplex Reticle would be my choice. I have one mounted on a couple of different rifles. Nice and bright, good glass and it is a compact, lightweight scope.

Dunno the 6x42.... a 2.5-8 is what's on my 7-08 MR, and at one point I had one on my Kimber. Very nice hunting scopes.

Another to consider is the Swaro 3-9x36.

Not a 7 but a 308 spose it'll do. 2-8 Leo w/M1 on top in Talleys

Dober

The 2.5-8 Leupolds are nice hunting scopes.

I have a 2.5-8 Conquest on my 308 Montana and an extra 2.5-8 Leupold on the shelf.

That's about perfect, Dober. I've had more than a few of those 2.5X8's on a variety of rifle's but never with the M1. Any idea how much weight the M1 adds?

An ounce or so I'd guess, I didn't really pay attention. Perhaps someone else knows for sure.

Dober

I'm planning a CDS on mine; the M1 is the superior turret but they just look tall to me on a 2.5-8.

You still liking that Montana, Mark? When I come out the other side of all of the startup costs I'm bleeding out, an 84M is on the short list. Preferably one in a cartridge I don't want so that I HAVE to rebarrel it.

2.5-8x36

I've run 2.5-8x32's & 3.5-10x40 & 6x42's. They all worked, handled and balanced well.

One other scope which I have found works really well...

I've run the 3-9x42 Kahles and really like it on a Montana. They are trim, light, good looking, and great glass.

DJ

I had thought about a Leupold for my custom 7-08, but I got such a deal on a Zeiss Conquest 3-9 that I couldn't turn it down. Talley lightweight mounts. It's perfect for this rifle.

Love the feel of it Jeff, and it makes me a better shooter as I've got to work harder with it than I do any other rifle I've ever owned. 4 me, its a great weight to carry but it's about 1 lb lighter over all than I'd like. If I put on a barrel that went .6" at the mzl cut to 21" (for a 308 based case rig) then it'd be awfully good.

I put 500 rounds thru it last summer and a fair number this fall, would have to check my book to see exactly how many I've gone thru it. It's decent shooter with most I put thru it. And 3 or 4 select loads will go .75" but try as I may I just can't beat that.

Cepting for one 3 shooter I did from sitting @ 100 that went into about .3 or less...try to dupe that again eh...

My Zebra rifle shoots absolute circles around it at close range and especially at long range. My Zebra is one pound heavier and that's helping no doubt.

Lastly, I see a fair number of people who get their Montana's to shoot well enough @ 100 but darn few have wrung them out between say 300-500 or so. Tanner has I believe and so has Jordo but other than that I don't know a Montana shooter who's done a fair bit of longer range work with them. 3/4" groups at 100 don't impress me in the least. Now MOA groups or better at the longer ranges is something that I like.

We gotta catch up one of these days and we can cuss and discuss this over the phone.

Side note, I found a 700 Youth in .308, it's used and a decent price. B4 I bought another Montana I'd buy it and wrap a Ti take off around it. That's how I did my first Ti Yute rig and it shot absolute freaking bug holes!!

Hope alls well my friend

Dober

Dober,

I went out yesterday and beat up some steel. Conditions were kind of miserable- lots of switchy winds with an average 12mph full value effect. I put about 55 rounds through the .243AI at 1010 and 1762 yards, and only one bullet through the Montana 7WSM. The only shot that I took with it was at a 12" plate at 1010 yards. I scored a first-round hit, and put it back in the case. Didn't want to risk blowing my confidence

A couple of weeks ago I shot a 5-shot string with the 7WSM at the 1010 yard plate. The winds were steady, but a bit more predictable, and I put 4 of the 5 shots on target.

My Montana wears a 6x42 FX3 with M1 elevation turret. To me, it's the perfect all-around, utility scope on an all-around, utility hunting rifle. The scope isn't ideal for shots closer than 30 yards or beyond 500, but it does both jobs well enough for my purposes.

There are Kimbers out there that can shoot. I got really lucky and found a superb load with the 162AM and 7828ssc in mine.

You may have mentioned it to me before, but have you had a chance yet to wring your Montana out beyond a couple hundred yards? If so, how's it do?

Great post Jordan. Thanks for sharing.

At some point I need to do a similar write up on my 223 Montana and what it does with the 69 SMK. Those bullets like to find 6 inch paper plates at long distance.

Mark, my 7 WSM will hold 3/4 MOA out to 450 yards; that's all the further I've shot it for groups. That's with ME driving it, and I've done it many times, so I'm sure it can reliably deliver. It pounds the H E double toothpicks out of my 600-yard plate but I have no idea the group size as that plate was packed in and I can't easily get to it for re-paints. That rifle has a P-N tube.

I kinda agree though, if building a rifle I'll start with a M700 action. In fact I'm tooling up as we speak to do just that! Build on M700 actions I mean.

I stretch my .223, .243 and 7-08 Montanas to 600 pretty often, and if I can ever catch the wind half-way calm, they will stay in the kill zone real reliably.

Sometimes the groups are silly good, but I'll tell you something I've found - and this could just be me, but it is certainly true when I'm behind a Montana.

I can't shoot them with B&C/dots/ballistic plex or TDS reticles worth a hoot past about 400 yards.

I put a Leupy with Target Turrets on the .223 first, and the silly thing became a long range beast.

I then went with an M1 on the 7-08 and it became lethal out to 600 plus.

Same deal with the 243.

Now, I shoot everything better at long range spinning a turret, but I can get along with holdover reticles most of the time out to 500 or 600, but for some reason I have to spin the turret and use the center of the scope to shoot a Montana worth a hoot from very far out. I've seen it hold true at 700 to 1000, as well, but I just don't shoot that far too often.

I think it may have something to do with how unforgiving these rifles are with errors in shooting form, and maybe that fact is even amplified further out with these little flyweights when I try to make myself aim with the bottom half of the reticle.

DJ

Interesting!

As a quick related sidenote, the scope on my 7 WSM MT shows a lot of parallax at say 600 yards. That makes me extremely conscious of my form. Can't hurt!

That's the one on mine as well!!

Leupold V-XIII 2.5-8, on my Montana 7MM/08.

^ This ^ it's the same scope I have on my Rem. Custom Shop Model 7

Same scope for me on a Tikka T3 in 270, works perfectly, just need to send it in for a turret now..

I can't justify the cost of having the 2.5-8 sent to/or ordering from the custom shop when I can just get the VX2 2-7 with the CDS.

Lots of good suggestions here, but I will throw one out there that hasn't been mentioned yet. Leupold vx3 1.5-5x20. That would suit me just fine as it would be super light weight, handle great and I can't see myself shooting that light weight of a rifle all that great at long ranges. A friend of mine has one in 308 and I've shot it some. It is kind of a challenging rifle to shoot for me anyhow. 1.25-1.5" was about the best we could manage.

I'm happy with the talley's and the Leupold 3.5-10x40 scope I put on mine.

not a Kimber, but this 7-08 M7 and Leupold 1.5-5x is one of my favorites

Uffda I love that pic Toad!

Dober

I have a VX3 3.5 X 10 with an M-1 on mine, it's a re-barreled 7-08 finished at .600 at the muzzle. The 3.5 X 10 looks a little big on it but looks don't matter because it shoots good with 120 NBTs out to farther than I'd shoot game with it.

My 7-08Ti runs a 6x42 with an M1 elev turret. Seems to be about perfect combo for me. Also have one on a model 600 243ai with a brown precision stock on it. It is my coyote and sometimes deer and antelope gun.