Hey guys, I just bought the following gun. It's a Kimber 84M Montana in .308, with Leupold VX-III 2.5-8 scope. Kimber bases & rings. Painted with Brownell's Aluma-Hyde II coyote & OD. I'm going to do some load development and want to know what some of you are using. I know there are several of these owned by members of this board and thought I could get some good starting points. By the way I'm talking elk loads.

My Montana 308 likes the 165gr partition with RL15 and Fed 210M primers, WW brass.
2700fps and 1 inch at 100 yards(off of a benchrest)

My Kimber Montana (The Little Big Sky) 308 shoots 150 TTSX's at 2,885 over 47.0 gr's RL15 and 168 TTSX's at 2,755 over 46.0 gr's RL15. Both shoot in the 3/4" range. It'll be loaded with the 150 TTSX's this fall for elk.

Winchester brass?

Win brass, Fed 210 primers. Bullets seated at 2.790." Cases roll out of the chamber, nice rounded primers, no extractor cut-out marks (or any marks) on case head... I don't push loads, ever, and I've decided there must be something to a 1-12" twist giving faster speeds in the 308 than the oft used 1-10"...???

Mine (308) likes 44.5g of varget with the 165gr TSX, lapua brass and fed 210's.

Note its not a Kimber

The WW brass I have is pretty light at 155 gr. compared to my Lapua at 173. I'm putting 44.5 gr. Re15 under 165 Ballistic Tips with the Fed 210M in the Lapua brass for about 2740 out of a factory 22" LVSF barrel. I don't think I could get 46 in the case and still seat a bullet. In the WW brass 46 grains of Varget works great, but I haven't run the Re15 in those cases yet.

So you're the one that bought that off of the Kifaru board (?). Let us know how it shoots; I was curious about that rifle.

I've never loaded any of the Barnes bullets in my 84m as I won't be able to get near the lands. How close are you at 2.790 with the 150 gr TTSX?

I'm about fourteen feet off the lands...

Never found it mattered how close/far in any of the six or seven 308's I've worked with... it's the most "eager to please" round I've ever loaded for.

I'm a sucker for the Montanas. The one on the right in this pic is the 308. It wears a fixed 4 Loopy FXII and a Turner Saddlery M1903 sling. With a full load of ammo and the sling, its still under 7 Lbs. I love that damn rifle... We had a rocky start, but we can't be seperated now I would have used it on a 5 1/2 foot black bear yesterday if he'd cooperated.



These are pics from 3 saturdays out of my life, doing what I do best... Turning money into noise. Any group in here over 1" was about as good as it got with 150 grain pills. When it comes to 165's, this rifle is a slut. It tells me that it really likes 165 Hornady Interlocks and Partitions over 45.5 grains of Varget in Lapua brass with a Federal 210M spark plug for a 2743 FPS AVG. The Noslers run about 10 FPS faster... I went as hot as 47 grains of Varget, but from 45.5 up to 47 I gained very little in the velicity department and accuracy suffered, also saw the occasional ejector slot mark on a case head. 45.5 grains, also gave the lowest ES and best SD. So there's my load. RL15 was a very close second in my testing, I decided on Varget for the Kimber for one reason. I still have 3 8 pounders, and half of another one, all from the same lot number in the gunroom. (I've got more than a few 308s)



Brad... Didn't you know you can't use a 308 on Elk?? They require at LEAST 6500 Ft/Lbs energy to drop. What is that on top of your Montana, a 2-7 VX1? You can't be serious?? If you're bored, I don't have anybody to go bear hunting with Satruday-Monday. Early and late, you'll have to do some bugling and cow-calling upwind of me about 30-50 yards to work off the gas money though

No, just carried it over hill and dale, with no elk to show for it... played house builder and had little energy or time for it.

Will say, have never packed or loaded for a rifle I like better than the 308 Kimber...

Here's it's big brother, 300 WSM:

I'm not sure if I like the Brownell's Aluma-Hyde II or not. I hear it's great stuff. Unfortunately, from what I've read, I'm stuck with it even if I decide I don't like it. Oh well, it's a tool not window dressing.

Thanks for the load info guys. Like I said, I assume similar guns with accurate loads would at least be a good starting point. My old Winchester .308 really loved 165 gr. Partitions. I'll be damned if I can find my old load data.

Thegman, yep, that was me that bought this baby off of the Kifaru board. It was a pleasant suprise to learn that the scope has a B&C reticle when it arrived. I've been wanting to get one so it was a nice discovery.

Dakotan, You must live in East Dakota like Brad and Dober?

Try the 165 Partitions with Varget and RL15, and Federal 210 Match primers. Graf and Sons still has Lapua 308 brass, at least they did last week when I ordered another 200 sticks... If you put all those components in a bag and shake them up, and they don't shoot less than MOA in that Kimber, then thats as good as it's going to get

Ironically, I own more 308's than I do any other caliber rifles. And I've never hunted with one until this year. Its bow season right now (and fall bear,) and my beloved 260 needs a barrel. Even if it gets done before rifle season opens, I wouldn't have time to work with it. I know that a 165 Partition at 2740 something will kill anything in this state, and do it well.

Brad, if I didn't know better, I'd think that was the same pic. Thats why my 338 Federal has Fugly the Camo Scope on it. Otherwise I couldn't tell them apart. Before I stick another fixed 4 Loopy on the 338, I'm going to have one of my racetrack buddies airbrush a black and gray flame job on the 308. I'll post pics when its done That 300 WSM almost could be used on Elk... You might be able to shoot a calf or something with it

Mine does not particularly like -- at least compared to other loads I've tried -- my only handload thus far of a max load of Varget in Winchester Brass with a 165 grain Rem. CL bullet (@ 1.58" for three shots on the last try). Chose it for economical practice. It does however love Federal's HE 180 grain NP load so I'm thinking I'll go to the Partition for home grown elk loads. On the other hand that rifle shoots just about any load to the same point of aim so I think I can milk a box of the Federal's for a long time for hunting purposes and just keep on working on practice stuff. Kimber recommends 165 grain and less bullets in the Montana due to the twist but my limited testing doesn't bear that out.

These groups were all shot in a row without adjusting the scope. They were the first twelve shots out of the rifle just trying some different loads as I was really interested in testing the shooter from field positions who needs MUCH more work than the gun. I'm far from the best shot in the world and was using a 4x scope off a mediocre rest so I'm sure the rifle can do better.



Edited: Had my numbers wrong!

That reminds me CCH, and others. Something that somebody said on here about the Kimbers. When you're benchrest shooting them, your groups will really tighten up if you hold the forearm in your left hand. I do my best to duplicate the amount of pressure I would apply to it from a field position. Also try and keep that pressure consistant. I kind of pull it down a little into the front rest. It will tighten up your groups...

For some reason my Kimber 308 seems to shoot a little better with Moly'd 168gr TSX's than naked ones. A max charge of Varget or WW-748 shoot's them into 3/4 MOA or so:




RL-15 would be the next powder I'd try but there are several powders that will give good results with in the 308...............................DJ

Nice rigs. How much 748 are you running in the Lapua hulls again?

IIRC I've run 46.0grs of either Varget or WW-748 with the 168's.........................DJ

Thanks. I got my hands on a pile of 748 and a thousand 168 gr. Nosler match bullets for very good prices, but I haven't run 748 in Lapua. I'm looking to do a quick workup and mass produce a bunch of fun ammo.

DanAdair, I've read that too. I do the "pull down the forearm" thing myself. Still doesn't make for my ability!

I hadn't run any 180 in my Montana til' tonight... went out to the range and printed a .470" group with 180 Partitions over 45 gr's of RL15 at 2,670 fps... I'm delighted since I have 450 qty. 180 gr. Partitions on hand

Well now Brad, if you use Partitions in that rifle, then you have ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE of killing at Elk with it. You at least need a plastic tip on your bullet to kill Elk. But still, the 2670 FPS thing... That loses you even more points. That is a respectable group, but that'll never kill anything without another 1000 FPS!!

Don't you ever read the comic books??? Sheez!! What next, you'll put a fixed 4 Loopy on it?

I thought I needed my head examined when I thought that I could use a .338" 210 grain Partition leaving the muzzle at 2500 FPS on a Black Bear...

Guess I'm outa the loop

Comes from living in Montana no doubt

2670 fps, yeepers.....I'd say that's pretty much 06 territory, and in such a nice light toteable rig as well.

Dats one heck of a good tube you've got running there!

Both my tree oh eight tubes would will do to 25 with a 180, they're accurate but speed demons they aint. Course I'm running dotz or BP so I don't really care.

Later

Dober

Dober, I double checked the dots on the 308 out to 550 yards last night (just one shot at 100, 250, 350, 450 and 550 yards.

100 yard zero:



Here are the 450 (bottom dot) and 550 (top of post) yard shots. 450 is dead-on. 550 is 3 inches low:

100 Yard 180 Nosler Partition group from last evening (I'm going to play with this bullet in the off-season for sure!):

That HE load clocked about 2,725 to 2,740 in my Montana. It's pretty stout.

Funny that hunting elk with a .308 and Nosler Partitions is sort of old fashioned. Please don't tell the elk. I don't want them to laugh at me.

That is great shooting Brad and excellent photography as well. Good for you.

That is stout... but not so far ahead of the same bullet handloaded. As Mark said, dfinitely 30-06 territory and I KNOW what a 180 Partition from a 30-06 does to elk!

Had I not bought a box of 150 TTSX's a few weeks back and gone through the sight-in/load-development ritual I'd just use the 180 Partition, knowing now what it's capable of.

Thanks 99... I love the little 308 Kimber. Utterly eager to please and, so far, a totally honest rifle... zero doesn't wander, clean or dirty barrel, (even when dis-assembled and re-assembled) and has shot everything I've put through it very well, with most stuff going into 3/4" or less.

I have an extra, unused 308 Montana barrel stashed away for it... looks like I'll be shooting a 308 Montana the rest of my life

I have one as well Brad in .308. Its a rifle that stands apart. Your posts made me get it out of the safe and its here by me now.

Hey Brad just give them to me. Nice shootin by the way. When the heck are we going to get together and sling some??

I'm getting to like mine real well. It likes 150ttsx's, and 150 nosler AB's over 48.0 varget. 2900 fps.

My 22 inch M70 Fwt likes 47 grs of Varget with a 150 gr. TSX. About 2840 fps. WW cases, WLR's and 2.80 col. About .7 MOA.
If I sight the above at +2.5 @ 100, then 41 grs. of Varget and a 200 gr. Nosler Partition is about 1.0 @ 100 yds. and -1 inch. 42 grs is dead zero and 2436 fps. About 1.2 plus. That's going to be my heavy cover load. E

"VWD" (very well done) there Mac, it just shows what some try and dotz will do for one!

Amazing lil round that the lil 30 isn't it, perhaps I should wander south and pick up the twin to yours that's sitting there so lonely....<g>

Dober

Yupper! Thanks for turning me on to the dots Dober... a LRF and DOTS are a revelation. Stupid simple and can't believe I didn't start using them both til three years ago!

Plus a scope with dotz in it actually fits a scabbard...<g>

Dober

They take a lil tailoring, but once done, they're faster and more KISS than the alternative...

Scabbard? I haven't been horsey hunting in eight years

I shot through several Kegs of WW-748 with 168gr SMK's back when I shot a lot of Silhouette. Usually best accuracy is going to be with somewhere around 45grs + or - a grain or so. I liked it because 748 pours like water trough a powder measure and gave good accuracy out to 500 meters. The load I shot also had easy to remember come-ups of 3,6 and 9 Minutes from 200meters.
Have fun, it's a good combination.....................DJ

DJ, what kinds of speeds was 45/748 getting you with the 168 SMK?
2600 or so?

Many thx

Dober

+1 Brad,nice shooting BTW. Great backdrop for the rifle as well.

Even a dumb Norwegian concrete worker can figure them out.....grin

This will be my first season with the dots. Given the right conditons 400-450 yards shouldn't be a problem.
Practice pays off.

Well, make that two "Dumb Norwegians"...

lol!

I'm just a dumb Mick... I've always just zero'd a rifle at 200, and used the bottom "Pickett" for 400 yards, and split the difference at 300. However I'm really thinking about a fixed 6 with dots for the 308, and I think the Montana in 338 Federal will get the fixed 4.

Brad, I can't believe you think you can kill an Elk with a 30-06... Are you serious? A 180 Partition going 2700-2800 FPS will never bring down one of Montana's Kevlar furred monsters on 4 hooves...

I may have to shoot one with a rifle this year. It's been kind of a screwed up rut this September. I know, I know... I really need my head examined for trying to kill an Elk with a 3 blade broadhead connected to a 560 grain arrow going 170 FPS Tomorrow is my last Vacation day too... It's not looking good for Dan Boy.

I'm just a dumb "ski" and even I can sort out the dotz thingy

Perhaps a few of us Montana boyz and whoever wishes to join in the fray should snipe a few deer/lopes/elks/ and bruins this fall with our lil 308's just to make sure it can work...

Dober

(side note I've found the 308 to be so eager to please that I am now calling it the Lab of rounds, do it all and wants to please. Albeit the true nickname for mine is the Tortoise rifle.

I dunno Mark, did you see how much crap I gave Brad for calling his 308 an Elk rifle?? Now he's got me wanting to try some 180 Partitions in mine. Someone on here once said that the 1:12 twist that Kimber used wouldn't do a very good job stabilizing the 165ers on up. I think Brad and I proved that wrong. My Montana doesn't like any 150's. But in all fairness, the worst group with the 150's was around 1 1/2 MOA. It routinely puts 165's of various flavors sub 3/4" at 100 yards. That reminds me, I need to clean that barrel it's been sub-moa for the last 100 rounds since I cleaned it.

I clean my barrels every 100 rounds weather they need it or not

Mark, you're in luck, the only two rifles I really have ready in time this year are both of my Montanas. I'll just have to put a fixed 4 on top of the 338 Federal too. But I promise ya's, I'll shoot all my critters this fall with one Kimber or the other.

I look forward to Dober's fall Montanas in Montana picture thread

Mine liked 165's(Hornady, Sierra, and Barnes), with BLC-2 and WLRM primer in remington brass