For a modern factory control round feed rifle, with looks, great functioning and extremely well made, what choice would you make between a

Kimber?
Montana Rifle Company?
or
Winchester (SC)?

For a midweight rifle, Winchester with a McMillan Edge.

For lightweight, Kimber Montana.

For a blued/walnut rifle, Kimber.

Agree

You don't mention cost or value but demand it be well made!

I had a couple of MRC actions for a while and dumped them. They were too rough for me to finish. To slick them to an acceptable condition would have been expensive.

If I wanted a magnum and did not demand SS/Syn then a pre 64 M70 would please me. Most of the rifles I buy now are Kimbers as I like their Montana stocks, superior safety operation, weight etc.

I am going hunting for a while now today. I will bring a Kimber Montana WSM for backup and an old Mauser sporter safe queen to admire. Its sunny and 35F.

Since I've never had one, must be one of the few, I'd go with the Kimber in a Super America.

Kimber 84M Classic in 243 and 7-08

Winchester Model 70 for everything else

MRC is a nice option including LH models.

FN Winchester...

To be honest, I've never had nor shot an MRC. Otherwise, it would be the Win., hands down. No POS (Kimber, for those in Rio Lobo) will ever cross the threshhold of my abode again.
Bear In Fairbanks

didn't know the a little oil and an evening or two cycling the action were so damned expensive .... Ohhhh the money I've wasted on all my rifles ....

what about CZ?

Any of the above would do a good job.

Personally I like Winchester.

I like the old NH Winchesters, not so much the new, but I'm a curmudgeon.

Yup

My vote is for a new FN M70 or a Kimber. I was shooting a .270 Extreme Weather M70 and a .300 Winchester Magnum Kimber Montana today. Both guns handle and shoot great with various loads. This was the first time I have shot either and I took random loads worked up for other rifles and shot several 1" and below groups . I then took them out to 300 yards. The Kimber went about 2.25" and the M70 about 1.75" at 300.

I have owned two Kimbers and five FN M70s and all have been good.
No bad choices between those two.

As usual, I can't find much fault with Brad's thinking.

KDK: Buying all three eliminates the decision making problems....soothes the brain..

From my experience with MRC, they are an excellent company to stay away from.

Steve

Ditto

If it was just a rough bolt then your right however the worst part was the outside finish. To polish and form it even would have required more skill than I have along with perhaps bead blasting again.

Nor does working the bolt fit a course safety.

The picture I showed does not see those problems but they made the actions not worth the bother.

At the time I think they were low priced at maybe $50 ea?

Perhaps if someone wanted a left hand action then its a different story.

On the postive side our trip to Montana was a lot of fun. Their shop was good and they were gentlemen.

If it has to be modern (why? Did I blow it by buying a pre-'64 m70? ) the Sako 85 is claimed to be CRF w/ MOA accuracy. High engineering & build quality. Not made here, though, as your others. High end CRF would be a Dakota 76 Classic Deluxe.

http://tinyurl.com/7hoqos2

My .25-06 built on an MRC action is my most accurate bolt gun, and functions flawlessly. I also have a couple Kimbers that work well and are reasonably accurate. No experience with CRF Winchesters (other than a brief stint with a pre-64 '06 that didn't live up to the hype), but I'd definitely be interested in the new Featherweight. I don't think there's a wrong answer in your situation.

I'm getting there, Bob. If I can get a local gun shop to order me one, that is!

One problem I have is that I would have a hard time pulling the wood stock off of a Featherweight. I do have an EW .300 Wizzum that's probably getting an Edge, if I can figure out which pattern I want.

Why would you even consider pulling the stock off a featherweight? Hunt it with the pretty wood; if it gets too scaratched, sand it down and refinish. I've hunted my push feed Fwt all over Alaska, in some crappy weather, refinished the wood and metal when it showed the signs if my laziness after an island hunt, and it still works just fine. Matte black Arctic-Kote metal and linseed oil on the wood. Now it's a lot more weather resistant, and still shoots straight, after 15 years or so.

I was thinking more about weight, as that was kinda the direction the thread was going.