Cooper
Dakota
Kimber
Montana

For what purpose? I'd go different routes, depending on the type of hunting.

This being 24HCF, you obviously need one of each!

Or... you could hold them all, & see which one chooses you. It doesn't look like there's a loser in the bunch.

FC

Of the ones you mentioned, it'd be the Cooper, hands down. Can't comment on the Dakota - never owned nor shot one. As an aside, no POS (Kimber / Montana to you guys in Rio Lobo) will ever cross the threshhold on my abode again. Been thru that hassle.
Had a friend that oowned/shot about 3 (I think) different Coopers. All shot bugeyes with no problem.
Bear in Fairbanks

Ok the purpose would be hunting.

I assumed that, since this is the hunting rifle forum. What type of hunting? I use Cooper varmint rifles in prairie dog fields and they'd be my definite choice of the options you listed. I'd almost certainly go Cooper again for a deer/antelope rifle on flat land. When heading up into the steep, high country, I'd start to consider a Kimber Montana because of weight.

Kimber Montana all day every day...

Dakota.

Kimber for one very simple reason: I already own one and so I won't have to set one up or spend months getting the loads dialed in. :p

All great rifles. Buy one and then spend a couple decades trying to wear it out chasing animals in far flung places.

Will

Special K! No better buy in hunting rifles, IMO.

Ok, here come the flames.

Big Bore: (416 and larger)

CZ
Ruger RSM
M70 (pre-64, Classic, or current FN models)


Med Bores (375 and less)

M70 (pre-64, Classic, or current FN models)
Rem 700 BDL (earlier than 1980)
Weatherby Southgate FNs in Weatherby Mag calibers (270, 300, 375)

x2 I've got 3 and and they cover all of my hunting needs.

x3 on the Kimber Montana, just picked up my second today! Really like the lite weight, SS/ Syn for a great all weather combo, and my 708 shoots really well, so I hope the 308 will too.

Easy... Kimber cuz many here have had great expereinces w/ them, they're lightweight, and they're the only company in that list w/in my price range.

If money were no object, I'd DEFINATELY go w/ a pre-cerberus model 76 in 30-06.

Never ever buy a Kimber,
I could not even keep it to the diameter of a penny.

Kimber 84M in 257 Roberts
Nosler Custom Trophy Grade Accubond +P 110 gr. 60010
Leupold VX-IIc 2x-7x

3 rounds at 100 yards:

I'd have to vote for the Cooper, have only owned one but it was amazingly accurate and put together flawlessly.

Thinking I would go Cooper. Not digging the barrel band on the Dakota's.

Cooper! I have been very pleased.

Have a kimber montana .243, its one rifle that will never leave my hands. They are nice when they shoot, had a 84l that sucked in the accuracy dept. Kimber did put a new barrel and stock on it, but they had to have the new rifle for six weeks. Sold it at a loss, didnt even shoot it. Will never take the chance with kimber again, even though they are very nice when they do shoot like they should.

Kimber Montana for the money.

Yes!

I'll tale a Dakota Model 10 in 257 Roberts..........

Why, it's cool......

It's on gunbroker.
About $6,500 more than I want to spend

None of the above

A SMLE 303, moderately sporterized mind you, should meet all your needs.

Seriously, Blaser

Dave

Cooper
Dakota
Kimber
Montana

While I like to look, unless someone else is fotting the bill, NOTA.

Savage.

They are as accurate as the high priced spreads, usually more so.

The parts are seldom needed, but cheap and plentiful. When other brands vanish, Savage parts will still be available.

You can work on it yourself. One hardware store allen wrench set is all that is needed to completely disassemble the entire thing. Twist out the bolt nut and the bolt comes apart by hand. No firing pin removal tool or mainspring compressor needed. Have an extractor break in the field, just swap in a spare bolt head and go, or replace it with nothing more than a pocket knife and thumb. A set of screw drivers and a 1/16" drift pin (to R&R the ejector pin) may be handy too.

Barrels can be swapped at home with simple tools in a matter of moments. Burn one out, order another prefit and you're back in business without a trip to the gunsmith and a long wait.

Kimber Montana or Classic. Mine are perfect.

Were I to buy another big game rifle it would be Sako.

Out of your list, the Kimber is the only one that interests me. I could rock a Kimber Montana easily.

McMillan
Mauser
Sako
Weatherby


I am American.

You need to add a Browning X-Bolt to that list IMO. Seriously

Cooper!!

This is easily the best answer!!!

Kimber, wood or synthetic. Pick your preference.
Dakota if you can afford one.
Not a Cooper fan at all.

Kimber wood/blue because I have one....shoots 1/2", not bad for the best looking queen in the safe.

My Montanas are Sako Stnlss/Synthetics....no accuracy guesswork there.

Fantasy rifle is the Dakota 10 but refuse to empty the safe to afford one.

Doesn't matter.
If you like to hunt, just about anything will do.

i have a dakota 76 in 270 and a cooper 54 in 260; checked out kimbers in the process but opted not to buy.

i am more than satisfied w both my dakota and cooper: accurate, fine triggers, classic looks w nice wood, quality fit/finish, great balance and handling, smooth bolts. kimbers felt TOO light, "whippy," and some barrel channels showed poor fitting. dakota has superior 3 position wing safety but is not worth 2-3 coopers by any stretch.

my 2cents: Cooper for sure.

Cheap and accurate. Heck, I'd even consider a Savage 110 or derivative....even tho I think they are a POS to work on... But if they shoot, I don't need pretty or Jonses.

My Stub (Ruger 77 in '06) cost me $80, purchased badly wet-basement abused, with a bulge in bbl just behind muzzle. It is now a "carbine", with 17 inch bbl and stock slendered down and shortened fore and aft to make it look in balance, "for the wife". Ha! I carry it more than any other bolt-action I have. It's good to 400 yards with known range. I've proved it to 360 on caribou, and made my first kill with it on a ram at @ 330.

Ugly Betty (ugliest factory stock I've ever seen!) is trying to steal my heart away from Stub tho. She was free for a little work exchange on two other guns found together in a wrecked sled outside of Anaktuvik Pass, Alaska by a friend, now deceased. No one ever claimed the found firearms... probably drunked up at the time and too embarassed later is my guess....

UB started life as a Rem 725 SA in .244, but the bore was pitted beyond redemption. Looking for a 7-08 takeoff, I came up with a Rem 700 SS, TI bbl in .260 from David Walther- a poster here. It screwed on perfectly with no chamber work,beyond lapping the lugs, albeit the bbl is exactly upside down. Who cares if the stamping shows? Until recently, it never shot more than adequately - but in bringing it up from my permanent home 600 miles south of here a few weeks ago, I came up short on thrown-together reloads (2 inches at 100), so bought some Rem Corelokts. I've less than 200 rounds (factory and reloads) thru the bbl personally, but it seems to prefer 140's over my preference (for no logical reason)of 120's.

The move/ammo switch required resighting in, of course. Some adjustment needed and I ran out of time that day, but I did drop back for a 3 shot 200 yard group - getting a 1" on bullet centers triangle, 4 inches high and left. I tweaked the scope a bit for horizontal, left the vertical alone, went home and didn't get back to check it until a couple days ago, when I fired at 300 yards, coming up with a 2 shot "group" centered an inch high and 2 inches right with a 7 mph gusty cross-wind from the left using a 30 year old Leupold Vari-XII, 2-7X scope.

The caribou were uncooperative yesterday....

I know when to quit shooting - the secret to bragging groups! . I just wish I'd bought 5 boxes instead of two of that lot... Now that I know the gun is willing to shoot - I suppose I'm gonna have to actually develop a load.... Them $35 boxes of factory loads hurt! When you can even find 'em up here. Hence the 2-hot-only group yesterday, the gun shoots consistently if I do my part.

You can buy rifles that shoot as well or better than these two (for a lot more money!). You can't buy these two.

Kimber Montana all day every day and twice on sundays.

Kimber is the only one of the bunch have expeience with. It is probably the least expensive and lightest. My 308 is almost exactly 6 lbs with scope and mounts. The last 5 groups I've fired at the range averaged slighly under 1/2 MOA. I doubt if the others would do any better.