I am thinking about buying a Kimber Montana with the intention of turning it into a 358 win. That is about all I know. I have questions that I hope some of you can answer. First off, I need to know if I re-barrel using a #2 or #3 contour, is there enough meat on the Kimber stock to hog out the barrel channel and have it full length bedded? Anybody got a barrel recommendation? What length? I want to end up with a fairly light weight quick handling multiple purpose rifle that is slightly muzzle heavy for better off hand shooting for use in any weather. That's not too much to ask for is it?
Any and all info, advice, opinions, or other options are welcome.
Thanks in advance.

Will defiantly not be for the recoil shy , If you run it full out !!

I'd use something close to a Rem sporter contour and leave it at 22" bedding it out a couple inches under the chamber.

You're right ..... I just got my 700 back with King bbl and Wildcat stock. VXII 2x7 on top.

6.5lbs will be fun with 250s.

I know this is way too logical for a fellow campfire rifle loonie, but why not look at a 325WSM Montana? Should do everything you're talking about for a lot less money and work? Just a thought.

Shortactionsmoker set up a barrel contour with Lilja that retains the factory 84m contour to the end of the stock, but tapers much less than factory from that point out to the muzzle. This would be the route I would go on a Kimber rebarrel, as opening up the stock is not very doable.

The 8400 WSMs have a rather distended pot belly that some find uncomfortable. The 84M Montanas just "feel right" to me.

Or a Kimber 84M in .338 Federal. It's just about a .358 now!

If the 338 Fed. was there when I got my first 99F in 1966 I could have got everything just as well with it rather than the 358 that was there.

In fact for a longer range rifle there are some excellent .338" bullets.

Nosler shows a 180 gr with a BC of 0.372!

+1

I have two Kimber 8400 WSM Montanas and I like the feel and handing of the rifle. It weighs less than a M70 Featherweight and they shoot very well.

If someone has small hands then perhaps a magnum is too big for them.

My Kimber Montana WSM weighs 7#, 3oz with a 4.5-14 Leupold. A pre 64 M70 Winchester Featherweight weighs 7#, 11oz. with a 4X Bear Cub.

I just WANT the 358 win.

I was in the gunshop near here and talked about the .358 W. and said I had a few. The owner there said one of his customers has ten of them!

Fair enough. I can certainly relate. Post pics if/when you get it finished!!

Prezactly.

It's also worth noting Winchester used to chamber the 358 Win in their Featherweight Pattern barrel, which mic's .555" @ the muzzle.

Of course, the Fwt Pattern is a fairly stout, fairly straight tapered tube compared to some pencil barrels, but still, the 358 is a big hole in that tube.

Aside, I've had a 358 Win and I'd not want a steady diet of any of its bullet weights in a Kimber Montana, and I'm no stranger to MT's.

Some things are just "too much of a good thing" and that's one of them IMO.

Does the 8400 have a beefier action that would be necessary for a 358 win?

The 8400 is a substantially bigger action, but it's not necessary for the 358 Win... after all, the 338 Federal is chambered in the 84M.

I happen to know someone with a 358 Win on the 84M action... it works.

The 284 case on the other hand is not recommended for the 84M action...

I also "had" to have a .358 Win, so I picked up one of the initial MRC 1999 stainless actions and had them put a fast twist 21-inch (just because I could...) stainless barrel on it. I had Serengeti make a "Leopard" pattern stock for it and bed the action into it for me. Not a tremendously light rifle, but short and handy. This was before the ownership/management changes at both of those companies. MRC would not go below a certain muzzle diameter, which I think was .605, but I can't remember for certain and would have to measure it. It does make for a slightly muzzle-heavy rifle.
To lighten it up a bit, I also bought a MaMillen Edge stock. It shoots better with the Serengeti stock due to the excellent bedding work, but either way, it is a sub-moa rifle. I shoot mostly 225 gr Partitions through it, but 250 gr Hornady Interlocks are very accurate. With heavy bullets loaded stout, recoil is noticeable.

.605" sounds about right... most barrel makers want .120" metal around a given hole.

The contour I set up with Lilja tapers from .665" at the end of the forearm to .610" at 22". IIRC, the factory taper goes from .665" to .565" at 22".

I don't have any barrels at the house for measurement....but I think the taper stops at .610" too. You could go longer than 22" if you wanted, but 22" is plenty for me on a Montana (84M).

.372 BC is long range material?

Heck, the 168 grain Nosler and Hornady match bullets I plink with go .45 to .46, and they're practically towing drag chutes compared to real long range bullets.

Actually, the .338 185 TTSX has a BC of .432 and is probably the best combination of weight (speed) and BC of the lighter .338 cal bullets. Not in the league of 7mm bullets, but certainly adequate for typical hunting. 200 Hornady SST (.455) and 210 Scirocco II (.507) are good too.

Yes, but that wasn't what I was getting at.

I think this is a pretty cool idea, but would prefer an 84m classic rebarreled with iron sights.

Those sights would have to be pretty high for the straight comb. That's why I went with Weaver QDs on mine so I could switch to another scope. It's a lot easier and probably cheaper than decent sights.

The 358 may be a cool chambering to have, but it sure sounds like a bad idea on the Montana action. You'd be further ahead building on a short action Win Classic.

In the end, I predict that you won't like the Montana project and will try to sell it off at a steep loss.

Thanks and keep the ideas coming.

My opinion is the highest and best use for the .308 Win case is 30 cal and under... that's not to say the 338 Fed and 358 Win aren't nice rounds, just that, to me, the useful end of the cases capacity as a hunting platform ends with 180gr 30 cal bullets.

If I'm going to go bigger than 30, I'll do it on a 30-06 case. And the difference in killing ability between 30, 338, and 358 on the 308's case is squat.

But I get not everyone wants something as boring as a 308 Win.

I call dibs!

What Brad mentioned is true to a point. The .308 is very efficient, accurate, and a good killer. The same can be said of the .358. I like and kill stuff with both of them in 2 different 6.5lb rifles that are a contour and 1" of barrel length different. The deciding factor of which to use is always range...the .308 gets the nod for longer ranges and doesn't suffer at shorter ranges so it has a wider range of use for me...but nothing beats slipping through the woods with the .358.

Why?

A .358 setup like a little sister to their Talkeetna would be sweet.

Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to find a new stainless 358 Win in a Ruger M77 Hawkeye. I have calibers that shoot further, hit harder, and go faster, but none kill any better, or are as much fun to shoot. I wasn't much of a Ruger fan until I got this rifle and it is now my favorite rifle and caliber. I reload cartridges from 25-06 to 45-70 and it is probably the easiest cartridge of all to reload.