I am considering a kimber montana in 308 as my all around deer and elk rifle. Scope will be a Leopold 2.5x8 36mm. I would like to hear from folks who have a similar set up as to sugessted bullets to try and if you had to would change or add anything if you were to put this rig together again.

Thanks

Not a 308 but a 257 Roberts, mines a 2.5-8 in a set of Talley LW lows, were our stock friend Karnis up and running I'd have him add 3/8" of an inch to the stock, repaint it, then I'd mount the scope in a set of medium rings, the 'little' rifle is very difficult to get behind and fire.

If you're over 6' tall [I'm 6'2"] you may want to consider these steps.

I'd do it exactly as you stated. Add Talley Ltwt's. Had one and sold it to ctsmith (see Clint's thread below). Also had two 7-08's that shot. Gave one to my brother and sold the other. A 308 Montana can do it all. Either a 2.5-8 or 6x42 is my choice for just about everything.

Only 5'8 and generally like a shorter length of pull on a stock. The tally mounts are you referring to the standard low mounts or the extra lows?

I have two 84 Montanas and a 8400, I use the low Talleys with VX3 Leopold 3-10x40 and 4.5-14x40. I'm also 6'2 and have no problem with the stock length. The one think I might switch out are the Talley's. I am thinking about swapping them to the Tally fixed ring system.

4 Kimbers in my safe and none a Montana. I think I have to fix that, soon!

I've had one a couple of years now. No joy with deer or elk, but I've shot several hogs. I had a vintage Leupold 4X compact. I mounted it with lightweight Tally's. It shoots great and is a real joy to carry. So far all I've used in it are Horandy 150 gr bullets. When I find some on the now empty shelves I"m going to try some Barnes bullets for elk. No buyers remorse this is a great little hunting rifle. CH

ctpa61,
You have made a wonderful choice. Consider the .308Win. to be a well behaved 30-06. I think a great place to start is the 165gr. Accubond. A bonded bullet with a high ballistic coefficient and usually very accurate. From there , your options are quite numerous, whether you hand load or not. A smaller scope in the 2.5 - 8x36, 2-7x33 or even a straight 6 power would be fine.
The very rifle you are thinking about brought home this bull last month.

I'm 6'4" and I wish the stock was a little longer especially when shooting in the summer but I can live with it and in winter clothes I much prefer a stock a little short over one a little long.

I have that exact set-up w/ Talley LW mounts.

I think about a CDS dial every once in a while. That is about all I would change.

Nice bull Bigwhoop. Been to Idaho twice now looking elk with any kind of horn with no luck. However it has convinced me that a nice light weight rig would sure make the hikes in and out more comfortable.

I bought one used here last year and love it. Haven't killed much with it yet, 1 deer and 1 big hog, but I love toting it. I'm 6'3" and the stock feels great to me, but I have no neck. I'm not crazy about the 2.5-8. I have one on a classic 243 that I gave my wife. On the Montana I put a 3.5-10 and like it alot better. With the stock being so straight, I need medium leupold rings for it to feel right, so there's plenty of room for the 40mm objective and it's not that much heavier. I settled on the 130 TTSX in front of a max load of CFE223. If I do my part, it will do a little better than 3/4" and the chrono reads 3175!

I like mine, had it for 5 years or so, good rifle reasonably accurate, joy to carry.

Mine is in 7-08 with the same scope you mention. For you, every .308 I have ever owned perked with 165gr interlockts and would be the first bullet I'd load in your .308 Montana.

308 Montana

6X leupy

Talleys

130 TTSX's

Done

Thanks for the replies. Was thinking that the 165 grain bullets would be a good candidate. I do like the idea of the 130 ttsx though. Anyone ever use a 130 ttsx from a 308 on elk.

Nope just used the 130 ttsx on caribou, moose, black bear, and mountain goat!

Luke, you know the drill...pics and post or it did'nt happen...

Low's......for either the 2.5-8x36 or the 6x42.

Haha they haters got me posting less and less all the time!

I bought a Montanna in .308 for my son,the day after he was born.I liked it so much,I bought another one in .300 wsm.I never used it for elk but I've killed loads of deer with it.I live in Pa and hunt some steep mountainous terrain in the northcentral part of the state.It's light,accurate and just feels good in my hands.I put talley mounts on it and a 3x9 Sightron big sky.My favorite load is 45gr of varget behind a 165 gr accubond.I've yet to have a deer take a step and only recovered one bullet that traveled lengthwise through a doe and lodged under the skin in front of her chest.When son son turned 9 this past year,he wanted to start using it.I loaded 42.5gr of IMR3031 behind a 125 accubond for him.He handles the mild recoil fine and has killed two deer with that load.I'll most likley use the 300 wsm this deer throughout deer season but I'll be getting another Montanna in .308 after Christmas.I couldn't imagine a season without ne in my hands.If elk were on the list as much as deer,I'd probably opt for a 300 wsm but that's me.

Bought a Super America for my wife about 10 years ago. It wears a Leupold 2-7 Compact. With 165 TSX it has accounted for zebra, fallow, impala, warthog, bushbuck, blackbuck. Nice rifle. If I ask her nice she lets me borrow it sometimes too.

I've had a KM for a couple of years,,it took me a bit to find a load but once varget came into play it became a model rifle. Only 1 big game animals so far but it will be my moose rifle for our late season here at the Lake.

Nice wolf. Diggin' on the hide color. You catch the pack working the lake?

stalker,,,,I was sitting right her having coffee when the dogs started raising hell,,shot from the steps at 125yds!

Nice!
Scope and load for yours?

46.5 Varget,, 150 Nosler Partition

This one also on the ice out front,,30 Gibbs 165 Hornady SP,,62gr H-4350

That's exactly what I'm shooting right now. I got the B&C crosshair setup. Talley ringmounts. I've had it about 4 years.

Mine has proven particularly touchy about accuracy. I've used maybe a dozen-15 bullets, 10+ powders, 2-3 primers, WW brass, Lapua brass. I found 2 loads that shoot. Both use RL 15, WW brass, and federal 210M primers. 43.5 grains of RL15 under a 165 accubond or 44.0 grains of RL15 under a 165 partition. Change ANYTHING, even vary the powder charge by a half grain, and you'll be lucky to hit a grapefruit at 100 yards. With those loads, I get about 3" groups at 200 with the accubond or about 1.75" groups with the partition. I wouldn't bother with the accubond but I have about 6 boxes on hand. When they're gone, I won't replace them.

I really hoped it would be more flexible. I wanted to run 180 grain accubonds or partitions for elk and 150s for deer. No go in the accuracy department. I wanted to run 110-130 grain varmint bullets. Also no-go. Light X bullets .. no go. It's truly a two, almost one, load rifle.

I'm thinking hard about replacing it with another Montana in .257 Roberts or .280 AI and getting a heavy barreled 700 in .308.

Tom

I have a Montana 308 and like it, but love my Montana 84L 25-06, 280 and 2 30-06s more than the 308. All of mine so far are accurate with .280 and .25-06 shooting clover leafs fairly often, though I haven't fired one of the 30-06s.

For the rough, open country I often hunt, I prefer the balance of the 84l.

Not an elk or deer, but a 150ttsx out of my Kimber Montana in .308 Winchester worked on this guy. A 150gr Hornady SST also worked on a sheep. I reach for this gun more often than not, as it feels like I'm carrying a .22 more than a .308. Have the Leupold 2.5-8X36 on it, and it just seems to fit. I've loaded up 130ttsx over Varget at 3150fps, 150ttsx over Varget at 2850fps, 168ttsx over IMR4064 at 2750, and 200 Partitions over RL17 at 2550fps. All shot reasonably well. I wouldn't change a thing, and likely never will.

wilhelm,

That's like 10 deer combined! Impressive moose, very nice!

wilhelm,
Congrats on the moose with the .308Win.. Welcome aboard here.

Great lookin moose, and welcome to the fire

wilhem,, that's a dandy moose congrats!!

Thanks for the welcomes and congrats. Some say the Kimber Montanas can be finicky, but I couldn't be happier. The rifle shoots well enough for my uses, and they have a lot to offer for the way we tend to hunt...either on snowmachine or four-wheeler bouncing around with the rifle slung over your shoulder, or hiking miles to get into places.

Thanks for all the replies this is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Keep em coming! I did not realize that the kimber was so popular in Alaska. That says a lot about how tough they are. As luck would have it I just missed the exact set up I asked about in the classifieds the other day. However I did get to speak with Heavybarrel which was a very enjoyable experience. Lots of good people here!

One heck of a bull!

My .308 Montana wears the Kimber factory rings, and is topped with a VX-2 2-7. My gun loves a 165 gr Accubond with 45.5 gr of RL 15. My last group was a ragged one holer that I haven't measured yet.

Mine is about the same: VX-2 2-7x33, kimber bases, !ow rings. The only change I'm considering is to switch to leupold dual dovetail bases/rings. (But haven't checked yet to see if they're available for the 84) I've put the DD bases on a couple of other rifles and really like the simplicity and (at least to my logic) increased strength.

I was on the hunt for that rifle as well. If I hadn't been hunting, I likely would have taken it. But another will come along.

Wow +P+!!! Fine bull there! Makes me feel way overgunned using my 308 with 150 TSX to take this whitetail.....

That' the thing about the .308 Win....I feel comfortable with it for big, or small. Nice buck!