Just wondering how you liked it afterward. How is the balance? Is it any handier in the thick stuff? How bad is the muzzle blast? Any concern over velocity lost?

It's my latest idea for a light, fast handling brush gun. I have been wanting a 358 win. I thought of picking up a 308 Montana and chopping it to see how that works for me with plans to possibly re-barrel to 358 win later.

I did it on a 7/08. I felt it made much handier

Never chopped a Kimber, but I have had a slew of bolt rifles with 20-inch barrels, mostly Remington 700s, but a few push-feed Winchester 70s and a couple of Mausers were included. Only three cartridges were represented: .243 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington and .308 Winchester.

They are handier, both in a truck and a saddle scabbard, as well as carried in your hands or on your shoulder. Improvements in "pointability" varied. Synthetic stocked rifles seemed better than those stocked with wood. Muzzle blast was noticeably increased over 24" barrels, but not objectionably so. I couldn't tell much difference between the 20" and 22" barrels, either at the bench or in the field.

Hope this helps.

I did it to a Kimber Montana in 308 Winchester and it turned out great. It was easier for me to handle in a couple of tower stands with the shorter barrel as well as getting in and out of vehicles. I didn't notice much increase in noise because I always wear hearing protection. The flash wasn't noticeable either before or after the cut. Accuracy was just as good after the cut as it was before. I'd do it again in a second.

Not a Kimber, but I had a Remington Model 722 in .308 chopped from 24 inches to 21 inches for use in a tower stand. Much handier, and no objectionable increase in muzzle flash or noise.

When John Gallagher was building my custom 7mm-08 he suggested I run it with a 21" barrel. He said if I was building a 308 that he could cut the barrel at 18" or 20" and it would perform fine.

Plenty of Kimber Adirondacks out there with 18" factory tubes that folks seem to be pretty happy with...grab one at your LGS and see what you think of the balance. Cabela's has the Kimber hunter at $100 off and I was considering grabbing a 308 and doing the same thing...

Yes sir! Cut both my and my wife's .308 Montanas back to 20".

Alaska, I like your open sight set up there. I've done some rifles the same way with the talley/NECG stuff. How do you find the kimber stock works with the open sights?

To the OP, I've got an Adirondack with the 18" barrel and find it quite pleasant to shoot. I'm getting a bit over 2800 with sanely loaded accubond 150s.

Anyone know how much barrel the threads take up on the new Montana rifles?

Just measured: 1/2" on the Adirondack. I imagine the Montana would be the same.

What kind of sights are those?

Thanks.

A 20 inch barreled 308 is about the most pragmatic general-purpose hunting rifle for big game a guy could own.

18" is fine for a 308...21" seems about right to me, but instead of re-barreling to 358, I'd just run 150 Barnes or 200 gr bullets in the 308...either one is a hard hitter...the 200 AB is good near and far.

There are so many good bullet choices in 30 cal to dial in range and whatever terminal performance one might desire that it's hard to pick just one...it takes a lot of self discipline.

But then I reload...

Thing about the Kimber 84M Montana is it's already so darn short (because of its petite action) I really can't see the need to make it much shorter, and I say that as a person who had to go to a 12 step program for carbine addiction.

I've had 308's with 18.5, 19, 20, 22, 24, and 28" barrels... 21, or no more than 22", are my favorite, and I'd not go shorter than 21" with the Montana. Its balance is about perfect as is.

I notice on Lanche's wife's fine modified 308 with a plated NECG front sight (I think)... the sights bit of weight helps to compensate for the balance lost chopping off 2" of barrel. I'd also offer that Lanche's wife's size enters into the barrel length equation (IIRC she's not especially tall/fairly pettite).

Anyway, balance is king and I'd be slow to start chopping the barrel. My 19" 308 started as an M70 Fwt with a 22" barrel... if I had it to do over again I would have left it at 22" and installed the same open sights. In fact, I finally located another SS M70 Fwt 308, and its 22" barrel will stay that length and get open sights.

Brad,I agree with you for most situations. I have other rifles that even fit me better than my current Montanna in 7mm-08. This one is to be a specialty rifle for hunting the really thick stuff,briers and all kinds of creepers interlaced in the cane thickets along the Alabama creek bottoms. Shots will be fast and close but the length is mostly to move easier through those thickets.

In all honesty this isn't a need based project, thus the 358 win consideration. It's mostly about scratching an itch and trying something a little different. I don't own any carbines,and I've never really liked lever actions. This project is to create a similar handling rifle in a very light weight bolt action.

Sometimes people shorten the barrel to increase accuracy.

RH, I get it. I just don't think it really amounts to much. But go for it! I just wouldn't do less than 20".

20" is what I want to try. I might get the 308 and have it shoot so good I don't even fool with it. 2" probably won't make much difference. It's just something I want to try.

I like it a lot actually. Super quick and handy. I have since got it ported as well through the front barrel band which looks pretty slick and tames the sub 5 pound all up rifle and makes it more manageable as this is my summer carry backpack gun now for bear protection. A 200 grainer at 2500 fps ain't too bad but it thumped pretty good.

Like PAbucktail called its a NEGC barrel banded front sight and then Talley QD bases (I do have a scope setup for it but likely will never use it for this application as I have a Kimber Montana in 338-06 I use as my regular hunting setup) and a Talley peep.

Actually this is my rifle I decided to trick out for a short range option in dense woods or my summer backpack carry bear protection. My wifes .308 still just wears a standard VX-2 3-9 and she has killed quick a bit with it including a 9.5' brown bear this spring.

That is a slick looking setup with the NECG's. I have or have had multiple 7mm-08's and 308's in 18"-21", all balanced, handled and shot great. The velocity loss is much less than expected. Other than a couple of Remington 600's at 18", I find 20" about perfect.

AL,
When bringing the gun up to your shoulder, do you find it easier to find the sights with the higher front? What height did you use?

I don't remember the height I selected. My gunsmith ordered the front sight. But it shoulders fast seems to got on target fast with a good cheek weld on the stock. But I will say I am thinking of using 180 swift sciroccos as my do all in the 308. Should retain as much or more weight than the 200 NPTs I have been loading and I can shoot those at 2650 fps out of the 20" barrel rather than the 2500 fps I was getting out of the 200 grain NPT. They both shoot right at an inch which is plenty given the distances I shoot from on game.

Lanche, yours is a fine looking rifle, perfect for its purpose.

BTW, don't you guys know a 308 is marginal on everything, especially Brown bear?

Congrats to your wife... 9.5' is the real deal.

RH, years back Finn Aagaard did an article on chopping a 308 Israeli Mauser from 22", to 20", to 18.5" and chronographing the results. His results mirror what I've found over the years.

Here's the salient stuff from the article:

I do think that the Montana balances more neutrally when cut to 20". I find the balance ever so slightly muzzle-weighted in factory guise when using a lightweight scope.

You guys just reminded me I have a new 308 Montana on layaway I need to pick up. I have a model 7 SS with a 20" barrel that shoots great with 155 scenars at 2850. I'll see how the Montana does but I'll leave it at 22" if it shoots. I like the way the montanas feel as is.

Bb

The emphasis on rifle "balance" cracks me up, I bet 99 out of 100, especially here, don't pull the trigger unless the stock is on a tripod, rock, tree, backpack, bipod or shooting sticks.

I would be number 100. Most of the deer I kill are jumped deer. I didn't hunt much last year but the year before 3 of the 4 I killed were killed while I was standing,shooting at moving deer.Two of them weren't at an all out run though.