I'm interested in getting one, for those of you that have one or owned one what were the pros and cons. Calibers would be 308,30-06 or 270.
I have had five. All were easy to find moa loads for. All had smooth actions. All had lovely wood, with some being stunning. All are light. All the triggers were just great. There is NOTHING not to like about these classic rifles. I just love them.
I have owned quite a few. Both 8400 in the WSMs, and 84L and 84M.
All were accurate. One in 270WSM maybe wasn't, but I never shot it enough to really find out, so maybe it would have come around.
The 84M and 84L are both a dream to carry and they handle beautifully. To me, they handle better than the Montana.
(warning: make sure the 30-06 or 270 is an 84L. There are still some 8400 versions floating around, and they are not nearly as nice.)
They are the lightest factory wood stocked rifle available, and the stock is very nice, with nice fine 20LPI cut checkering and steel bottom metal and grip cap.
The action is scaled to exactly fit the range of cartridges (minimized) which is why the weight is so low. The adjustable trigger is as good as it gets from the factory too.
Handle one, and then handle the competition. You'll be sold.
I would buy the 30-06 Huntz has in the classifieds. In fact, I just might.
Thanks for the replies pretty much what I thought
are the barrels floated
The barrels are floated but a large percentage of new ones I've looked at in various shops have forends warped enough that barrels are often contacting wood near the forend tip.
That said, I have a Classic and a Classic Select purchased used that have straight forends with barrels centered in the channel. They are usually the rifles I grab first when heading out - the light weight and nice handling have spoiled me.
I like them also. They have treated me very well..
Is the super America worth the $$$?
I have 2 and 1 Classic Select. Love them. I like them better than the Montana's I have, but I prefer wood over synthetics.
One of them is an 84L in 30-06 with some really nice wood. That one is still a box waiting to get setup.
Going through the standard check list has produced some stellar shooters in my experience.
I have a Classic Select in .257 Roberts. I've not shot it a lot, but so far it has shot well. In contrast to a 7mm-08 Montana, which had a joke of a barrel, until I had Pac-nor replace it. It's now excellent. New Kimbers are supposed to have accuracy guarantees, and are probably fine.
For the past 25 years or so, I have generally gravitated towards stainless/synthetic hunting rifles. However, I have purchased two Select Classics (30-06 and 280 AI) recently and they have exceeded all of my performance expectations. They are just dandies... CP.
A pair of 84m 308's,SuperAmerica and threaded Montana. Currently out of Classics but have had a few and they are excellent. I like the Classic Selects especially.
Very nice I like the dark grained wood.
I have an 84L Classic 30-06. Very accurate with factory ammo. Nice to carry. Fitted with Talley LW lows.
Due to a safe accident, dehumidifier tipped over and caused damaged muzzle, I had it shortened to 23" and rust blued. I like it even better now!
I have one. It's an 84-M Classic in .308 Win. A great rifle, I think anyone would be happy owning it or one like it.
I've got a couple classics, a couple select grades and a Montana. If you want wood, I'd pony up a couple extra bucks and get the select grade. Its easily worth it.
Classic in 308 and classic select in 257 Roberts.
Easily my favorite rifles. Perfect size. Classic looks. Both bought used. Both shoot very well. Last two I'll likely get rid of.
Yesterday I stopped by an oddball place where the wife sells bird supplies and the husband sells guns and optics he had a 308 classic with moa card in darker grain wood for $1099.00 he also had a 7mm 08 stainless classic select with moa card and darker grain wood for $1299.00 has Kimber corrected the 7mm barrel issue ? I liked them both and I'm not a long range hunter so both calibers would fit for me in that aspect.
I'm a tree o eight slut so I'd pounce. The classic stocks are usually darker because they don't use French Walnut like the selects do. You'll occasionally find a Select with dark walnut that isn't French. I've owned one. They're basically SuperAmerica blanks I believe. Anyway that's a decent price on the 308. I'm partial to the M size action. It just fits best with such a slim, light gun to use the short action IMO.
I have a Classic Select in .257 Rob and really like it.
The trigger is great and it's shooting very nicely with a stand-by load that's done well on a couple other Bobs.
After shooting much, much heavier rifles this was trickier to get the hang of. I like it a lot tho!
nice looker efw. Yes they take a bit of getting used to the lack of weight, but once you do it's hard to go back to heavies isn't it?
I bought this .25-06 from a member here, mounted up a Leupold VX3 CDS 3.5-10x40 in Leupold rings & Kimber bases.
Yesterday I stopped by an oddball place where the wife sells bird supplies and the husband sells guns and optics he had a 308 classic with moa card in darker grain wood for $1099.00 he also had a 7mm 08 stainless classic select with moa card and darker grain wood for $1299.00 has Kimber corrected the 7mm barrel issue ? I liked them both and I'm not a long range hunter so both calibers would fit for me in that aspect.
I like the ebony forend tip, so the regular classics don't quite do it for me.
If you like the look of it, I'd buy that Classic Select Stainless (I have one in 280AI).
The 7mm barrel issues are long over.
And they don't make the Classic Select Stainless anymore, so it will always be in demand if you ever want to sell it.
The price is right too.
I bought this .25-06 from a member here, mounted up a Leupold VX3 CDS 3.5-10x40 in Leupold rings & Kimber bases.
I bought this .25-06 from a member here, mounted up a Leupold VX3 CDS 3.5-10x40 in Leupold rings & Kimber bases.
Glad you like it my friend. It's a beautiful rifle.
84L
280AI
Classic Select
I had a Longmaster .308 (stainless, fluted barrel) that was the most accurate rifle I ever owned. Lost it to financial necessity while putting a child through college.
Couple of years back, my LGS had a SS Classic .30/06 in the rack. It was a stunning piece, with lovely wood and excellent detailing. If I ever see another, I might violate my no more rifles pledge.
Saw one at a gun show in 338 federal. Still kicking myself for not getting it
84L
280AI
Classic Select
I keep telling myself I'm going to take an 84l and rebarrel to 7x57. That one might be the ticket.
I have a 257 roberts, I really like the gun, it has been accurate, reliable and a fun gun to hunt with, I have the 308 in the montana skin and like it as well.
I sure am glad to hear people are liking their Kimbers. I had a Montana .308 once and sort of regret selling it. It shot great as well. Nowadays, I'm gravitating more towards the wooden stocks and just love the ebony tip fore ends, so I'd be looking at the selects.
Another ugly Roberts that also shoots real well.
Piece of crap 280 ackley that if you do you're part will do a 1/2" and better than that if you're really trying.
Have a .223 Montana as well that shows a lot of promise, haven't shot it much though. Did did all of shortactions tweaks on the .223.
I had an 84L Select in 30-06 for a time. I liked everything about the gun except for the fact that it was too pretty to hunt with. It handled and shot like a dream but I had guns better suited for the abuse of actual hunting so we parted ways. I also had a Montana in .308 that was a great rifle - I just had no particular use for a .308 so it too went down the road. I could see myself with a Montana again in the future though.
IMO easily the best
looking factory rifle out there,although I admit to being less than thrilled with all the Kimbers I have owned.
I would say that I am running about 50%-60% on them out of a dozen or so in various permutations. I know it's not "me" and an inability to soot light rifles; if that were so none of them would have shot well and that is not the case. Soem have been really good.
They were all gone and then I bumped into this Select in 257 Roberts and bought it despite having dumped another that shot like crap. So far this one seems far better behaved.
For me,no Kimber will ever replace a M70 but this is a nice, light rifle that balances well,and so far shoots good too.Function is very good. It isn't hard to look at either.
I like it.
This is what it does so far for 5 shots with 46-H4350-100 BT,the first hand load I tried in it. Too early to tell but I think I can get the 100 NPT to do about the same thing.
Bob that kimber looks nice, and looks to have some potential. I have to tell you with a little help from you, I now have a model 70 xtr in 257 Roberts that is a inch shooter. Thanks again Bob!
winchester glad you finally found one that you like!
IMO easily the best looking factory rifle out there
Agree completely.
IMO they are a bit like a 700MR, but a lot nicer.
Looks like you got a dandy!
Whelen Away: This looks to be a good one. I shot it field prone at 300 yards earlier this week and slopped 3 into 3". That was with 100 gr NPT.
I have a bunch of empty brass that I'll load up with BT's. The rifle seems to like that bullet.
At any rate the rifle is a lot more agreeable than earlier ones Ive owned but this is the first one with that Guarantee accuracy tag hanging from it...so maybe they are paying more attention these days.
The barrels are floated but a large percentage of new ones I've looked at in various shops have forends warped enough that barrels are often contacting wood near the forend tip.
That said, I have a Classic and a Classic Select purchased used that have straight forends with barrels centered in the channel. They are usually the rifles I grab first when heading out - the light weight and nice handling have spoiled me.
The forends are very thin causing them to be more prone to this. I have corrected this before and no longer let it bother me as long as still free floating.
An easy way to correct it is to physically push the end of forend over past center. Once there I put a couple cleaning patches between barrel and forend to hold it. Set rifle in cabinet for a couple months and it'll keep most of that shape once patches are removed. It'll spring back some which is why I go past center. If your rifle has an ebony tip go place your patches just below it so as not to stress that joint.
IMO easily the best
looking factory rifle out there,although I admit to being less than thrilled with all the Kimbers I have owned.
I would say that I am running about 50%-60% on them out of a dozen or so in various permutations. I know it's not "me" and an inability to soot light rifles; if that were so none of them would have shot well and that is not the case. Soem have been really good.
They were all gone and then I bumped into this Select in 257 Roberts and bought it despite having dumped another that shot like crap. So far this one seems far better behaved.
For me,no Kimber will ever replace a M70 but this is a nice, light rifle that balances well,and so far shoots good too.Function is very good. It isn't hard to look at either.
I like it.
This is what it does so far for 5 shots with 46-H4350-100 BT,the first hand load I tried in it. Too early to tell but I think I can get the 100 NPT to do about the same thing.
Looks like a keeper!!
I have a M84 superamerica in .243 that has arguably one of the nicest pieces of wood I've ever seen. It's got a Zeiss conquest on it and only 40 shots through it. It's a real shooter. I'm thinking of selling it because I have more rifles than I have room for and know I'll never hunt with it. Too pretty... It's as new with box etc.
I'm thinking $2,200 with the optics.
Any interest?
Whelen Away: This looks to be a good one. I shot it field prone at 300 yards earlier this week and slopped 3 into 3". That was with 100 gr NPT.
I have a bunch of empty brass that I'll load up with BT's. The rifle seems to like that bullet.
At any rate the rifle is a lot more agreeable than earlier ones Ive owned but this is the first one with that Guarantee accuracy tag hanging from it...so maybe they are paying more attention these days.
Seems like they got that one right.
I just took delivery on a Montana in 6.5CM
It was used (2-weeks, and 20 rounds) and the owner said it shot better than anything else in his safe. Mostly 1/2"-3/4" in that first box of 143gr Hornady ELDX. But he said he was a 30 caliber guy and after the way this one shot he just wanted to buy a Montana in 308. Hoping it shoots as well for me.
I wish it was a Classic Select though. I appreciate the utility of synthetic, but I
love a rifle with nice wood.
When they finally make the 6.5CM in a Classic Select, maybe I'll make a trade. Or if this one shoots that good, maybe I'll just buy one outright.
BTW . . . the barrel on my 6.5CM Montana seem closer to 21" than to the 22" stated on the Kimber website. I am ok with that.
I only measured it because the rifle seemed about 4" shorter than my 24" 7RM sitting in the safe next to it.