I'm new to the forum and wanted to ask a question of some of you guys that have done lots of customizing.
I want a 30-06. The requirements are stainless,crf, 24" barrel, and a decent stock, I would prefer fiberglass. I own a steyr pro hunter in 7mm-08(Synthetic) and a 1970's model 70 in .338.
I have looked at the kimber Montana and for the money it looks like it would be hard to beat.
My other option is to find a model 70 classic stainless and restock it and possibly have to put a new trigger in it?
Am I thinking about this the right way? What other options are out there?
Thanks in advance.

Palmetto,

Welcome!

You should ask this over on the "Hunting Rifles" forum (here at the Campfire)...

I have a Montana in .325 WSM and it's a spectacularly good rifle. That said, it's not hard to find reports of bad accuracy from Kimbers. Dunno what to think. I'd buy another in a heartbeat based on my sample of one, though.

HOWEVER, I'd think twice about a Kimber in 30-06. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Kimber basically has 3 action lengths. The short action is optimized for .308-class cartridges and is much lighter than any other major manufacture's short action; they hit a home run with that one. The WSM-length action was optimized for WSM's and again, they hit a home run. However, their long action was made long enough to accomodate the .458, which is longer than it needs to be for 30-06 class cartridges... very "un-Kimber" -like in a way!

Whatever the reason, the LA Kimbers I have handled were nice feeling rifles, but lacked the magic that the SA and WSM's have. Just my opinion.

So if I were you, I'd be looking at a Montana in 300 WSM rather than 30-06. You can easily load the 300 WSM to '06 power levels if you want to, and you get a lighter, quicker rifle. And 300 WSM is here to stay.

-jeff

I really like the Montana in the short action like a 300wsm.. The 3006 in a long action Montana is not a good fit for me. I would first go to the gun shop and handle both and see what fits you best....... You can always get the 300wsm and load it down to a 3006 velocity or bump it up to full power if needed... win win to me...

Roger that. Lil Sky seems about perfect in a shorty. In the long it just somehow doesn't seem the same.

The 308 surely doesn't suck in a 30 cal. either. SKane=biased.
http://attainkarma.com/scotts/montan2_sk.jpg


Doh! BTW, Palmetto, welcome to the fire....

I have never owned a Kimber. Probably won't either.

But, a 300 WSM would be my choice, hands down, of all the 30 caliber choices available. The 308 Win is very hard to argue with but it is no 300 WSM either.

My opinion:
300 WSM = Home Run
Kimber Montana = Home Run
300 WSM + Kimber Montana = Grand Slam !

Here is a photo of my Grand Slam....

Agree with Jeff on all points. There are a couple of Kimbers still sitting across from me as I write - both WSMs. The 84M .308 is a very handy rifle but it's LOP was too short for me otherwise I'd still have it. Of the 7 (IIRC) Kimbers I've had 1 (a 270 WSM wood stocked) was a mediocre shooter, the others have all been better than avg out of the box with good handloads. The LA Kimbers I've handled - but not shot - seem much heavier than I expected and not at all as handy as the SA 84Ms OR 8400s. It was a real disappointment when I first handled a LA Kimber in 30-06, it seemed 'dead' not the lively-to-the-shoulder feel the SAs are. HR on the SAs, strike out on fit and handling IMO on the LAs.

Randy-

Dibs when you peddle it - don't think it recoils enough for a 358STA man like yourself....

And, just for the record, I'd go 300wsm if given the choice betwixed the 300wsm and .308. Just so happens that when I bought the Lil Sky in 308, I already had the 300WSM covered.

Speaking of recoil...what is the recoil like out of a 300WSM Montana??

Mike

Thanks for all the replies, that helps a bunch. Will I be able to buy all the same range of .30 cal bullets in the wsm that I can in an '06? I don't handload as of yet.
I am curious about the recoil as well?
I also found the post of all the of the"rifle blueprints" that is giving me lots of ideas as well. I've got plenty of time to put this rig together. I shouldn't need it for a hunt until Feb.
Thanks again.

Gents might consider contacting Brad here as well - he's had a couple WSM's in the Montana IIRC.

I'd not count on STA's assessment to the 300WSM recoil as I suspect he chews on tinfoil when shooting his 358 STA just for the fun of it....<grin>

The right stock design has a lot to do with felt recoil. The Lil Sky stock (although a wee short for me) is pretty darn good at pushing the recoil back and not up.

Agreed, I was quite impressed with the lack of perceived recoil from a 300 Wizzum Montana.

SKane, shoot me a price <grins> it could be yours........

As for recoil in the 300wsm Montana as said before its a great stock and very nice recoil pad cuts down on the recoil on this gun!
Lets say you are shooten a Remington M700 in 3006 with 180gr bullets it would be about the same recoil as the Montana 300wsm with 150gr bullets.....The Montana will have more muzzle jump than the 3006.

The 7 WSM Montana doesn't have recoil....

Mike, my experience has been that it's not bad at all. There's a good stock with a good recoil pad on it and the round while incredibly capable it isn't a big powerhouse so...I don't really spect it to be a kicker.

I've shot the 300 WSM in several other makes as well and same thing if a good stock design for my bod and if it has a good pad it aint no bigga deal when it comes to bump.

Bascially it's an 06 +P and an 06 is not known to be a shoulder stomper, at least in my circles.

Dober

Personally I couldn't tell the diff between the 7 and the 30 when it came to bump...pretty much like trying to sort out the diff between a 280 and an 06.

Dober

xactly....

Tinfoil, that was a good one..... I have been shooting some light load in her lately... 225gr TSX with 91gr of RL19 @ 3150fps....



Its a cupcake....

My current Montana battery is a 300 WSM and a 7-08. Both rifles have become favorites.

Recoil from the 300 WSM is surprisingly mild. I've shot a number of 30-06's that seemed to recoil more, even running pretty hot 180's.

In my 7-08, recoil is almost non-existent - almost 243ish.

For the weight, recoil is a very pleasant surprise in these rifles, IME.

DJ

Agree with Dober on the 300WSM MT recoil - very easy to manage if you're used to shooting other 300s or mediums with well designed stocks. If you want to tame it a bit more the 8400M 300WSM Classic adds some weight and reduces the recoil further.

Dang, y'all make me wish that I'd kept the one that I had...or at least shot it before I sold it. I bought one a while ago cause it was a smokin deal and sold it before I even fired it. Maybe next time!

Mike

Palmetto, whatchya planning to hunt with the rifle?

If it's deer-only I'd suggest you take a hard look at the Kimber MT in 308. For larger game the 300 WSM certainly will have an edge.

My entire "rifle battery" consists of two Kimber MT's... the Kimber Little Sky (308) and Kimber Big Sky (300 WSM):

PS, would agree with others assessment... the 30-06 Kimber is overly large proportion-wise for my tastes...

I agree with Jeff's assesment of the Kimber 30-06's. The action they are on was made for the .375 H&H and not just the shorter .458 Win! They put a spacer behind the 30-06 magazine to fill in the extra space.

The barrel on the Kimber Montana 30-06 is 24" which, in my view, is too long. The rifle weighs 6.75 lbs, just a 'featherweight'.

The 'same' rifle (with a short action instead of a Magnum length) weighs just 6.25 lbs in a WSM. Thats the one to get.

I am kind of torn about Kimbers.The 308 Montana shot good from the gitgo.My 7MM 08 would shoot 3 to 4" groups at 100 at its best.I took it in to a Gunsmith and he looked it over.Showed me the inside of the barrel with a borescope.For about 6" down the front of the tube there are chatter marks from the reamer.The crown is terrible and one of the locking luggs does not touch.So he will recrown it,hand lapp the barrel.Lap the lugs and skim bed the action.Should do the trick.By the way this rifle was made 6 mos. ago.I also have a 260 Kimber with the wood upgrade.It shoots OK,not great,just OK.I just love how these little Rifles handle,other wise they would be gone!!!!

Palmetto,
I maintain that Kimbers are still hard to beat for the money. Even though thye have gotten their share of "bad press", they fill a niche that others don't.
Not knowing what you are hunting, if the majority of your game is smaller than elk, I'd consider the Kimber Montana in .308. If an occasional elk hunt might occur, the .308 with premium bullets is still fine. The LA Kimbers are a bit "fuller feeling" and have a 24" barrel. I have one in .270 Win. and it is an excellent performer.
If you want a 30-06 on steroids, then the 300WSM Montana is the way to go. It is a trimmer package than the LA Montana's.
Hope this helps and keep us posted as to your decision.

As to recoil, I can't say how the 300 WSM recoils. But I have a .325 WSM Montana, and by all logic it should recoil a little more than a 300 WSM, right? Anyway my .325 is very shootable. Hot 200's from prone get tiresome after a while; not something you'd want to do 50 rounds every day or anything. But I really enjoy shooting it. 220's are a little much for plain fun shooting; they rattle my fillings a little, but they'd be fine for actual hunting. The 175-gn Sierra shoots like a laser from my Kimber and is a FUN practice round, very comparable to my 30-06 in recoil.

The Montana stock is a modern miracle as far as recoil reduction. It does buck pretty good though <g> (muzzle jump).

I think there's plenty of factory 300 WSM ammo out there for anything you'd want to do, but, the WSM's are very friendly calibers to reload and with the price of GOOD ammo these days, it's a great excuse to invest in the gear to reload. For ~ $250 you can get set up very nicely. That's like 5 boxes of good ammo these days!!

(Sigh)...Brad,you are SO practical......

Sort of pathetic I know...

To me when I handle the LA Montana it feels as if it's been inletted into the narrow end of a 2x4. The action sits way up inn the stock and seems a long ways out of my hands. For comparison I've the little sky in 243 and 7-08 and really like both of them.

Brad's combo is a pretty darn cool; if I were starting from scratch I could see ending up right there.

I'm too attached to my bolt rifles to be in a "starting from scratch" mode though...not gonna sell good/great rifles... so things like a 300WSM are pretty hard to justify when you have a fast, accurate 30-06 in the safe, etc.

But see, a .325 WSM was EASY to justify 'cause of how nicely it fit between my '06 and .338!

See how that works? A peep into the deranged mind of a gun nut <g>.

Hey Bob, you think if I sweet talk Brad enough he'll let me borrow that .308 to pack on the pony this Fall?

I know my horse would really appreciate it!

I dunno,Sam.He is pretty attached to that 308.After playing around with the Kimber Montana 257, I understand why folks like them.I think they are passing a new law that all Montana residents are required to own one.....where did I hear that...?

I am fighting the urge for a 270 WSM myself;not cause I luv the cartridge...just the rifle

I'd be attached as well Bob! Sweet little rifles.
First dibs once Brad gets tired of it....

Good luck fighting the urge...grin

..............

Thanks for all the replies. I already have a nice magnum rifle that shoots well. A .338 model 70.
Brad, I'm gonna have access for the next few years to a ranch in west Texas that has lots of Aoudad on it. I figure my 7mm-08 might be little light for long shots on those sheep. It's also a pretty heavy rig(steyr pro hunter).
I think I'm gonna stick with the 30-06. I played with a new ruger today and one of the new brownings. Didn't really care for either of them.
Thanks again for all the replies. I may not be able to post for the next 8-10 days. I'm headed to Cimarron, NM for elk on Saturday! It's about 1,000 miles from south Losuisiana so I have a long ride ahead of me. I'm pretty fired up!

Hey Buddy, you have fun on your Elk hunt.
HD

Not a bad cartridge at all, esp. in the 8400. They were made for each other.

I am noticing that