Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Montana range report, good and bad.

I figured out holding the forearm firmly on one of my first MT's... works for me. A sub 6lb rifle at the bench is different than a 7lb or 8lb rifle, at least it is for me as a mortal.

The FOUR big things for the MT after owning a small pile:

1). Tune the trigger... lighter is better. Go 2.5 lbs (hint), and certainly no more than 3 lbs.

2). Shoot it in a good rest (I like Protektor sand filled leather bags) and hold the forearm firmly. I've personally never found any merit in the towel under the forearm idea.

3). At the least, bed the forward receiver, lug (I tight bed the lug), and under the chamber, to end of barrel shank. I prefer to bed the entire action to the end of the barrel shank. Some MT's respond very well to bedding, with others I've not found it mattered. I've bedded everyone of the 15 or 16 I've had.

4). Experiment with a variety of bullets and powders. Don't get fixated on one bullet weight or style/make. Stay flexible. Of the Montana's I've owned only a couple shot most everything well. Most shot some bullets well, and a few were very picky and would only group a couple well. I never had a MT I couldn't find one bullet that would go moa.

I did not see any reference to the barrel, are Kimber's floated from the factory?

I have shot a number of 700's with the factory speed bumps removed, the barrel confirmed to be floating and the action cranked down tight in the tupperware stock, most shot very good.

Yes they are, or they're supposed to be. Some aren't centered very well though.

I was actually picturing that as I typed my last post, but didn't want to say it. Makes me cringe!!! Some of these guys are old enough to know better too.

It sounds like you're not using a rear bag and having a little trouble taking yourself out as one of the variables. May have been mentioned, but a rear bag will help a lot in isolating the rifle.

Thegman. A rear bag is a "no brainer". Lets hope he's using one

Funny, these Savage haters. I've owned a bunch of rifles and still own quite a few. I've had to do excessive work on a bunch of very expensive rifles in order to get them to shoot MOA, and I've had a few shoot MOA or less out of the box on our first date. One thing I have learned, is that you can do worse than a Savage fairly easily, spending over twice as much moolah. Ugly? Well, yes, to some and even to me. But the couple I own shoot very well with nothing more than a load work up. I have a 308 bedded in the crappy factory plastic that will shoot .5 with multiple loads and bullet weights. Excellent truck and barn guns IMO.

Op,

Bed your Montana as many with knowledge have said. In 24 hrs, it will shoot consistently with all loads, and once you find a load It likes, MOA when you do your part...with the forearm in the rest and your off hand under the butt.

I use a pillow from bed bath and beyond and the hood of my truck like real men are supposed to do!

Ha ha, you are a crack up buddy. TFF... I'm thinking about going to the range. Things are getting pretty deep here...

Let us hope he is using the proper barrel donuts!

Har. Where's the pic of my Montana?

Here you go...

NOW --I've seen it all .........

I always wondered if those barrel donuts really work..

Back to the topic at hand... one thing I forgot to mention and that I've seen consistently with MT's, they definitely "settle down" with upwards of 100 rounds through the barrel. Undoubtedly, a guy can speed up the process with a "barrel break-in" but that sort of fussyism doesn't interest me. I just run rounds and clean every so often. Once I get north of 2-300 rounds I rarely clean inside 50+ rounds... or at least I let the barrel tell me what to do.

Just a thunk...

Don't worry Brad, I already mentioned barrel break in. The way I break them in is SHOOT them!!!!

I've only owned two Kimber Montanas. One 300wsm and one in 308. Both were a cinch to shoot off a bench with rest. The lil .308 I had was the most accurate(bench) rifle I'd ever owned. Notice I said "were" and "was" and "I'd".

I now have a Sako A7 that truimps the lil .308 off the bench.

The Montana's I owned were much much more difficult to shoot offhand than from a bench with rest. And the A7 never disappoints.

I do totally plan on owning a .308 Montana again. But for now I'm way good..

Thank god none of those were Maple Bars. That would of been a total waste of a good donut..

I'm wondering if the donuts help keep the barrel cool?

No they don't although I thought the same thing when I bought them. Oh and forget about �clairs. No bueno.

I always, get the munchies when shooting...so they helped a lot there!