Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Took a Plunge into the Kimber Roulette Today

Well I found one of the newer model green stocked Kimber Montana’s in 6.5 Creedmoor 22” threaded barrel on Armslist that was for sale at a local pawn shop that sells a lot guns on Armslist. I went Monday to look at it and the thing looked like new. It had Talley fixed mounts and rings (which I’m not a fan of) and a VX3i 2.5-8x36 with a B&C reticle. The whole package appeared to have seen very little use. I worked a 48 hr shift tues and wed and thought well if it’s still there on Thursday maybe I’ll pull the trigger. So today I went there and sure enough it’s still there. I wheeled and dealed a little and got the price down and snagged it. Got the whole package for less than the rifle alone cost. Brought it home today, disassembled it , and cleaned it. Nothing has been done to the bedding the barreled action slides back and forth in the lug channel. The mag box was bound up, and the trigger needed adjusted, took care of those things. I’m a little relieved that nothing has been touched in an effort to manipulate accuracy. Gonna bed the lug tonight and shoot it tomorrow, hopefully it shoots! Kind of scary buying a used rifle like this that I can’t confirm how it shot so it’s a little risky. Pawn shop guy said the guy brought in 3 high end Kimber rifles all with scopes on them and needed cash, they couldn’t buy all of them kind of out of their normal pricing of used guns but he knew people have an affection to the 6.5 creedmoor so he bought this one. Stay tuned.

Good luck on your spin at the wheel and keep us posted on how she functions and shoots......Hb

She’s bedding now. I initially planned on selling the 2.5-8x36 and putting different glass on it but man this is such a handy little package with that light scope on it. Seriously feels like a toy! Be interesting to see if the b&c reticle works with the 6.5 creed, be nice to have a simple setup with no dialing if it works.

The B&C reticle will work just fine with it.

You are going to be very happy with that rifle and setup. Most of my glass is Leu. VX2 2-7X33, but one of my Kimber Montana's has a VX3 2.5-8X36 on it. Fantastic scope. I'm not a turret clicker nor a BDC user, I just zero mine 1 1/2 to 2" high at 100yds. and hold dead on as far as I can shoot comfortably. I guess I'm to old to change that now.
5 Kimbers so far and zero issues.
I can't wait to hear how yours is shooting.

Yeah that VX3 2.5-8 makes for a handy dandy little package, I have the same scope with a duplex reticle on my Subalpine 30-06 and your right, its so light it feels like a toy......Good luck at the range.....Hb

great gun good luck

Well it appears I’m good to go. Only ammo I shot was factory 143 ELDX’s. Not a lot of precision to my results and the range was packed with loud boomers so I pulled a few. Function was perfect as far as cycling and feeding. Now it’s time to work up some handloads. I’m also gonna sell the 2.5-8x36 and go a different direction with glass.

10 shots at 100 yards with a little cooling between sets, barrel was really hot even with some cooling.

Can't complain too much about that.

Looks like minute of Elk to me.

Keeper.

Yeah no complaints from me, there’s plenty of potential there for reloads to make the group much mo purty! I had a Tikka in 6.5 Creed last year and it shot the factory 143’s about the same.

Impressive with factory ammo. You are on your way.

Looks like she has got potential, id say you can tighten up that group with very little effort at your reloading bench....keep us posted on your progress....Hb

Nice find, it looks like it has potential with the 143n ELDx. I have the 84M MT .308, I agree they do feel like 'toy' guns when you handle them. So nice to carry though.

Looks good Roland. I have had great luck with my Montana 6.5CM too. I have most setup with 3-10x40 - that's all I need for hunting big game.

I think that’s what I’m gonna put on it Joe. I ran the 2.5-8 on big kickers in AK but I think the 3.5-10x40 would be just the right fit. Might even go with a vx2 3-9x40. This gun is soooooo light and I don’t want to change that. C’mon classifieds!!

Nice find, I somehow ended up with 2 Kimber Hunters in 6.5cm this year and wish they were Montanas. I am thrilled/surprised at how well they shoot. Both shot the Hornady 140gr bulk match loads into groups like yours above. I had so so results reloading Hornady 129gr and great results with Sierra 130gr gamechangers in the scoped Hunter. I have an Aimpoint on the other for woods hunting and use the Sierra 140gr GKs, not really sure how accurate the load is because it has the red dot but I can get the accuracy guarantee with the right target. I have an older Ruger in 6.5 swede that has a great walnut stock but feels like a heavy club compared to these Kimbers and I can get better field accuracy with the Kimbers. I am guessing you will love that Montana in the field.

Perfect scope for the gun....

My Montana 308 has been an excellent gun, I’d like to get one in 6.5 as well. Nice score.