Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles kimber 84m varmint 22-250

Good bad or ugly ? I found a deal on one I'm working. Unfortunatly it's oh 2500 miles away and someone else is my eyes on this.

How do they shoot?

How about loads for them?

They say the trigger is adjustable, can you get it to 2.5 or maybe even 2lbs?

Anything else I should know about it?

The rifle has less then 20 rounds through it, wants 700 bucks with rings and bases. I think he put leupold rings on it, so I'll have to buy the kimber rings and bases.

This deal is coming down the pike pretty quick, any info on it would be a great help.

I have an 84m Varmint in 204 Ruger that I really like. Love the looks and feel of the rifle and it consistently shoots 39gr. BlitzKings 3/4 moa and often better.
Don't have a scale, but had no problems adjusting the trigger down to a nice light, clean break.
The price sounds like a fair price...you're not stealing it, but it appears to be a good buy.
From what I have read on Kimbers, there are a lot of really good shooting ones out there and few awful ones as well.

The rings on it must be in Kimber bases. You can use them as they are. The Kimber triggers have adjusted to a very crisp 2 lbs for me.

The big thing is how will the rifle function and shoot?? What does the seller say about that? I am not sure if the one your looking at has a wood or syn stock? If its wood does it have a nice look to it?

Why is he selling it?

I won one at a Friends of the NRA dinner - stainless fluted barrel, blued action, wood stock in .22-250. It is a very attractive rifle. It shoots well, but not as well actually, as my CZ-527 or Savage heavy barrel, both in .223. So far, it seems to like max loads of W-748 under 50 gr bullets best. I'll keep trying other loads and powders, having already tried H-380 and H-414.

Leupold has rings and bases for the 84M now. Both the same install, but the Leupold is a bit more contoured, and about ten or $20 less, depending on where bought. Had the light barrel in 84, never could get a consistent 3 shot inch, and believe had something to do with whippy barrel. Tried various glassing, free-float, nothing helped, included reloading. Fairly consistent 1 /1/2 free floated with select loads. That doesn't work here for the 'yotes at 300 plus, as uually hid in brush about 50% of time. Got to shoot through hole.

Don't know about the varmint version barrel in 22/250. I have the .223 in the varminter, fluted, is a tack driver with reloads and no slouch with known lots of commercial. Just doesn't have as much gas in the tank as the 22/250 for the 300+ stuff.

My understanding of it is, he has a 243 that he uses pretty exstensively and doesnt hunt much anymore for predators. The 243 allows him to do both predators and deer/goats. So he's opting to sell it. I just happened to find it by accident in an older dealing.

I dont know what it looks like....He's going hunting this weekend for deer. I'll try and get pics of it. He did say with factory ammo he was getting less then 1" moa but to be honest he did say it is as new with less then 20 rounds through it. And my eyes who was going to check it out and hopefully shoot it is going back home for xmas hollidays. Bad timing there really.

Personally, I would like and expect a "high-dollar" .22-250 to shoot more like 1/2-MOA and so far my 84m Varmint does not.... but mine was "free" unles you look at how much I spent on raffle tickets. (But it was still less than retial for this rifle.)

I have one that shoots 50 gr Vmax's on R15 into tiny tiny knots for 5 rounds at 100 yds, I am in no way some super shooter but i can consistently run it under 3/4" @ 100 yds for 5 rds day in day out. may have gotten lucky but mines made me very happy, hellmy ex Gf's son stepped upto shoting ti and he could run it 1-1 1/2" at 11 yo. I cant say enough good about mine all i have done is turn the trigger down to about 2.5# and its impressed me many times over and looks very nice

has anyone had any bolt problems? Namely feeding issues?

I posted on the predator boards here also and on an Alaska board where I frequent and found this to be a problem though none that I can remmeber off hand has had this issue with this rifle, all were big calibers.

As for groups. I'm sure the rifle can do it. But like my bow, I have to put in the time to find the right arrow that WILL do it. I don't mind that part. The current owner was stating that with factory ammo he's getting sub 1" groups and had not tried finding something that flew better. You figure a 3/4" group you can take a quarter (7/8" diameter) and cover it. Sure I'd like to find less then 1/2". However even the 3/4" group will be almost 3 times smaller then what I found to be with a savage that was already "shot in" and had a load for it that supposidly shot 1/4" groups.

If he got inch or less and the rifle has been shot less than 20 times, I don't consider that a proven shooter. He might be shooting some BS your way. I have seen too many rifles shoot one very good group and never repeat with the same load.Rick.

You asked for responses from people who own one, and I gave you mine. Sorry if it doesn't meet your expectations. "My rifle" has not yet shot to match a Savage or a CZ that I also own. It sounds like you have already decided, so enjoy the rifle! I hope to get mine to shoot to my expectations eventually. I plan to try RL-15 and some other powder/bullet combinations - that's my idea of fun....

Since I would like to use this gun on small targets at ranges up to 300 yards, a half-inch group at 100 yards would be 1 1/2 inches, theoretically, at 300 yards - ground squirrel head size or body width.

Ask your "eyes" if possible he can run a cotton patch through an un-lubed clean bore. Most of the new or like "new" 84s I've seen, that would NOT shoot had rough barrels from the get go, and they took considerable fouling to get consistent group of whatever size.

The 22/250 I mentioned earlier, had quite a few rds. down the barrel, and it continued to have a rough spot in front of the throating. Could not see anything visually, (no bore scope) but could sure feel it with a dry/clean barrel and cotton patch.

Can not recall any varmint, standard calibers having feed problem wih the 84 action, other than the short mags. Would think 22/250 would not have a feed issue, unless too long of a C.O.L. for magazine. Most feed issues I've seen have been with the '08 case cartridges.

Agree with ricksmith, less than 20 rds., the guy does not KNOW how it shoots groups.

Don't know your locale, but here for neighborhood of $700 to 900, depending on shop, w/rings should be able to find one 95% Blue Book.

Can tell you depends on Kimber shop "mood" as to what quality of customer help you will get. Think it has to do with inventory, shop busy or not, and just plain peevishness with customers at times.

I like the .223 in Varminter, and not that much more trouble than the lighter barrel for walking rifle. It balances and fits well for me. But, the "situation" with shop has kept me from getting 22/250 in the Varminter.

Think you might have a flip of the coin call there with your deal.

Edit: This aimed at original poster, hopefully more info for him. I clicked on wrong post for replay.

I said consitently run it under 3/4" btu should have clarified that is with decent factory loads most often WW white box. I run 36 Gr of R15 and it shoots well under 1/2" groups way too often to be a fluke, and has on several occasions shot 5 shot groups at 200 yds that could be covered with a dime. I do nto get all crazy to measure any of my groups as i hunt all of my guns and this one is more the adequate to justify the money i spent

Cal,

Quite honestly if I made up my mind I would have never asked here and keep asking questions. Heck I'm still not quite sure what rifle to get, savage rem or this kimber. If a cooper had a magazine in a 22-250 instead of all SS's, I would have been done looking a month ago.

But I do believe that with the wrong loads you're not going to remotely have an idea how it shoots.

As for my eyes, he left yesterday for home for xmas and wont return to college till mid to late january. Which means I have no eyes anymore! The local gunsmith is his buddy so asking him to give me an honest shake down of it is out.

As for finding a used quality rifle, it's like asking the wife if she minds a trio of women running around the house along side of her..umm, almost impossible .

I have no experience with either of these three rifles, fvss savage, rem vssf II or this kimber varmint. My thought is this, if I buy the savage I'll likely replace the stock brings a 700 rifle up to 1k. If I buy the rem vssf II that'll take the 950 bucks up to 1150 or 1200 (jewell), and the kimber..well quite frankly it has what it should have I think? And the price of this at 700 is quite good I think also? Am I off? If you had to pick one of these three which would you choose and why?

AKdan if you decide to pass ont he 84m drop me a pm with contact info for the seller. My gf wants one now and i will buy it

Will do Mallard. My pops and lil bro are going to check it out for me tomorrow....

If I dont get it I'm going with the vssf II in 22-250.

This Kimber is mine and it's been sitting in my gun safe for a few years. Like Dan said, I don't do much varmint hunting anymore. I bought it new, shot it some and put it away. I use my Rem. 700 VLS 243. I don't like the idea of dinging up the Kimber. My hobby is guns, I have a number of guns that I've bought, never fired and put'em in the safe. I'm now having a couple of custom rifles built, so it's time to get rid of some that aren't used. One post said I was shooting some "bull", well, I don't do that. Happy holidays to all. Ron