Kimber 84M Montana 308 Win with Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x36, Federal Premium Vital Shok 165-grain Sierra GameKing BTSP factory loads, 3 consecutive shots at one target, approximately 170 yards away, and a group that measures about a hair over 1.25". What you think.........is she a "keeper" for big game hunting purposes?
Yup! Keep it & use it. Good luck. Bear in Fairbanks
"Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes." Amazingly, I've lived long enough to see a President who is worse than Carter. And finally, Gun control means using two hands.
Were the first two the top holes, that's how mine shoots. Usually two very close and the third somewhere near by.
Righto... Mine shoots like that a fair amount. Two that are very close, and the third that opens things up a bit. Hey, as a matter of fact, I had another group this morning (3-shot at 100 yards) where the first two holes were practically one single 308 diameter hole and the other was slightly less than an inch away. I had to look very hard at the first two to make sure I was really looking at one hole that two bullets passed through. The second shot was literally almost identically right through the hole of the first shot. I saw the same thing happen a few weeks ago, too, when I was shooting a few groups with 165-grain TSX's. The scary part is that I am 100% confident that my groups could be even tighter - that is, the Kimber could make them even tighter - if I personally could hold and shoot well enough to make it happen. I would love to see what it would do, also, if I could ever find the time to get out to a real range that doesn't have rickety plywood benches that shift around under the slightest pressure. I need to find a good concrete bench somewhere; either that, or do like a few on here have mentioned and try going prone to see what happens.
dshoe, good on ya. My Kimber MT 308 too shoots like a dream with the handloads I've run in it. I only shot it once at 250 yards and the group was 1.75"... not bad for such a light gun!
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
I'd be selling off a nice 7-08 Mountain Rifle to finance it, and also to stick to my "no net increase in guns dammit!!!" plan.
I too would be somewhat torn between the 7-08 and .308, but I'd probably lean towards the .308. I killed a bunch of deer with 7-08 and ended up feeling like, at least with the bullets I used (150-gn NP's) I wasn't getting the kind of dyin' that I'd prefer to see. As Brad has said, the LR (and presumably B&C) reticle matches up well with .308 so really, it comes down to recoil I guess. .308 will have a bit more.
Anyway if I get a Kimber .308 my daughter will most likely be using it anyway mostly... that 7-08 MR is earmarked for her use...
I will be selling a Kimber 84M classic in 308 to pay for the Montana, so I 'feel your pain' so to speak, Jeff!
I like the 308, but I like some of the bullets available in 0.284" diameter. I suppose it is a moot point, either one with good shot placement will kill stuff deader than a doornail...
"For joy of knowing what may not be known we take the golden road to Samarkand." James Elroy Flecker
A 308 or 7-08 in a Montana has my name on it... Just got to decide on which caliber. (OH THE HORROR!) grin
Ya know 340, a fellow in the gun industry, who is in a phenomenal position to know, told me 308's consistently out-shoot 7-08's in their factory rifles. He told me 7-08 tubes constantly give them fits in both Production and Custom Shop rifles (the other equally maddening chambering he mentioned was the 6.5x55).
Between my own 7-08 experience and other friends vs. our collective 308 experience we've found it to be true. Why that would be so I can't say.
Obviously others MMV and I'm certain many will howl at the above, but the 308 is consistently the easiest and most eager to please round I've worked with over the years.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Dang it Brad, you aren't making this any easier...
I did not know about the 7-08 accuracy issues, that is interesting.
I do know that my other Kimber in 308 shoots very nicely, is easy to load for, and the recoil is next to zilch.
Decisions, decisions...
Back before I bought mine, I was having somewhat of a tough time myself trying to decide between these two calibers. I went with the 308 for various reasons. I am glad I did, too.
Well... not to start anything... but I think if a guy has any thoughts at all about bear and elk and so on with such a rifle, the choice is clear- .308. Further I think all else equal the .308 will be a superior killer of deer over the 7mm-08.
I've killed, I think, 7 deer with 7mm-08; it works fine. I think .308 would work one notch finer.
As to the 7-08 vs 308... what one will do the other will do equally well IMO. I happen to have had a lot of years with the 308 and it's been an easy round to work with whereas the one and only 7-08 I had was a PIA.
Sorta made it a simple choice for me and I definitely wasn't disappointed by the Kimber 308... again.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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