Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber Montana 8400 vs New Model 70 extreme weather both in 300 win mag

Winchester

Rick,...well.....nothin'! It's these other guys what did it!

The Kimber is a nice little M70 clone..I like them.....but forced to make a choice? No contest.....

I do think that new 84L is about the nicest-looking factory rifle I have seen in awhile, though.And there ain't a better looking,nicer-feeling 257 Roberts ever been made than the Kimber....but in a 300 Win Mag I would go outta my way to have the M70.

300 WM Winchester
300 WSM Kimber

Guys, thanks for the feedback....I am leaning towards the Model 70. It fits me really well and I have really not heard anything bad about the new Model 70 regarding accuracy out of the box. I have owned .300 win mags before and have dies etc for one. No problem with recoil for me in the past. Now I have to decide which rifle to sell to fund this one!

New Extreme is best factory effort I've seen since the mid 80's.
Winchester!!!

Montana! It's 7.5lbs with Talley UL, 3.5-10x40 & 4 rounds in. And Model 70 EW weights are not accurate(more than quoted), Kimber weight is true!

[quote=340Wby] Why have the copycat when you can have the real thing.........?



WINCHESTER

Like the 84s,...not so much the 8400s.

The Winchester in .300 winnie would be fine rifle indeed.

I have owned a couple Montanas and thought they were great, however, I had the chance to play with one of the new W E and I must say that I would definitely go with the W E. I like the Kimber 84s, but not thrilled with the feel of the 8400.

Lou

Lou what was it about the 8400's feel didn't you like? The way the gun felt and handled or how the action ran?

Dober

Bob, I like the new FN's but I just like Montana's that much more.
First & foremost for me is 'light with balance'. And I do also think Kimber have a better 3 position safety(crisper & feels more precise).
What FN need to do is go back to the 'custom shop' Edge stock with blind mag. Then we have something special, IMO. Although I do still think Montana stocks have the edge(tougher & lighter) over the Edge. Just don't quote me on that

340, I am just mostly busting them a bit

I agree the stock on the Kimber is better.Actually there is not much on a Kimber that I do not like,as I have always felt the design of the rifle is just great....but I just have not had the same results between the two rifles;the 4 FN Winchesters I have shot(both wood and EW have been just superbly accurate for a hunting rifle....I mean like what you pay custom for....whereas I have not been as happy with the Kimbers.there have been issues for me.

I have ben looking at a little classic Kimber in 243,and love the feel of the little rifle.

I'm hearing you brother. I too have had my share of troubled Kimbers early in the peace. But from what I can see(& hear now), they look & feel superb, especially for the $.

O yeah 100% agree, those FN's are very accurate & extremely well priced.

Those classics are dandy's! I have to talk myself out of a 7-08 every week, but my $$$ are going into 2 others ATM. When these are done......

I'm one of those that finds the 8400 LA (300 WM) a bit unbalanced (I prefer the SA WSM version), but everyone's built differently and what feels "right" to one buy may not to another. There's no denying for me though, I think the Kimber's construction and finish is better than the extreme weather M70 from nearly any conceivable POV and is definitely a lighter rifle to boot.

This is a slam dunk queation. WINCHESTER!!! No doubt! I'll never own another POS Kimber anything again. My pre-64, mod. 70, .270 Win. gives easy 1" groups all day long - it was made in 1953. My POS (aka Kimber), doesn't group any 150 gr. bullet consistantly with any powder combo I've tried. I think I've finaly found an acceptable load with 130 gr. Partitions/NorthForks so I'll be using them.
JMHO. Good luck. Bear in Fairbanks

I've had 6 Kimbers and never a POS, though one has been more challenging than the rest. Have had well over a dozen M70's and have had many "challenging" rifles, and a couple downright POS's.

Aside, a Pre-64 M70 IS NOT today's M70 as should be obvious to anyone.

I hate jumping into the fray but for some reason many of the Kimbers that we see up here aren't the ones that you folks next to the sales department in MT see.
They have all the positive elements that Kimbers have but they have one thing wrong. It could be barrel crowning, checkering,mushy trigger, the base screws/tapping off center, or something wrong with fitting. It is just one thing that is off on them. Many of the people who see rifles as tools buy them and don't look back up here. However, rifle loonies like Bear tend to be more critical.
The guys in Anchorage seem to be more more lucky with them.

I am saying this a somebody on the FTW side of the ledge however, the last featherweight that I saw that wasn't a deluxe was kind of "doggy". The fit was there but the trigger was 6lbs and the wood looked worse than that on my 788.

I think that the best advice is to kick the tires on the gun and decide which you like. My dad always told me that you listen to how the vehicle starts up, check the tires for uneven wear, check the oil for metal shavings, check the antifreeze for junk and get most of how good the rig is.
Rifles, you check the crowning, eyeball base screws, the metal to stock fit, make sure it is all square, check the fit of the bolt, try the safety, pull the trigger and see what it does.
The whole experience can give you a better understanding of the gun and you make the decision rather than listening to somebody else and going with a money pit.

Sincerely,
Thomas

PS try a Cooper 52 while you are at it. You can find them for comparable money to the Montana 8400 if you look hard enough. It is a third player even if it isn't CRF.

I agree with Brad on the Kimber LA's(300WM 338WM etc) being a tad too long in the forend. Too long in the barrel as well. Would like to see 24" max, 23" the balance
So if a WSM was on the cards here. I would 100% go that way in a Montana!
Those new 84L's are going to be something truly special. And IMO Kimber has a 'rifle of the year' here.

Do Cooper offer a Montana style rifle. If so, weight please. Who makes their stocks. Cost. Quality & general thoughts?

The Excaliber is a bit heavier than a 8400 but it has a thicker no.2 contour barrel. You can get it in 338/06 which is a great caliber. It weighs 7.5 lbs. Cooper Arms Excaliber features a spiral fluted bolt and fluted barrel in a light dampening matte finish. The stock is made by Bell and Carlson and features an aluminum bedding block and Cooper Arms own unique color. The stock itself is constructed using a �hand lay-up� process,using a variety of �composite� materials including fiberglass, aramid fibers, graphite, epoxy gel coatsand laminating resins that is then precision milled.
Triggers on the Coopers are about 2.5 lbs and are crisp.
You need to handle one before passing judgement on them.

The thing is that their price is good.

Sincerely,
Thomas