Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber 35 Whelen? Yes it is listed.

Would depend on the type of mold they have, but I've seen 3 part molds that could be 'relatively' easy to convert.

The two side pieces would stay the same, and a new top could be made for a larger barrel channel. The top piece molds the action inlet and barrel channel. Bansner used this type at one time...no idea if that is current or not.

If they built a 35 Whelen MT I'd be an owner ASAP.

I ain't man enough to want to try that one!

It probably wouldn't be a favorite range gun. Put a hurt on some animals though.

Wouldn't be hard to like...kinda wish they had spent the R&D money on one of those rather than the Ascent.

+1

With its heavier no.2-3 barrel it'd go over 7lbs all-up weight. Should be no big deal.

If, they did that, put GOOD irons on it and it held 4+1, functioned like a P-64 Mod. 70 and shot like one, as well, I would jump at the chance to own and use one and a mate to it in .25-06.

However, I have met several Kimber buyers here in Vancouver, who had issues with the rifles that they purchased and given the border issues with warrantee work, I am inclined to pass on buying a Kimber.

Maybe, someday, our respective governments will change this to allow Canadians and Americans to deal in sporting guns across the border easily and simply....and, our taxes will be wisely spent, as well................

Bullschitt!

Not sure how current you are, but I would suspect any problem Kimber could be returned to Korth Group and they would take care of it for you...they have been the distributor for a few years now.

Yeah, I know, have met Terry and some of his staff and just spoke with them last month concerning a Caprivi .416 that caught my interest. I subsequently was shown the rifle at one of the Vancouver gunshops where they shipped it and, frankly, with dozens of highend rifles in my three gunsafes, I was not impressed for $3895.00 retail.

I had three Dakotas here last month as well and all of them were FAR superior in fit and finish to this Kimber and so far, I have yet to see a Kimber that I wanted to own. I had a couple of the Oregon rifles, had some 'smithing done on them and they were nice enough, but, I would hesitate to buy another based on what I have seen with my rifles and those of friends.

Korth told me how slow it is to get them and I am not one to buy a rifle that I will then have to return for adjustments as I prefer to spend the coin "up front" and get a rifle that works as I want mine to. YMMV, just what I have seen, so far.

No comparison between a Dakota and a Kimber IMO...

Wow. Not sure of pricing in your neck of the woods, or if the 416 version extracts a big premium, but the 375H&H Caprivis I have seen tend to be $2500-2600.

Maybe it would look better at 2/3 the price of a Dakota.

But for me, an 84L in 35 Whelen at about $1100 is a no-brainer.

Yes, Terry told me the same thing. I guess the point was that you wouldn't need to send it across the border by yourself should a problem occur. Recently, I've had to send a NIB Ruger in for recall work, and of course there was the huge TC Venture recall...both were fixed in Canada. Kimber isn't the only one that has problems.

But regardless, be honest, what new gun are you buying in the Kimber price range (we were talking 84L Montana here) that is free from defects? Also, what is available with the same features and weight? Very little is the answer to the first question. Nothing is the answer to the last.

And yes, I agree, I've had/have a Dakota, Brno 21/22's, Md 70 pre 64's and they are wonderful...but the Dakota is 3-4x as much and the other 2 haven't been made for close to 50 years....and still, they really aren't in the same niche as the Kimber. I did have a sour 84M Classic in 7mm-08, but I'm willing to risk another one...seems a lot of people on here have had good luck with theirs....all the crap couldn't have been sent to Canada.

WhelenAway, the price is Canadian retail and we always pay more for US-made guns than you do in the States.

I am just trying to make the point here that, from what I have seen with a few dozen Kimbers, I am not confident in buying one for MY uses. I have no desire to influence anyone else as to what they should/should not purchase.

dj, at this time, I would choose a FN-made Model 70 over anything commonly available new in BC's gunstores. I am not trying to compare the classic rifles you refer to or the costly, but, basically sound Dakotas with the Kimbers, merely commenting on what I feel about buying a .35 Whelen-a rifle that one might choose for hunting in Grizzly country more than, for instance, a 7-08, given the issues so many seem to have with them.

I dunno, it all really comes down to what the individual feels comfortable with and considers a good value and appropriate for his hunting. To me, the weight issue is important, but, I would prefer a .35 Whelen in a Mod. 70 Fwt. at 7.5 lbs. all up in a synthetic handle over a Montana in the same chambering, just my level of comfort.

That said, I am a hardcore Mod 70 guy and I have always found them a reliable and worthwhile rifle, so, I am a "bit" biased.....

A rebarrel cures about anything that cain't be cured by less invasive procedures.

So, approach the Kimber from the perspective that you want one; you want that light action and damn nice stock and trigger. It'll likely shoot fine. If not, dab bed... crown... at this point you've almost certainly got a shooter.

And if THAT fails, $400-$600 puts a very fine barrel on there. And that's fun too.

Kimbers are worthy build platforms...

Yes, the bottom line is I want the action and bottom metal. Not even a second thought if the trigger was crap. Hopefully every thing else is in good order, because for the price up here, you'd be a bit daft to want to rebuild one. I'm more interested in the 84M Classic versions anyway, as I love walnut/blue and light weight...sadly, that combination isn't available in much other than the Kimber.

If I wanted to build something, like Kutenay, I'd be starting with a pre64 featherweight or a Brno 21 and going from there. Lucky for us, they seem to be a bit cheaper up here. But I have a Pound'r on my 270 Featherweight already, so I'm good there.

Kutenay: No issue with how you'd run your 35 Whelen (or 9.3), in fact I'd be very happy with a pre64 .35W...but just for the novelty of plunking a moose or two. After resigning myself to bear-spray for field work, and not being ate after all these years, I figure even my 243 will be an improvement should I ever have to poke a grizzly.

Well, during my 20+ years of active forestry employment and most of that was alone for extended periods in some of BC's most remote areas without breaks, there was no bearspray. I have tried it on fighting male Rottweilers, found it useless in that scenario and just do not trust it in the mountains of BC-AB, given the swirling winds, etc. YMMV and I do not debate bearspray as it is one of those kinds of topics that just gets everyone riled to no good end.

So, my preference has always been for a CRF rifle that I am so familiar with that I can operate it in pitch dark and this is one consideration where the Kimbers are concerned. I has one on order from an Albertan shop in 2006, when I turned 60 and my wife insisted I buy it....I married "smart" too..... and after I examined the first few Montanas to come into Vancouver, I decided that they were not for me.

I dunno, by the time you have a good smith cut the excess weight off a Classic short Mod. 70, install custom alloy bottom metal and then get a good barrel and so on, customizing a Montana is going to cost serious coin. I wish that we could buy the actions and stocks and they had a Mod. 70 type bottom metal option, don't care for blind mags in BC weather and then, send it all to Kolenbrander and get back a pretty fine working .35Whelen, but, that is still 5Gs, at least.

You very likely won't need a barrel, especially within a Whelen's parameters of use. The Montana stock is excellent. The trigger is superb. The action is already engineered to be extremely light.

All in all, a pretty good gamble. IMHO.

I agree, seems most whelens are very accurate, at least the two Remingtons I was around are (were) and those I have seen on here. I would think the Kimber would be in that ballpark too.