.....FINALLY arrived. We received our first batch of 10 a couple days ago.

https://shop.whittakerguns.com/product/890

The guns are $1153.99, but I promised you guys a deal. We can't discount items on the website -- yet. I'll soon have a discount code for members here, but that hasn't evolved yet. Our efforts our now focused on direct fulfillment.

So here's what I'll do:
1. You go online and purchase the rifle (layaway works too) at full price.
2. Send Cody an email with your order number and campfire name.
3. We'll put two boxes of new Hornady brass in the box with the gun free of charge. That's 100 new brass for clarity -- about a $75 value.

Cody's email is:
[email protected]

He's Johnny-on-the-spot with this stuff and handles tons of special projects for us. His wife Chanda handles the majority of our online sales, so they live and breathe this process.

Please don't send me PM's or emails on this one! I'll be off hunting for the next several days and intend to pay very little attention to anything computer related! I'm telling you this upfront so nobody gets upset if I don't answer PM's for a week or more. Please email him with any questions.

Thanks guys!

DAMN - I want one in the worst way. Can't swing it.

Just wanted to say - last summer I worked with SAS and Whittakers on a 7-08 Montana and it was beyond easy to do.

GREAT group of guys.

Shopping cart isn't working on the site for me.

Damn. They're working on direct fulfillment and doing some maintenance. We just contacted the site administrator and they're fixing it now.

If anyone has trouble, email Cody. He can handle it without going through the website.

I emailed Cody.

I tried calling about 5 times yesterday about this exact rifle, with no success in getting through.

Business must be good..

Order over the phone, easy. Thanks!

Want to get a can for it.

Even though we have multiple phone lines, we stay slammed. Cody has a private line at his desk. Call him direct 1(270)229-4304. That may expedite things....

Just when I thought my Kimber limit was maxed....

Sent Cody an email, and he promptly called. Got it all squared away and as soon as I get him my FFL info, it'll be in the mail.

Can't wait to get my Montana in Creed! Been waiting a long time for one. It'll be an alpine Sitka Blacktail killing machine next year.

Calvin - you lucky dog!

I want one too - but I think a 223 should come first and sticks 6BR has me intrigued too.

What I really need is a raise to get it all done or a machinist relative.

Hope the 143 eld x works in it. It'll be a wind bucking, lwt, buck killing machine.

We have a used 223 on the shelf. It shoots too. I know -- it was one of mine. It's the newer threaded barrel version.

Comes with Talley LW lows. $999.99.

Sorry -- but I had to do it!!!

I think so.

They will. Really well.

Damnit! Why did you have to say that?!

Are all the barrels threaded now?

yep.

This is a great deal. I have one that shoots well under moa with 120ttsx handloads. Any word on when the 22-250 montanas will be available?

Whittakers is good people; at least they've always been good to me.

My 6.5CM Montana is coming home tomorrow. Can't wait to give it a run.

Get it? Gonna paint it?

Got it Saturday, and gave it a run yesterday. It's a fantastic little rifle. I'm gonna bed it and absolutely paint it. Can't have it looking like every other montana after all.

Mauve?

that sounds suave.....

and debonair....

Can we make this a poll?

I told him last week to make sure I approved of the paint job so when I bought it from him I didn't have to pay him to paint it again.

His reply?

"Rainbow it is!"

Ouch. Just might of had it coming.

Purple with gold speckles? That's a little more your style

Purple and gold? Yuck.

Semi-newbie here. Been around since 2014, but as a lurker. This post inspired me to pull the trigger on a gun that I've been watching for a couple months. They sound incredible, and I can't wait to get it!

FFL called... Tomorrow is the pickup day. Might be the best wind bucking lwt alpine rifle with the 143. Time will tell. Hope to get a can for it to make it a better experience for the wife to shoot.

I am so tempted to get one of these!!!!

Did you make it to the toy store today? That's going to be an awesome alpine rifle!

Pretty good first post... Congrats on the new tube.

You get it in your mitts yet? One of these is so tempting. Any reason you didn't go with the Hunter?

Got caught up with boat work. Will get it tomorrow. Went with the Montana for the stock. Hunter was ok, but not a Montana.

Yes Calvin, I also like the better stock. Your 6.5 should slam those deer.

Given my shots range from 10yds to around 600, I'd say 2700 is a good starting point for the 143 ELD-x. If they hadn't thrown in 2 boxes of brass, I'd have been tempted to go with the factory stuff. I hear good things about it.

This place really does get expensive after awhile.....


Curious to hear how this cartridge/rifles feeds and cycles.

Sam, my 7mm-08 Montana feeds as smooth as glass. I have 284 rounds through itt with no hang-ups. Maybe I was lucky. Sorry you've Had problems.

Lastround, the short actions are pretty sweet!

Sooo I HAD a 6.5 Hunter on hold at one LGS and handled a 6.5 Montana at another.... I ditched the K-Hunter! Should be shooting it by the week's end. Yippee! A bit much for halibut but sure glad I have been influenced in this direction.

Thanks!

Picked up the gun on Thursday. It is shockingly lightweight. 5#1oz on my scale.


I've only owned a few hunting rifles, but this one has a significantly higher quality feel to it than any others. The only thing that matters to me is how it shoots, though.

Tomorrow should be the day for the break in shots. Waiting on the scope. VX3i 3.5-10x40. Hoping to be at or under 6# hiking up a mountain.

Forgot to throw a bone to Whittakers. The gun (and bonus brass) showed up in two days. Almost unheard of!

Picked mine up. Very nice.

I'm trying to decide if I need one myself.

For my application, hunting windy mountaintops with 2-600yd shots, it's kinda a no brainer. I like the threaded barrel too.

I musta got a heavy one 5lb 2oz! Might ditch the thread protector to lighten it up. LOL I feel like an elitist. Got bases coming tomorrow, nothing local for it but Leupold STD and that's a not good enough for me.

Any whispers of left handed Kimber rifles in the pipe line?

How much needs to be cut off to lose it?

Dear New Kimber,

Please consider un-goatphucqking your sporting rifle final assembly department.

Today, while attempting to start from the start with my spanking new Montana, I hit a deadend. The rear takedown screw was so phucqk'd that it would not unscrew, lefty-loosy. Pretty certain there's an engineering term for this - it was technically no longer a screw in function, pinned?, more of a screwing that totally ate the chit out of two Allen bits before stripping to circular worthlessnessisss without the least, nada, no movement whatsoever.

Please consider shipping your 2016 uber-threaded-muzzle 84M Montana 6.5 Creedmoors as a kit. Please include the 1/4", 9/32" and 5/16" (M or 19/64" may be better) drill bits (cobalt with Montanas, HSS with Hunters), a cordless drill and a big, I mean the largest full-size pair of Vise Grips (or, using your oft-mentioned marketing terminology, an "American Made" (though this does not specifically infer USA, cute) equivalent if available). These are needed for disassembly.

Also, it would be uber to include a 1/4"-22 tap and replacement rear takedown screw as they're needed for subsequent reassembly. Otherwise guys will have to scavenge parts from their Remington 700s to make their new Kimber riffles usable. That additionally necessitates grinding the Remington screw's head diameter and the additional tooling to accomplish such. I believe this 84M Synthetic Rifle Kit can still come in under the fantastical MSRP of $1427. BTW: your Hunter magazine assembly looks much like a Mossberg rifle I saw at a LGS yesterday prior to selecting the Montana.


Thank you,

Guy with a new New Kimber rifle

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ahh, it'll be ok. Receiver threads are AOK, the screw was buggered. The red loctite stuff was irrelevant. Musta been a cross-eyed Yonkeranian. Fit is very good, si Miguel, el stocko brueno, Si porque $400 mas de la Hunter. I doubt it'd benefit from bedding compound. The pillars are visible on the underside, covered by paint above. The pillars are not loose. Not 100% certain but I think the mag box is bound. Will look at it later when I don't have to beat the phucqk out of it to get it apart. Maybe chill a bit. Plastic follower? Did not anticipate that. Happy still? Yah, I dig this little rifle! But I'm fairly jazzed up on a caffeine shot... Gawd I hope this thing will shoot. LOL

1/2" strong. Would be about 21 3/8"+ chopped and cleaned up.

Well, Lil'GoatPhucqker is coming together. Pushing 7 1/4lbs fully loaded with leather sling and SWFA 6x! Liking it plenty. Caveats: mag box was bound up tighter than heck. I've not followed if that is common to the model? Once unbound, I scuffed out some of the textured paint and can see the top of the pillars. Probably will skim bed. Plastic follower is so cheapass'd.



Not too many 7/16"-28 brakes available on the cheap. Here's a SS one for $40. Note, it's .220" nominal, needs the end drilled out to at least .020" over bullet dia... Ordering it.
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...-ss-silver-sku860101028-13070-31419.aspx

Ended up at 6# on the nuts with the Leupold VX3i and Talley lightweight mounts.


I broke it in and got the scope somewhat dialed yesterday with some factory 129gr Hornady SSTs. It was raining and snowing like crazy, so I just wanted to get it close in order to test out some reloads. Called this close enough.


Then last night I built my first hand loads with the Barnes TTSX 120gr, COAL of 2.720". and 39-43gr of IMR4350 with WLMR primers.


Obviously the gun likes 41gr and hates 39!

What did you do to unbind the magbox?

Hey! This is a 6.5CM thread. Take the 270 talk somewhere else.

Mine was bound up too. I simply filed the bottom tabs of the box where contact was being made with the stock.

I bedded my action over the weekend, and opened up the barrel channel slightly, as the barrel was making contact right at the transition of the shoulder.

Can't wait to get it back on paper post bedding to see how it shoots.

Keep us updated!

That's exactly what I do too, except I use a dremel tool. Pretty simple process. I take about an 1/8" (maybe less) off the two in the front and one in the back.

Getting another from Kimber won't solve the problem. It will be the exact same size they ship with the rifle.

You would think Kimber would see these threads and make corrections so guys don't have to go through this process to get these rifles to fit the stocks correctly.

Well, says embarrassed Boomber, I ground a little off the tabs mentioned, sanded/scuffed out a bit of excess paint texture in the action and barrel channel then re-assembled. There's contact out to the chamber's end but floated beyond. Mag box was just a hair loose and figured I was golden... The stock is only about 1/8" thick down there so I didn't hog on it... Smiling and happy despite the rear takedown screwing I moved on to find the lands and max magazine COL and noticed the rear-end of the plastic follower was hanging up? WTF? It would not handle one, let alone four rounds... So I started dic'ing with the box. Just a little - then a little more and then more and more! Hence the need for a new magazine well/box! It took two calls and special managerial approval to get them to sell me one but luckily it's on the way along with a new screw... So - I now wonder what was the matter with the follower after the tab trim? Maybe I gorilla handed it and tweaked it during the grinding or somehow had it cocked upon assembly? Slacked off today and did other things but hope to shoot it soon, and in about a week, make a repeater out of it.

darrenk75b turned me onto the Bat action screws when I halfway hogged out my Kimber screws and they are the best thing going for a heavy handed guy such as myself/yourself. Give them a look.

Good to know about the Bat screws... I chit you not, the rear screw would not budge, fresh out of the box. Rounded off two hex bits, then the screw head. It took drilling the head off to get the stock off and out of the way and 10" Vice grips clamped on uber-tight to turn the SOB. The threads on the screw were buggered looking... Action threads looked good, thankfully. Mighta been a good one to send to NY, and some guys roll that way... I can accept my mag box tweaking went to heck, but that rear screw - that was all Yonkers. LOL

Should have talked nicer to it.

The Bat screws have a DEEP hex and it is WAY tight compared to the Rem/Kimber crap. Got em on a few and will have em on more.

I was! All the way home I was calling it Sweet Stuff... Now - LilGF....

Quality Control must be so lax to allow these rifles to head out the door. A supervisor in QC should be kicking azz in order to shape them up. I still think it is the best buy for my purposes but this is just plain carelessness in the final assembly and inspection departments.
I asked a question recently on the Handgun section about QC with their autos and a few piped with problems too. It should be embarrassing to them when you seldom read about a problem with Sako/Tikka and even BACO Winchesters.

How about the 6.5 Creedmoor Hunters? Any problems with them?

This is normal for Kimber.

They either hire bad people or employees get disgruntled with management and will sabotage a line.

I wouldn't draw a single conclusion with that one good group -

Your others are all really bad. If there is a node, it's not much of one at the good group and is too narrow. I'd be a bit leery. YMMV....

I'd shoot again multiple times at distance too -

Saw some new Kimber Montana's in the LGS recently with a big tag on the trigger saying "MOA Guarantee"..
Guess they were just kidding?

Upon closer look, mine had a lot of pressure right at the shank. I had to sand down through a layer of cloth to get full float. Did a full bedding, tang to lug with JB Quick. Did some shooting to sight in over the hood of the rig with a box of Hornady American Whitetail 129 IL. Not uber, 3-shot 1.25, 4-shot cool 1.5", 4-shot hot 1.75". Wasn't calm but fairly steady wind.

Are my comments meant to degrade? NO, absolutely not. It's a production rifle, I happened to get one with a couple things to overcome. I very much like this rifle. Other than the material chosen for the follower, I think it's excellent engineering. It's not the first mag well I have bent to hell, LOL. The trigger is very good.

I really dig the stock! It's light, slim, straight yet rounded, smooth uniform texture, without checkering or ridges and incredibly firm. To me, it is the final evolution of classic Kimber hunting stock lines and I would not change it in any way whatsoever...

I just don't get the "light rifle needs a light scope". To me, this light of a rifle allows one to use a burly scope and still have a light rifle package. Balance is great with the SWFA 6x. Can you believe people are bitching Lapua is going small primer? As if Lapua doesn't know WTF?

On to handloads and hoping for consistent, three-shot MOA groups fired in succession (without a bunch of cooling time.) Absolutely love the cartridge and very glad I upgraded from the Hunter I was looking at. This is a featherweight, I expect some work to get accuracy and sure as hell didn't buy it based upon a hangtag.

agreed

I mean I like it so much I took it to bed with me last night....

Not really. You can't fault a manufacture due to someone's shooting ability (or lack thereof with a light rifle).

The moa guarantee is with premium factory ammo and a very skilled shooter.

The more I think about it the more the 6.5 Creed makes sense. Having brass options now really sweetens the deal. Might go 100gr TTSX at 3200 for the wife during the rut, and 143s during alpine season.

Decided to go with the Leupold 6x42, as I've got a pile of them with M1 turrets. Have one with a CDS and dots, might use that one too, or put that one on my Montana 300wsm.

I want one of these for my daughter in the 6.5 creed but I think I will go the kimber hunter route..

They know about the issues, they're just in denial. It does appear that the number of bad guns has diminished quite a bit from the good old days, but still... you'd think they'd do a better job of checking their guns before they left the factory.

Show's potential.... I cleaned up my bedding job and verified free-float. Fits great! It's a joy having a quality stock this stiff. I know they've been out for years but this is my first...

Short version:
I did some pretty random testing today using Nosler 140 CCs. Nothing shot bad IMO for how windy it was. The star of the day was IMR4451 producing 3-shot trifectas at 0.36" and 0.63" after it calmed down. Will continue working with this combo.

I'm pleased.

Oh I definitely wouldn't consider this the holy grail of loads. I should have specified that this was shooting under the tonneau cover of my truck with some rolled up towels as a rest. From getting the gun to needing copper loads ready to hunt was 3 days, so I was a bit pressed for time. I'll get on a proper shooting bench this week. That said, I'll take .4xx" at 100 yards any day from a very lightweight hunting rifle.

Additional sub-3/4MOA 3- and 4-shot groups outa mine today. Not all of them, but enough to keep it interesting.

Followup on the $40 7/16-28 brake. It arrived. I drilled it out, just the absolute far end needs it. Used a 9/32" drill for .017" overbore and reamed a bit too for good measure. Seems to clear just right. Fit is not absolutely flush but within a hair oversize. Perfectenough. Have not used a brake before. Hoping for a bit less muzzle jump. New 12x going on for load testing. Stock in the paintshop. Awaiting bullets and mag box. Trigger adjusted down to very light. 100% glad I went with the upgrade from the plastic stock. Will try for a better pic later.


http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...-ss-silver-sku860101028-13070-31419.aspx



Blasted it and the TG, will coat eventually. The brake is flush to the touch now.

Nice loudener. Looking forward to you shooting it. Get'r done!

I painted the hell out of it - it'll shoot like a MoFo now!

That outta be ear splattering . . . . .

What?

Love the look of the brake! Let me know how it works. I have it on my Christmas list!

Post up a pic of the paint job. Also curious why you went with a brake for?

What?

(-:

Figured I'd try the brake and see if there's less muzzle jump - during load workup... I don't recall having one before. They come threaded, so it's easy... No real reason beyond chits and giggles.

Paint's curing - fingers crossed.

Matte FDE on the metal. On the handle, a desert beige base that's about 95% covered by OD Green, grey microwebs, beige specks, black specks, a few more grey webs, matte clearcoat and then soft-touch clearcoat. Over-all digging the look and it feels pretty good.

What is the total weight?

It has left the flyweight category. Just a hair under 7lbs as pictured. The brake is 1.1 oz. It will drop a few ounces with a 3-9 SWFA, lighter rings, no bubble level... Range ready if I can get off the couch. LOL

I like it alot. What's fde?

Nothing wrong with that, especially if you can utilize the scope.

Got mine in layaway. BazInga! Should be plenty ready for MT mulies in 50 weeks...

Flat dark earth.

Lovin'it. I'm renaming it Moontuna.

The brake does seem to reduce muzzle lift. It still makes noise. I wear plugs and muffs and it did not seem any different than a 18.5" 243 and 22" 270 I shot. If anyone orders this brake, remember, it needs to be drilled out!

Comments I can think of: with the Warne bases and SWFA lows there is slight bolt handle contact with the objective tube that I have yet to look into in detail. I liked using the SWFA 12X with this style target. Seems I get smaller groups when held firmly, pulled into shoulder and not down hard onto the rest. Will keep working on it.
Dime shot.

No - it was this.

This too. Works for me. Going to load some of these up to play with.

flat dark earth

Pictured wearing a SWFA 3-9. Took it around a few places yesterday and got a lot of What's that? Kimber Montana... And they're like, "What?". But then again one of those guys was offered to check out the adjusted trigger and put his finger on the front of the trigger guard and squeezed like hell! LOL. LGS buffoonery.

FDE - For Dead Elk.

Sometimes it's understandable that so many people actually use the cheapest rifle and Walmart blister pack scope they can find. I've witnessed several at the range so inept that they had no idea how crappy their equipment was.

Bubba was making a face, sorta like a wink and slightly nodding his head the whole time he was squeezing the TG...

A buddy snagged one of the first few that showed up on GB back in July. Went through the normal checklist and bedded the lug, shank, etc. Put a 10x Super Chicken on it and he's been learning the turret/reticle game.



Shoots factory Hornady 143s almost as well. Smacked the W Tx deer with one yesterday. 208 yards, exited with broke shoulder.

Good stuff Josh!


Shot 10 3-shot groups today with ample cooling between groups, none between shots. Over-all average of the bunch 0.9" 20F and calm, 12x SWFA remounted using torque wrench. Adjusted trigger sure is sweet! Am very pleased.

43.5gr IMR4451, Nosler 140CC kissed BTO 2.270", Lee FL sized trimmed and prepped 1x Hornady brass, Hornady 6.5 Seater (3.7") with VLD stem:
CCI 200: 1.1, 0.7, 0.75 (ave 0.85)
Fed 210: 1.0, 0.92, 1.6 (ave 1.2)
WLR: 0.53, 0.85, 0.55, 1.0 (ave 0.73)
(the 0.85" was sight-in group with 3-9 using 'fouler' brass)

Hey guys nice rifles!

Do any of these VLD type bullets touch the lands and fit in the mag box?

Do they make this in 223? I haven't found a new model in 223 available.

What are all of the differences in this updated model? I see they have a threaded barrel and thread protector. Anything else?

Thanks!

tag

The 139 Scenars will kiss the lands and fit the mag box....only one that would.

I measured a bunch more when I first got the rifle. I'll see if I can dig them up.

Josh, I'd like to see what you have... I got to the lands with the Nosler 140CC and a COL of 2.77" and figured it'd be golden. Tried 143ELD-X and 129 ABLR yesterday a little. Seems both will take a 1/8" leap, maybe a bit less, but thereabouts with the same COL. They were too long to fit out the ejection port... Further comments withheld.

Actually, it's stupid as hell.

All in all, it's typical Kimber NICE. It'll get bedded next couple days and some handloads worked up. Factory box is 2.830 and I took some throat measurements a bit ago....Amazingly it'll kiss the 139 and 123 Scenars and run them out of the box. The 123 AMaxes also kissed at the max box length.....

143 ELD-x 2.910
140 AMax 2.870
123 AMax 2.830
139/123 Scenar 2.820
140 Hyrbid 2.940
140 VLD 2.895
130 VLD 2.890


Here's a cut/paste out of the thread were I had posted....