Go with the hunter(I own both). The hunter doesn’t disappoint in the two areas they differ. The stock and magazine. The hunter magazine feeds even the sharp shoulder ackley rounds perfectly. Being that it is a double stack single feed mag it puts every cartridge in the same place for the bolt to pick up. Compared to the Montana mag that is a double stack double feed. Which I have run into feeding issues with on my 280ai montana (my hunter is a AI wildcat as well). The plastic stock is well made and durable on the hunter. It does a very good job of balancing stiffness, durability and cost. While the Montana’s fibreglass stock puts stiffness above durability and cost. With weight between the stocks being similar enough to not be a factor.
Also where are you finding a new rifles for this price? New my hunter was $1100 plus tax 3 years ago. A quick search shows Montana’s at 2500