The Kimber 84M

[blargon]

Sounds like a bad (crooked?) chamber or barrel. I know Kimber had a lot of issues with 7mm barrels and stopped production of all 7mm rifles for a long while.

I find factory ammo isn't the best way to evaluate a rifle. It may have liked a 140gr bullet, but not the factory powder or primer.

I usually start with a midweight bullet and work with it until I see some results. Jumping around to different bullets and weights is almost like chasing your tail.

 

[Sun_and_Steel_77]

Good technique at the bench allowing no muzzle flip?CHECK

Check for poor bedding? (they're all done on a slave action)CHECK

Make sure the barrel wasn't contacting the fore-end of the stock??CHECK

Check crown??CHECK Looked good...Powder star was very uniform.

Erratic ignition, as in light primer strikes, firing pin depth adjusted incorrectly??looked good

I tried probably 15 + different types of ammo(brands/bullet weights etc), and different scopes...Didn't group good enough to even try loading for it...Best groups around 3''+ out to 6..

Sorry to hear.

Sounds like you liked everything about the rifle except the accuracy.
When you're looking to buy again, make sure you go new and you'll have the piece of mind of a warranty.
On the other hand you could spend some more cash and go Cooper and be done with it.
But if you truly liked the 84M for it's svelte lines and fit, you may find yourself imagining you're fondling a Kimber when you're actually holding your Cooper!

It's a real funny thing. The saying goes "only accurate rifles are interesting" but I've sure parted ways with many an accurate rifle. Load development is half the journey, some rifles take more effort than others, and personally once the load development is all done I sometimes get an empty feeling.
Like Blargon mentioned about chasing your tail, there is a good possibility handloading would have brought yours around...but then again maybe not.
Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[captonion]

Sounds like a bad (crooked?) chamber or barrel. I know Kimber had a lot of issues with 7mm barrels and stopped production of all 7mm rifles for a long while..

I didn't know this...

I find factory ammo isn't the best way to evaluate a rifle. It may have liked a 140gr bullet, but not the factory powder or primer.
.

If the rifle is a shooter, I have never had a proplem finding atleast a couple types factory ammo that would shoot within an inch..

 

[crazy_davey]

I find factory ammo isn't the best way to evaluate a rifle. It may have liked a 140gr bullet, but not the factory powder or primer.

I would have to agree with this. I have owned a few rifles that would not shoot anything factory worth a crap. Found a good hand load for those rifles and they were then MOA shooters if not better.

Haven't seen it too often but it does happen...

 

[mrgoat]

Are 8400 barrels supposed to be free floating? Mine has fore end tip pressure on the barrel. I cannot slide a cleaning patch or piece of paper between the stock and barrel. Been this way since new.
The gun is a 8400 classic select in 30-06, of 2009 vintage.

Mine shoots 1" to 1 1/4" three shot groups with 165gr. nosler partions on top of 57gr.of IMR 4350.

 

[rem338win]

Not last time I checked

The 870 is specifically for samsquantch defense!
Both Kifaru and KUIU need to be more shooter-friendly like Eberlestock and incorporate thin straps into their designs.

Nice rig, I have a Kelty for the same purpose. I use a Blue Widow for hunting.

Are 8400 barrels supposed to be free floating? Mine has fore end tip pressure on the barrel. I cannot slide a cleaning patch or piece of paper between the stock and barrel. Been this way since new.
The gun is a 8400 classic select in 30-06, of 2009 vintage.

Mine shoots 1" to 1 1/4" three shot groups with 165gr. nosler partions on top of 57gr.of IMR 4350.

Sounds like a good hunting load, but I understand it should free float. Have a gunsmith bed it and float it and I would bet it improves.

 

[captonion]

I would have to agree with this. I have owned a few rifles that would not shoot anything factory worth a crap. Found a good hand load for those rifles and they were then MOA shooters if not better.

Haven't seen it too often but it does happen...

Piss poor rifle, if thats the case....This one wouldn't shoot any factory ammo less than 3''+..I was outshooting it with my 7600 rem 280 Carbine with a peep...Not worth the effort IMO to work up a load for it...I prefer a rifle that will shoot a variety of loads well.

You have no idea how disheartening it is to see someone next to me with a $300 Stevens (cheap Bushnell scope) shooting golf balls for fun, when I am having a tough time printing softball size groups with a rifle/scope combo worth over $2000...

 

[crazy_davey]

Piss poor rifle, if thats the case....

Not disagreeing with ya, just saying it can happen. And yes, I know it can be frustrating.

The guns I spoke of above were absolute tack drivers once an accuracy node was found, but it wasn't easy. And yes, I would rather have a rifle that shot a variety of loads well.

 

[shortaction]

I think factory ammo should be the way a firearm is evaluated! Just a guess but I would think 95%+ of the hunters out there don't reload, so if a company is going to produce and sell a firearm to Joe Public for $1000.00+ it better shoot factory ammo well.

Captonion, abviously got a very bad example of a Kimber, no matter how you want to defect it. It happens! How often it happens and the customer service the company provides in those situations is the make or break point for the company. Just don't try and villianize the owner for not trying every available combination of available components while handloading to get a firearm worth over a grand to shoot sub 3 MOA!!!!

I find most of these poor examples come from guns produces 3+ years ago. Not hearing about nearly as many bad experiences from the newer production. Hopefully Kimber has sorted these issues out and now with the warranty service available in Canada, consumer confidence should start to climb.

Like I said previously, I had 2 of the Classics and they both shot and functioned well.

 

[blargon]

I think factory ammo should be the way a firearm is evaluated! Just a guess but I would think 95%+ of the hunters out there don't reload, so if a company is going to produce and sell a firearm to Joe Public for $1000.00+ it better shoot factory ammo well.

You can't make a rifle like all loads, so which one is a manufacturer supposed to use? And will the customer even buy that load?

Companies that offer a sub-moa guarantee will say "with premium ammo", but 95% of hunters won't buy premium ammo, so who's fault is that?

I'm not faulting Captonion about the kimber at all, just saying I think you are better off working with one bullet and a few powders.

 

[archie_james_c]

Sneak peak....

So far everything has a place and everything is in it. The Talleys seem to be slightly crooked. When the scope is sat in them, there is about a 1/16th inch gap between scope and mount. I checked my SAUM talleys and they're like that as well.

I have 150 rounds of 55 grain Winchester Whitebox to shoot for brass, and a box of moly 75 Amaxs on stand by. Range report ASAP, we'll see if this little piglette will shoot.

 

[captonion]

^^^^^Rate ot twist?????^^^

 

[archie_james_c]

^^^^^Rate ot twist?????^^^

9

 

[Sun_and_Steel_77]

Sneak peak....

So far everything has a place and everything is in it. The Talleys seem to be slightly crooked. When the scope is sat in them, there is about a 1/16th inch gap between scope and mount. I checked my SAUM talleys and they're like that as well.

I have 150 rounds of 55 grain Winchester Whitebox to shoot for brass, and a box of moly 75 Amaxs on stand by. Range report ASAP, we'll see if this little piglette will shoot.

Lookin' good so far Archie.
So good in fact I'm going to let Ric Flair personally approve it...

 

[archie_james_c]

Lookin' good so far Archie.
So good in fact I'm going to let Ric Flair personally approve it...

I was a WCW guy myself


The mag follower needs/needed tweaking. I had to stretch the spring to stiffen the feed rate up. The follower seems to keep wanting to pop out from between the feed rails, I'm still playing with it, but it *looks* like the follower is JUST too narrow for the rails.

Speaking of rails I hit them gently with 400 grit, just to take the edge off and tuned the trigger down to a icesicle-like 1.5 pounds. This rifle was not bedded from the big shop and thusly, has a date with my acraglass.

 

[Sun_and_Steel_77]

The mag follower needs/needed tweaking. I had to stretch the spring to stiffen the feed rate up. The follower seems to keep wanting to pop out from between the feed rails, I'm still playing with it, but it *looks* like the follower is JUST too narrow for the rails.

Speaking of rails I hit them gently with 400 grit, just to take the edge off and tuned the trigger down to a icesicle-like 1.5 pounds. This rifle was not bedded from the big shop and thusly, has a date with my acraglass

I've never seen one not bedded from the factory.
Are you going to skim-bed over the existing job or is it simply missing?

 

[archie_james_c]

The mag follower needs/needed tweaking. I had to stretch the spring to stiffen the feed rate up. The follower seems to keep wanting to pop out from between the feed rails, I'm still playing with it, but it *looks* like the follower is JUST too narrow for the rails.

Speaking of rails I hit them gently with 400 grit, just to take the edge off and tuned the trigger down to a icesicle-like 1.5 pounds. This rifle was not bedded from the big shop and thusly, has a date with my acraglass

I've never seen one not bedded from the factory.
Are you going to skim-bed over the existing job or is it simply missing?

Its there, it just seems to not be 100%, the action doesnt move when pushed front to.back, but it rocks side to side a bit. I will shoot it first and see how it goes.

 

[Cinch]

So far everything has a place and everything is in it. The Talleys seem to be slightly crooked. When the scope is sat in them, there is about a 1/16th inch gap between scope and mount. I checked my SAUM talleys and they're like that as well.

I have 150 rounds of 55 grain Winchester Whitebox to shoot for brass, and a box of moly 75 Amaxs on stand by. Range report ASAP, we'll see if this little piglette will shoot.

All Talley's are like that by design, just one more reason to lap Talley's. Will be interesting to hear if the 9T will stabilize those 75gr's.

I for one am eagerly waiting for your range report!

 

[archie_james_c]

All Talley's are like that by design, just one more reason to lap Talley's. Will be interesting to hear if the 9T will stabilize those 75gr's.

I for one am eagerly waiting for your range report!

If you want to know if itll stabilize 75's then mail me a damn #10 shell holder....seems no one in a 300km radius of me has one

 

[todbartell]

nothing like tweaking a $1800 rifle