Best bolt for the $$$???

I'd say a blue/walnut Winchester 70 Featherweight in your favourite chambering is, in my opinion, the best value you can get in a rifle. Put a Leupold FX II 4x33mm on it and you have world class ruggedness, durability and reliability with excellent ergonomics and easy maintenance for reasonable coin.
 
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daka said:
For a long time i was considering Kimber MA in .308 but reading through many reviews both US and CND i kinda became dissapointed with it. Some guys are swearing by its accuracy some are cursing like no other. Buddy of mine from BC told me his KMA is very accurate in 280 AI. I sort of come to understanding that with Kimber it is like lottery,what you end up with.
What throws me the most is their poor customer service,guys that send their rifles back because they were not able to get any kind of good groups were basically laughed at. No one ever resolved anything with them.
I hate to think this way but really like Kimber.
Sold some and still selling my SxS collection and was thinking of getting nice bolt for the money,scope,rings and whatnot as well.
Just testing waters and checking what most of the guys like or use.
Until now Tikka and Weatherby's are kind of leading on score board.
Had Tikka in 243 and just really accurate gun but was looking something for big game 6.5,270 to 300 range.
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Have you ever owned or shot a Kimber?
A google search will produce lots of Kimber threads from circa. early 2000's that keep getting perpetually parroted,but they deserve to be held accountable for some of the disasters that left the factory ten plus years ago.
Much of the accuracy issues you've heard about can be attributed to the skill and technique {or lack thereof} required to print small groups with a sub 6lb scoped rifle. Shooting tight groups off a bench with an 8lb scoped bolt rifle with a sporter-weight barrel is cake compared to an ultralight.

Fast forward to the present day and Kimber rifles are some of the finest out there for the price point, and they have had a warranty depot in operation in Canada for some time now.
 
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That is good insight about warranty depot in Canada.
I hope if ever end up buying Kimber that wont have to go that route. KMA is Kimber Mountain Ascent.
In .308 win it weighs less than 5lb.
I am in process of selling some of my other previous interests and looking into nice bolts. KMA was one of them last year.
 
daka said:
That is good insight about warranty depot in Canada.
I hope if ever end up buying Kimber that wont have to go that route. KMA is Kimber Mountain Ascent.
In .308 win it weighs less than 5lb.
I am in process of selling some of my other previous interests and looking into nice bolts. KMA was one of them last year.
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"KMA" stands for mountain ascent...roger that.
Forbes is another one to look at if you are in the market for an ultralight, they have had some teething issues as well but it sounds like they are on the right track, they are the same basic action and stock as my NULA and if they are anywhere near as balanced then Kimber has some real competition on their hands!
 
philthygeezer said:
I'd say a blue/walnut Winchester 70 Featherweight in your favourite chambering is, in my opinion, the best value you can get in a rifle. Put a Leupold FX II 4x33mm on it and you have world class ruggedness, durability and reliability with excellent ergonomics and easy maintenance for reasonable coin.
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Something to defenetly consider.
Not really featherweight since i am not really type of guy who can maintain nice wooden stock like Win.FW.
I was looking at extreme weather model and fit me really nice
Sturdy,nice fit and designed rifle. My cousin had older deluxe M70 in 300Win. And i think it is one if not the most accurate rifle i ever shot. Recoil was almost non existing and i dont know is it stock or balance of the rifle but you could shoot and shoot where and how you wanted.
Biggest mistake about it....he sold it to another cousin who never went hunting and dont want to sell it to anyone else...
M70 Win.s are defenetly great rifles...
 
daka said:
.. M70 Win.s are defenetly great rifles...
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That's what I thought too ... (especially since I grew up with only pre-64 Winchesters in the house) ..
but one day I held ..

  • my FN Winchester M70 walnut/ss in .308 in one hand .. and
  • one of my (latest generation) Kimber Classics in walnut/ss in .308 in the other
Yes, they LOOK remarkably similar .. but

  • the weight difference was DRAMATIC ..... (the Kimber felt many lbs. lighter)
  • the quality of finish was .. well, no comparison ..... (the Kimber exuded superb craftsmanship)
Accuracy and balance and everything else was at least equal.
But ... pride of ownership is heavily on the side of the Kimber.

And here's the kicker, a BNIB Win m70 is almost the same price as LNIB Kimber

*shrugs* .. so even tho' I grew up with Winchesters, and used to own quite a few - I now do not own any.
But my Kimber 84M/84L collection would make any informed gunnut salivate.

And oh, by the way, in January, Wholesale Spurts and Cafellas put Kimber Classics on post-Xmas clearance sale - $1100 brand new.

http://www.kimberamerica.com/media/catalog/category/model84l_2.jpg
 
I'd agree with many of the others and say the best QUALITY bolt action rifle currently for the $ is the Weatherby Vanguard. Funny enough, they seem to be under the price of the Savages now, which were the quality budget option a while ago.
 
I'm no bolt expert, I only have two bolt action rifles currently in my cabinet but the new Win M70 seems to be an excellent buy. My only complaint with it is the trigger could be lighter. But for $899 new in SS a B&C stock and a beautiful CRF action you can not really go wrong.



 
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freddyfour said:
I'm no bolt expert, I only have two bolt action rifles currently in my cabinet but the new Win M70 seems to be an excellent buy. My only complaint with it is the trigger could be lighter. But for $899 new in SS a B&C stock and a beautiful CRF action you can not really go wrong.



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Is this extreme weather?
If it is,than this price is crazy cheap...
In Elwood Epps Orillia,Ontario it is in $1400 range.
 
Yes it is the extreme weather, I noticed that the new batch at Epps was a lot more then they used to be. I scored this one at Sail last month for $899. It is worth a call if they still have some in stock.
 
I think the Browning X-Bolts are the best bang for the buck right now.

1.) Detachable Rotary Mag system that is very reliable and not super expensive (I am looking at you Tikka/Sako!)

2.) Glass bedded action with free floating barrel.

3.) Great Trigger.

4.) Modern action (60 degree bolt lift with 8 scope mounting screws) in numerous sizes and all metal construction.

In general, many of the "custom" options come included from the factory and I find the Brownings to be very well made with good QC. At one time, I would have said that the Tikkas were the best bang for the buck but I have slowly come to the Browning camp. While Savage has great products for the dollar, I don't like their esthetics so while not something that you can tangibly measure dollar to dollar, I do judge the Savages more harshly because I think their actions are fugly but I will give them credit that their rifles generally shoot very well.
 
I really like it, I have only put 20 rds down range so far to sight it in while I waited for my reloading gear to show up. It settled in nicely at an inch at a 100 with the cheap Win ammo. Cycles rounds smooth as silk and comes to the shoulder for me great. I need to do something about the trigger though, the books says it comes from the factory at 3.5lbs but it seems pretty heavy to me.
 
What caliber are you using....while ago i was looking at WSM 270 or something lighter maybe 7WSM but now really looking toward .308,.260 Rem. Or 6.5x55 but have old husky in that cal. Already so wouldnt double it
 
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