Kimber Montana owners

ShrtRnd

ShrtRnd

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I have questions...

I'm looking at a possible replacement or back-up to my Rem Mountain SS, The Kimber Montana is at the top end of my short list. Nothing too radical Cal wise, probably an 06 due to already being setup reloading wise for that Cal.

Primarily for Moose, with a lot of walking in crappy N Ontario Shield backcountry. I don't run a sling, as I prefer to carry it, but if I need it tucked away it gets strapped to a Frame/Backpack combo.

So my questions are

- fit & finish
- feed reliability or reliability as a whole
- what have you swapped out from factory? Trigger etc?
- accuracy
- has anyone even tried to order a factory muzzle brake for it? (Possibly Mountain Assent version fits?)

I have looked at alternatives such as Browning X-Bolt, some Coopers and a Mountain Assent. I know these are of a varying price range and quality, just trying to cover all my bases research wise.

Cheers
 
Let's put it this way the old remington wont get much use once you get a montana.Best factory trigger hands down. Like any production gun they can benefit from bedding and fine tuning the trigger and feed rails.The 06 and 270 generally feed fine.Very accurate though there was a few stinkers in the early days.Good luck finding one!
 
I have Montana's, and a Mountain Ascent. There is zero reason to buy an Ascent unless you want to spend an extra thousand to get some cosmetic flutes, the slightly odd feeling finish on the stock, and the muzzle brake. The Montana is a LOT of rifle for the money.

-Fit and finish are on par with anything else out there in the price range. Except for on the Ascent, where the barrel flutes aren't indexed exactly top dead center, but I suppose I don't really care all that much.
-Reliability and feeding has been without issue.
-I have swapped out nothing. On any of them. Great trigger from the factory, easy to adjust, breaks crisp and clean.
-Accuracy has been fantastic, sub MOA on all of them. Mind you I've only shot a couple of them past 700 yards. But the 7wsm has been shot out to 1200+, zero complaints.
-I had a muzzle brake on my 280AI when it came out of the box, but it lasted less than 15 rounds on the rifle before I removed it. I shoot from prone a lot and the increased muzzle blast stirs up a lot of debris. The stock construction and design is definitely at the top of the game, and does wonders at reducing felt recoil. I spent an afternoon with a pair of 7/08's a couple years ago, a Tikka T3 Light and a Montana and alternated round for round between them from the same batch of factory shells. Recoil was noticeably different between them, especially considering they were set up pretty much identically with with glass and rings.

The Montana is a lot of rifle for the money in my opinion. Certainly seems to be a polarizing subject though, lots of detractors out there. Although I do find it pretty funny that it is well known on the little issues that can pop up that can occasionally affect a Montana but the guys who get a "bad one" refuse to look and see if any of those things are causing the issue because "for the money there shouldn't be any issues". Pretty much cutting one's nose off to spite one's face in my opinion.

That said, I'm always on the market for buying 84m's that "don't shoot"....
 
I’ve got a Kimber 84L Montana in 30/06. I absolutely love it. G E Flach is correct, it will become your main rifle. Mine is very accurate. I’ve shot multiple groups under 1/2” at 100 yards and a couple sub 1” groups at 250 yards using 180gr Accubonds. It weighs 6lbs 5oz with a 3.5-10 VX3. Does it kick? No. I’d pass on putting on a muzzle brake, it does not need one. Just like you, I carry my rifle, I don’t use a sling. The balance is great. It’s a joy to carry. I’ve also got a Sako 85 Finnlight in 25/06. The Finnlight is a whole pound heavier with the same scope. I much prefer the Kimber.
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Fit and finish are subjective some things can only be so good.

You shouldn’t have a problem on a plastic nasty.
 
It's only a matter of time before someone posts something on this thread calling down kimbers and promoting their favorite brand.....ignore them. Once you buy a kimber and carry it for a few hours, you will wonder why it took you so long to get one.
Yes, being light they are harder to shoot accurately, but it's not the gun, it's the shooter. Learn how to shoot them accurately and they are as accurate as any remington, winchester etc that I have owned.
 
Kimber Montana is probably the most sensible rifle made for everyday hunting, you get a lot of rifle for the money, an all stainless controlled round feed action, excellent adjustable factory trigger, carbon Fiber stock, a handy lightweight rifle, not to mention a great platform for a custom build if you so desire.

Gunsmith Gary Flach convinced me of their merits and I have used many Montana’s for custom builds.
 
I've got a Montana 7 wsm and a MA 270, both shoot well with no issues out of the box. I had no problem finding a load that shot accurately, my first reloads for the MA, with 130 gr ttsx went 1/2" and it will shoot like that enough to keep me happy. A Kimber 84L is hard to beat, an absolute joy to carry.
 
I really have no issues with my 700 Mtn SS, It was bought on a whim and I've been surprised by it from un-packing, sighting in and to actual time in the field. It is/was an $1100 rifle at the time, I don't expect it to perform or compare to others $1k-$1500 more.

Initially i had settled on a MA, but after backtracking the "Ultralite Boomsticks" and "Sheep Rifles" threads I had saved and some extra searching on here, the Montana kept popping as recommended/worth a look. That and an extra $1500+ for a fluted barrel, hydro-dip and a 1lb few ounces less seemed a little high to me.

My question on the brake was not in regards to felt recoil as I have carried a 300WSM T3 Lite in the field, but curious as to why Kimber just didn't offer it in the box as an option rather then just the threaded barrel protector alone?

Appreciate the comments and feedback guys
 
Even if the Montana and mountain ascent were the same price I’d pick the montana. The mountain ascents deeply spiral bolt feels ratchety, the barrel threads aren’t properly timed and the soft touch stock finish rubs off quickly.
 
I've got 4 Kimber rifles, 1 Mountain Ascent, 2 Montanas and 1 Hunter...on all 4 rifles I never felt the need that anything needed changing other than adding brakes to the Montanas (they just shoot better off the bench with a brake).

My favorite model is my Ascent 7-08 but my favorite caliber is my Montana in 280AI...a 280AI Mountain Ascent IMHO would be the ultimate combo...:)

I don't think you will go wrong in buying a Kimber.
 
G.E.FLACH said:
Let's put it this way the old remington wont get much use once you get a montana.Best factory trigger hands down. Like any production gun they can benefit from bedding and fine tuning the trigger and feed rails.The 06 and 270 generally feed fine.Very accurate though there was a few stinkers in the early days.Good luck finding one!
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. Well said.
 
I have a Montana in .260 Rem and its a dud. I was able to shrink its groups from 6" to 2-3" at 100 yds by adding a pressure point. I need to drop it off at Gary one of these days and have him look at it.
 
ShrtRnd said:
My question on the brake was not in regards to felt recoil as I have carried a 300WSM T3 Lite in the field, but curious as to why Kimber just didn't offer it in the box as an option rather then just the threaded barrel protector alone?
Click to expand...

Adds an extra couple hundred to each rifle to toss a brake in the box, and the percentage of guys that want a brake is likely pretty low.
Threading the barrel is easy before it is screwed onto the action, if a guy wants a brake then he can simply order one from Kimber and thereby get them more market share as opposed to having a smith sell one that he prefers that might be proprietary or whatever.
Aesthetics is a big deal to a lot of people, and having one match your barrel contour and colour of the barrel can be a deciding factor.
And realistically, suppressors are becoming a lot more popular in the US now, and that is likely a bigger driver to having a threaded tube over a muzzle brake.
 
Question for you guys with all the kimbers. I picked up a mountain ascent lightly used, and there is a bit of bolt rattle when the action is closed on an empty chamber. I have 2 tikka superlites and the T3X has it also. I didn't really care for that condition but figured I can live with it. Is it normal?
 
DMS1 said:
Question for you guys with all the kimbers. I picked up a mountain ascent lightly used, and there is a bit of bolt rattle when the action is closed on an empty chamber. I have 2 tikka superlites and the T3X has it also. I didn't really care for that condition but figured I can live with it. Is it normal?
Click to expand...
Yes, I find the rattle is there unless you put the safety to lock the bolt.
 
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