There has been a recent push for ‘ultralight’ mountain hunting rifles, with companies advertising carbon fiber stocks and barrels to the backcountry hunter. Much of this is simply marketing; a pencil-weight steel barrel will yield a lighter weapon than a carbon fiber wrapped barrel. However, mired deep in oz counting I decided to see how light a factory rifle could get. The Kimber Montana was a clear choice.
Why the Kimber Montana
The Kimber Montana is a lightweight controlled round feed action, similar to a Winchester Model 70 with a round bottom instead of square. Helping to cut weight, the action is scaled to the cartridge family it is chambered for. In the case of the 84M this means the smallest action possible for 308 Winchester sized cartridges. Additionally, the rifle is further lightened by a blind magazine. This means that no extra weight is occupied by a bottom metal or a magazine box. This results in a factory base rifle that weighs only 5lbs 2oz. I swapped out the bolt handle for a titanium version dropping the weight to 5lbs 1oz.
As I intended the rifle to be a sheep hunting rifle I wanted to pair it with a trim scope to keep overall weight as low as I could. I mounted a Leupold VX-3HD 2.5-8×36 in a set of Talley lightweights, giving a total weight of 5.8 lbs for the entire set up.
Action Screw Issue
Initially after setting the rifle up and taking it to the range, accuracy was disappointing. The rifle was regularly printing 3-4 MOA groups. I had anticipated that an ultralight rifle would be harder to get to shoot, but I still expected better results than what I was seeing. After trying several different bullet types and weights, I did a complete tear down of the rifle to check torque and parts wear.
Upon a thorough inspection I discovered that the front action screw was bottoming out and rubbing on the front of the action. Some careful work with a file shortened the screw. Curious, I returned to the range for testing. Unsurprisingly the rifle shot much better now that it was snugged up against the bedding. While still not a half MOA rifle, it was shooting an honest 2 MOA. Below are before and after 10 shot groups.
The Positives
In short, there is a lot to like about the Kimber Montana. The rifle is exceptionally trim and easy to carry. Outfitted with Talley lightweight low rings, the comb of the stock aligns nicely with the center of the riflescope.
The controlled round feed action is well machined and positively feeds and extracts cartridges. A 3-position wing safety is present, resembling a shrunken down Winchester Model 70. Admittedly, I have a preference for mechanical ejectors, and the one on the Kimber works well. In general the rifle has a good fit and finish and feels well made.
Another positive with the rifle is the factory trigger. Straight out of the box, the trigger is quite good. There is just the slightest bit of take-up and the trigger breaks cleanly at around 3.5 lbs. On a rifle this light the trigger makes a world of difference. While still not a Triggertech, Kimber did well designing the trigger for the Montana.
The Negatives
However, the Kimber Montana also has some drawbacks. The vast majority of them are intrinsically related to the weight of the rifle, so in a way this is a critique of ultralight rifles in general. First of all, the rifle is challenging to shoot well from field shooting positions. Tremors are manageable when shooting prone or off the bench, but in improvised shooting positions such as seated or kneeling, it is hard to steady the Montana. Never was this more apparent than during a seated shot at a Stone’s sheep this summer. Fortunately, that situation resolved itself for the better.
Also, staying on target while cycling the action is challenging with such a light rifle. While the action of the Kimber Montana is not rough, it is also not as smooth as a Tikka or a custom action. This means that the bolt lift jostles the target out of the sight picture. This makes it difficult to quickly send a follow-up shot.
Finally, recoil is worse in the Kimber Montana than many other designs. There is no cheating physics, and a lighter rifle will generate more recoil than a heavy one in the same cartridge. In this case, recoil calculators indicated that the 7mm-08 Montana recoils like a standard weight 7mm Remington Magnum. In my experience this strikes me as accurate. The increased recoil is exacerbated by the traditional stock lines, which are necessary to achieve such light weight.
Conclusion
The Kimber Montana is a joy to carry. However, accuracy is inadequate for true long range work. This relegates the rifle to duty as a gun for timber hunts where it stays in your hands all day. Another potential use case is backpack hunting where every oz matters. Perhaps in the hands of a better shooter the Kimber is a viable long range rifle, but for me it occupies the same space as a lever gun. I did take it on a sheep hunt, but despite the weight I am unlikely to do so again.
The Kimber 84M commands a premium price tag. If you require ultra light weight, they are quality rifles. However, the weight specification is achieved at the expense of accuracy and ease of shooting. For the consummate still hunter or the extreme distance backpacker, that may be a suitable compromise. Most other hunters will be better served by a traditional weight rifle.