New Sheep Hunting Rig

Weatherby Fan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
720
Location
Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
Ok so at the last 2 day gun show near my hometown some smooth talking gentleman come by the booth when I was proudly displaying my new 6.5CM Kimber Montana my gunsmith had tuned up for me and it wasn't for sale but somehow that chap left with my rifle and scope
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So Ive been without a lightweight rig since then...... I was wanting to build another 6.5 Creedmoor and Gunsmith Gary says nope lets do a Kimber Montana 84M in 6.5-284, so with about 4 seconds of arm twisting he had me convinced this is what I needed.

I want it to be really light Gary but in that caliber and that light its going to need a brake.......Ok he says no problem................................ I scrounge up some parts and drops em off on Garys bench on Sunday......he says you know I'm retired right ? yeh ok buddy but I need it by Thursday.......
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I didn't say which Thursday.......and he didn't ask !

Kimber Montana 84M donor rifle- 6.5-284
Action Slabbed, Custom hand made alloy bolt knob, lightweight trigger guard
Gary opened up the mag box to take factory ammo
22" Benchmark #1 contour,1-8 twist 5R barrel with a custom muzzle brake with holes on 3 sides not the bottom.
Cool green paint job and my fav Sheep logo and a high comb added, and a neat Pewter Gunkote

For now I topped it with a Zeiss V4 4-16x44 to do my sight in then Im switching to a Leupold VX3i 3.5-10x40 with an MOA dial to keep the weight down to just under 6 lbs

As usual it turned out awesome, it feeds like a dream and spits the shells out like a CRF should

Thanks Gary you do pretty good work for a retired guy !



 
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Very nice. Don't take this one to any gun shows.lol. If you do let me know when and where and we can talk. Awesome looking rifle
 
More importantly ... how does it shoot? I think the 6.5 x 284 is perhaps the penultimate mountain game/sheep hunting chambering.
 
Ok got the new 6.5-284 to the range, what a dream to shoot with that brake on there, shooting all three Nosler factory loads, 130gr AB, 140gr AB and 129gr ABLR, 2 shots of the 130gr AB to zero and a good cleaning and from a cold barrel and a little cool time between shots, my first 3 shot group with the 130gr AB @ 2800fps.....that'll do !



My 2nd group was with 140gr AB @ 2700fps, my 3rd group of the 129 gr ABLR @ 2820fps and it certainly didn't like them
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4th group was 140 gr AB again and they were so so ! and the 5th group I shot 130gr ABs 3 shots as fast as I could load them.

 
I tried a long string of 130 Accubonds in my 6.5-284 with Reloader 26 starting at 53.0grs and going up in .2gr increments, no pressure signs

53.0-2797
53.2-2841
53.4-2821
53.6-2833
53.8-2859
54.0-2866
54.2-2895
54.4-2894 seemed to be fairly close, so ill start at 54.2 with some 3 shot groups

54.6-2889
54.8-2916
55.0-2951
55.2-2961
55.4-2965
55.6-2976
55.8-2991
56.0-3004

Also tried some 143gr ELD-X with 54grs of R26 and got 2860fps and a .2" group
soon as I went to 54.5 it opened up to 0.65" and then at least 55gr it went to 0.75"
 
I don't have my book close to me but I used 4831sc in mine with 140vld I believe it was 58.5gr fed 210m primer and it was a lights out shooter. Benchmark 26inch tube around 3050. Took MD in picture by my name 1135yards he walked one step fell over bullet passed right through nice exit hole. By far the farthest shot in game for me but wow it was a good cartridge.
 
Thanks. I never did try any I saw it at Cabelas wondered how it would do myself. The 140 elite hunters are supposed to be better than VLDs less picky for seating depth may be another good choice to try or the 135 classic hunter.
I had a Montana done up for me in a 280ai not as nice as yours but it shot one hole groups the only bad part it I had to seat bullets out far enough they wouldn't fit in mag box so I parted ways with it.
 
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