Kimber 84m pro varmint vs remington 700 LV SF

BAMF

New member
I am buying a new predator rifle since I sold my last 22-250 to my brother (it was to heavy). So I am trying to decide which of these two rifles is better. It has to be a 22-250. I am kinda leaning towards the remington because it is lighter and has a synthetic stock. But the kimber is better built from what I have heard and maybe better accuracy. So has anybody have experience with either or even a opinion.
 
Nobody. Well I guess then I can only ask the question of what everybody else has for a calling rifle? and what would they think to be a good weight for their gun?
 
I have a Remington 700 LVSF in 17 REM and one in 204 Ruger they both shoot very accurate. I have never owned a Kimber rifle so I can't comment on them but would say you can't go wrong with the remington.
 
I might be able to help.

I purchased a Rem 700 LVSF in 221 Fireball. It came with the model POS synthetic stock. I couldn't get the gun to hold point of impact during load development until I stuffed a folded business card under the front of the forearm. That defeated the idea of a free floated barrel. I replaced the factory stock with a Boyd's thumbhole laminate and the gun is a legitimate one-holer with my handloads. The laminate stock added quite a bit of weight but that doesn't matter to me. It also shifted the point of balance back toward the butt stock where it should be, it's front heavy as it comes from the factory. The trigger is a little spongy and I will work on it this winter when the snow is on the ground but I smile every time I take it to the range. Crows hate this thing.

I also own a Kimber Longmaster Classic in 223 Remington. It has a nice walnut stock (the classic part of the name) and a stainless fluted barrel with the blued Kimber action. It's an accurate gun, just under 1 MOA with just about anything I put down the barrel with the exception of the loads I tried with W748 powder - that powder just doesn't shoot well in my gun. I've hit on two different handloads that are scary accurate. I have not had to do anything to the gun, it's still 100% factory and the trigger is great, akin to the CZ single set trigger in the set mode and every bit as good as the trigger on my Sauer 202.

Both are very good guns but I think you will be disappointed with the soft plastic stock on the Remington. If you can hold the Remington in your hand before you buy you can put pressure on the forearm and see how much it moves. The random barrel contact will translate to random accuracy.

I like both my guns the way they are outfitted. I put a Zeiss Conquest on the Remington and a Redfield Wide View on the Kimber. If you intend to keep the gun as delivered from the factory - get the Kimber.
 
Thanks a lot flashhole I am right now trying to find a kimber or have one special ordered. I also noticed after I posted this that the remington has a blind magazine, some say it strengthens the stock and improves accuracy but IMO thats just to save money, maybe on a wood stock but not synthetics.
 
The blind box magazine on the Remington is a little bit of a pain in the butt because you have to cycle each cartridge to unload the gun. I seldom have more than two rounds in the magazine and mostly use it as a single shot. Same with the Kimber, I use it mostly as a single shot, albeit is has the drop down magazine (attached, not detached) just because it's a varmint rig. I had to order my Kimber. There is always a small pucker factor when ordering a gun sight unseen. I was not disappointed with mine. It has a 24" barrel and that allows me to extract the most from the cartridge.
 
I don't have any experience with Kimbers, but I own two Rem 700 LVSF's - one in .204 and one in .22-250.

I used the .204 as my #1 calling rifle last year and really liked it. I like the looks, and the gun is nice to carry. I removed the factory pressure point in the stock before did any shooting and mine is a solid 1 MOA shooter with handloads (usually 3/4" - 1"). Trigger was pretty poor, so I replaced it with a Timney.

I liked my .204 so much I bought the same gun in .22-250. I wanted to personalize my .22-250, so I put it in a B&C medalist stock. I had the trigger professionally reworked to about 2.5lbs and it is very satisfactory. I have only shot factory ammo so far, but this gun looks like it should shoot just as well as my .204 once I start loading.

Other than the factory trigger needing work or replacement, I think you would be very satisfied with a 700 LVSF. I did not try much factory ammo with either of mine (only 2 different selections in each), but both shoot about 1 1/2" with factory ammo. If you decide you don't like the factory stock, it is easy to find a wide selection of replacement options.
 
I own both Remingtons and Kimbers. If I were you I would get the Kimber. I really like Remingtons but I think the feel is better of the Pro Varmint.
 
Quote:
I might be able to help.

I I couldn't get the gun to hold point of impact during load development until I stuffed a folded business card under the front of the forearm. That defeated the idea of a free floated barrel.






I had the same experience with my Rem. 700 Light Varmint in 22-250 It wouldn't shoot a 3" group until we shimmed under the stock with a piece of thin cardboard material. Unless you can glass and piller bed yourself, you may end up spending money to get it where you want.

I also have a Kimber 22-250 varmint. Its OK. Some people like them some don't. Personally I think youd like the Tikka. They typically shoot under and inch and only cost around $600 give or take. I have one, but its not the varmint model.......its a great gun. Extremely smooth bolt. Another very accurate gun is the Savage Predator. The shoot well out of the box and again around $600.
 
I have a Remington VLS in 22-250. I also have a Kimber 84M Classic in 22-250. I've always loved Remington shotguns and rifles but hadn't bought one in a lot of years. The VLS I bought was extremely disappointing. I free floated it, pillar bedded it, blueprinted the action, replaced the trigger with a Jewell trigger and cut 2" off the barrel. It now shoots dinky little groups and no longer walks all over the target when I try to sight it in which it did even after I pillar bedded and free floated it.

My Kimber 84M Classic has a beautiful trigger and was floated and pillar bedded at the factory. It shot good groups right out of the box but is a little finicky. After about 150 rounds it started shooting great little groups but it's still a bit finicky. You have to find the right load. It's light weight and I've killed about a dozen or so coyotes with it. For the price It's a great little calling rifle. I would definitely buy another Kimber.
 
Kimber IMO far better workmanship and attention to detail. I had a LVSF 221FB, couldn't get it to shoot. Wound up returning it.
 
I firmly believe that you can get any Remington to shoot well. It's just a matter of how much trouble and expense you want to go through. By the time I got done with my VLS I could've bought a Cooper.
 
I have both. I have the Kimber Pro Varmint in 22-250 and a Remmy LV SF in .204. IMHO both are great guns. Both shoot very well, best group I can remember with the Kimber was .875" @ 200 yds, best with the Remmy was .375" @ 100 yds (all 3 shot groups).....both consistently shoot between .5" and 1". Only thing I've done to either is adjust the triggers on both to two pounds, both wear Leupold VX III's. With all that said, the Remmy is my everyday, bounce around in the pickup gun and the Kimber is my favorite calling gun. To me the LV SF is almost too light unless I have a bipod on it. Personally, I like the feel of Kimber rifles and I like the action/trigger/safety on the Kimbers better as well. So, if it was me I would get the Kimber. I have other Kimbers and other Remmys and the Kimbers just feel better to me.
 
Quote:
I firmly believe that you can get any Remington to shoot well. It's just a matter of how much trouble and expense you want to go through. By the time I got done with my VLS I could've bought a Cooper.



Sounds about right.
The last remmy I bought was an LVSF in 223. The only thing that could have helped that thing shoot better would have been a new barrel. A patch was tight starting into the breech, then got loose half way down, then tight again at the muzzle. I put a grand into that rifle, trigger, stock work etc. never got it to shoot under 1 1/4"

Now the 3 Coopers I have purchased since, are fantastic shooters. Lighten the trigger alittle and go shoot it!!
 
While I've never owned a Kimber, I do own several Remington 700's. I used my 700 SPS stainless in .22-250 as my main calling rifle last season, and was very happy with it. When I bought this rifle the trigger was acceptable but I adjusted it down to just under 3 pounds. It took me all of 10 or 15 minutes just as it has with all my Remington rifles. I'm not at all impressed with the cheaper than a LVSF stock on this SPS but it still shoots. This rifle will hold under MOA with about anything I run through it, and will even get to .5 MOA with my handloads on occasion.
Of all the Remington rifles I've owned over the past 30 years only one has given me accuracy problems. It was a used rifle that someone had tried to freefloat by sanding out the factory pressure point in the forearm. I tried a new stock that made no difference. I finally found that it would only shoot 52 grain bullets under an inch so that's what I use in it. Problem solved.

Coyote 6974
 
I have a .223 Rem LVSF. It will shoot .5moa. I had to remove material from the forend to float the barrel and had to lap the action bedding blocks. The synthetic material had covered the blocks when the stock was molded around the blocks. I have also performed a trigger job on it. After useing a Savage accu trigger I wanted to through rocks at the Rem trigger. I also hand load, so this is a definte issue too. The LV does have one 700 yds kill to its credit. I bought it because it was very light, ss and synthetic. It has a SightronII on it. I am happy with the pair. I dont mind working on a gun, I enjoy it. As long it will shoot when I am finished. Good shootin to ya
 
I have a 700 LV SF in .22-250. Can't say I'd do it again knowing what I know now. It would shoot any load at 1 to 1-1/4" groups. None smaller. I had a trigger job done, glass bedded the tang and the lug, as well as the chamber area. I ground out the "pressure pads" to free float the barrel and finally found a load that will consistently shoot .5" to .6" groups at 100. I love the gun, but with my time being at a premium lately, I would rather have bought a gun that did not require so much work.

The slow twist also irritates me. I like to use 55's on yotes but the twist is too slow.
 
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