Never owned a Kimber that didn't shoot. Always my first choice for a light rifle.
I'm convinced that the poor shooting was the result of the owner not knowing how to handle such a lightweight from the bench, not the rifle.
That said, I do own 3 Tikka T3s. Like them very much. Easy to shoot from the bench. Don't like the funky plastic feel and the less adroit handling, but get past that with practice.
And yes, Jon, the SA and 223 chambered Tikkas use various spacers or fillers in the magazine and various length bolt stops to facilitate cartridge length and feeding. Rather clever and cost effective way to accommodate, but you don't get any weight savings or different/better handling characteristics of a rifle with the SAs.
Bottom line for me is the price difference between the T3 ultra LW and the Kimber Montana isn't enough to change my mind if one fits of feels better than the other. In addition, extra mags for the T3s are rather expensive and sometimes hard to find. I've bought a few here when they came up.
Enjoy your search.
