Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Kimber 1" accuracy gaurantee

I've had 8400's,84L's and 84M's almost all shot well with some tinkering. If you want to start betting against guys shooting 700's with factory stocks and barrels your going to lose a lot of money.

My Kimber currently goes 4.5 pounds (72 oz)...so thats even more beer I can bring along.

Does a Tikka SL count? Not sure what you call a "light" rifle. I wouldn't own a Kimber if you gave me one.

+1

He has not.

If a Tikka SL counts, I've shot light rifles. Since it doesn't take any special technique to shoot light rifles, according to many here on the 'fire, then it is a moot point. therefore, if a guy can shoot, he can shoot. I have little trouble hitting what I shoot at.

+1 (for the thousandth time)

Get a Tikka or Steyr Pro Hunter both will easily do 1" or better!

Glad to hear it. Leaves more of the good stuff for the rest of us.

As far as issues are concerned, they happen with all mass produced factory rifles - you can get a lemon with any brand. The last Remington I bought shot 8" patterns at 100 yards (crooked chamber not remotely parallel to the bore). I just traded off a Tikka 7-08 that was good for 1.5" at 100 yards with the loads it liked most (it had an insanely long throat). I once owned a Winchester that had a barrel that walked all over as it heated. These things aren't supposed to happen, yet there they were.

I had a short firing pin on a Kimber. Kimber sent me a new one quickly and for free. Good luck getting decent customer service from Berretta (who imports Tikka/Sako).

There isn't anything else off the shelf as light, not to mention with a rigid stock and great trigger. They can't be beat for the price, especially if your hunting involves hoofing it over rough country and elevation.

Much agree. A NULA is a custom rifle that is turn key, for which, it starts with a custom price.

When starting off with production guns, they are to varying degrees, a project in a box, for which it starts with a lower price. You can start off that project in a box with a production Winchester, at a lower cost, but you will always reach limits with obtaining cost effective light rifles.

Enter Kimber. If you start off that project in a box with a Kimber, you start out the gate with more cost, but you come out the box beyond the limits of the Winchester, and you start with all the parts needed in the box to build a good light rifle. With the only exception, being if the barrel needs replacing as some, not me, experienced. Otherwise, along the lines of Brad's thread, of going through the rifle; once done, you have a decent light gun, beyond that of starting with a production Winchester.

I'm of the opinion, if you expect a newly purchased Kimber to come out the box, and perform turn-key, along the lines of a custom, then you may be unhappy. On the other hand, you go into it prepared to go through the rifle, via Brad's thread, you likely would then know what you are getting into, and would end up happy when done.

Yep, the Montana is not a custom, it's a factory rifle with "light" as the selling point. Folks seem to fix POS rifles other than Kimber's, even creating entire threads on the quest and get back to having fun.



SUB MOA ACCURACY STANDARD

Made in America, Kimber rifles are extremely accurate. The premium-quality and precision you have come to expect from Kimber can be found in the craftsmanship and many custom features of these very special firearms.

Kimber rifles are designed to be capable of shooting a 3-shot group of .99” or less at 100 yards by a highly skilled and qualified shooter using factory ammunition.

Kimber should add the following line,

The accuracy standard will not apply to those who can bury a bone without digging a hole but have to sit down to pee.

Whew, I just finished reading this entire thread. In the mid 90s I bought a Ruger RL ultralight in the 257 Roberts. I had it rechambered to the Ackley improved. With factory ammo my groups were 4 to 6 inches. It took me a while but I finally got the groups under an inch. It seems the twist was too slow for the heaver bullets. As it turned out the twist was 1 in 10 3/4" not the 1 in 10 as advertised. So I dropped down to 100 grain bullets.

Last year I bought a Kimber 84M in 257 Roberts. The stock is AAA French Walnut. When I get around to it I'm going to have it re-chambered to the Ackley improved. Because I'm already set up to reload that caliber. It's glass bedded and the barrel is free floated. So I'm saving the expense of having that done. And I'm looking forward to shooting it.

Kimber test fires inside the 50 yard indoor range with just the barreled action inside a fixed machine rest.

It's the same setup they used with their now discontinued rim fire rifle line.

I had the pleasure of experiencing the top shelf, product backing Kimber customer service dept in 2004, 2011 and 2014

They suck X100

Sako Accuracy Testing


I did not think anyone tested production gun accuracy, with the barrelled action in the stock, except for Sako, who tests the completed rifle. Even those CZ targets are shot with a barrelled action, in a machined rest. Sako, on the other hand, actually tests the gun. It goes through a proofing station where it is inspected and shot five times. Then it goes to an accuracy station, where they use two marksman, who have freshly rotated out of their military service, to independently shoot, confirm, and verify that the gun shoots sub-moa 5-shot groups at 100meters. Then it goes to the final inspector station, who inspects everything for approval, before it is boxed up for shipment.

I am glad, however, the Kimber is being tested, even if only a barrelled action at 50 yards. Hope that reduces the chance of one getting through with a crappy barrel. I would then have more confidence, if they do a bad job of assembly, and it shoots bad, that I could go through the gun and make it shoot, without having to replace the barrel.

I do not wish the costs to go up, but I do, however, wish they would stop using temp workers from the day labor staffing place on the corner, to assemble the rifle. They could box up the tested barrelled action, at reduced cost, with a parts kit, throw in a bedding kit, and stickers. Then I wouldn't have to go through the crap of figuring out what the homeless person did to screw up the gun when they put it together while smoking crack. 😯

After reading many Kimber roulette stories mostly here on this forum, I decided to do an experiment about a year ago. Ordered a NIB 7-08 Montana. Topped it with a Swaro Z-5 5-25x52(trying to shoot tiny groups with anything less than an 18 power is just dumb). Went and bought some Barnes vor-tx 120g factory loads. Best 100 yard groups off bags were 1.25 inch. Pretty disappointing by my standards. My Cooper shoots those at .4 inch at 100 yards.

Next I bought some 139g matchkings, and set the FL sizing die(RCBS which is not even match grade) according to the instructions. I assume this is how most people reload. After a quick ladder test, I loaded the most promising loads and the best was about .75 inch at 100 yards. Getting better, but still not that great.

I ran out of the matchkings, and the only 7mm bullets I had left were 100 grain Sierra Hp varminters. One day I was bored, so I loaded some using the same RCBS dies, but this time I also used a case gauge. After a ladder test, I loaded 5 rounds each of the two touching shots. Both 5 shot groups shot at a caliper measured .1 inch. Pretty good.

I'm willing to bet that most recent Kimbers shoot decent, but expecting factory ammo with a 3x9 scope to shoot tiny groups is not going to happen. One also has to hold down on the front of the gun when shooting, because shooting mine free recoil opens the groups up to between 3-4 inches.

I want to redo this test with a known Kimber dog rifle, and I think I have located an early 260 that fits the bill. Hopefully I get a chance to test it soon....

I'm not sure of your definition of tiny groups for a lightweight sporting rifle. With an appropriate target I maintain a quality scope of 9x will show pretty much all of what such a platform can reliably and repeatedly produce.

Kimber Montana 7mm-08 - bought used on Gunbroker, mounted a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 in Talley Lightweight lows.



And no one will probably believe it, but that was at 300yds.

Riiiiight. Lightweight has nothing to do with the ability of shooting tiny groups. Sure not everyone can do it, but it can be done. Look up the Cooper M92, same tiny groups as the rest of the Cooper line. Using a 9X scope trying to gauge accuracy, is like cutting trees down with a butter knife trying to gauge cutting speed. Bad idea...

I agree...

You just don't know how then... sorry.