Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Kimber Ascent

I am looking into buying a Kimber Ascent and I'm having a hard time deciding what caliber to purchase. I could use some help on this topic, but first here are my thoughts on this.

The Kimber ascent is only available in 270, 280AI,308,30-06.

I already own a Browning TI in 300wsm. 5lbs 8oz. I have taken elk and mule deer with this gun. Great gun, but overkill.

I like the Kimber and I would like a smaller caliber/lighter gun for deer, ram, elk... basically an all around gun for the west.

The 270 is nice since it is a popular, flat shooting and easy to obtain ammo if needed anywhere in the US. recoil is moderate

The 280 AI has great ballistics, however very limited on factory ammo. hard to find.

The 308 is extremely accurate, has the least recoil, easy to obtain ammo, wide factory ammo selection, but it is not a flat shooter, but has long range capabilities.

The 30-06 is a great round, popular, easy to find ammo, semi flat shooting, wide selection of ammo, however it has a healthy kick to it.

What are your thoughts??

I think you need to spend a LOT of time perusing load data on EXBAL or the like not to mention the RANGE if you think there is any meaningful difference between 150gr loading in a 308 and a 30/06. Spend your money on a reloading outfit if you don't have one. If you do, buy some supplies and get to the range.

whoa, I'm simply looking for other hunters opinions. Reason I did not include range was that in most hunting situations at least, what I consider hunting... all of these will kill an animal well over the 400 yard mark and very accurately, especially with todays cartridges. just wondering others experiences with overall accuracy and handling.

Thanks

The .308W will be the lightest and most compact, if by only a small margin.

In the field 98 of 100 times I doubt that anyone could even tell the difference among those rounds on that game. In the 2 the .30-06 might edge out the others.

If I were to write-up a list of the top 10 best performing rounds, the 280AI would be at the top of that list.

If I were to make a list of the top 10 best rifles, the Ascent wouldn't be on it.

I do like that 280AI however if I were to fly to Alaska or some other remote region to hunt and my ammo were to get lost. I would probably not be able to find more ammo for that caliber compared to any of the other rounds. That is my biggest concern. I am not sold on any particular round yet and I'm not completely against it.

What is the reason behind the Kimber no being on your list?

Thanks

yes the 308 is lighter by a small margin

I also agree with the fact that any of those calibers will get the job done well. and yes the 30-06 is hard to beat

Here's my take on it. You didn't ask about Kimber Montanas, but a Montana in .308 is what I'd be looking at, and it's still a little lighter than an Ascent in '06. I've owned a few Montanas and handled an Ascent. I just didn't like the feel of the Ascent, plus you're stuck with a muzzle brake if you get one. The Montana just felt more solid, and as far as the trade-off between light weight for carrying vs. more recoil, 5 lbs. and change for a .308 is about my cut-off. I just don't see a need to go lighter than that, especially with a chambering that'll have more recoil than a .308. It just gets to the point where it's bordering on unpleasant to shoot much at the range.

I'd go Montana in .308 (or 7-08), for the following reasons:

1) Looking at the MSRP, you can get a new Montana, shoot out the barrel or just decide to have it re-barreled with a premium after-market barrel and pay the same as an Ascent.

2) I hate loudeners and lengtheners (muzzle brakes).

3) You already have a lightweight 300 WSM, a lightweight '06 doesn't get you much that's different.

4) For practical hunting purposes, a .308 will do what the '06 will.

PS, if you've made up your mind on the Ascent and are worried about ammo availability, get a .270.

+1 on the Montana .308

Kimber Montana in 257 Roberts or 7mm-08. The others are too close to your current rifle to show any difference in the field.

I wouldn't bother with an Ascent, it's more expensive than it's features warrant. It's too light for good shootability, and the loudener should get chucked into a river.

You might look at a Forbes as well.

Also, buy a reloading setup.

I agree with your observations about the Ascent. It just felt like a toy. It actually kind of rattled when I held it. I don't know if it actually made a sound or if just felt like it but the combination of the fluted bolt and the extractor with cutouts in it gave the perception of rattling. And it didn't balance well either.

That's a good way to describe it, "rattling."

If the Ascent doesn't balance well bare, the balance will be really poor once a scope and mag full of rounds are applied.

Buy it, spend time with it and make up the difference with your skills in what it lacks for flat shooting. However, with a 150 gr bullet you give up nothing. The 308 is the ballistic twin to the 280 Remington with which, I have killed two or three truck loads of animals with 150 gr CoreLokts.

The Ascent feels like a toy and I am not sure I would pick it for a remote hunt. It does not feel very durable. If I was buying a Kimber, it would be a Montana. The caliber will not make much difference on anything Elk on down. Get a Montana in 308 or 7-08 and have fun.

Funny, it's nothing more than a Montana with a fluted barrel, brake, and some machining done to the bolt and action. Your logic, fails.

The new Kimber Ascent weighs 4 lbs 13oz as advertised. I'm going for all out light weight. I like to hunt the toughest terrain and go further than most do when hunting. I will be hunting Montana's unlimited sheep unit next year. Unit 502 and it isn't called Hellroaring for nothing!

I was holding back all bias on these rounds till I heard some opinions.

The muzzle break is removable on the Kimber. I normally don't like muzzle breaks at all, however some of the reviews on this one are impressive. I would still take it off more than likely.

I agree that recoil in these light weights is not for the faint and the 300 wsm with a 150 grain does kick like a mule! I liked the rounds offered in the 300 wsm ( 130 grain all the way to 180) so it has many uses. and is an extremely flat shooting caliber!

With much practice I have been able to bear the recoil and shoot extremely accurate even freehand. once comfortable and accurate it should only take one shot to take game down.

I also agree that the 06 is not much different in the available loads and has a healthy kick along with the 300. The 308 is similar in loads but with much less recoil and will do just as much as a 06.

I am leaning heavily towards the 270 for the availability point, and relative flat shooting, but talking to a few people they have said this round can be a little fussy when trying to finding an accurate round. I don't put much stock in that statement with todays loads.

Good luck with your Mountain Ascent, UPhunter!

I too have a serious hankering for one of these. I just wish they had some stock options available (no pun intended). The Kimber stock design does not fit me AT ALL! I'm also afraid to take the Kimber accuracy gamble again, being burned on more than one occasion in the past. I wonder if i could talk them into selling me just the action, and have a custom barrel and stock installed to my specs...

Over-the-counter availability in a remote area is a valid concern. The 308 and 30-06 are high on my Top 10 list too, and would be just as effective within 600 yards.

The 30-06 was my first rifle choice, and I'm still impressed with it's capabilities after many decades. While the 280AI might shade it slightly in the ballistic arena at long range and with some loadings, for practical effectiveness the 30-06 is the standard everything else is compared to.

The 30-06 will do anything the 300WSM will do with less recoil, and loaded with a 165 GMX or Accubond, it's a go to combo for me these days. Those bullets can be bought over-the-counter, and there is no shortage of equally good factory loadings.

The same case could be made for the 308. As shot placement is more important than paper ballistics, in good hands the 308 is just as effective and with even less recoil.

While the Kimber Montana would be near the top of my rifle list, the Ascent version would not. The dis-advantages of a brake on a standard caliber far outweigh any advantage in the field, and none of those rounds need a brake. I would happily trade that feature for a shorter barrel, and the Montana is already as light as I want a rifle to be. If you're recoil sensitive, add a little padding for long range sessions.

I'm also not a fan of fluted barrels. Fluting can easily damage an otherwise good barrel and can cause erratic accuracy issues in a lightweight profile barrel. It's not worth taking the risk for an essentially useless feature that contributes very little benefit in weight savings.

I am a Kimber Montana fan. For rugged simplicity, the Montana is one of the best. For overall dependability, I would place more focus on light reliable glass, and on that rifle my only choice would be a 6x Leupold FX-II with a turret. An LRF will add another 8oz to your burden, but don't leave home without it.

That Montana 308 combo could easily win First Place on my Top 10.