Is this Kimber's answer to the Ruger American?

Says it will be available in 6.5 Creedmoor also.

Removable magazine and I don't think the stock will be up to Montana quality.

At $885 MSRP what sort of street price should we expect?

http://www.kimberamerica.com/hunter

Someone needs to buy one of these and wring it out for the Campfire.

Assuming the 22/250 has a 1-14" twist. If so they hit it out of the park....

Looks like the trigger guard is part of the stock, oogly and cheap.

That could be really cool.

Well thought-out rifle. With a street price around $700 it should be real competition for others near that price point. Stock is sort of an ugly color though...

I'll wager that the greatest single issue with this rifle in the near term will be its availability. CP.

Looks like a great idea.
I wouldn't make to many assumptions based on the stock - from the pic on the site it looks like it is in the "artist rendering" stage - not an actual photograph.

Is it a "regular" Kimber in a plastic stock or is it a different barreled action?

I'd be curious about this too.

They have my attention.

Hmmmmm... want to see on and handle one, but it is offered in 257 Roberts and at that price it might be worth playing with.

I wouldn't mind checking out a 243.

http://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2016/1/20/kimbers-lightweight-hunter-rifle/

Sure looks like a standard Kimber thrown in a less UBER stock.




Dave

MOA Accuracy guarantee. Perhaps they are reading my sig line...

RIP in Tikka.....

IMO, companies would be "home running" if they'd do a faster twist than 1-14 for it. The 22-250 would have a lot more versatility with a faster twist.

And you just took 3 swings without getting close to the sarcasm.

I might even buy a slow twisted POS Kimber Hunter 22-250.

400 yard laser beam of death.

yea...I'm a bit tired...

I'm for a 1-8" twist...do you think Kimber is listening?

NO

Need a laser beam to dodge those snowflakes... Grin

Ben, little bullets make dodging snow flakes easy!

That one's still on the drawing board. Rumor is, they'll call it the "Ingwe."

BRO!

Stop with the excuses and get on board!

(That's what she said)


Dave

The campfire will demand a McMillan as a reasonable upgrade.

At this point it looks like a standard action and barrel, without the threads and a non-kevlar stock. The new stock allowed them to construct a detachable magazine.
The NRA article shows a much better color than the Kimber website. Looks like an aluminum trigger guard too.
All in all not too bad and it hits a much lower price point. If they didn't increase factory capacity I suppose all the models will be in short supply for awhile.
The market will soon speak.

You might finally see one, since there's finally a reason to make it.

Kimber goes plastique for the first time since the Mauser basterdization project. Uber. I'd like a Creedmoor if it's a stiffy. Color change is easy.

The stock was pretty stiff on the sample I inspected. The mag snapped in and out easily. We'll see how it does once true production models roll out...

SAS, What's the trigger guard configuration/construction?

Provided a rifle isn't chambered for a 300 mag or bigger I have no problem with a plastic stock.


Wish it was ADL style.


Darrik, plastic or metal mag?

A 223 with appropriate magazine length would be a nice option too. Even with the 1-9 they like to use.

Plastic exterior, metal interior. The trigger guard on the rifle I handled was plastic.

To be fair, the rifle at SHOT wasn't the true production rifle. I was told they had to slap a stock on a barreled action for display because none had been manufactured.

Is it a heavier barrel contour than the Montana? Is the action the same as the Montana?

Thanks. It looks sorta Hoquesque...
It looks fairly ok.

Same exact action in a plastic stock. Same barrel contour. It's light too. Should be interesting once they start spitting them out. I ordered a bunch.

Why cant the trigger guard be metal? Yuk.

That's what I dislike like most about the Sako A7.

Plastic covered metal mag on the A7 as well.


I'll wait for a 22-250 Montana.
(unless the Hunter is $500 cheaper, then it would make an ube full-time truck gun)

That has to be the ugliest stock color I've ever seen. A 7-08 wouldn't be too shabby but I'd likely just by a used MT for the same price.

I'd never find a used Montana for the street price on these....if I can assume they're going to sell 50-100 less than msrp. I do agree though for close to same price I'll stay with Montanas. I still am very curious about the reports on these.

The color on the Kimber website almost appears to be a bad photoshop job.

It looked like a computerized 'fake' pic.


Which would make sense given Darrik's report on the stock.

These cheap plastic stocked Kimbers are gonna be the last nail in the Steyr Pro Hunters coffin....

You baitin somebody

Why the 1:12 twist on the creedmore, that is not great...

The creedmore is 1-12".

But if you order the creedmoor it's 1-8"

A Montana with a plastic stock would make for a nice donor barreled action if McMillan would make a hunting stock for the Montana. I don't know why they don't, as they already have the inlet program for the Kimber tactical rifle.

Check out Oregon Gunsmithing (Pendelton Stocks) as I believe they make a very light stock for Kimber rifles.


Not bad looking stocks either. Claimed weight finished is under a pound.

[u][size:14pt][color:#000099]Pendleton Stocks[/color][/size][/u]

Seems like a fella would be better off with the Montana if the plan was to put a new stock on it? Not that I always do that...I've plenty mcmillans on 700's 70's and a vanguard.

...another here hoping for a nicely made .22-250 with a 1/8 or 1/9....

Bob

They show the 22-250 Montana to be 1-12", I would imagine the Hunter would be the same.


What is the longest bullet a 12" will handle, a 60 grain boattail?

We've shot the 60nbt in my uncles savage which I'm about positive is 12".

62gr Barnes ain't gonna do it, but a 60gr Nosler should work.

I can't figure out WHY so many folks are afraid of twist.

The last new bolt action I bought was a 1-8" twist RAR in 223. The next one I'll buy is when the first maker gets their head out of their ass and comes out with a 1-8" twist 22/250

Most likely because there's very little demand for a stock to replace the Montana stock.

You're probably right. I thought this new Hunter model had a heavier barrel profile ? Doesn't it weight around a pound more (6 1/2 lbs) ? Can't be just the stock adding a pound to that rifle no ? I like the detachable mag feature too on the Hunter. If you could pick up this Hunter for a street price of around $700, add a sub - 16oz custom stock and have a DM feature, you'd have a real nice set-up.

Perhaps that is why Kimber gave the Montana a 15% hike in MSRP.

I agree on all accounts. I guess they think he masses want threaded barrels too? I wouldn't know because it seems what I want and what the masses want is total opposite.

Scott I still think the twist has some to do with the fellas not understanding which shells to use...grin. Yet they can do it with 223?....who knows

WAG - plastic vs Kevlar 8-10oz? What's a Montana SA stock weigh? Hopefully they'll be true to their heritage - slim and round. If it's stiff and slim, no upgrade needed, just join the waiting list, as CP alluded.

They vary, 24 - 25.5 oz's.

Has anyone seen any pics of the bottom "metal" and/or DBM?

The Montana in 6.5 CR is much more interesting, IMO.

It'll be really interesting to see how the new Tikka compares. But funny that a plastic stock and mag is now OK on a Kimber.

Man if the expensive Montana needs all those surgeries to "Get Well" imagine what the cheap one will need! Total and complete reconstructive surgery.

LOL

You were just never good with shooting a lightweight rifle, that is all. Didn't it take you like 3-4 Kimber Montana's to prove that?

And this is why most complain about their accuracy with kimbers. Co workers had major butt-hurt, buyers remorse until they started holding on. Now you couldn't buy them for double their price after they figured it out.

Have we ever shot together or seen me shoot and you inferred this from experience?

I have shot many many lightweight custom rifles very well to know that the Montanas I had sucked

Lotsa others don't have any problems with them. Must be you then?

And lots of others do! Hence the checklist "post" on how to fix a Montana. Ever see another checklist to fix other rifle makes in particular?


I had 2 and 2 of my other friends had one each. 3 270 WSm's and 1 325 WSM.

If it is me then why do I not have a problem with the RAR Rifles inc Nula Tikka t3 ultralight etc.

All I know the 2 I had (both 270 WSM's) sucked big time.

A 22-250 with a 8" twist horns me up to say the least.

My list for my 270 WSM was mount a scope, torque the bolts, and kiss a SMK. Shot fine.




But I still didnt like it.

Ours shoot well too. We shoot the little ones though. I had a 270wsm it shot fine and I didn't like it either.

Those guns are going to beat the hell out of the market. I'm stoked!

I would have paid a couple hundred more than the Montana asking price for a composite stocked version with a DBM or floor plate. Just never been a fan of blind mags, even if other configurations were a little heavier, it would still be a light rifle. If the normal Montana stock weighs 24oz, I'm trying to figure out how just switching the stock could make the hunter could weigh 22oz more (6.5 CM published weights for both). Maybe the action is not as trim on the hunter?

I asked Kimber about the blind magazine years ago. It was a necessity to maximize the strength of the kevlar stock and therefore any style of magazine would have weakened the stock.

As far as the extra weight, some 22 oz. that could be attributed to: 1. the synthetic stock just weighing more, 2. some metal support imbedded in the stock and 3. the DM assembly overall weight.
Some additional reports I'm sure will be forthcoming in the near future.
Now with the Hunter, buyers have options.

Seems a donor Montana is the answer.

They shouldn't have left out the 223

I guess I'm a little surprised they can sell these cheaper than the Classic. Walnut must cost them more than I thought.