Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Thoughts on Kimber Hunter

I bought mine this past spring for $749

Just don't eat that 2nd piece of toast in the morning...

Picked up a Hunter in 6.5CM on Saturday, $656.99 plus tax - 10% off of regular $729.99 on sale and D&B Supply. I believe that is very close to dealer cost.

Wow that’s cheap! Is the black barreled model the same price? And the camp stocked one?

Only seen the stainless and not sure what colour the standard stock is called, here in Aus.

Regular stainless model. I asked, the sale was only good for stock on hand. Still about as cheap as I have seen one.

.........and doubles the price!

The current retail prices for the Hunter and Montana are $909 and $1,455 respectively. That's a difference of $546 retail. Even with actual store prices the Montana is significantly more expensive and yet they don't shoot any better than the Hunters.

That stock is worth every penny, IMHO. I shot a Montana 270 (6-1/2lb) side by side with a M70 (8-1/2lb), same ammo. The difference was quite noticeable. The Montana had "quick" recoil, but didn't seem to have the thump of the Tupperware stocked M70.


The M70 only stayed for nostalgia, or I'd still have the Kimber. M70 has always shot like a mofo too.

Down to 3 CF's


Anywhoo....

The Hunter stock is almost identical in shape to the Montana stock with only a few subtle differences some of which are due to IM requirements. It's also about 6oz heavier with a very similar recoil pad so you'll find that the two stocks shoot very much the same. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything and it's good for Kimber that some will pay the extra $$$ for the Montana and Mountain Ascent or else those models would go away.

I'm thinking more along the lines of what it's made of. Ergo's are some of the best.

On the Kimber Hunter remove the butt pad and pull out the rubber sound softening material mine weighed 7oz. I also shortened the foreend an inch and cut the barrel to 20"
The rifle is a dream to carry, balances on the front guard screw and points perfectly. Also bedded it and shot it with a fresh cost of paint so it doesnt look like a modified rifle.. My hunter is now 3 ounces lighter than a Montana in 7mm-08 and that includes the Talley 1" rings.

Its shooting 120 TTSX's into .463" @ 100 yards and 3180fps.

Thanks for that brno284. Very interesting.

I'm interested in why you shortened the forend 1" and how the stock looks given the honeycomb voids that you'd get into by doing that. Could you post a photo of the stock? Did you find it easy to "pull out" the rubber compound in the stock?

How do you remove the butt pad?

It's secured with two screws.

Shortened the foreend to maintain cosmetic looks as stock would appear too long for the 20" barrel. I tried drilling it to no avail, i ended up putting laquer thinner on top of the silicone or whatever it is and slid a steel ruler down the edge of the stock and the material eventually breaking it free. This took abit of time but the laquer thinner helps and acts like a penetrating oil to help release it from the stock. Any thin metal shim should work but it has to be rigid.

On the forestock i moved the stud back 1" as well and filled the orignal hole with glass bedding. The honeycomb is perfect to drop a 10-32 nut and change the front stud from a wood thread to a machine thread. Gun also now sports a Ti bolt handle and Ti action screws.


Will post pics after the 10th as I am using at the moment and dont have time to check zero if i take it apart for pics.

Thanks brno284

Look forward to the photos.

OK so its snowing and I am feeling housebound so thought I would finish up what I did to my hunter with some pics as requested. I have not had a bad Kimber in approx 20 that I have owned in terms of accuracy. That said I have had to go through the checklist and correct some of the faults, but never a bad barrel. Since I love Kimbers and can't leave anything stock I also put one of my oversize stainless steel 2x surface ground recoil lugs into my rifle and trued the action ring/face to remove the counter bore. Since I had it apart I also cut the bolt lugs .002" and lapped them into the reciever for 100% contact. Also set the barrel back 0.100" and recut the chamber with my JGS match reamer. I will say again none of this was needed I just can't leave things alone so I sleep better at night.....LOL

So here are pics of the recoil lug and action with the lug installed, I also thinned the trigger sides as I prefer a narrower feel, and yes it drops weight as well.

OK so here are some weights of factory vs. TI screws etc.

Factory Hunter screws;

TI Torx screws;

Factory bolt handle, sorry don't have a TI weight as was not going to take mine off.

Finished modiified stock weight, 1.5lbs or 24oz;