Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Kimber rifles

The reason mine didn’t go down the road was I liked the gun, everything but the way it shot.

I was in it quite a way down from retail, so I felt justified to spend what was needed to make it a champ.

DF

I've got a .308 Classic I bought in the Classifieds in 2007 and a .257 Classic Select I bought on GunBroker 6 or 7 years ago. They both shoot very well. The .257 will be the last rifle I get rid of.

Kimber’s platform is a perfect design for my purposes. However, I have had only one out of three come out of the box and perform as advertised. I gave up trying to get another one to run to my standards and the third one had to be rebarreled to put all of the grief I was having with it in the rear view mirror. I just like them better than they like me. CP.

DirtFarmer, Which contour of Broughton did you use? Were you able to match the Kimber barrel?

I have a Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor. It's accurate but a little difficult to shoot accurately. Does not take much input from the shooter to move a 6.5# rifle off just a bit.

I have a folder full of 1/2"-3/4" 3 shot groups shot at 100 yards, even a few one holers - I would say it is (with me shooting) a solid 1" rifle. But, get sloppy or yank the trigger a bit and you'll have a 1 1/2" group.


FWIW: I will be selling this rifle soon. Replacing it with a Bergara Woodsman with the nicest wood on a production rifle I have seen in a long time. If anyone is interested in a like new Kimber Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor send me a PM

Went a tad heavier and 23", opened the barrel channel, glassed the action. I like the slightly forward feel vs. the rather whippy OEM tube. I don't remember the Broughton contour number. Can get you muzzle measurement if interested.

Here are photos. Not big on 50mm objectives, but ended up with this Conquest in a trade. Works OK, good in dim light.

I was just looking at some 2009 load data. It shot 3/8", 150 NBT's over 45 gr. H-4895 at 2,800+. Sometimes an ole Hoss whups the upstarts...

46.2 gr. RL-15 did shoot same bullet, 1/2" at 2,900, Varget was close, sub MOA with 130 TTSX. Hornady Light Magnum 150 gr. factory was MOA.

More recently, I tried Cutting Edge Bullet's 135 gr. Raptor over Varget. Check out Varget's low ES. That bullet has super terminal performance, the petals flying off at 360* after impact. Sort of the mono version of a Partition. CEB's are expensive, but how many do we actually shoot at game? Reportedly they aren't the best is thickets, hitting a twig not good. I can testify how well they work in open country.

DF

best pure no-nonsense killing rifle ive ever had was a Montana 325WSM, Barnes 200gr well under an inch at 3000fps with several loads.

How bad did it kick?

DF

Centershot,
To me, a rifle that is not so accurate and one that is accurate and hard to shoot well are one and the same. Some rifle ergonomics make it difficult for some humans to shoot it well. Happy Trails

If I may, from a non-gunwriter, my thoughts. I have owned rifles of most makes from Coopers to Kimbers, from Remington to Winchester and to Ruger,always looking for each one to be a one hole (or close to it) shooter. Included were three Kimbers; one Classic Stainless (wish I still had) and two Montanas. After the first two went down the road in search of that one holer, and after trying others including a great shooting T3x and a semi-custom M700, I have come back to a Montana in my favorite caliber, (cartridge for the purist) 7mm-08. I have come to this conclusion: 1) first of all, I have to like my rifle, and 2) if it will shoot into an inch and a half at a 100 yards, it’s good to go. I think at my age and stage in my life that I’ve outgrown my Loonyism. I’m no longer in search of one hole groups, and I now like my rifle just fine! I won’t say that I won’t have others, but my Kimber Montana will sit in the front notch in my safe. After all, it is a hunting rifle, not a competition benchrest rifle.

Dirtfarmer, that would be great if you could find the dimensions.
The last time I talked with Broughton they did not have a contour that slender.
One of my most accurate rifles has a Broughton barrel.

The Kimber action is smaller than most, best I can measure, around 1.4”. Someone may want to chime in.

So, the barrel shank is less than that, hard to measure with large objective scope.

6” from receiver, .775”

12” from receiver, .728”

Muzzle, .620”

Hope that helps. With the smaller receiver, it’s possible smith turned it down. Don’t remember.

DF

Still waiting for the 84L in 35 Whelen they promised like 7 or 8 years ago

I didn't know they were going to offer one in 35 Whelen? That would have been cool.

Quite possibly the best description for Kimber rifles I have read.

Not sure about “outgrowing” Loony status. Otherwise like the post.

DF

Agreed!

I haven't owned a 1.5" rifle in over 30 years. I guess if your standards are to high you can lower them. For $1200 I expect more

Dirtfarmer, he must have turned it down. Those dimensions sound really good.
Thanks

Light rifles with pencil contour barrels generally require a good light trigger and very consistant good form to shoot under 1 moa. They are not for everyone. I find a little heavier barrel and rifle a lot more forgiving.

I have a first gen ti in 30-06 that I've shot several sub 1/2 moa groups from, and a Montana 7 wsm and 308 that have done the same. I've let friends shoot them and they become 2 moa guns and I've had some 2 moa days myself.

I think the tikkas have a rep for shooting well in part because they have great triggers and a little heavier sporter contour for a light rifle. It seems real easy to torque a pencil barrel off course a bit with a bad trigger pull. Changing grip, bag position, or bipod loading can cause problems pretty easy with pencil barrels too.

About 18 years ago I started putting together faux ti's for a lot of friends with the barrels and stocks Christensen was pulling off of first gen ti's. I noticed a lot of my friends didn't shoot them well. When rem went to Alaskan Ti's I started putting together faux Alaskan Tis for some friends and they all loved them and shot pretty well with them.

I still prefer the gen 1's by a mile but the average guy seems to shoot at least a 6.5 plus pound rifle better.

Bb