Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What does the extra $350 get me?

The Kimber’s are fine rifles.

Can you go used? Although that might not be much help right now.

The Axis is pretty rough. I’ll fitting, 78 pound trigger, not smooth...Ruger American? Kinda somewhere in the middle of the two.

Some people just don’t know how to shoot.

If you're looking for a 280AI and you don't handload I think you're really limiting your options for rifles and ammo.
Have you considered a 270 or 30-06 Tikka?

Handle them both, it will become apparent which you prefer.

Never owned a Kimber that wouldn’t shoot. Also never shot one that did not go through a preflight check.
YMMV.

For $750 I would pick the Tikka over the Kimber every time.

Pick the rifle, not the cartridge. A .30-06 or .270 or 7mm mag. will kill stuff just as dead as a .280AI. There are plenty of rifles to choose from in those chamberings that fall between those two price points.

TC COMPASS 2, 7mm Remington, $234 after rebate.

Nope, nevermind, sold out again at kyguns.

Get a 270, geeze.

B-I-N-G-O

😎

Truth. 5lb rifles are harder to shoot well then heavier rifles. I think the Kimber roulette meme is a hold over from some QC issues they had years ago combined with the difficultly of benching an ultralight rifle. Most of the threads and posts I see on the Hunters today are positive, I wouldn't be scared at all to pick one up.

I've been plenty happy with my Montana, I actually have a Hunter stock and didn't see any accuracy difference between my bedded Montana stock and my Hunter stock.





A decent chambering and 14oz of suppressor hanging off the end help, but I'm not afraid to play Kimber roulette again, especially if the alternative is a Salvage Axis.

Axis II vs Hunter doesn't comer up often. Bump

...self respect? Lol

The savage will shoot. The kimber will be handed down to grandkids.

I've had exactly two used rifles I sent back down the road. The first was a Remington M700 BDL .308 Win that shot bughole groups. It got sold to fund my first AR, which came with two uppers - .223/5.56 and .300 BLK. The other was a Ruger American .30-06 Dad gave me before he passed away. I tried 7 or 8 different types of factory ammo in it and couldn't find one that shot as well as I'd like. Did not bother with handloads as I already had multiple .30-06 rifles. This one helped fund another rifle as well. Nothing really wrong with it other than I couldn't get sub-MOA groups with factory ammo and I didn't have the time or desire to fool with it. Or space in the safes.

Right now I have 5 bolt rifles in my safe that were acquired used - ..223 Rem, 243 Win, .257 Roberts, .30-06 and a .338WM that was assembled from used factory parts (action, stock and barrel) from different sources. All shoot great. Bought a used lefty Remington M700 BDL in .270 Win for Daughter #1 and it shoots very well too - 4-shots @ 0.7" and 3-shots @ 0.3" at 100 yards last time I checked it, per my load notes.

While I understand the concern, I haven't had a bad used rifle yet.

All of the budget rifles shoot better than they should for the cost. But I consider them disposable rifles. You use them until something breaks and then buy another. And I don't really mean that in a negative way. I have some and they shoot pretty well. But those aren't the guns I will be proud to see one of my grandkids own someday.

280AI for a non-loader? Silly.

My stainless T3 in 7mm Rem Mag is an elk killing machine. 24” barrel, light, accurate, easy on the shoulder with a Limbsaver.




P

Scoop up an old stock or slightly used Tikka T3 off gunbroker and don't look back

For that price point, this is exactly how I would proceed.

Elk wouldn’t like this.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/873072459
Get load info from pharm.

I agree about looking for a used rifle. I found this one for $500.00 locally. I pulled the Leupold off and sold it on ebay. Now I have $175.00 in the rifle:


Thats one thing you will never be able to do if you buy a damn Savage Axis. You will never be able to sell it and re-coup your money. Used is often times the best way to buy...