Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Kimber field accuracy

Made my longest shot ever on a game animal this past September with my Kimber Montana .300 WSM. Shot was 486 yards on a Utah buck antelope. Ranged him with my Geovids, checked the drop chart, doped the Leupold, got a good solid rest, and sent 165gr Barnes TSX on it's way. One shot and he never took a step.

As far as Montana's go, I have one bad one (7mm-08) out of three, but my .223 and .300 WSM shoot great. I want like crazy to find/own a good shooting 7mm-08 Montana, but am still a little gun shy. Not sure why, but Kimber had major problems with .284's. When I sent mine back and talked to them on the phone they said anything 7mm was on hold indefinitely. Don't know if that's changed or not.

My Kimber, 300 wsm was amazing in Africa. It wasnt an amazing shooter on paper, at about .8-1", but it was on FIRE on animals. 10 animals in 12 shots and I only had to shoot one animal more than once and that was my fault.
Notice the one piece of brass:
My best shot of the trip. 374 yards, with out turrets

Royce,

While my .325 Montana does it's best work when benched "just so", I have not seen ANY finicky stuff when shooting from field positions or a bipod or pack. To the contrary actually.

[quote=Royce]The crux of my question was "are Kimbers finicky to shoot under field conditions"./quote]

It's a good question and the answer in my limited experience is NO. I only own two Kimbers, both Montanas - one in 7mm/08 and one in 300 WSM. I only recently acquired the 300 WSM and did so on the basis of my complete satisfaction with the 7mm/08. I have not yet shot the 300 WSM.

The 7mm/08 is not finicky to shoot from the bench and has shot very well under all field conditions I've had it in (and the field conditions have varied from +70F to -5F, including changes in elevation from sea level to 11,000 ft.) It has performed flawlessly and was an absolute joy to carry up and down mountains.

It's been so nice to carry and shoot that I've preferred it on my last two hunts for elk over a custom Mod 70 280AI that is a great handling rifle, an absolute tack driver, and is proven to out to 425 yds on elk in the past. In the most recent two elk hunts I've taken both rifles with me (because I'm driving from Anchorage to Idaho/Montana to hunt and want to have a back-up along in case something happens to one rifle/scope so I don't find myself 2500 miles from home with all my gear packed into camp and suddenly SOL and unable to hunt.) But when the time has come to saddle up or walk out of camp I take the Kimber 7mm/08. It kills just as well as the 280AI.

Fred,

When I shoot my hunting rifles from the bench I try to simulate how I would use the rifle in the field. I 'hand hold' the rifle at the bench. My forward hand holds the stock and I rest that wrist on the bag. My trigger hand might touch the rear bag.

I aim by calling my shots. Remember where the first shot went off and aim the second at that spot. Two shots are enough for that and hunting too!

Keep a record of what happened as the first shot impact is most important.

My four Kimber Montanas do very well in the field. They are just as good as any of my other rifles that I have spent a lifetime sorting through. I like these Kimbers as they are light, SS.Syn, and function so well.

I use other rifles as well when the distance and weather favor them.

To add here is a target shot at 100 y. with the bipod on and off from a 7mm WSM Montana.

Kimber Montana 8400,270 Winchester. The photo is my 13 year old son and his first antelope shot at 200 yards off shooting sticks. The antelope was quartering towards us and he shot it in the shoulder. The exit hole came out the off side middle. This rifle shoots MOA (minute of antelope)from field positions by a child.





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Fred,
I've got one of the "original" Kimber 84M Classics in 7mm08 and it shoots just fine off the bench and even better in the field. It doesn't feed so well but once I get a round in the chamber we're good to go.
This rifle was actually out of my possession for quite awhile and I "tested" a number of other 7mm08's (Rem. 7's, & 700 BDL & Mtn , Ruger 77 MkII LW, Tikka WT Hunter, etc.). The Kimber was the most accurate of the bunch.
I think a lot of people have trouble shooting light rifles "off the bench" regardless of manufacturer.
My field accuracy w/ the Kimber has been excellent; because the rifle fits me & balances well in my hands (the MOST important criteria in my opinion). My best example would be Antelope hunting this last season. My wife wounded a doe and I shot to finish it (which I did). We paced it off and the doe was well over 200 yds away when I shot.......offhand. I'm not that good, but because the rifle fit and was light enough to balance well, and the trigger is a crisp 2 3/4 lbs., .....well you get the idea.
Hope this answers your original question.

Great picture! Love to see the younger generation getting it done and having a good time!

That right there is why the man is one of the best in the business. Solid grasp of the obvious....


Now for me... The Kimber is in a league of its own when it comes to actually shooting one. Things like a slender fore end and open grip, and a big fat trigger shoe that makes you use your fingertip (not the 1st distal joint) with your thumb on the top of the grip... You could never shoot a benchrest rifle from prone with a sling as well as you could an 84... You just can't make a rifle FEEL right.

Oh, I shot an Antelope buck in '09 at just over 450, prone with a sling, with my 84 Montana, a fixed 4 Loopy, AND I had a witness

My 2010 season (only animal not shown was cow elk taken at 180 yards) all with Kimber MT/308 Win:

401 yards:



304 yards:



200 yards:

Well, it appears the Kimbers do work well in the field.

Fred

No.....none of this stuf above is at all possible.....I refuse to beleive any of it...

To me that's a question about the shooter, not the rifle, and I can't tell you whether any particular person will do well or not regardless of how mechanically accurate the rifle is.

With my .308 Montana, if you take a pretty darn firm hold on it, then it doesn't matter so much what rest you have ... day pack, bench, out the truck window, etc. But if you hold it loose, as light as it is, even though that's sort of intuitive, it won't shoot so well.

Based on what I observe with my gun, I'm fairly sure that during recoil if the stock is held firmly, the stock flexes and the barrel basically pries itself away from the stock maintaining it's "free float", but if laid loose, the stock and barrel occasionally make contact causing some fliers. My intent is to open up the barrel channel just a hair. I'm reasonably confident that's going to fix the "problem." That waits for warmer weather ... early April before spring bear season is good enough.

Tom

Tom, if you mess up your Montana I might just have to drive down there and MAKE you buy a 30-06. I'm just sayin'. Do NOT MESS UP YOUR MONTANA!

Nice set of pics Brad!

I did extensive testing this past Fall as well. The little rifle passed no prob even though I missed a yote 4 times, it was running pretty fast towards the last shot though....(grin)

I really like the Kimber rifles.I like how they handle and feel.I guess I have just been unlucky with the ones I had.My guess is they will shoot just fine from field positions which after all is all that counts.

Fred,
I guess we can type and show you pics all day. The best test is for you to GET one and try it for yourself. I'd take Mule Deer up on his generosity if it is at all practical. Keep us posted.

Ha! That's reminds me of me...

I have a Kimber in 270wsm. After trying many factory and handloads (over a years work), it would not shoot any better than 3 moa. With a new barrel and a trued action it now shoots well with ANYTHING I feed it. It is now my favorite rifle. The 270 wsm Kimbers have a bad reputation.