Kimber Bolt Action Rifles

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peterbiv

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I'm looking for a high-end bolt action 223. I'd love a new Sako but $2,000 is a little steep. I came across the Kimbers at a local gun store but am unfamiliar with them.
Can any forum member who own them or have shot them give me some input.
 
My only Kimber rifle was a .22 rimfire Hunter Silhouette. And it was the finest rifle I ever had as far as accuracy, fit, finish, quality, and so on. It was also not cheap at close to $1000
 
Kimber makes a really nice rifle. Very similiar to a Winchester Model 70. Have you looked at Winchester? Another to look at would be "Montana Rifle Company". I've never seen one but hear they're really nice, and they make their own button rifled barrels. I was actually coming on here to post a question regarding them.
 
I own four of them, .204 Varmint, .243 Montana, 7-08 Montana and a 30-06 Classic.

The .204 is by far the most accurate gun I've ever fired. Fit, finish, and function have been flawless on all of them.

The two Montana's took a lot of work to find a load they liked but I never had any sort of accuracy issues. I was trying to get them under .75 MOA and got loads for each now that shoot great

The 06' has always been MOA with anything I've fed it

My .204 I lucked out on and my first hand loads were showing cloverleaf holes.

I will add that the Montana model and the Classics are very light guns and can be tricky to shoot. Just don't expect them to act like a 12# bench gun, that's not what they are nor what they're intended for.
 
G Willikers,

Yes, Kimber first made rifles, and has since grown into one of the largest makers of the "Colt" 1911 model in the world.

Peter,

You can't go much wrong with a Kimber rifle. You might also want to check out New Ultra Light Arms, Dakota, and Tika(which is owned by Sako).
 
Kimbers are among the lightest production rifles made. My 308 is still under 6 lbs scoped. The rifles shoot as well or better than anything made. But not all shooters are skilled enough to shoot a rifle that light accurately. You'll find lots of complaints about accuracy. Virtually all are more related to the skill of the shooter, not the quality of the rifle. It does take some time to adjust to shooting a rifle that is lighter than the trigger pull on a lot of guns.

Mine is a keeper.


 
Where'd the other two go?:p
Nice shootin'!
I can make a hole that that with most everything I own.
Well, one at least - More :p
 
I've posted these before, but here is a group from my .204.

e2e5y5yd.jpg
 
Thanks guys for your replies. Those are sweet groups you posted. I have an AR I've gotten to shoot like that but do love to shoot a good bolt action, so getting one in 223 would let me take advantage of the thousands of rounds I have already loaded. I will look into the other manufacturers you've suggested. When I choose I'll post some pics.
 
I was set on a kimber 84m classic in .260 until i found out they stopped making them. Also found out Kimber isn't necessarily what they used to be. Sure they have some nice rifles but it seems to me it's almost like remington. More duds/lemons than they used to have. Ended up with a Sako 85 hunter in .260rem. Adore the thing though i got mine for just above 1500$. 2000 for a semi-custom rifle is expensive.

Correct me on this if i'm wrong but IIRC kimber hasn't been the same since they transitioned from "Kimber of Oregon" right? Some of those select individuals went on to form Cooper rifles of Montana? Or did i just dream that up?
 
I've read some dicey info from their years in Oregon, do a google search and I'm sure you'll find it.

There's some hit and miss complaints about accuracy. Whether its truly an issue or not I don't know. I think part of the problem is people buying a 5# rifle wanting it to shoot like a 10# rifle.
 
My rifle is an Oregon rifle. The biggest problem with accuracy is that a lot of guys don't have the skills to shoot a 5 lb rifle. I've read posts from guys claiming they had tried 4-5 rifles and none shot well. Other guys have owned 4-5 and all shot well. There is a shooter on another forum where I hang out that has had about a dozen, all shot well.

I'm seeing a trend here. Either you can shoot a light rifle, or you can't. Some folks need 7-10 lbs to hold everything steady, some don't

Kimbers aren't for everyone, but they are the best thing going if you want a lightweight. A NULA will be about 1-2 oz lighter, but sell for about 3X more than a Kimber.

The Sako is an excellent choice BTW. You'll be pleased I'm sure
 
2000$ for a sako 85 sounds expensive to me. As for shooting a light rifle would they not be rested shooting these on a bench when grouping?
 
Blackops_2 said:
2000$ for a sako 85 sounds expensive to me. As for shooting a light rifle would they not be rested shooting these on a bench when grouping?
Click to expand...

It's the same principle as to why bench guns are so heavy, it reduces one more variable that can affect accuracy. Try shooting a bench gun and then shoot a 5# Montana. One will be much easier to shoot, hands down.

These rifles are built strictly as hunting rigs, nothing more.
 
Rested in a stable position i don't think it should be that dramatic of a difference between a heavy rifle and a lightweight sporter. Our KS custom is around 6lbs just like a Kimber Montana. You cant sit out there and fire 20 shot strings but it will group 1/2 MOA with factory ammo.
 
Look, I've got four of them, zero problems. I didn't buy them for bench guns, I bought them to hunt with. I don't expect them to shoot like bench guns, although all of them are MOA or better. Could I get them all to less than that? Sure, probably could, but for hunting they are perfectly fine.

I'm still convinced people just cannot consistently squeeze a trigger, and with lightweight rifles form flaws get exploited.
 
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Which is my point as you say it's either the shooter or their producing some duds every now and then. Which if you've had four that shoot up to your standards then apparently there isn't much of a problem. Though honestly i do hope for the money they would shoot better than 1 MOA.
 
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