Gimme the Story on Kimber Rifles

[Beignet]

What’s up with Kimber rifles? Some people seem to love them, but many think they’re a horrorshow.

The Montana checks a lot of boxes for a high country rifle. Lightweight, good stock, and an all around classy looking firearm without all the twisty fluting that looks like a 9 year old designed the thing.

Do they have some serious manufacturing issues that make it a crapshoot as to whether you’ll get a shooter or a stinker? Or, are the complainers just buying 5lb big magnums and upset when they can’t handle them and the thin barrels that heat up fast.

I’m lusty for a 7mm-08 for what it’s worth. Thinking low recoil is gonna be best with that weight class of mountain rifle.

Just doing my due diligence on options before I jump on the Tikka train and pair it with one of them Canadian Wildcat stocks.

 

[BackofBeyond]

I don’t own one, but have always wondered the same. Seems like people either LOVE them or HATE them.

 

[Beignet]

I don’t own one, but have always wondered the same. Seems like people either LOVE them or HATE them.

It seems to be one of the rifle world’s great mysteries.

To anyone chiming in with a love/hate comment based on experience, please state your caliber, model, and year purchased.

 

[Southern Elk]

I had one that wouldn’t group for sh!t. I called Kimber and they said it should be shooting better. They offered to take a look at it if I sent it in. I ended up trading it for a Tikka. Much better rifle for a lot less money.

 

[gsqaured]

What’s up with Kimber rifles? Some people seem to love them, but many think they’re a horrorshow.

The Montana checks a lot of boxes for a high country rifle. Lightweight, good stock, and an all around classy looking firearm without all the twisty fluting that looks like a 9 year old designed the thing.

Do they have some serious manufacturing issues that make it a crapshoot as to whether you’ll get a shooter or a stinker? Or, are the complainers just buying 5lb big magnums and upset when they can’t handle them and the thin barrels that heat up fast.

I’m lusty for a 7mm-08 for what it’s worth. Thinking low recoil is gonna be best with that weight class of mountain rifle.

Just doing my due diligence on options before I jump on the Tikka train and pair it with one of them Canadian Wildcat stocks.

Mt. Ascent
308
Performs as advertised. Very lightweight and solid shooter. Pencil thin barrel doesn‘t make it a range gun as you have to wait so long in between rounds. Excellent cold bore shooter. 175-310 yards has dropped multiple animals in their tracks. Likely as good, or better, value for similar performance. IMHO.

 

[Nick87]

Flip a coin is my understanding.

 

[TheTone]

I really like my montana. It hasn’t been shot enough or at long enough ranges for me to say it’s truly amazing or junk. It’s a truly great gun for packing around in the mtns and brush

 

[David58]

I know folks that love Kimber, but my experience with a handgun has them on my never list.

My boss ordered a rifle, cannot remember the model/caliber, but it had traditional iron sights. Sights were bent when he took the rifle out of the box. He had the same experience with their Customer Service on the rifle that I did on my pistol - basically, you are stupid, don't know how to operate the firearm, and a liar.

So, put me in the hate Kimber pile.

David
NM

 

[brymoore]

We have three montanas in my house. None of them are tack drivers like Tikkas but they do meet the light rifle requirement better. We have a Tikka too. I feel the weight difference immediately when I pick the Tikka up.

They work for what they are designed to do - be light weight mountain rifles. The action is not as smooth as others but they perform it’s duty. Animals are regularly killed past 400 with a 600 yard elk being the farthest. It’ll never be a bench rifle.

I look for other options in the lightweight mountain rifles but all the competitors I see weigh a pound more or give a short barrel to cut weight. I have looked at a custom rifle but it was still going to weigh a half pound more, which might be ok.

My family has killed a pile of animals with Kimbers.

 

[Sirzonkalot]

Mountain Ascent
280 Ackley
Purchased in 2015

Very pleased with the rifle. Have a couple dozen kills in several states over the years.
Plenty accurate. Super lightweight. Surprisingly low recoil. No issues at all with the performance. Been shooting factory Nosler 160 partitions at everything from coyotes to moose.

 

[millerkiller77]

Put me in the hater box, mainly because Kimber CS is a joke.
Two Montana 9400M rifles chambered in 300wsm purchased in 2012ish?
One shoots 5" on a good day off the bench, the other 1-1/2" -2" . Sent first rifle back to kimber with a list of the DOZENS of different boxes of factory ammo I tried and the Dozens of hand loads I tried working up.
Kimber test fired the rifle and told me it was within the accuracy parameters but didn't tell me which ammo they used. Got the rifle back and couldn't get it to shoot under 5", contacted Kimber again and was told there is nothing wrong with the rifle and I should contact Leupold regarding the accuracy issues . I tried three different scopes on that POS and never was able to get under 4". Gave the rifle to a buddy who in turn sold it to someone else after tinkering with it for years and not getting good results. F kimber, and F their customer service department. their handguns have the same amount of haters. Name me one other firearms manufacturer that has such a split camp of love/hate..

Oh, I also forgot... if you want to replace the recoil pad they will only sell complete stocks. Gtfo with that crap

 

[Schaaf]

I don’t own a Kimber at the moment but I believe a Kimber Classic topped with a capped turret Leupold Gold Ring scope is one of the finest looking production rifles a person can own.

 

[millerkiller77]

I don’t own a Kimber at the moment but I believe a Kimber Classic topped with a capped turret Leupold Gold Ring scope is one of the finest looking production rifles a person can own.

Fancy hood prop imo

 

[brockel]

A 5.5lb rifle will show a lot of shooting form flaws that an 8+lb rifle can hide easily. I think a lot of their bad press comes from that

 

[David58]

A 5.5lb rifle will show a lot of shooting form flaws that an 8+lb rifle can hide easily. I think a lot of their bad press comes from that

But the press you will see from their Customer Service has nothing to do with the rifle's weight. They are dismissive, arrogant, and generally very unpleasant to deal with.

David
NM

 

[noharleyyet]

I don’t own a Kimber at the moment but I believe a Kimber Classic topped with a capped turret Leupold Gold Ring scope is one of the finest looking production rifles a person can own.

You're not wrong...shoots too

https://flic.kr/p/2jtpbag

 

[Schaaf]

Fancy hood prop imo

This one was a shooter.

 

[Cogreeny]

You're not wrong...shoots too

https://flic.kr/p/2jtpbag

What is she chambered in Harley?

 

[noharleyyet]

What is she chambered in Harley?

300 Win Mag

 

[Cogreeny]

300 Win Mag

Very nice! Really pretty rifle.