Anybody have experience with one of these? Been looking at one fairly seriously, but years ago I remember Kimber having some accuracy issues. I believe they still have a 1MOA guarantee, but I'm pretty much an accuracy snob and I want better than that for $1k+.

I'd rather have a mountain ascent or a subalpine, my understanding is they come with a test target, but this Hunter version is substantially more affordable, and not a lot heavier.

Thanks for any advice.
Happy Holidays

I have owned a 270 WSM, in a Montana it was junk.

Friends in Australia had 4 that were great rifles in 7mm-08, 308 and 257 Roberts.

A lot of people have problems with them.

The PX on Fort Bliss had (had?) a 300 Win in a Montana for $1100, it's been there a long time. I keep thinking about it, I have a lot of nice rifles and I don't want to deal with Kimber as I have heard their customer service is shit. Just like Christensen's and Fierce.

Good morning 257 Roberts,

I have owned several Kimber rifles and pistols. Fortunately, my experience has been extremely different from others. Years ago, Kimber customer service did a “above and beyond” resolution for a pistol that was giving me issues.

I had a Kimber Hunter in 280 AI that I recently sold to a friend as part of my downsizing. Mine was with the 24” barrel and I bought it to try the cartridge in a lower cost rifle option. It looks exactly like what it is; an inexpensive version of their bolt guns. Despite being very light, recoil was mild due to the wide butt and recoil pad on the lightweight (appears to be) plastic stock. The magazine is a pain at first but a little practice resolved that. I eperienced no feeding issues.

Reviewing my range notes, it shot all the Nosler ammo MOA or slightly less. Also, all the 280 Remington ammo I tried shot MOA to 1.5 MOA. Norma and Remington 140/150gr ammo shot to the same POA-POI as the Nosler 280AI ammo. The only ammo it did not like was the Remington 165gr.

I had no issues with it and based on my limited experience, I would recommend it for anyone that wanted to try a 280AI but wanted a lower cost option.

Happy Christmas and safe shooting.

LL

I rolled the dice and bought a used Montana for my daughter and it shot really well.

I guess it's a crap-shoot (to use another gambling term) with Kimber rifles but I think they're cool.

The 280AI isn't difficult to get it to shoot well if the rifle will do it's part.

My brother is biting the bullet and buying an Ascent in the 280AI.

Zeke

I have heard of playing "Kimber Roulette" on a few forums..tslking about their poor accuracy.

The Kimber Mountain Ascent have very good reviews, especially when you consider how light it is.

If they didn't put that camo wrap on there it would be lighter.

I love my Kimber Mountain Ascent in 280 AI. One of the most accurate rifles I own.
I also have a Montana in 300wsm. A good, accurate rifle, but nothing special.
I have had particularly good luck with Kimber rifles, and only 1 out of 10 had any accuracy issues. Most are very accurate. The problem rifle was a 270 wsm.
Bill

There was, for a while, a post on the campfire about kimber rifle accurizing. It mostly had to do with making sure the mag box was bound up against the receiver or stock. The fellow that made the post had straightened out a few kimbers with his methods. A kimber in 280AI (or a non-magnum 7mm of some sort) would be sweet.

Well....I'll wade in. I have 5 Kimber rifles right now and have had 3 or 4 others. All shot well. However, I have discovered one thing, they do not like to be rested on anything hard and they hate a Lead Sled. A friend of mine had a Rem. 700 in 7mm08 and decided he would get a Kimber Montana in the same caliber. Took his Kimber to the range with the Remington and I got a text that he was contemplating wrapping the Kimber around a tree as it just would not group. I told him sometimes you get a bad one in any brand. Then I happen to ask him how he was shooting it and he said in his Lead Sled. I suggesting ditching the Sled and trying it on bags. He texted me a smiley face and said it was the Sled. The Kimber was a sub MOA gun. I wonder how many guys rest them wrong or in a Lead Sled and get disappointed. They are light guns and susceptible to pressures a heavy rifle takes in stride. Of the 8 or 9 Kimbers I have had I could not complain about the way any of them shot.

Kimber does not have an accuracy garantee

Do a computer search for something along the lines of problems with kimber rifles.

Bring along a drink and a sandwich. You are going to be there a while if you read everything.

I've had and still have Kimber rifles mainly in the Montana and Classic/Select Classic versions.
All shot well, some better than others. I currently have a Select Classic in 300WM that I haven't done a heap of load development with but shoots nice round groups with anything I seem to throw at it.
That's a sample of 7 different rifles.

Cheers,
Mark.