Kimber Hunter Build & Stock Mods

[mtwarden]

^ perfect -thanks!

 

[mahonsr]

Is there an easy function test to see if the mag is working properly? I’ve got a few older ones and a few newer ones.

Thanks

If remember right mine would jam up and I couldn’t chamber a round out of the magazine and it happened just about every time. But that was an early known issue with the hunter mags and they resolved it from my understanding. I haven’t had the issue since it was repaired/repalced back around ‘18. Love that gun too. Action just keeps getting smoother. I would be curious to know what was changed though.

 

[PathFinder]

The rifle is finished as far as I'm going to take it. It will be a compromise in the weight department, but I'm going back to the Tikka action. This rifle is now for sale in the classifieds.

Conclusions:

• The stock geometry turned out great. Despite the ~17 lb/ft of recoil energy from the light rifle, it's very easy to stay on target.
• Kimber is a great way to go if minimal weight is a top priority
• Rail and rings is probably the ideal mounting system until someone comes out with a properly designed two piece base that won't crack.
• This seems to be about a 2 MOA rifle with about any combination of powder and bullet. I did shoot one 1.1 MOA 10 shot group with the best load for the gun (130 HVLD, 43.5 gr RL16, 2.81 COAL). The next group with that load had a couple outside of the main group.
• The trigger seems to be similarly reliable to a Tikka, especially with a little more sear engagement. More sear engagement can allow it to mimic a 2-stage trigger.
• It's definitely possible to drop one into an R700 stock with minimal adjustments. It would require a new recoil lug slot, slotting the action screw holes slightly, adding pillars, filling the slots, and bedding.
  • That would then allow the easy use of AI magazines
• The factory stock can be modified to usable geometry fairly easily, and still be lighter than the stock weight with the gel. This one could probably be 4 oz lighter than it is. Rifle weight with the rail is 5.25lbs.
• Anything 2.9+ COAL would require milling of the ejection port and likely the feed port as well. Kimber throated the 6.5 CM deep enough to maximize performance for the heavy bullets (especially the 156 EOL). However, that throat doesn't work with the magazine, feed port, or ejection port. Some minor adjustments on a mill could solve that.
• The safety, extraction, and ejection are my favorite characteristics of the action. Going to miss those aspects of the Kimber.
• The action alone, trigger and recoil lug included, weighs 22oz.
• Rebarreling these is enough extra work to tip the scales and convince me to go back to Tikka. It requires a cone, extractor cut, and a relief cut for the action screw. All easy enough to do, but I don't want to have to buy another machine to make the extractor and action screw cuts.

145 BMB, 2.9 COAL, 45 gr N560


130 HVLD, 43.5 RL-16, 2.81 COAL.


143 ELD-X, 45 N560, 2.9 COAL