Kimber Hunter or a Tikka T3X Superlite?

[NilsBackstrom]

I am looking at a lightweight rifle in a lighter caliber like .308 or 6.5 CM to use mainly Sitka Blacktail deer. I have read tons about them and I have a regular T3x in .308 as well as a Kimber Montana in 300 WSM. I like them both. I just have really hard time making my mind on the next gun to get. I should that as of now I do not handload. Does anybody have an opinion on this that has tried both of them?

I am leaning more to a .308 for a little extra power. The ranges I usually shoot are between 50 and 500 yards. I like the idea of the hunter with its weight and shorter barrel. Obviously I have read some of horror stories regarding the rifle that is scaring me a bit. Love the Tikka even tho it is a little heavier and also has a longer barrel that I would shorten a bit in order to get thru the brush.

Please feel free to throw your opinion.

 

[turley]

I believe a Tikka T3X Superlite in .308 has a 22.4" barrel and a Kimber Hunter has 22" so not much difference.
The Tikka T3X Superlite in 6.5CM has a 24" barrel.

 

[NilsBackstrom]

I believe a Tikka T3X Superlite in .308 has a 22.4" barrel and a Kimber Hunter has 22" so not much difference.
The Tikka T3X Superlite in 6.5CM has a 24" barrel.

Ok, yeah I was bit confused regarding the barrel length. I can't make what is up from down on their website.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[turley]

In the Superlite have you considered the 7mm-08?
Just a little less energy than the .308 out to 500 yards and just as flat to that distance as as the 6.5CM....and it has the 22.4" barrel.

 

[Sled]

Shoulder them both, work the bolt and choose. I have both and leave the Kimber behind on nearly all hunts. The Tikka just feels right and shoots. If you have plans to cut or thread the barrel you may consider going with a standard T3X instead of the super lite.

Given current available ammo I look for a 308. I wouldn't worry about the capability of either caliber though.

 

[turley]

"If you have plans to cut or thread the barrel you may consider going with a standard T3X instead of the super lite."

This is great advice. I was considering a Tikka Superlite in 7mm-08 but wanted a 20" barrel. The barrel from end to beginning of fluting was roughly 1.6" which didn't give enough length to cut and thread and couldn't find the caliber in the regular T3X.
I have a Kimber Montana in 6.5CM and the bolt is smooth enough but not nearly is smooth as the Tikka/Sako bolt...

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have tikkas and kimbers, they are both nice. I like the kimbers better but nothing wrong with a tikka either.

The Kimbers are nice and compact. I have not experienced any of the horror stories that I read about on the internet.

 

[NilsBackstrom]

Thank you for all your replies. Really great advice.

Clearly I'm on a budget based on the rifles I have mentioned and not looking to spend more than 1000 bucks.

The gun will mainly be used for blacktail on prince of Wales Island in SE Alaska. As always when looking for rifles it is tough to find one that check all the boxes on a budget.

I want it to be light, barrel length 20 or 22 inches, take down a deer out to 500 yards if it has to. Deer hunting changes drastically from early season when it is mainly alpine hunting, to later in the season when it is more brush hunting.

The reliability and CQ of the kimber scares me, also the picky ammo. On the other hand my montana is great.

My t3x I have nothing bad to say about at all except I wish it was lighter.

I do have boatloads of 308 ammo and hence I was sort of looking at the same caliber as well as I know I can get more of it. 6.5 is tougher on the island and I will check the availability of 7mm-08. Thank you for the tip.

I guess if I went with the 6.5 I superlite I would cut it down as far as I could.

 

[NilsBackstrom]

I have tikkas and kimbers, they are both nice. I like the kimbers better but nothing wrong with a tikka either.

The Kimbers are nice and compact. I have not experienced any of the horror stories that I read about on the internet.

Thank you for your reply.

What I have read, thank you once again internet. It seemed like many were complaining about being really picky with ammo and requiring handloading to make shoot sub moa. Also there were some rumblings about not being able to close the mag while the bolt being closed. Lesser of an issue I suppose.

The thin barrel doesn't scare me since I don't use it much at the range. Sight them in once a year to make sure they work and then straight hunting.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Thank you for your reply.

What I have read, thank you once again internet. It seemed like many were complaining about being really picky with ammo and requiring handloading to make shoot sub moa. Also there were some rumblings about not being able to close the mag while the bolt being closed. Lesser of an issue I suppose.

The thin barrel doesn't scare me since I don't use it much at the range. Sight them in once a year to make sure they work and then straight hunting.

The thin barrels do heat up. I had load but mine shot all shot fine with a few different factory loads. I never experienced that bolt closing thing .

 

[Sled]

Thank you for your reply.

What I have read, thank you once again internet. It seemed like many were complaining about being really picky with ammo and requiring handloading to make shoot sub moa. Also there were some rumblings about not being able to close the mag while the bolt being closed. Lesser of an issue I suppose.

The thin barrel doesn't scare me since I don't use it much at the range. Sight them in once a year to make sure they work and then straight hunting.

Mine aren't horrible issues but they are issues for me. The safety is stiff, cycling is unreliable as the spent round will typically hang up, the bolt is difficult to operate with the scope in the way. I like to mount scopes low but the extra angle of throw on the Kimber gets in the way. Honestly I feel like a gorilla trying to play a violin with that thing. My kid seems to be happy with it though, except for the hang ups.

Edit for clarification: spent round means just fired casing.

 

[Jsaw87]

Check out the Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak. I picked one up in 6.5 cm last year and it is great. Runs about 899$ on gunbroker.

HUNTER PRO DESOLVE BLAK

Kimber’s Hunter Pro rifles feature the Classic Kimber design and Model 84 performance in full stainless with a muzzle brake, detachable box magazine and an extremely durable synthetic stock in the Desolve® Blak pattern.

www.kimberamerica.com

 

[NilsBackstrom]

Mine aren't horrible issues but they are issues for me. The safety is stiff, cycling is unreliable as the spent round will typically hang up, the bolt is difficult to operate with the scope in the way. I like to mount scopes low but the extra angle of throw on the Kimber gets in the way. Honestly I feel like a gorilla trying to play a violin with that thing. My kid seems to be happy with it though, except for the hang ups.

Yeah I hear you.

I did have some issues cycling the bolt with empty cartridge on the montana but figured it was just me and the fact it was a 300 wsm so those short stubby cartridges got stuck easier.

When I just look at the specs I am drooling over a hunter pro because if I could just get a shooter I would slap a scope on it and leave it as is.

A superlite is a safer bet (from my understanding) and has less hick ups and isn't as picky with ammo. Again generally speaking. But I would like to lighten it up a bit. Maybe not go crazy like some roksliders but some mods to shave a few ounces.

 

[NilsBackstrom]

Check out the Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak. I picked one up in 6.5 cm last year and it is great. Runs about 899$ on gunbroker.

HUNTER PRO DESOLVE BLAK

Kimber’s Hunter Pro rifles feature the Classic Kimber design and Model 84 performance in full stainless with a muzzle brake, detachable box magazine and an extremely durable synthetic stock in the Desolve® Blak pattern.

www.kimberamerica.com

Yeah that is the one I am eyeing, big time. Did you have any issues with it? What ammo do you use for it? Do you get good groupings with it?

Best case if I could find a used one at a good price where somebody already went thru the troubles of finding the right ammo for it.

 

[Freeride]

I had a kimber hunter in 6.5 that had QC issues. My groups were horrible as well and I spent a long long time looking for a decent load. I never did find one. I wound up selling it with full disclosure on it and went with a Tikka. It was easy to find a load with it.

It's not a superlite, but both barrels kimber and tikka lite heat up fast... they are thin.

The kimber looked and carried awesome, I wanted to love it... but when you also have owned an old stevens 200 that would outshoot it everyday of the week its tough.

Keep in mind tikka does a bad job on the advertised weights of their guns. They basically do an average, a 308 has a bigger hole in the barrel and should be lighter. I own a 300wsm that was lighter then advertised weight.

 

[Sled]

Yeah I hear you.

I did have some issues cycling the bolt with empty cartridge on the montana but figured it was just me and the fact it was a 300 wsm so those short stubby cartridges got stuck easier.

When I just look at the specs I am drooling over a hunter pro because if I could just get a shooter I would slap a scope on it and leave it as is.

A superlite is a safer bet (from my understanding) and has less hick ups and isn't as picky with ammo. Again generally speaking. But I would like to lighten it up a bit. Maybe not go crazy like some roksliders but some mods to shave a few ounces.

If I'm (you're) looking to carry a light gun and that's your priority, then Kimber is your go to.

If the primary purpose is to shoot then the Tikka wins for me every time. The weight is not an issue. It is a benefit when shooting longer distances.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Why are you all trying to cycle empty shells? Are you talking about extraction issues or putting an empty shell in the gun and trying to chamber it?

 

[mthayr]

Not a Kimber Hunter, but I do have an 84M action (Montana) and I can tell you that it was a lo-o-o-o-ong road to getting it to shoot accurately. Mine was not well bedded at all, and it took a glass bed job to get it where it should have been from the factory. Still had accuracy issues, until I cut 2" off the end and threaded it for a break. I do hand load for it (150gr Nosler E-Tip on 46.5gr of RL15 - 2800fps). Now that I got it "figured out" it shoots lights out consistently:



...all that is to say, if you're willing to work with it (possibly a lot) the Kimber is a fine rifle. Otherwise, buy the Tikka.

 

[Sled]

Why are you all trying to cycle empty shells? Are you talking about extraction issues or putting an empty shell in the gun and trying to chamber it?

Post fire ejecting brass to "cycle" a new round in.

That is why it will never be a dangerous game rifle for me. It's a shame too, I only have one other CRF.

 

[Jsaw87]

Yeah that is the one I am eyeing, big time. Did you have any issues with it? What ammo do you use for it? Do you get good groupings with it?

Best case if I could find a used one at a good price where somebody already went thru the troubles of finding the right ammo for it.

No issues with it. Didn’t get a scope for it before deer season opened so my dad threw on a Burris fullfield E1 and took it to the range. This group was with 129grn hornady sst he had loaded for another rifle. It’s almost boringly accurate out to 500yards.