Kimber MA in .280AI

[RoJo]

I don't have ammo yet (Nosler 140 AB's coming), but so far so good. I am really liking the lightness and compactness of this combo.

 

[TwoTikkas]

Looking forward to your results. I'm currently running a semi custom 280AI. Heavy. Shoots like gang busters though. 140 and 160 grain bullets. One of the fly weight Kimbers is on my short list. I have a Classic Select in 06. Love that rifle! A lighter one in 280AI would just plain rock.

 

[Piscatory_4]

That would be a great setup if you like Kimbers. I have the ballistic twin to the 280AI(7 SAUM) and love it. I've used 160 grain Accubonds and Partitions with great results.

Can a guy even find rifles chambered in 7saum?

 

[RoJo]

Looking forward to your results. I'm currently running a semi custom 280AI. Heavy. Shoots like gang busters though. 140 and 160 grain bullets. One of the fly weight Kimbers is on my short list. I have a Classic Select in 06. Love that rifle! A lighter one in 280AI would just plain rock.

I may get out to do some barrel break-in this weekend, and hopefully get a feel for how it likes the factory ammo. Working up hand loads will follow if needed...or even if not.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Can a guy even find rifles chambered in 7saum?

Yes, but you have to look around. I have a couple of factory Model Sevens in 7 SAUM, but most folks go the custom route.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Yes, but you have to look around. I have a couple of factory Model Sevens in 7 SAUM, but most folks go the custom route.

The 7 mm SAUM looks like what, the 7mm WSM,.. "should", have been ! A very nice Caliber, IMO ( looks to be the ballistic, equal of, the 7mm RM !) and the 160 NAB looks like, a "Match made, in Heaven" for, a "short Action" ! Are the cases, as "tough" as the WSM's, 65,000 PSI, "Brass" ? I love my .270 WSM with, 140 NAB's at 3,150 ish and the "thick" Rem Brass. I'm "capping" my Elk, "Range" at, 600 Yards Max with, this Cal / Bullet combo, tho. I like fairly light Rifles for Hiking and back pack Hunting ! My Tikka, weigh's 7.7 Pounds total and the recoil is "tolerable" off the Bench,.. and PLEASANT off, sticks / offhand ! What does your 7 SAUM weigh ? Recoil ?

 

[lewy]

Heres mine, vx5hd in talleys. Have only shot factory nosler 140 ab & 150 ablr. Shoots the 140's about 1 1/4" and the 150's about 2". be prepared to do some work to get the ai to feed well. This is my first kimber experience and im on the fence. I love the look and feel of the rifle and its got a really sweet trigger. I am not crazy about having to do some work on a rifle of this price after receiving it. Looking forward to trying some hand loads to see if I can tighten the group up a bit.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Heres mine, vx5hd in talleys. Have only shot factory nosler 140 ab & 150 ablr. Shoots the 140's about 1 1/4" and the 150's about 2". be prepared to do some work to get the ai to feed well. This is my first kimber experience and im on the fence. I love the look and feel of the rifle and its got a really sweet trigger. I am not crazy about having to do some work on a rifle of this price after receiving it. Yes the mag length limits coal. Looking forward to trying some hand loads to see if I can tighten the group up a bit.

You probably won't need to seat, the 140 AB's, "out", as they "JUMP", quite a bit, in my .270 WSM Tikka ( .100 - .110, "jump" to fit the Magazine ! ) BUT, they shoot Sub MOA for 7, 5 shot, groups ( using, light to heavy, powder charges). YUP, a guy shouldn't have to "work" on a quality "pricey", Rifle ! Unfortunately you, are NOT the first, to have "feeding problems" with a Kimber as, they have had, "issues" with, the WSM's, "feeding", too! Good luck with, your New Rifle and "Loads" ! Sweet looking, Rig !
Let us know how the load "work up", goes.

 

[Piscatory_4]

Yes, but you have to look around. I have a couple of factory Model Sevens in 7 SAUM, but most folks go the custom route.

About what i thought, i don't think Remington even Chambers a rifle in 7 SAUM. Maybe 1 model seven variant? I'll check it out.

 

[N2TRKYS]

About what i thought, i don't think Remington even Chambers a rifle in 7 SAUM. Maybe 1 model seven variant? I'll check it out.

Yeah, Remington has a track record of giving up on their cartridges too early. If you want a factory offering, you have to go the used route.

 

[N2TRKYS]

The 7 mm SAUM looks like what, the 7mm WSM,.. "should", have been ! A very nice Caliber, IMO ( looks to be the ballistic, equal of, the 7mm RM !) and the 160 NAB looks like, a "Match made, in Heaven" for, a "short Action" ! Are the cases, as "tough" as the WSM's, 65,000 PSI, "Brass" ? I love my .270 WSM with, 140 NAB's at 3,150 ish and the "thick" Rem Brass. I'm "capping" my Elk, "Range" at, 600 Yards Max with, this Cal / Bullet combo, tho. I like fairly light Rifles for Hiking and back pack Hunting ! My Tikka, weigh's 7.7 Pounds total and the recoil is "tolerable" off the Bench,.. and PLEASANT off, sticks / offhand ! What does your 7 SAUM weigh ? Recoil ?

Mine is heavy, especially, compared to yours. Mine tips the scales at around 8 pounds. I have a B&C Medalist stock, Leupold VX3i 4.5-14x40 CDS sitting in Talleys. That's with a Browning X-Cellerator sling and 9 rounds in the butstock shell holder. I've never noticed it being heavy while hunting, though. The recoil is not bad at all.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Mine is heavy, especially, compared to yours. Mine tips the scales at around 8 pounds. I have a B&C Medalist stock, Leupold VX3i 4.5-14x40 CDS sitting in Talleys. That's with a Browning X-Cellerator sling and 9 rounds in the butstock shell holder. I've never noticed it being heavy while hunting, though. The recoil is not bad at all.

I almost went to a "Custom" Rem 700, short action "Build" but, after seeing my son's Tikka T3X, i decided to do a little "research" and read up on, Tikka's and the calibers "available" for, "Lefty's" the 270 WSM with, a 24" Tube, "stood out" to me as powerful enough, to reach out to 600 yards, for Elk ( IF, necessary ! ) WITHOUT, the terrible recoil the bigger .300 Cal's produce and like Robby Denning, I too, HATE muzzle Breaks ! My T3 now weighs, 7.7 pounds with, a Voodoo Tactical cheek rest ( NO Ammo !) I have a 4.5X14 scope in the Vault, but it add's 6 more ounces, to the Rifle ! The higher magnification scope, is nicer for shooting "Group's" and longer range, tho ! YUP,..7 to 8 pounds, is a very "shootable" Rifle and fairly EZ, to carry ! Going TIKKA, I saved myself about, a Grand over "Custom" ! I do like, the spec's on the 7 mm SAUM, tho and would have SERIOUSLY considered that, Caliber if, "Building", a Custom Rifle ! Remington is, seriously "missing the Boat" by not building 7 SAUM's, in several different "Forms", IMHO !! Good luck with, your Rifle, it sounds,.. AWESOME !

 

[texag10]

Heres mine, vx5hd in talleys. Have only shot factory nosler 140 ab & 150 ablr. Shoots the 140's about 1 1/4" and the 150's about 2". be prepared to do some work to get the ai to feed well. This is my first kimber experience and im on the fence. I love the look and feel of the rifle and its got a really sweet trigger. I am not crazy about having to do some work on a rifle of this price after receiving it. Looking forward to trying some hand loads to see if I can tighten the group up a bit.

Not to hijack Rojo's thread, but can you share some more about the feeding issues and what you did to resolve them?

I'm looking at the same rifle so I am interested.

 

[Stid2677]

Not to hijack Rojo's thread, but can you share some more about the feeding issues and what you did to resolve them?

I'm looking at the same rifle so I am interested.

I will let Lewy tell you too, but I checked to see if the follower moved freely by using my fingers to push it up and down. Mine would bind and not return to a level position. I surmised that this was not applying equal pressure to the bullets, so I used fine sandpaper to polish the follower until if moved easily and always came up level. Also on my 280AI, the blind box did not match the feed ramp and would scrape brass from the cases and bind, I used small hand files and filed the box to match the feed ramp. After that I used some JB paste on the rails and cycled the bolt while watching TV until the action was butter smooth. All my Kimbers needed this to some extent, the 280AI required the most. That said all of the factory rifles I have bought in the last 10 years needed some tweaking. I'm a fan, of CRF, 3 position safety, so I feel the juice is worth the squeeze.


The torque settings are 45 in/lbs on the front screw and 35 in/lbs on the rear screw. Slightly snug the front and rear screw down and then tighten the front followed by the rear screw. (This came from a conversation with a Kimber rep)


Steve

 

[texag10]

Much appreciated! I am also coming to the conclusion that some of the tweaking that might be necessary is worth getting a very lightweight rifle with a good trigger and stock in the exact chambering I want.

 

[Jimbob]

I think a little tweaking is actually a good thing. It just allows you to become more familiar with the gun (or whatever piece of gear/equipment) and builds a bit of a relationship with it so to speak.

I enjoy reloading bullets instead of factory, I enjoy building arrows and tuning my bow instead of taking it to some other guy and I enjoy taking a gun apart and making a few tweaks here or there. It just makes it personal, it really makes it mine once I do some custom things.

So maybe guys like me are the guys that like Kimbers, some guys hate doing the above mentioned stuff. I don't own a kimber but had to do a bunch of work on a Ruger american compact (the poor mans adirondack) to make it suitable for my son.

 

[lewy]

Not to hijack Rojo's thread, but can you share some more about the feeding issues and what you did to resolve them?

I'm looking at the same rifle so I am interested.

I ended up polishing the ramp & rails, fitting the box mag, and doing some filing/polishing on the box mag as well. On a side note the trigger was easy to adjust and it is a great feeling trigger.

 

[RoJo]

I finally nailed down the hunting load I will be using with the Subalpine. Here is the final 100 yd sight-in target, squares are .5 inch:

The red circle is the first (fouling) shot through the clean bore.

The blue circle is shots 2 through 4.

The green circle is shot 5, after 6 clicks up to achieve 2.5" high at 100 yd.

Specifics of the load:

- Once fired Nosler .280 AI brass, full length resized with Hornady die
- Barnes 145 gr LRX BT
- WLR primers
- 51.5 gr IMR 4350, I chose not to push beyond the recommended max to find a higher node
- 3.324" COAL

YMMV

 

[AK Troutbum]

I finally nailed down the hunting load I will be using with the Subalpine. Here is the final 100 yd sight-in target, squares are .5 inch:

The red circle is the first (fouling) shot through the clean bore.

The blue circle is shots 2 through 4.

The green circle is shot 5, after 6 clicks up to achieve 2.5" high at 100 yd.

Specifics of the load:

- Once fired Nosler .280 AI brass, full length resized with Hornady die
- Barnes 145 gr LRX BT
- WLR primers
- 51.5 gr IMR 4350, I chose not to push beyond the recommended max to find a higher node
- 3.324" COAL

YMMV

Shoot, that's as good as you can do eh? Well, I guess it'll probably work.

 

[RoJo]

Good one!