So, how light can a Kimber Hunter be? A build thread.

[ChrisAU]

Well that escalated quickly! Haha nice!

I did manage to get my 257 Bob back together last night. Paint turned out a bit darker brown than I wanted, but oh well. This is with an empty mag. Pulled gel and swapped bolt handle and painted, no other mods.

 

[Trackselk]

Holy shit, did you JUST decide to do that after that other guy posted pics of the kifaru rifle earlier today? That’s awesome, just send it right?

yeah, I was about to take the saw to it, and I figured why not! That slot I cut out was about 1.5 additional ounces, and more importantly, I have no doubts about the barrel touching the stock anymore, hooray!

 

[Trackselk]

There's a .257 roberts barrel on Ebay for about $100 shipped if anyone is looking. Some bigger calibers also. Not my listings, was searching for a creedmoor...

 

[Trackselk]

Got the new curved microcell shaped to the stock.
1.1 oz lighter than the factory pad for $39 shipped.
Before shaping it was 2.2oz.
You wouldn't want to shape one without a bench mounted grinder or something similar. This is only my 2nd one, but it's a delicate operation with the grinder, and easy to go too far on the shaping.

 

[Trackselk]

Here's the finished (stock) product, thanks again OP for the specs!
17.1 oz total. (Approximately .9oz less than an $1100 MPI with swivel studs and .91" microcell, and about 3/4" longer LOP)
-Stock 15oz
-Paint .3oz
-1 Grocery sack in butt .2oz (might add spray foam if branches slapping the stock make too much noise). Still fairly hollow sounding.
-Microcell 1.4oz
-Screws .2oz (Had to trim 1/4" off do to thinner recoil pad).
-i gave away the grip cap, which saved an entire 1/10th of an ounce!

And a couple of views. I was too lazy to file all the saw marks out, but it's not visible unless you're looking for it. They didn't have any other color that was close to avacado or whatever, but I like how this Deep Forest color turned out. I meant to have the stone affect splatter paint with the dark flecks, but the can is misleading, and the Bleached Stone color ended up decent. 2 coats green, 1 coat spatter, 2 coats clear coat...
A couple views for your enjoyment, and an extra shot without the flash gave a much better color representation.

 

[mtwarden]

^ that is a nice color

 

[Trackselk]

^ that is a nice color

Thanks,
-the cans just in case anyone is interested.

 

[Trackselk]

Picked up another hunter stock today from kimber. You can't get the montana, ascent, style stocks, so who knows if they'll keep selling the hunter stocks. I was surprised at the price, $100 + $13 shipping, and got a set of action screws for $10. Pretty good for one of the lightest stocks around...

 

[mtwarden]

that's pretty reasonable for a stock

only weighs 21.9 oz when you pull the gel out (31.9 oz from the factory)

 

[jjwise97]

My Hunter 280Ackley showed up yesterday, got right to pulling the gel out of the stock and a little paint touch up. Removing the gel from the rear of the stock only (still have gel in the grip) took out 8oz. Added Krylon black marbleizing spray paint and matte clear coat. Just over 6.5lbs with Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10. Would’ve never even known about lightening this gun without this thread.

 

[BigWoods]

Here's the finished (stock) product, thanks again OP for the specs!
17.1 oz total. (Approximately .9oz less than an $1100 MPI with swivel studs and .91" microcell, and about 3/4" longer LOP)
-Stock 15oz
-Paint .3oz
-1 Grocery sack in butt .2oz (might add spray foam if branches slapping the stock make too much noise). Still fairly hollow sounding.
-Microcell 1.4oz
-Screws .2oz (Had to trim 1/4" off do to thinner recoil pad).
-i gave away the grip cap, which saved an entire 1/10th of an ounce!

And a couple of views. I was too lazy to file all the saw marks out, but it's not visible unless you're looking for it. They didn't have any other color that was close to avacado or whatever, but I like how this Deep Forest color turned out. I meant to have the stone affect splatter paint with the dark flecks, but the can is misleading, and the Bleached Stone color ended up decent. 2 coats green, 1 coat spatter, 2 coats clear coat...
A couple views for your enjoyment, and an extra shot without the flash gave a much better color representation.

Five years on, it's great to see how far this has gone putting the Hunters on a diet.

 

[AlpineAssassin907]

View attachment 524384My Hunter 280Ackley showed up yesterday, got right to pulling the gel out of the stock and a little paint touch up. Removing the gel from the rear of the stock only (still have gel in the grip) took out 8oz. Added Krylon black marbleizing spray paint and matte clear coat. Just over 6.5lbs with Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10. Would’ve never even known about lightening this gun without this thread. View attachment 524385

Excellent choice on the scope. I have the same one on my hunter .308

 

[jjwise97]

Excellent choice on the scope. I have the same one on my hunter .308

I was a little worried that 10x wasn’t going to be enough for the ranges I wanted to shoot, hunting primarily in NC and WV I rarely need to shoot past 100yd so something with a 7 or 8x top end has always been more than enough.

But at the range yesterday it was plenty of magnification for 12” plates at 400, likely 500 too but that range only had larger plates at 500. And I was able to dial to exactly what my ballistics app told me and it was dead on, very happy with the scope.

 

[eaglemountainman]

Why stop there when you can cut even more?

View attachment 518397

Is that free floated?

 

[Trackselk]

Is that free floated?

It's like, free, free free free, floated

 

[Unckebob]

For those people who took the gel out:
1) how did affect recoil?
2) does it sound hollow without the gel?
3) is it reversible?

 

[mtwarden]

-I didn't notice much more recoil
-slight hollow noise if you hit the rear of the stock just right- think I'm going to refill with some of the spray foam mentioned here (only adds a fraction of an ounce)
-nope

 

[Trackselk]

For those people who took the gel out:
1) how did affect recoil?
2) does it sound hollow without the gel?
3) is it reversible?

Another opinion:
1. Recoil = .5/5.5=about 9% more recoil.
2. Very hollow, 1 grocery sack helped some, may do spray foam if it annoys me when silently stalking...
3. I think you could cram the gel back in there and clear the recoil pad, but might require a little trimming, or silicone so it didn't move around. Not sure about the grip gel as mine didn't have any. Also, easy to add something else like spray foam, 7 ounces of lead shot, and more foam to seal it in, or sprinkle the shot in the foam maybe. Reversible anyhow

 

[jjwise97]

For those people who took the gel out:
1) how did affect recoil?
2) does it sound hollow without the gel?
3) is it reversible?

1- I never shot the gun with the gel in the stock, but in 280Ackley with no gel the recoil is stiff from a bench, not too bad in field positions IMO. If you’re very recoil sensitive it should be a consideration.

2- yes but so far even bumping into things around the house and the range I’ve only noticed the sound when I tap on it with my knuckles.

3- I supposed you could get some adhesive and slide the gel back in but might need a little trimming

 

[Trackselk]

Correction. With a scope mounted it's more like 7% more recoil, or maybe 6% with a really heavy scope. Not a ton more recoil anyhow...