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

[jpndave]

View attachment 664840Here are some pics of my kampfeld fluted bolt.

@Wrangler13 Nice! Kampfeld has done the cuts for the ejector clearance. Still smooth over a full mag? Do you feel those flutes at all?

 

[Trackselk]

I've never noticed a lack of smoothness in my ascent or Kampfeld fluted bolts, but I guess my tikka is more smooth. Hasn't ever caused me an issue, even when gritty with fresh cerakote. Kampfeld does an awesome job on full rifle cerakote I've gotta add!

 

[Trackselk]

@packgoatguy - anyway to approximate the depth on those barrel flutes?

Thanks!

Pretty sure LRI (or Kampfeld) can knock off more weight with their spiral flutes than the Ascent has. My 22 creed ascent/hunter/swiss cheese still easily shoots sub MOA and I don't think you can beat the looks, and grippyness of the spiral flutes. Here's the pic again for reference.

 

[mtwarden]

I don't know if he can do it, but I sent Chris (the guy on 24hr that does the ti bolt handles) a message to see if he could make ti action screws for the Hunter.

I told him guessing there would be some interest.

 

[Trackselk]

I don't know if he can do it, but I sent Chris (the guy on 24hr that does the ti bolt handles) a message to see if he could make ti action screws for the Hunter.

I told him guessing there would be some interest.

Does anyone know how much weight the member that posted pics of ti screws on a scale actually saved? I looked at that post more than once and never came away with a solid understanding of how much he shaved off. Probably because I didn't know what I was looking at in the pic...

 

[packgoatguy]

Does anyone know how much weight the member that posted pics of ti screws on a scale actually saved? I looked at that post more than once and never came away with a solid understanding of how much he shaved off. Probably because I didn't know what I was looking at in the pic...

I dont know about the kimber action screws exactly, but on my Tikkas, the factory steel screws are 15.4 grams and the ti replacements are 9 grams for the pair.

 

[jpndave]

I dont know about the kimber action screws exactly, but on my Tikkas, the factory steel screws are 15.4 grams and the ti replacements are 9 grams for the pair.

I have titanium action screws in the works if anyone is interested. They won't be the goofy long extended head though so on the Hunter they would be up inside the stock a bit on the rear screw. Also a T25 Torx head.

 

[mtwarden]

Does anyone know how much weight the member that posted pics of ti screws on a scale actually saved? I looked at that post more than once and never came away with a solid understanding of how much he shaved off. Probably because I didn't know what I was looking at in the pic...

I think he only had the shorter screw?- it showed 16 grams vs 5 grams for the ti one

I have titanium action screws in the works if anyone is interested. They won't be the goofy long extended head though so on the Hunter they would be up inside the stock a bit on the rear screw. Also a T25 Torx head.

I'd be interested

 

[packgoatguy]

I have titanium action screws in the works if anyone is interested. They won't be the goofy long extended head though so on the Hunter they would be up inside the stock a bit on the rear screw. Also a T25 Torx head.

I'd be interested as well

 

[jpndave]

I think he only had the shorter screw?- it showed 16 grams vs 5 grams for the ti one

Titanium is ~60% the weight of steel. The rear screw will be quite a bit less as that shank is fat so -40% of the front and -all of the fat shank and then 40% of what is left after that on the rear for a Hunter. Wood/Montana/Ascent ~-40%. I am getting ready to order the blanks for the screws which I will shorten & contour the heads in my lathe. They aren't cheap but they are cool and grams lighter.

 

[Trackselk]

Titanium is ~60% the weight of steel. The rear screw will be quite a bit less as that shank is fat so -40% of the front and -all of the fat shank and then 40% of what is left after that on the rear for a Hunter. Wood/Montana/Ascent ~-40%. I am getting ready to order the blanks for the screws which I will shorten & contour the heads in my lathe. They aren't cheap but they are cool and grams lighter.

I'm interested as well, cost dependent. Just to clarify, you're making them for the hunter or the Ascent, or both? I know the Ascent screws are significantly longer, or at least one of them is.

 

[Trackselk]

I think he only had the shorter screw?- it showed 16 grams vs 5 grams for the ti one

Not sure, I'm still confused. But, I guess this is less crazy than me spending 6-8 hours skeletonizing the mag!

 

[jpndave]

I will bring in a few extra sets of screws so I have those if someone wants them unless there is more demand than a few. They will not be cheap, starting at ~$10 for each screw blank then have to be machined to match the Kimber both length and head (will start as a fat flat head). The titanium screws I'll be using are 140ksi (regular grade 8 is ~150ksi) which is likely much stronger than the stock screws but I don't have the stock specs to promise that. Any of the rifles can be accommodated. The rear screw on a Hunter will not have the stepped long head. They would be short and up inside the stock by that distance, basically the same as the front screw. So if you want to see what it would be like, put your front screw in the rear hole and that's pretty much it. They will be much lighter but there will be a gap. The same goes for the other rifles to a lesser extent on the rear screw, we'll see how much material is there but it will likely be shorter. Weight savings will be ~60% of stock weight. The thick heads are -100% of the removed material. Fully threaded shanks also have the threaded metal removed so that takes a little weight off too.

The weight on the front Hunter screw is 5.9g, and the rear is 16g. I suspect the titanium screws will be ~3.5g ea for a total of 7g or ~15g savings on the hunter. Montana is 20g for the pair stock, titanium should go under 12g with a savings of at least 8g probably more like 9 or 10 because of the fully threaded shank. Torx instead of hex which IMO is much superior. Stronger, has no possibility of rust, and is just cool because it's titanium. Worth the money for 10-15g? No, but I'll be putting them on mine, LOL.

We are designing some custom Oberndorf bottom metal with a shape similar to what Jerry Fisher and some others have done. They will have a properly designed box to accommodate magnum/PRC cases 4 down in a regular (not dropped) box. Made of 7075 aluminum for weight (though titanium is also a possibility). The screws were intended for that project. The Rem 700 footprint will be top of the list by popularity (I have a Defiant for my 7mm PRC in the works that will be the test bed), next maybe Tikka, probably Winchester 70, a few MRC 1999 (I have several here) not sure after that. The Kimber is kind of a pet project so it's along for the ride. I have a half dozen 84m, one 8400 short and one 8400 long. I didn't have any intent accomodating the Hunter stock but making some screws for it isn't an issue, just shorter. I won't do Hunter screws unless someone specifically wants them.

L to R - 84m classic, 8400 Montana, 84m Hunter. The threaded portion will be longer (likely fully threaded) and the heads may be closer in shape to the front screw (right screw in each pair) or maybe both halfway between depending on how much material is left there. Classic and Montana measure nearly the same and could be production run margin of error difference or difference from Troy, AL to Yonkers, NY. Maybe someone can confirm the Ascent shape/length which I would suspect is the same as Classic/Montana?


This is what they will be based on. Length and the head shape need to be machined. T25 Torx, not hex drive though I could get hex if that was a preference.

 

[kelly1]

If anyone has a set of hunter screws ,I’m in BC and they are unobtanium.
I swapped my Adirondack into a second hand degelled Hunter stock and I robbed the screws from my Hunter. Thx kelly

 

[mtwarden]

If anyone has a set of hunter screws ,I’m in BC and they are unobtanium.
I swapped my Adirondack into a second hand degelled Hunter stock and I robbed the screws from my Hunter. Thx kelly

save up for the soon to be released Ti ones

 

[jpndave]

If anyone has a set of hunter screws ,I’m in BC and they are unobtanium.
I swapped my Adirondack into a second hand degelled Hunter stock and I robbed the screws from my Hunter. Thx kelly

I'll have multiple sets of those when I swap these rifles out of their stocks but they might need to stay with the stocks... or I guess I could run the TI Screws. Might need to bring in a few shorter ones I guess...

What does Kimber want for those if they would sell them?

 

[Trackselk]

Seems like a good time to request that someone designs a plastic magazine. There's a solid 1.5 oz weight loss potential, and the factory mags aren't nearly as slick, which requires sanding and polishing on some. Even though mine didn't jam, they scraped the heck out of the brass before I worked on them.

 

[ChrisAU]

So I noticed yesterday in my safe, and then just checked my pic on page 23 with the buck, my rifle took it upon itself to get even lighter as my grip cap is missing lol. Probably won't bother replacing it.

 

[Trackselk]

So I noticed yesterday in my safe, and then just checked my pic on page 23 with the buck, my rifle took it upon itself to get even lighter as my grip cap is missing lol. Probably won't bother replacing it.

Lol, I gave mine away, it was 0.1 oz, so I HAD to do it...

 

[mtwarden]

So I noticed yesterday in my safe, and then just checked my pic on page 23 with the buck, my rifle took it upon itself to get even lighter as my grip cap is missing lol. Probably won't bother replacing it.

Lol, I gave mine away, it was 0.1 oz, so I HAD to do it...

yeah I lost mine too, went w/o a year w/o out one

@Trackselk gave me his- now I have one