are kimber rifles worth it?
- Thread starter J.Mark
- Start date
Tim Neitzke
New member
I'd love to have a Kimber Montana in .223rem. It would be my first pick for a production rifle.
Had a 300wsm for a few years, loved it.
Had a 300wsm for a few years, loved it.
Tim Neitzke
New member
3 or 4 Kimbers for 1 Cooper ! Dang I must have got both my Kimber and Cooper cheep !
What I say is good luck finding one...you write as if you can just jump on down the local gun shop and grab yourself a Kimber Montana in 223. HaHaHa!!!!! The joke's on you, unless you are extremely lucky or find someone who needs money really bad. I just checked on a Custom Select or a Montana in 223 and they said 3 to 6 months.....it didn't take that long to build the 10,000 square foot house I live in.
That said, here is something to think about...the heart of any rifle is the barrel. Last I heard Douglas was making them for Kimber. I have also heard {bear in mind that this is hearsay} that Douglas no longer makes Kimber's barrels, so who does now???? Not that Douglas is a bad barrel, don't get me wrong. But I have a bore scope and barrel a lot of actions...Douglas barrels do show a lot of tool marks in the bore. There are better barrels out there. If they did switch barrel makers you can best bet it wasn't to increase the price of an already very expensive rifle.
Compared to waiting a ridiculous amount of time to get a rifle with god {and Kimber} knows what barrel is on it, it just seems like it would be better to barrel up an action and know exactly what you have. If you were manufacturing rifles with an acknowledged "premium" brand barrel wouldn't you brag to the world about it???
You could scare up a used 700, barrel it with a premium barrel and have a Jewel or Timney trigger and nice stock for what the Kimber cost.
That said, here is something to think about...the heart of any rifle is the barrel. Last I heard Douglas was making them for Kimber. I have also heard {bear in mind that this is hearsay} that Douglas no longer makes Kimber's barrels, so who does now???? Not that Douglas is a bad barrel, don't get me wrong. But I have a bore scope and barrel a lot of actions...Douglas barrels do show a lot of tool marks in the bore. There are better barrels out there. If they did switch barrel makers you can best bet it wasn't to increase the price of an already very expensive rifle.
Compared to waiting a ridiculous amount of time to get a rifle with god {and Kimber} knows what barrel is on it, it just seems like it would be better to barrel up an action and know exactly what you have. If you were manufacturing rifles with an acknowledged "premium" brand barrel wouldn't you brag to the world about it???
You could scare up a used 700, barrel it with a premium barrel and have a Jewel or Timney trigger and nice stock for what the Kimber cost.
Winny Fan
New member
Keep in mind that Kimber rifles are nothing more than a factory grade rifle. They are NOT a semi-custom or custom rifle. Don't expect perfection. That said, I own 7 of them and all of them shoot and handle extremely well and they are all very attractive rifles. Albeit a bit pricey over a Walmart/Academy Remmy 700 ADL.
Originally Posted By: msincWhat I say is good luck finding one...you write as if you can just jump on down the local gun shop and grab yourself a Kimber Montana in 223. HaHaHa!!!!! The joke's on you, unless you are extremely lucky or find someone who needs money really bad.
I guess the stars were lined up perfect for me as I walked into a gun shop about 3 years ago and bought a Kimber Montana off the shelf in (Gasp!) 223 Rem. The dealer had two of them along with maybe a half dozen other calibers in various configurations. Go figure. Those two are not the last Montana's in 223 Rem I've seen since then either. And I'm betting that I could go back to that same gun shop today and there would be probably a half dozen Kimbers on the shelf with no idea as to what calibers they might be in.
Originally Posted By: msincI just checked on a Custom Select or a Montana in 223 and they said 3 to 6 months.....it didn't take that long to build the 10,000 square foot house I live in.
That said, here is something to think about...the heart of any rifle is the barrel. Last I heard Douglas was making them for Kimber. I have also heard {bear in mind that this is hearsay} that Douglas no longer makes Kimber's barrels, so who does now???? Not that Douglas is a bad barrel, don't get me wrong. But I have a bore scope and barrel a lot of actions...Douglas barrels do show a lot of tool marks in the bore. There are better barrels out there. If they did switch barrel makers you can best bet it wasn't to increase the price of an already very expensive rifle.
Compared to waiting a ridiculous amount of time to get a rifle with god {and Kimber} knows what barrel is on it, it just seems like it would be better to barrel up an action and know exactly what you have. If you were manufacturing rifles with an acknowledged "premium" brand barrel wouldn't you brag to the world about it???
You could scare up a used 700, barrel it with a premium barrel and have a Jewel or Timney trigger and nice stock for what the Kimber cost.
No doubt one would be better off having a custom rifle built to insure a certain level of accuracy. That runs true in comparison to any factory grade rifle built, and it goes without saying. Again, Kimbers are NOT custom rifles, but to me they are worth the money I spent for every one of them that I own.
Knowing that they are not custom rifles is why I also own a few custom rifles far in excess in numbers versus the 7 Kimbers I own. But I've never had a true custom built for the price of a Kimber either. (Krylon, a new trigger, and a Boyd's stock don't count when talking custom rifles.)
YMMV on buying a Kimber, as the internet savvy people are quoted as saying. And on any given day you can "hear" just about anything on the internet depending on what axe someone is grinding. The last I "heard", Kimber made their own barrels in Yonkers, NY. If the 8th one I buy functions and shoots like the first 7, I could care less who makes the barrels for these very nice - BUT NOT CUSTOM GRADE - factory rifles.
Originally Posted By: msincWhat I say is good luck finding one...you write as if you can just jump on down the local gun shop and grab yourself a Kimber Montana in 223. HaHaHa!!!!! The joke's on you, unless you are extremely lucky or find someone who needs money really bad.
I guess the stars were lined up perfect for me as I walked into a gun shop about 3 years ago and bought a Kimber Montana off the shelf in (Gasp!) 223 Rem. The dealer had two of them along with maybe a half dozen other calibers in various configurations. Go figure. Those two are not the last Montana's in 223 Rem I've seen since then either. And I'm betting that I could go back to that same gun shop today and there would be probably a half dozen Kimbers on the shelf with no idea as to what calibers they might be in.
Originally Posted By: msincI just checked on a Custom Select or a Montana in 223 and they said 3 to 6 months.....it didn't take that long to build the 10,000 square foot house I live in.
That said, here is something to think about...the heart of any rifle is the barrel. Last I heard Douglas was making them for Kimber. I have also heard {bear in mind that this is hearsay} that Douglas no longer makes Kimber's barrels, so who does now???? Not that Douglas is a bad barrel, don't get me wrong. But I have a bore scope and barrel a lot of actions...Douglas barrels do show a lot of tool marks in the bore. There are better barrels out there. If they did switch barrel makers you can best bet it wasn't to increase the price of an already very expensive rifle.
Compared to waiting a ridiculous amount of time to get a rifle with god {and Kimber} knows what barrel is on it, it just seems like it would be better to barrel up an action and know exactly what you have. If you were manufacturing rifles with an acknowledged "premium" brand barrel wouldn't you brag to the world about it???
You could scare up a used 700, barrel it with a premium barrel and have a Jewel or Timney trigger and nice stock for what the Kimber cost.
No doubt one would be better off having a custom rifle built to insure a certain level of accuracy. That runs true in comparison to any factory grade rifle built, and it goes without saying. Again, Kimbers are NOT custom rifles, but to me they are worth the money I spent for every one of them that I own.
Knowing that they are not custom rifles is why I also own a few custom rifles far in excess in numbers versus the 7 Kimbers I own. But I've never had a true custom built for the price of a Kimber either. (Krylon, a new trigger, and a Boyd's stock don't count when talking custom rifles.)
YMMV on buying a Kimber, as the internet savvy people are quoted as saying. And on any given day you can "hear" just about anything on the internet depending on what axe someone is grinding. The last I "heard", Kimber made their own barrels in Yonkers, NY. If the 8th one I buy functions and shoots like the first 7, I could care less who makes the barrels for these very nice - BUT NOT CUSTOM GRADE - factory rifles.
Winny Fan
New member
Originally Posted By: DoogerWeight is a factor too. Are you shooting prarie dogs at 500 yards? Coyotes at 300?
I want a little more weight for precision shooting on smaller game. It'd be a different story if I was shooting at a moose with a 300 WSM at 100 yards with a Montana.
There is no doubt that most Kimber models are light weight hunting rifles that are not designed for precise shooting like you would do with a heavy barreled varmint rifle when gunning pd's. But they are great for most all hunting applications
In addition, shooting a light weight rifle requires a different shooting technique than a heavy barreled rifle requires. Some of the complaints about a light weight Kimber rifle not shooting well are due to a lack of good shooting technique with a light weight rifle on the part of the dissatisfied shooter. In many cases it's much easier to blame the rifle than it is to learn how to shoot it well.
I want a little more weight for precision shooting on smaller game. It'd be a different story if I was shooting at a moose with a 300 WSM at 100 yards with a Montana.
There is no doubt that most Kimber models are light weight hunting rifles that are not designed for precise shooting like you would do with a heavy barreled varmint rifle when gunning pd's. But they are great for most all hunting applications
In addition, shooting a light weight rifle requires a different shooting technique than a heavy barreled rifle requires. Some of the complaints about a light weight Kimber rifle not shooting well are due to a lack of good shooting technique with a light weight rifle on the part of the dissatisfied shooter. In many cases it's much easier to blame the rifle than it is to learn how to shoot it well.
"BUT NOT CUSTOM GRADE - factory rifles"
I have seen very few custom grade rifles come close to my Super America both in fit and finish. But many of them are very comparable in price of what you are calling factory grade.
"I guess the stars were lined up perfect for me as I walked into a gun shop about 3 years ago and bought a Kimber Montana off the shelf"
What we could or did three years ago means what exactly today to the guy trying to buy one now?????
"Could some one get in the cookie jar and get msinc a cookie. Please make sure it has icing.
Also get that on a silver platter as well because he lives in a 10,000 square foot house."
It really was just a time issue I was making...there will always be haves and have not's, yours to get over, or not, I could really care less. Unsuccessful people often feel better when they drink, or maybe you could try the lottery. Good luck.
I have seen very few custom grade rifles come close to my Super America both in fit and finish. But many of them are very comparable in price of what you are calling factory grade.
"I guess the stars were lined up perfect for me as I walked into a gun shop about 3 years ago and bought a Kimber Montana off the shelf"
What we could or did three years ago means what exactly today to the guy trying to buy one now?????
"Could some one get in the cookie jar and get msinc a cookie. Please make sure it has icing.
Also get that on a silver platter as well because he lives in a 10,000 square foot house."
It really was just a time issue I was making...there will always be haves and have not's, yours to get over, or not, I could really care less. Unsuccessful people often feel better when they drink, or maybe you could try the lottery. Good luck.
Running down others and implying they drink to make yourself look better will get you nothing but poor reviews from others. And yes it is obvious that you want everyone to know you live in a 10,000 square foot house or you would have made a less arrogant comparison. It does not surprise me at all you are oblivious to your "look at what I have" attitude by your last post as well. I am successful as well in life but do not feel the need to belittle others to help my ego! As for the answer to the .223 question just stick with what you can afford and I'm sure it will be fine there are many factory moa rifles out there and think you will be fine with either you mentioned. Best of luck and keep us posted on your selection.
"Could some one get in the cookie jar and get msinc a cookie. Please make sure it has icing.
Also get that on a silver platter as well because he lives in a 10,000 square foot house."
"I am successful as well in life..."
Doesn't sound like the type of words successful people need to write...sounds more like a crybaby, whiny, jealous blank of a person to me.
Also get that on a silver platter as well because he lives in a 10,000 square foot house."
"I am successful as well in life..."
Doesn't sound like the type of words successful people need to write...sounds more like a crybaby, whiny, jealous blank of a person to me.
my buddy an i bought a pair of 8400's in 300 wsm, mine was with an upcoming sheep hunt in mind.
i spent more time on load development with those rifles than other other rifle i have ever owned. 3 or 4 different bullets, 2 different primers, 2 different powders, countless different seating depths and charge weights. it NEVER shot better than 1.5" at 100 yards with ANY load combination. we sold them. i bought a cz model 3 to replace mine, it shot 7 different loads into a better group than the kimber would do with any one load. and i got it to shoot under an inch in the first batch of test loads.
the kimber looked nice, good fit an finish, handled well, but in the end would not shoot to my satisfaction. it got sent back to kimber, they said there was nothing wrong with it and that a 5 shot 1.5" group meets there accuracy requirements!
i still own one kimber, a 243. it shoots well.
but every cooper i have ever owned shoots better with better wood and equal or better fit and finish. the coopers i have run around $1600 to $1700, i have never regretted buying one! the kimber i had ran about $1100. but it is someone else's good looking but mediocre shooting rifle!
i spent more time on load development with those rifles than other other rifle i have ever owned. 3 or 4 different bullets, 2 different primers, 2 different powders, countless different seating depths and charge weights. it NEVER shot better than 1.5" at 100 yards with ANY load combination. we sold them. i bought a cz model 3 to replace mine, it shot 7 different loads into a better group than the kimber would do with any one load. and i got it to shoot under an inch in the first batch of test loads.
the kimber looked nice, good fit an finish, handled well, but in the end would not shoot to my satisfaction. it got sent back to kimber, they said there was nothing wrong with it and that a 5 shot 1.5" group meets there accuracy requirements!
i still own one kimber, a 243. it shoots well.
but every cooper i have ever owned shoots better with better wood and equal or better fit and finish. the coopers i have run around $1600 to $1700, i have never regretted buying one! the kimber i had ran about $1100. but it is someone else's good looking but mediocre shooting rifle!
dan brothers
New member
I own a Mossberg... a H&R... a Remington... a Marlin... a Ruger... a Savage... a Tikka... a CZ... a Sako... I guess I also need a Cooper... a Kimber...a Dakota... etc to round out my stable.
Hmmm.... which one is the most fur friendly....Hmmmm...
LOL.... just kidding Guys... how can you not love'em all.
Hmmm.... which one is the most fur friendly....Hmmmm...
LOL.... just kidding Guys... how can you not love'em all.
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Varminterror
New member
Kimber's and Coopers are right on the edge for me - a guy can build a rifle for not much more, so it's hard to stop at "almost custom" when you're that close to the real deal. I suppose not everybody wants to build a rifle, or have one built, let alone WAIT to have one built (FML I hate waiting for barrels).