Kimber Hunter????

Acronin

Acronin

New member
Does anybody have any experience with one of these? I’m a long ways off from getting one but before I do you Adlich to get as much information on them as possible. I’m extremely interested in the .2808AI chambering. From what I understand it’s the same action and barrel is on their Adirondack and Mountain ascent rifles. Any first-hand knowledge out there?
 
My nephew has a pair of them, a 280AI and a 243. He just gott a deer in WY with the 243 and the 280 is going elk huntng in the next couple weeks. I haven't shot them but did get to handle them at his house. I think they are wonderful little rifles.
 
No experience with them other than handling them......but I (personally) wasn't impressed with them for the price.

I do have experience with the Montana's and for what these hunters cost I just couldn't justify the cost with the stock that is on them. I handled one yesterday in 6.5CM and the price was 700. the stock just felt cheap and like all the other polymer stocked rifles. Personally I'd rather spend a couple hundred more to find a used montana.
 
Well if I could find a used Montana in .280AI for $900 I’d be all over it. The issue is that when people buy Kimbers, they don’t sell them. There are a few, but not in the .280AI which is what I want.

I imagine there are aftermarket stocks available. But then again, to your point a Montana would be a better rifle for just a little more.

Thanks for the information.
 
I have a hunter in 243 and a montana in 243. Only difference is the magazine. The new hunter does not cycle as smooth as my old montana, but it might after some time. Standard OCW test to find loads. Between 1/2-3/4 MOA.
After getting a Tikka recently in 270 win and for the $$$, the tikka is a resonate alternative. The Tikka's stock isn't nearly as well made as the Kimber's. The Tikka kicks like a Missouri mule. The Kimber beats it also in the trigger. The Tikka beats the Kimber in smooth of cycle.
 
Having shot a number of 7mm Rem Mags over the years what is the advantage of the 280AI, uses the same bullets, uses the same length action, a little slower than the 7mm, virtually no ammo on store shelves, custom or higher priced dies needed, limited load data, expensive brass or by the time you roll your own from cheap brass it becomes expensive? I can see if you have a on old rifle 280/7mm Express you want to soup up a little or a worn out 270 or 30-06 but to buy one. These two are so close, I think the advantage goes to the very popular 7mm RM.

My nephew owns a 280AI so it is not totally unknown to me as I did do some research on it for him for loading and making brass.
.
 
Originally Posted By: AWSHaving shot a number of 7mm Rem Mags over the years what is the advantage of the 280AI, uses the same bullets, uses the same length action, a little slower than the 7mm, virtually no ammo on store shelves, custom or higher priced dies needed, limited load data, expensive brass or by the time you roll your own from cheap brass it becomes expensive? I can see if you have a on old rifle 280/7mm Express you want to soup up a little or a worn out 270 or 30-06 but to buy one. These two are so close, I think the advantage goes to the very popular 7mm RM.

My nephew owns a 280AI so it is not totally unknown to me as I did do some research on it for him for loading and making brass.
.

I had the .280 and found ammo to be the first major problem. Second it never did anything miraculous that my other calibers wouldn't and a few outdid it.
Now for the Kimber you may get a good one and be happy or like me-get a miss for which Kimber is widely known for it's hit n miss accuracy problems.
Kimber warranty attitude has turned off more than a few people.
Equal to it's reputation I know a few happy owners and a few unhappy ones.
 
Originally Posted By: tripod3Originally Posted By: AWSHaving shot a number of 7mm Rem Mags over the years what is the advantage of the 280AI, uses the same bullets, uses the same length action, a little slower than the 7mm, virtually no ammo on store shelves, custom or higher priced dies needed, limited load data, expensive brass or by the time you roll your own from cheap brass it becomes expensive? I can see if you have a on old rifle 280/7mm Express you want to soup up a little or a worn out 270 or 30-06 but to buy one. These two are so close, I think the advantage goes to the very popular 7mm RM.

My nephew owns a 280AI so it is not totally unknown to me as I did do some research on it for him for loading and making brass.
.

I had the .280 and found ammo to be the first major problem. Second it never did anything miraculous that my other calibers wouldn't and a few outdid it.
Now for the Kimber you may get a good one and be happy or like me-get a miss for which Kimber is widely known for it's hit n miss accuracy problems.
Kimber warranty attitude has turned off more than a few people.
Equal to it's reputation I know a few happy owners and a few unhappy ones.

Put me in the happy owner camp. I have 8 of them and they all shoot extremely well/accurately for a hunting style of rifle.

I had a Model 84 in 260 Rem that did not shoot well at the gitgo, but it went back to Kimber and came back to me about 3 weeks later as a keeper. No problems on my part with the warranty either - albeit only one occurrence.
 
I've got a Hunter in 7mm-08. I'm having some major accuracy issues, but I'm pretty sure it's the scope(DesertRam is going to help me figure out if it is actually the scope).

I'll be honest, I HATE the magazine. If you load 3 rounds into it and try to chamber a round from the full magazine, it's a HUGE pain in the [beeep]. The trigger is good, and I personally like the stock. I'm hoping this issue is just a bad scope or a mounting issue rather than the rifle.
 
Originally Posted By: quackaddictI've got a Hunter in 7mm-08. I'm having some major accuracy issues, but I'm pretty sure it's the scope(DesertRam is going to help me figure out if it is actually the scope).

I'll be honest, I HATE the magazine. If you load 3 rounds into it and try to chamber a round from the full magazine, it's a HUGE pain in the [beeep]. The trigger is good, and I personally like the stock. I'm hoping this issue is just a bad scope or a mounting issue rather than the rifle.

Well DesertRam sure gave me good luck for elk season.
 
Luckily, he seems to hoard gear even more than I do, and he has an extra scope or two laying around. Were going to take the scope off that I’ve currently got mounted and mount one of his spares and give her another whirl.
 
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My dad has a kimber hunter in 7mm-08. It did not like Varget powder at all. However, it was a big fan of H4895, and shoots 140 Accubonds/ballistic tips into less than an inch (3 shot groups, without waiting for barrel to cool down) without any trouble.
 
Originally Posted By: AWSHaving shot a number of 7mm Rem Mags over the years what is the advantage of the 280AI, uses the same bullets, uses the same length action, a little slower than the 7mm, virtually no ammo on store shelves, custom or higher priced dies needed, limited load data, expensive brass or by the time you roll your own from cheap brass it becomes expensive? I can see if you have a on old rifle 280/7mm Express you want to soup up a little or a worn out 270 or 30-06 but to buy one. These two are so close, I think the advantage goes to the very popular 7mm RM.

My nephew owns a 280AI so it is not totally unknown to me as I did do some research on it for him for loading and making brass.
.

I don’t know if there is an advantage. And all your points are true. I have a 7mm mag and it shoots awesome with Berger 168gr classic hunters. I donreload and I do have an affinity to the “non-typical” cartridges. I’m really asking about the .280ai and this particular rifle because I was going to build one with a savage 110 action chambered in .270. But it would be my first build and I thought maybe I wasn’t ready for it and if I could find a rifle chambered in the round I wanted then I could save some money.

The one true advantage the .280ai has is that it’s less recoil and less powder with very similar performance as the 7mm Rem mag. I just really think it’s an ideal all around chambering for large game without lugging around a Magnum.
 
Originally Posted By: AcroninOriginally Posted By: AWSHaving shot a number of 7mm Rem Mags over the years what is the advantage of the 280AI, uses the same bullets, uses the same length action, a little slower than the 7mm, virtually no ammo on store shelves, custom or higher priced dies needed, limited load data, expensive brass or by the time you roll your own from cheap brass it becomes expensive? I can see if you have a on old rifle 280/7mm Express you want to soup up a little or a worn out 270 or 30-06 but to buy one. These two are so close, I think the advantage goes to the very popular 7mm RM.

My nephew owns a 280AI so it is not totally unknown to me as I did do some research on it for him for loading and making brass.
.

I don’t know if there is an advantage. And all your points are true. I have a 7mm mag and it shoots awesome with Berger 168gr classic hunters. I donreload and I do have an affinity to the “non-typical” cartridges. I’m really asking about the .280ai and this particular rifle because I was going to build one with a savage 110 action chambered in .270. But it would be my first build and I thought maybe I wasn’t ready for it and if I could find a rifle chambered in the round I wanted then I could save some money.

The one true advantage the .280ai has is that it’s less recoil and less powder with very similar performance as the 7mm Rem mag. I just really think it’s an ideal all around chambering for large game without lugging around a Magnum.

Would a rifle in 7MM Rem Mag weigh a lot more than the same rifle chambered in 280AI? And why?
 
I have found both the .30-06 and 7mm mag out do the .280 on elk and bear. The .30-06 most often being the pick of those with 55 gr to 200 gr bullets.
You can't make a .280 bigger but you can make the others less.
Personally I shoot the .300 WM as I did for my elk this week.
 
Just to stir the pot, lets not forget O'Connor with his .270 and his wife with her 7x57 killing elk.

Thank you Jack and Col Whelen and Mr Howe (35 Whelen)...... Elmer Keith, not so much.....

That being said, the last elk I took was also a cow, in CO with a 300 WM and a 180 gr. PP load. High lung hit, ran 100 yds and piled up. Open country so I saw the cow drop as she crested a hill. Good box load.
 
Both the 7mm Mag and the 280AI should weigh the same as they are on the same action with just the bolt face opened for the larger diameter cartridge. You can shoot gentle loads in the 7mm Mag and get close to 289AI ballistics or you can ramrod 280AI loads and get near 7mm Mag ballistics.
 
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