Kimber Mountain Ascent opinions needed

[northtoalaska13]

My first question, do any of you have the mountain ascent in either .308 or 7mm-08? If so, how do you like it? What round(s) worked well for you? What did your rifle weigh from the factory, more so the 7mm-08?

I've read most of the articles explaining why the 7mm-08 is the clear winner if I were on the fence, which I am. I will use it for dall sheep, goat, caribou, and blacktail deer. I don't plan on shooting out past 400-500 yards. And I have already decided I don't want a 6.5 Creedmoor, so don't waste your time there. Ultimately this will be a sheep hunting rifle, and assuming the 7mm-08 and .308 weigh the same as the website "approximates", who feels strongly about one over the other and why? I live and hunt in Alaska only. I have an 30-06 that I use for bear and moose, and i'm not one of those guys who feels the need to pack around a .338 while hunting 100 lb deer just in case of a bear encounter.

I'm not interested in ever shooting 180 grain bullets out of the .308 and just want to find or develop a load for a 120-140 grain bullet for mountain hunting thin skinned game. And I don't plan on using the muzzle break, just the standard issued thread protector from Kimber.

Thanks for you help and opinions.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Don't have that rifle but do have a couple 308's and larger calibers. But as a fan of larger calibers, I say the 7-08 sounds like the ideal pick for your application.

If you do worry about bears just have a partner with you.

 

[huntsman22]

Cut it down, and make an Adirondack outta it. Might as well be short and handy, at the distances you want to use it at....

 

[darbuh]

I have one in 270wsm that was planning on using for sheep. Have Swaro Z3 4-12x50 BT on it, had lug bedded and a pretty sweet paint job. Ended up taking .257 Roy instead. Doesn't buck much at all surprisingly but it does have the break on, never shot it without. If interested let me know.

 

[darbuh]

 

[darbuh]

Sorry sent wrong picture first......computers seems to dominate me mostly

 

[gbflyer]

I really like the 7-08 cartridge. Can't imagine anything better suited for an UL rifle.

 

[northtoalaska13]

Darbuh, that first picture looks intentional to me! Nice ram. Thanks for the offer, but part of my motivation with this rifle was get one chambered in a tame round for my son to shoot, so I'm avoiding magnums. Who did the paint job on your gun? I wish I could get the 7mm-08 in moss green, but they don't offer that yet. The optifad is ugly.

 

[Stid2677]

I own and have sheep hunted with 2 MAs one in 30-06 and the other in 280AI, also have an Adirondack in 6.5CM, and have hunted sheep with it the last 2 years. I bought the Adirondack for the wife, but I love packing that thing and it is an awesome rifle for thinsinked game and has proven capable on bears. If I was planning on sharing with a woman or child, I would consider an Adirondack in 7mm-08. Since you stated you wanted to use lighter bullets I would choose the 7mm over the .308. Had mine cerakoted and dipped. Mine did benefit from the standard rifle tuning, had to replace both firing pin springs in the MA, but I believe Kimber has worked that issue out. Easy fix, if you see miss fires most likely has the old spring that was too short.

 

[darbuh]

North,
LOL....surely wasn't intentional, one extra click and boom there it was

No worries on the MA 270wsm so just throwing it out there, been kicking around selling to fund more unnecessary purchases. I agree if you are using for your son 7-08 would be awesome choice. I had a local smith blast and Duracoat the stock, didn't care for the optifade either.

 

[slvrslngr]

Go with the 7-08, use the break with ear protection for your kiddo (and yourself if you prefer). A can of Krylon fixes the ugly stock in a jiffy! For ammo, the Nosler factory 120 ballistic tips would work great, as would the Hornady 139 interlocks, which are cheaper. To be honest, pretty much any of the factory offerings would be fine for deer/caribou/sheep, as long as they shoot well. The Nosler Trophy Grade 140 Accubonds or Partitions would cover anything in AK (or elsewhere for that matter).

 

[northtoalaska13]

Thanks for the help thus far fellas.

Stid, who did you have dip your Adirondack?

 

[Stid2677]

Thanks for the help thus far fellas.

Stid, who did you have dip your Adirondack?

Alaska Hydrographics, in Palmer.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have a MA in 308 and absolutely love it. I also have a basic Montana in 308 which is excellent in its own right.

The MA has some cool features but I'm not sure the 5oz I save with the MA is worth the 600 dollar mark up.

I also live and hunt in Alaska and I've found the 308 to be just fine for sheep, caribou, moose and blacktails.

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

I weighed one in 6.5 Creedmoor at my local gun shop on Tuesday. Bare rifle weight was 5 lbs. 0.4 ounces.

 

[bizyrok]

I have hunted extensively with the Montana 84L and the 84M. For what you are asking, I would get the 7mm-08 in a Montana. I do not believe the $600+ for the MA is worth about 6 ounces. I believe a rifle can be too light and you are asking for accuracy issues if your tecnhique is not perfect. I prefer a .270 Win. for all thin skinned game but your preference for the 7-08 is just fine. The money you save on the Montana would be better spent on the best scope of reasonable size you can afford. Good luck.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Feel bad as I wrote a longwinded question to Stid almost on the same topic like 15 minutes before stumbling upon this thread. Our local Three Bears has a 6.5 Creedmoor in the Adirondack and was looking it over this week and really liked it in hand. I didn't buy it only because I had settled on wanting a 7mm-08 but leaning towards the Adirondack over the MA. My daughter will be shooting centerfire soon enough and figure that little thing would prove handy with a break on it if she had hearing protection. I've toyed with the idea of a 280AI for a while now, and at least if I ran 140's, I could use the same bullets between the two guns.

Whether you go with a Montana, the Ascent or Adirondack, I like the way you're thinking. Really appreciate the response folks have shared so far as well.

Curious what folks think youd lose velocity wise in the 7mm-08 going from the 22" barrel on the Ascent to the 18" barrel on the Adirondack?

 

[hodgeman]

I've used the 7-08 a fair bit in recent years. In the lightweight rifles they're an easy choice on game like caribou, sheep, goats, deer. Good killing ability with little recoil...what's not to like?

If I lived in the L48 I could roll with one for everything and never look back.

 

[GKPrice]

what's that rig weigh as pictured ? just rifle without scope possibly ?

George

 

[northtoalaska13]

So my son is two, so really this a new rifle for me mostly. I will likely buy another rifle "for him" in the next 8 eight years that will suit him fine. For all you dedicated sheep hunters out there, would you pay the extra to knock 5-6 oz off your rifle? I'm fully aware of the shooting challenges that a sub 6 lb rifle might entail, but i'm willing to accept that. It's worth mentioning that I'm not going to pay full retail for the MA, more like $1300.

WildWill, i'm also curious to hear opinions about the barrel length difference between the MA and the Adirondack. A 22" barrel still isn't very long.