Kimber Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor - Let the Project Begin!

[BigWoods]

what did you guys put back into the stock after removing the gel?

I stuffed some closed cell foam in there to quiet it back down. I don't think anything is necessary, but it gets loud empty.

 

[coues32]

I stuffed some closed cell foam in there to quiet it back down. I don't think anything is necessary, but it gets loud empty.

Ok, ill try foam or plastic grocery bags and see what works best

 

[cooperjd]

I got mine this morning in 280ai. Pulled 8oz of the goo out of the stock and grip. It is sitting at 5lbs 3.4oz bare rifle. I will pop the stock and check the bedding. May bed the lug area and add some sort of foam to the stock. Looking forward to shooting it

 

[cooperjd]

I added about 6-8 grocery bags to the grip and stock, made a big difference in taking the hollow sound out. Those were ~1oz worth.

Now with a leupold rail, rings, and an old vx-ii 3-9x40 she weighs in at 6lbs, 3.4oz.

eventually when I can put the "forever" scope on there, I'll probably get some Talleys, but that may be a minute. Gotta go on a spending freeze for a while.

Is there a trick to getting the barrel centered in the barrel channel? Mine is significantly sitting on the left side of the channel.

 

[Marbles]

Is there a trick to getting the barrel centered in the barrel channel? Mine is significantly sitting on the left side of the channel.

On my Montana it took bedding the action to get the barrel centered.

Nice idea on the grocery bags. I had not thought of that.

 

[cooperjd]

On my Montana it took bedding the action to get the barrel centered.

Nice idea on the grocery bags. I had not thought of that.

I got the bag idea earlier in the thread.

Any bedding tricks with the honeycomb-hex stock? did you just bed it with the barrel taped to keep it centered? Just noticed you said Montana, I think you have a very different stock than the hunter.

 

[Marbles]

I got the bag idea earlier in the thread.

Any bedding tricks with the honeycomb-hex stock? did you just bed it with the barrel taped to keep it centered? Just noticed you said Montana, I think you have a very different stock than the hunter.

Yes, the stocks are quite different. I did use electrical tape on the barrel to center it in the channel and set the depth of the forward part of the action.

Not sure how to go about a plastic stock. For fun, and to procrastinate on what I should be doing, I will throw out some thoughts.

I would start with something similar, perhaps putting the tap where it would line up with the tip of the stock as this section has plastic that follows the contour of a normal barrel channel.

On mine, I tried to be fancy and bedded the full length of the action. It was a PTA and made it harder to get good results and I doubt it adds anything other than looks (that can only be seen when the action is removed). My recommendation, especially on a plastic stock, would be just bed the recoil lug and front of the action.

I'm not sure how well many epoxies commonly used for bedding would adhere to the plastic used in Kimber's stock. If the plastic has any flex to it in the area to be bedded you might (but I don't really know) be better of with an epoxy that is designed to flex a little. An example would be Marine-Tex white instead of grey. However, this comes at the cost of being much softer. For a thin skim bedding I thing it would work and be less likely to chip and flake. This is because the stock would provide the structure. If any thickness or structural support is needed, my guess is that it would be too soft.

One could also use a Dremel or drill to creat a mechanical lock between epoxy and stock. This would need a thicker coat of epoxy to give the enter piece some strength. Simply raising the action further out of the stock would leave insufficient thread engagement on the action screw. Consequently, I suspect the stock would need to be sanded out in the area to be bedded. I think this would be better than the soft epoxy skim bedding.

If you are happy with how the gun shoots, might be best to leave it alone.

 

[cooperjd]

Will shoot it for the first time next week. Time to tinker between now and then

I would def sand/dremel away some of the plastic for a better mechanical bond with bedding, i do that even with aluminum bedding blocks and a drill bit for better mechanical lock.

 

[BigWoods]

I added about 6-8 grocery bags to the grip and stock, made a big difference in taking the hollow sound out. Those were ~1oz worth.

Now with a leupold rail, rings, and an old vx-ii 3-9x40 she weighs in at 6lbs, 3.4oz.

eventually when I can put the "forever" scope on there, I'll probably get some Talleys, but that may be a minute. Gotta go on a spending freeze for a while.

Is there a trick to getting the barrel centered in the barrel channel? Mine is significantly sitting on the left side of the channel.

For centering, I just manually hold the action centered in the stock (give it the old eyeball) and then torque it down.

 

[cooperjd]

For centering, I just manually hold the action centered in the stock (give it the old eyeball) and then torque it down.

Thank you, i'll try that

 

[mtwarden]

For centering, I just manually hold the action centered in the stock (give it the old eyeball) and then torque it down.

I did the same; also I would only torque a screw so far, going back and forth until they were fully torqued

 

[mt100gr.]

Since this thread has kept me more intrigued with my Hunter than I probably should be, here's a little more food for thought and experimentation.

Backstory: 6.5 Creedmoor - I removed the gel in the stock and pistol grip and cut the barrel down and recrowned it (DIY) at 17.25 inches. It has an old reliable (so far) nikon BDC scope in Talley mounts. It's weighs 91.0 Oz (5.7lbs)
*all those details and quite a few pics a couple pages back.

Anyway, it has always shown a preference for 130grain class bullets, a few moments of potential glory with 140 class but never anything spectacular with any factory ammo. I have not handloaded for this particular rifle mostly due to stubbornness. I want to feed it something I can buy in a box and be satisfied. It's killed plenty with less than impressive accuracy.

So, a few weeks ago, a buddy gave me the tail end of a box of Copper Creek 156gr EOL ammo. I didn't want to start down any rabbit holes with my other 6.5s since I have loads worked up that I am very happy with (with berger 156gr.) Here's what a couple 3 shot sequences did with a scope adjustment in between. Anyone else fiddled with that bullet in their hunter? ...No idea on velocity with my short barrel but I will be experimenting more....

 

[cooperjd]

I did the same; also I would only torque a screw so far, going back and forth until they were fully torqued

that worked. held the barrel centered as i tightened the screws. The front screw really tries to pull the stock to the right/barrel left. I will pull it and sand out material around the action and see if this stops. My goal will be to only have contact at the pillars. then i'll bed it.

 

[ChrisAU]

Since the hosting sight I originally used dumped the pictures of my completed rifle, I figured I should repost it:
View attachment 127159
I'm planning to go after the silicone in the pistol grip area to bring off a few more ounces before hunting season. I'll post results soon!

I just realized I’ve been accumulating stuff to do a Hunter almost exactly like yours. Finally found a 243 this morning and ordered it, and had looked long and hard for the Rust Oleum you used before I knew you have even used it, and paid $40 shipped for two cans lol. Would really like to find a VX-2 2-7x28 Ultralight.

 

[TimberHunter]

Bumping the old thread to ask if anyone in this thread regrets cutting down the barrel or pulling weight out of the back end of the stock? I'm considering changing my tikka plans to kimber when I remembered this thread. The Adirondack is tempting but pricy. The stock on the mtn ascent/Adirondack is nice as well but even the new ones in the store were missing parts of their pattern just from store handling. I'm thinking a little paint with matte clear coat will make a plastic hunter outlast the Sitka dipping.

So, my thought is to cut the barrel down to 16-18" and thread 1/2-28 for a 13oz silencerco harvester. Not sure if I'd unbalance the gun by pulling nearly half a pound out of the stock and adding the suppressor? Any thoughts from those of you that have handled these project kimbers?

Did you end up cutting and threading it? Is there enough shoulder (.100”+)? What if it was threaded 9/16” for a 308


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[Sled]

Did you end up cutting and threading it? Is there enough shoulder (.100”+)? What if it was threaded 9/16” for a 308


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i did cut it at 17" and threaded 1/2-28. not sure if i would have had the shoulder to do the 9/16 but you can always bush up to where you want to be. when i can get to my calipers and the gun at the same time i can take some measurements.

 

[BigWoods]

Well my rifle went on a significant carried-weight diet (or a little heavier depending on setup).

After a few deer tracking hunts on wet sticky snow days and struggling to keep my scope clear while pushing through whips I decided it was time to get some iron sights that could be blown out quickly.

I switched out the Talley Lightweights for Warne Maxima weaver style bases and their QD rings for the scope.
For a rear sight I got an XS ghost ring high weaver backup. On the front is a Williams Streamlined ramp (9/16") with a .400" Skinner blade. My local gunsmith drilled and tapped the front for $30 out the door.

With the sights the rifle now weighs 5lbs 0.5oz. Scoped, it's gone up a few ounces to 6lbs exactly. With the sort of hunting we do here in the big woods of upper New England odds are I will hunt with just the irons more often than not, but I can put the scope on when it makes sense.

I hope to get out to the range next week to sight it in and wring it out.

 

[iashow]

Iron sighted Kimber with detachable magazine. I have been thinking about this type of project for a long time, well done!

 

[mtwarden]

^ I must have missed the detachable mag thing or are you talking the factory mag? I was thinking would be nice to have something that held more than three rounds

 

[iashow]

^ I must have missed the detachable mag thing or are you talking the factory mag? I was thinking would be nice to have something that held more than three rounds

The detachable magazine is standard on the Kimber Hunter.