Kimber Subalpine

[dblb]

Opinions and reviews on the Kimber rifles, specifically the Subalpine. I'm looking at the .300 win mag or the .300 WSM. Purchasing this gun for Elk in MT.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

They look awesome to me. I've had good luck with Kimber Montana and Mountain Ascent rifles so I wouldn;t hesitate to get a sub alpine if that was the configuration I wanted.

 

[Fishmaster196]

X2

 

[deerhunter628]

I love my Mountain Ascent. Im assuming the subalpine is the same just different camo.

 

[MuleyFever]

I just got a Montana. Starting to think I should have gone another direction.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m just got a Montana. Starting to think I should have gone another direction.

I like the Montanas just fine. The mountain ascent, Adirondack and Subalpine are the same thing with some added bells and whistles.

 

[dblb]

Yeah I think the mtn ascent and subalpine are the same. I don't think the subalpine comes with the muzzle break like the mtn ascent does.

 

[dblb]

I’m just got a Montana. Starting to think I should have gone another direction.

I'll bite. You don't like the gun?

 

[MuleyFever]

I'll bite. You don't like the gun?

I was hoping for better accuracy.

 

[JeffRaines]

I was hoping for better accuracy.

My Montana in 308 will put 3 rounds of factory stuff into .75 or so.

It isn’t a benchrest gun. It’s for hunting. I bought it for 500 MAYBE 600 yards and in. If you want to shoot longer I would highly suggest going with a heavier gun meant for the task.

 

[MuleyFever]

My Montana in 308 will put 3 rounds of factory stuff into .75 or so.

It isn’t a benchrest gun. It’s for hunting. I bought it for 500 MAYBE 600 yards and in. If you want to shoot longer I would highly suggest going with a heavier gun meant for the task.

So would I. I have also noticed a lot of the people that post about good accuracy out of a Kimber are shooting a 308.

 

[JeffRaines]

So would I. I have also noticed a lot of the people that post about good accuracy out of a Kimber are shooting a 308.

I’ve seen quite a few put up good groups out of the 280 too.

I think it boils down to recoil tolerance. In a light rifle even the 308 kicks pretty good - I wouldn’t want a Kimber in a magnum chambering.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I have, or have had 3 Kimber light wts. that have all shot sub moa, with factory rounds, right out of the box. Two Montana’s chambered in .300wsm, and .280ai, and a Mountain Ascent chambered in .270win. I sold the .280 but continue to hunt with the other two, and I wouldn’t hesitate purchasing another Kimber if a good deal came up, or I was in the market for another caliber. Here’s the .270 at 200 yards last week. Stock MA, using factory ammo ,with a cheap 3-9 VX2 scope. I’m not a very good shot, but these things just flat out shoot well.

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[thinhorn_AK]

The kimbers I've had have all shot just fine. Whenever I hear of people complaining of Kimber accuracy these days I just assume its the shooter not the gun.

 

[MuleyFever]

I have, or have had 3 Kimber light wts. that have all shot sub moa, with factory rounds, right out of the box. Two Montana’s chambered in .300wsm, and .280ai, and a Mountain Ascent chambered in .270win. I sold the .280 but continue to hunt with the other two, and I wouldn’t hesitate purchasing another Kimber if a good deal came up, or I was in the market for another caliber. Here’s the .270 at 200 yards last week. Stock MA, using factory ammo ,with a cheap 3-9 VX2 scope. I’m not a very good shot, but these things just flat out shoot well.

What did your 280 shoot best?

 

[dblb]

I have, or have had 3 Kimber light wts. that have all shot sub moa, with factory rounds, right out of the box. Two Montana’s chambered in .300wsm, and .280ai, and a Mountain Ascent chambered in .270win. I sold the .280 but continue to hunt with the other two, and I wouldn’t hesitate purchasing another Kimber if a good deal came up, or I was in the market for another caliber. Here’s the .270 at 200 yards last week. Stock MA, using factory ammo ,with a cheap 3-9 VX2 scope. I’m not a very good shot, but these things just flat out shoot well.

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Did the 300 wsm feed and cycle well?

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[AK Troutbum]

What did your 280 shoot best?

Factory 140gr. Nosler Trophy Grade ballistic tips were the only thing I ever shot out of it. They worked well and I didn’t have the rifle long enough to reload for it or try anything else.


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[JeffRaines]

The kimbers I've had have all shot just fine. Whenever I hear of people complaining of Kimber accuracy these days I just assume its the shooter not the gun.

I will say there are still some floating around with issues - I just bought a Subalpine in 280 that’s currently on its way back to Kimber for a barrel that isn’t freefloated.

With that said I have no doubts that once that’s fixed(if it’s them or me who ultimately fixes it) it’ll be a shooter.

It also helps that I’m not expecting 3/5/10(aka benchrest) in the same hole accuracy. While I want the most accurate gun I can get, I think a lot of people overestimate how accurate a gun needs to be to shoot 500 yards. You got guys who don’t shoot game past 300 but if they don’t all stack in the same hole at 100 they’re disappointed. A 1.5-2moa gun will kill an animal dead at 300 every time. A 1 moa gun will kill an animal dead every time at 500.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I will say there are still some floating around with issues - I just bought a Subalpine in 280 that’s currently on its way back to Kimber for a barrel that isn’t freefloated.

With that said I have no doubts that once that’s fixed(if it’s them or me who ultimately fixes it) it’ll be a shooter.

It also helps that I’m not expecting 3/5/10(aka benchrest) in the same hole accuracy. While I want the most accurate gun I can get, I think a lot of people overestimate how accurate a gun needs to be to shoot 500 yards. You got guys who don’t shoot game past 300 but if they don’t all stack in the same hole at 100 they’re disappointed. A 1.5-2moa gun will kill an animal dead at 300 every time. A 1 moa gun will kill an animal dead every time at 500.

Sure there are some that get past QC, I just tend to think these stories of Kimbers being inherently innacurate are sort of blown out of proportion, I have a montana 308, a mountain ascent 300wsm currently and have had other kimbers in the past and all of them have made small 3 shot groups. The groups open up with 5 shot groups obviously because the barrels heat up but this dosent matter at all to me because they are hunting rifles.

 

[JeffRaines]

Sure there are some that get past QC, I just tend to think these stories of Kimbers being inherently innacurate are sort of blown out of proportion, I have a montana 308, a mountain ascent 300wsm currently and have had other kimbers in the past and all of them have made small 3 shot groups. The groups open up with 5 shot groups obviously because the barrels heat up but this dosent matter at all to me because they are hunting rifles.

I totally agree there. It also takes practice to shoot these rifles well. I think a lot of the issue stems from the availability of lightweight rifles, and the accessibility/price of the kimbers in particular.

Once upon a time, to get a lightweight rifle meant going somewhere like NULA, paying through the nose and having some kind of support there to guide you... someone who could say “hey idiot you gotta do this to make them shoot”. With the price tag people really spent time trying to make it work.

Nowadays your average joe can go up to a big box store and buy a Kimber off the shelf. The guys behind the counter don’t know ish most of the time, so they go home thinking “oh man I paid 1200 for this, this is gonna outshoot everything!” and after their first range trip they’re ready to give up.

I guess it all boils down to knowing what you’re buying.

People are also quick to point out Tikka or Savage like they never have any issues... I’ve personally owned two savages with issues(one headspace, the other I had to open the barrel channel)... and tikka, I’ve had two that wouldn’t shoot and one that had headspace issues. Not to mention whatever stainless tikka uses leaves much to be desired. That’s not to say that either one puts out a crappy product, just that every manufacturer has issues.