Kimber Mountain Ascent - which would you get?

BadRonald said:
Fair point, you are only saving 5oz with the Mountain Ascent over the Montana in .308, at a cost of over $100/oz. I'm not keen on the fact that the MA has a brake either.
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The standard 84L is a great rifle and much better bang for the buck. If you're really counting ounces, a Ti bolt handle and aluminium trigger guard will put the Montana right at or close to the Mountain Ascent, IIRC.
 
just finished working up a load for the mtn ascent in 270. i was skeptical of the beating i would take on the bench, but this thing didn't push any harder than a .243!
first load with 130 tsx's went into 5/8'' for 4 shots. verifying load did the same with 3 shots.
switched from win to federal brass because the guy a boat load of it, shot the same with 3 shot group.
i would never pay $2300 for rifle off the shelf, but this gun shoots, and is pleasant to carry and suprisingly well balanced.
lee
 
Haven't fire my Kimber Mountain Ascent yet. Still waiting on scope and dies. Got 2 boxes of Nosler .280 AI brass though. Love the weight and CRF but as it is my first Kimber, I have to say, I am not at all impressed with the Quality Control..........

Got it into my hands and immediately found that the "free floated barrel" was ..... NOT... After disassembly, reassembly and then removing about 1/32nd of length off of the rear of the magazine box, it allowed for the action to seat fully onto the pillars and regain the "floating barrel"....

Then while running the action 50 or 60 times the bolt got progressively tighter and tighter. I removed the bolt to find that the rear set screw on the underside of the bolt had backed out and making contact with the action as the bolt was trying to move forward to the locked position. Tightened that up.......

Geez, for a rifle manufacturer that claims to be of the highest quality, I am not too impressed so far.............

I have now oiled and cycled the action about 700 - 800 times trying to polish it up and smooth it out. It isn't getting much better. There is just so much lateral slop in the bolt that it will actually bind up at times and at best is quite rough..... I guess I am just used to the smooth action on the heavy Weatherby Mk V rifles I usually pack around.

Having said all that, the weight of this .280 AI and the factory trigger is AWESOME!!!!!
 
Whisky Creek said:
I have now oiled and cycled the action about 700 - 800 times trying to polish it up and smooth it out. It isn't getting much better. There is just so much lateral slop in the bolt that it will actually bind up at times and at best is quite rough..... I guess I am just used to the smooth action on the heavy Weatherby Mk V rifles I usually pack around.
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That's the nature and intentional design of the Mauser action. It'll function long after the Weatherby when dirty.
 
Went with the Forbes 24B, my Kimber 308 84M Classic left a sour taste in my mouth as in over 2 years, no loads have produce a group MOA, it is at best a 1.5 MOA rifle... Others have written on other group forums not being impress by the 84M accuracy, i think they are a hit or a miss, and i did miss good as the 84 M is one if not the worst shooting 308 i own, i have trown the towel and i am certainly not getting anymore Kimber in any model... JP.
 
I did a review on the .308 Mountain Ascent, and it's my choice. Google "Kimber Mountain Ascent Review" if interested and it's result number 7 or so on the list, morrisonarms. I shot the little rifle to 500 yards and was sincerely impressed. A Montana is close to the same thing at a bargain price if you're not out to save every ounce, and if you are out to save every ounce, the .308 Ascent is the only choice in my humble opinion. :)
 
bearkilr said:
That's the nature and intentional design of the Mauser action. It'll function long after the Weatherby when dirty.
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I had a custom M98 based on a GEW98 that was as slick as butter. I've also owned Weathebry Mk V's before and they were nowhere near this M98. So I don't think an M98 neccessarily has to be rough.
 
1899 said:
I had a custom M98 based on a GEW98 that was as slick as butter. I've also owned Weathebry Mk V's before and they were nowhere near this M98. So I don't think an M98 neccessarily has to be rough.
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Brand new out of the box Rugers are some of the worst offenders, gritty as all hell until they wear in. I've heard the same about the Zastavas but haven't owned one of those.
My Kimbers have been slick as guts on a doorknob.
 
Sun_and_Steel_77 said:
Brand new out of the box Rugers are some of the worst offenders, gritty as all hell until they wear in. I've heard the same about the Zastavas but haven't owned one of those.
My Kimbers have been slick as guts on a doorknob.
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I think much of it has to do with the finishing work...or lack thereof.
 
1899 said:
I had a custom M98 based on a GEW98 that was as slick as butter. I've also owned Weathebry Mk V's before and they were nowhere near this M98. So I don't think an M98 neccessarily has to be rough.
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Not rough, but sloppy with lots of play. There's a difference. Just cycle a Sauer 90 vs an old Mauser and you'll know what I mean. Tight tolerances make for poor performance when dirty. The Mauser was designed as a military action first and foremost. They were rarely squeaky clean like our hunting rifles.
 
bearkilr said:
Not rough, but sloppy with lots of play. There's a difference. Just cycle a Sauer 90 vs an old Mauser and you'll know what I mean. Tight tolerances make for poor performance when dirty. The Mauser was designed as a military action first and foremost. They were rarely squeaky clean like our hunting rifles.
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My friend has a Sauer 90 and I have a Steyr-Mannlicher Luxus, so I know what you are saying about the side to side play when the bolt is all the way back. It existed, but wasn't noticeable when cycling this butter smooth M98.
 
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