[huntershooter]

Anyone have experience with Kimbers Pro Varmint rifle? I ordered one in 22-250 and am curious what to expect. I have an 8400 Montana in 7mm WSM that's a shooter. Thanks in advance.

[igorts]

i have the same question..
desided to go with 22-250, now i need to choose either Kimber Varmint pro or Tikka varmint.
Any suggestions? What Kimber can offer for more $$$ than Tikka?

[huntershooter]

igorts; I've had (and shot) the Kimber for a while. It's a shooter (3/8") with ammo it likes. I tweaked the trigger (easy, Mauser 98 style) & opened the barrel channel a bit (it would touch barrel on one side after heating up). Oh, I stripped the urethane finish and applied (9 coats) hand rubbed oil to stock. Really don't care for urethane. The fit/finish is above average. The MIM parts are well executed. There is NO plastic on rifle. I'd buy it again.

[BrainOnSigs]

Why 22-250?

I recently sold my .223s and converted to .204 Ruger. I have used the .204 in the field and on paper out to 500 yards. It flat out performs.

Here is a good read on the .20s.

http://www.6mmbr.com/20Caliber.html


Excerpt:

The Velocity Edge--A .204 Ruger drives a 40-grainer 600 fps faster than a .223 Rem can push the typical 22-Caliber 50gr bullet. This higher velocity produces a flatter trajectory. Additionally, grain for grain, 20-Caliber bullets have higher ballistic coefficients than .224 bullets. Combine this with the extra velocity of the 20-Caliber, and you get superior performance in the wind. Run the numbers and you'll see--a 40-grainer shot from a .204 Ruger has less drop AND less wind drift than a 40gr or 50gr bullet fired from a .223 Rem. You'll find the data in the chart below.

Component Economy and Barrel Life--All the Twenties burn way less powder than a 22-250, and the smaller Twenties use less powder than a .223 Rem. This attribute actually has two advantages. First, it makes shooting 20-Caliber cartridges more economical, but mostly it means less barrel heat. A typical varmint hunter may shoot several hundred rounds in one day, so barrel heat is an important issue.

Terminal Ballistics--For hunters seeking maximum explosive effect on a small varmint, Twenties deliver the goods. Because it passes through the rifling much more quickly, a 20-Caliber bullet will be turning much higher RPMs than a 22-caliber bullet launched from a barrel of similar twist rate. Experienced varminters will tell you that high spin rates create the most explosive impacts. On the other hand, if you shoot a non-fragmenting bullet, the Twenty can minimize hide/fur damage. If you plan to keep the fur, you want the smallest possible hole or damage to it.


Another good .204 read authored by a friend, hunting partner and fellow member of THR....Dr. Ken Lunde.

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek047.html


I have had good luck with the Tikka T3 Varmints. While not as pretty as a Kimber (or my Coopers)......Tikka makes a good barrel. They are truly sub 1/2 MOA shooters.