Who loads for a Kimber hunter .308?

I'd figure what quarry your going to hunt with it before you decide what bullet you're going to run.

I'm assuming this is to be a hunting rifle and not a bench rest range queen.

150gr is a nice do-all general purpose weight with plenty of very good options. A Nosler Partition would cover most bases.

Any standard load will work like any other 308, I've been wanting to grab a hunter the new one black something will be my all weather gun. Have seen them on gb for just under $1000. I seem to have bad luck with 150s in 30 cals so I'd probably go 165-180s but a good 150 in the right spot is plenty. Sps had some good deals on blem noslers, seen them as low as 60¢

troy fairweather said:

Any standard load will work like any other 308, I've been wanting to grab a hunter the new one black something will be my all weather gun. Have seen them on gb for just under $1000. I seem to have bad luck with 150s in 30 cals so I'd probably go 165-180s but a good 150 in the right spot is plenty. Sps had some good deals on blem noslers, seen them as low as 60¢

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I have a preference for 165gr bullets in my go-to 308win rifle.

I'm incredibly lucky that my particular rifle will shoot 165gr SGK's and 168gr SMK's to the same POI and will put the MatchKings at a half inch and the GameKings just under an inch at 100yrds.

I had a Montana for several years. Same rifle, different stock and magazine. The Kimbers get a bad rap on the internet gun boards for mediocre accuracy. But in my experience, it isn't the rifles that are inaccurate. It is shooters who can't shoot a 5 lb rifle accurately.

Just remember, it's a hunting rifle, not a target rifle. And you may be sacrificing some accuracy for a rifle that weighs next to nothing. I shot mine well enough but have to admit I shot my conventional weight rifles better. I did like the rifle, but after a few years concluded it was just too much of a good thing and sold it. I had other rifles that were about a pound heavier, (still pretty light) but I shot them better and felt they were light enough.

That's not meant to be derogatory about the rifle, they are a fine rifle and I liked mine a lot. But I'm not one to hang onto stuff I don't use.

IIRC mine shot 165's a little better than 150's. And mine was a little picky about which loads it liked. Whereas other rifles I had shot a wide variety of loads equally well.

For a rifle that light, some 125 grain practice loads would be fun without killing your shoulder. With a light charge of H4895 it would feel like a 7.62x39.

They would be fine for smaller game too, but you'd probably want to bump it up for deer or elk.

It’s not a Kimber, but my Tikka compact at 6.5 pounds scoped, likes 46 grains of Varget behind 150 grain Nosler
Accubonds. Shots 3/4” at 100 off a rest, and 3” at 300.

I've never loaded for a Kimber but I have loaded a lot of 308 for a number of other rifles including a light weight custom build. Most 308's will shoot well with bullets in the 150-168 range and there are a lot of them to choose from. And most 308's shoot well with a lot of powders. I have used 4895, 4064, Win 748, RL-15, H380, Varget and all have shot well. My personal go to's are IMR4064 and Varget.

This will do everything you want, unless you are hunting Grizzly.

Ruger M77 MKII
26 " Barrel 1:10 twist

150 Sierra SP BT 44.0 grs IMR 4064 IMI brass CCI200 OAL 2.760"
30 April 2008 T = 80 °F

Ave Vel = 2749
Std Dev = 14
ES = 47
High = 2777
Low = 2730
N = 10

v.good accuracy

I had a Montana for several years. Same rifle, different stock and magazine. The Kimbers get a bad rap on the internet gun boards for mediocre accuracy. But in my experience, it isn't the rifles that are inaccurate. It is shooters who can't shoot a 5 lb rifle accurately.

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That is so true. Light rifles are twitchy, trigger break moves the rifle, I find shooting a good group with a hunting rifle much harder than with one of my 12 to 15 lb target rifles.

I can see how the heavy trigger pull on my Ruger #1 creates 6 OC hits on paper. I have to squeeze and squeeze, and not anticipate the break....

And, heavy bullets, like the 225's and 250's in the 35 Whelen, just knock me across the shooting bench. I cannot shoot as good a group with that rifle as I am kicking like a jackass before the trigger break.