Kimber Mountain Ascent .270 Win ... 6-1/2lb elk slayer!

[MCMXI]

I have a female friend coming up to Montana in late October to join me on an elk/deer hunt and at her request put together a rifle/scope suitable for her to carry around and shoot well. She has a Tikka in .270 Win that she's scared of due to the felt recoil so was looking at a Weatherby Mark V Accumark in .270 Win thinking that a 7-1/4lb rifle would be more pleasant to shoot. I suggested she opt for one of the softest shooting and lightest rifles on the planet, namely a Kimber Mountain Ascent in .270 Win. I ordered a Vortex Viper 3-9x40mm scope with the Dead-Hold BDC reticle and one piece Talley aluminum medium rings. Ring alignment was "perfect" so no lapping was required. The complete package weighs 6lb-6oz. After mounting the scope and bore sighting I shot a 3-round group at 100 yards using Federal Premium Vital-Shok 130gr Nosler Ballistic Tip ammunition. I was shooting prone off a bag (two bean bags stacked up actually) and managed a 0.9" group 3" right and 2-1/2" low. I made a scope correction and then switched to Barnes VOR-TX 130gr TTSX ammunition. The MV for the Barnes is listed as 3,060 fps which is the same as the Federal but it shot about 3" higher with a little more felt recoil. I rushed the fourth high shot in the group thinking that the first shot had already ruined the group (should have used a spotting scope). Ultimately though I think that this is an awesome rifle/scope combination. At only 6-1/2lb with a sling it's easy to carry all day and yet felt recoil is minimal even when shooting prone. I'll be working up handloads for this rifle over the next month using Barnes 140gr TSX bullets and hopefully will have a 1/2" or better 2,950 to 3,000 fps load for my friend to use on her first elk hunt in about 7 weeks.

 

[Geno]

That's a nice looking set-up. And to boot, in my favorite cartridge. If she doesn't like it, you can send it to my FFL.

Geno

 

[P.B.Walsh]

So you just bought her that rifle! Wow, your a good friend with a good taste in rifles.

 

[MCMXI]

Geno, I'll keep you in mind if she doesn't like it.

So you just bought her that rifle! Wow, your a good friend with a good taste in rifles.

I offered to buy the rifle and scope for her since she paid around $1,000 for an out of state MT Big Game Combo license in addition to the cost of an airline ticket. However, she has insisted on paying for everything so I simply got her the best prices I could. At this point I'll only be paying for the bullets, powder and primers along with incidentals related to the hunting trip. I hope to send her back home with a few boxes of handloads that she can use on other hunts. She's a keen deer, pig, goat and sheep hunter back in her home state.

 

[Casefull]

View attachment 707207

I like your rifle. Ha. Mine is a 308. I am getting 2950 fps from my 150g ttsx handloads. You won't have any trouble with your goals. They are definitely nice rifles. I am also starting my Montana elk hunting next week. Good luck to you folks.

 

[Steve S.]

I have an 84M Select in .308; I must be a sissy because that rifle beats the tar out of me on the bench - wonderfully accurate and very easy to carry in the woods - she has a great rifle. Good luck on the hunt!

 

[MCMXI]

Caseful, nice rifle there! When I eventually buy a Mountain Ascent for myself it'll most like be chambered in .280 AI or .30-06 Sprg. This .270 Win is a great shooter but I've never owned a rifle chambered for that cartridge and don't really plan on it.

I have an 84M Select in .308; I must be a sissy because that rifle beats the tar out of me on the bench

I have a Montana in .300 WSM and a Talkeetna in .375 H&H and sold an 84M Montana in .308 Win. I consider the Montana stock and recoil pad to be one of the best synthetic stocks ever designed. The stock does an amazing job of reducing felt recoil. The wood stocks are great looking but simply don't work the same way. My point is, for those that are recoil sensitive, I would definitely recommend a Montana or Mountain Ascent (same stock) over a Classic, Classic Select or Super America. I remember when I shot the 84M Montana in .308 Win for the first time. I was thinking that this is going to sting a bit being such a light rifle and yet the felt recoil was less than other .308 Win rifles I've owned/shot weighing a pound or two more.

 

[MCMXI]

Update:

My friend loves the rifle (her new favorite) and although we didn't see any elk she managed to shoot a decent whitetail buck at 150 yards destroying its heart. She found the rifle easy to shoot and easy to carry. She made first round hits in the 8" kill zone of a steel bear at 300 yards and a steel deer at 525 yards. She's back home now and I'm getting ready to ship the rifle to her but wanted to work up a couple of hunting loads for her before the rifle goes. So far I have a really good Barnes 130gr TTSX load dialed in (see 6-shot group at 100 yards below) and hope to work up a Barnes 140gr TSX load as well for when she visits next year. It only took 15 rounds to find the load below. Now that it's getting colder I hope the 140gr load is just as easy.

 

[B!ngoFuelUSN]

A few years back when I was out shopping for a reasonably lightweight bolt rifle I looked at the Kimbers (on-line only). They were serious eye candy but aside from them not being offered in LH, I was concerned that they were too light and it would be a painful flinch-inducing misery. Clearly I was wrong.
So is the magic in the compensator? Seems like they all (.30 up at least) have one.
B

 

[axxxel]

What kind of mag does that thing use? Staggered box blind mag?

 

[Bobson]

So is the magic in the compensator? Seems like they all (.30 up at least) have one.

I checked em out, and I was thinking the same thing. Only the Mountain Ascent rifles come with a muzzle brake, but 1858 says the Montana (no brake) is also very easy on the shoulder. Not sure I understand why or how that is, but they do seem to be fine rifles.

I didn't find a local dealer that sells them and lists their prices online, but Kimber set the MSRP of the Mountain Ascent at $700 more than the Montana model. I can't figure out what the differences are aside from the brake and the paint job.

Also, what are the differences between the 84M and the 84L? Both models are offered in the Montana and Mountain Ascent configuration. In other words, you can get an 84M Montana or an 84L Montana, but what's different between the two?

 

[MCMXI]

I was concerned that they were too light and it would be a painful flinch-inducing misery. Clearly I was wrong.
So is the magic in the compensator? Seems like they all (.30 up at least) have one.
B

Only the Mountain Ascent rifles come with brakes. The Adirondack rifles have threaded muzzles but no factory brake. I've shot numerous Kimber rifles and have found that the Montana rifles are soft shooting despite their light weight.

What kind of mag does that thing use? Staggered box blind mag?

Yes.

1858 says the Montana (no brake) is also very easy on the shoulder. Not sure I understand why or how that is, but they do seem to be fine rifles.

I didn't find a local dealer that sells them and lists their prices online, but Kimber set the MSRP of the Mountain Ascent at $700 more than the Montana model. I can't figure out what the differences are aside from the brake and the paint job.

Also, what are the differences between the 84M and the 84L? Both models are offered in the Montana and Mountain Ascent configuration. In other words, you can get an 84M Montana or an 84L Montana, but what's different between the two?

It's my opinion that the stock is the reason that the Montana is so soft shooting despite the light weight. The shape and material do an amazing job of mitigating felt recoil.

The Mountain Ascent has a fluted and threaded barrel, muzzle brake, skeletonized bolt/bolt handle/extractor along with an Optifade Open Country dip. That all adds cost. The 84M is the "medium" action and the 84L the "long" action.

 

[Bobson]

Thanks for the info.