BEHIND THE BRAND
King of the Mountain
Kimber’s bolt-actions have earned their place at the top of the hunting rifle market BY BRAD FITZPATRICK
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KIMBER OPEN COUNTRY (GRANITE)
KIMBER HUNTER (BOOT CAMPAIGN)
Despite having a heavy fluted 24-inch barrel, the Kimber Open Country (Granite) weighs less than 7 pounds, making it accurate and portable. The reinforced carbon fiber stock has a granite finish, and the metalwork is treated with a corrosionresistant gray KimPro II finish. Other key features include a threaded barrel, match chamber, oversized bolt knob and dual-sling studs up front. Accuracy is excellent, and this versatile hunting rifle is chambered in two ultrapopular hunting rounds — .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor. $2,269
Dressed in Kryptek Highlander camo, the Hunter (Boot Campaign) rifle honors Kimber’s support of the Boot Campaign charitable organization, which offers life-improving programs for veterans and military families. These rifles blend the Kimber model 84M action with a synthetic stock and a sporter-contour barrel. Each rifle comes with a match-grade chamber, stainless steel metalwork with a KimPro II black finish, and they weigh around 5.5 pounds, perfect for hunting in the high country. There are seven caliber options ranging from .243 Winchester to .30-06 Springfield. $990
20 HUNT & FISH | SUMMER/FALL 2018
KIMBER
rior to the launch of the Kimber Model 84, companies like Ruger, Weatherby, Remington and Winchester owned the lion’s share of the hunting rifle market. So how has Kimber gained traction in this ultracompetitive bolt-action market? For starters, Kimber’s rifles all feature controlled-round feed actions and match-grade chambers. This means unfailing reliability and impressive accuracy. What’s more, Kimber produces some of the lightest hunting rifles on the market, such as the Adirondack and Mountain Ascent, both of which weigh less than 5 pounds. For mountain hunters (who regularly cut their toothbrushes in half to reduce gear weight), a light rifle that is impervious to the elements and shoots accurately is an essential piece of equipment. Kimber is always searching for ways to shave weight off rifles and offers such features as fluted bolts and skeletonized bolt handles as well as ultralight synthetic stocks — all without sacrificing quality and accuracy. Two Kimber hunting rifles, available at kimberamerica.com, for 2018 include: