Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/299259
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 3 1 stock with its nascent Schnabel tip was shaped at my direction to fit my particular esthetic and rather small hands. At its narrowest point behind the forend tip it spans just one inch. At the mid-line of the five-point checkering panel the forend is but 1½-inch wide and equally deep, a pleasing balance. Checkering on the gently curving pistol grip runs 22 lines-per-inch and is repeated on the forend and inside a skeleton grip cap. A shadow-line cheek pad helps weld my face to the stock and align my eye with the scope axis. Two- screw, Dakota-style inlet swivel studs provide attachment points for quick-detach slings. A black, ½-inch Decelerator pad brings length-of- pull to 13½ inches. Less noticeable, but enhancing the function and durability of this little centerfire, are subtle touches to the metalwork. The 1-9 twist, 22- inch Lilja stainless steel barrel has been contoured to mate flush with the 84M receiver ring. The junction was polished so precisely that the joint is impossible to detect. The bolt-handle root was reshaped to make it more elegant, as was the tang. The original Kimber bottom metal/floorplate was reshaped by Kilimanjaro craftsmen in Montana to a more rounded, flattering contour. They have an eye for this stuff, and it shows in the overall look of this rifle. While I wanted the durability of stainless steel, I did not want the look, so Kilimanjaro finished all exterior and much interior metal with Kilimanjaro Black Serekote, a custom, ceramic metal coating from Cerakote that matches the matte black of most of today's scopes. Rogers added a custom-fabricated, oversized recoil lug, and then bedded the barreled action to the stock using steel pillars and epoxy. The result of all this is a custom rifle that does what a custom rifle should – satisfy its owner. My Tigercat carries like a baton, handles like a wand and shoots like a machine. Winchester's 100-grain Power Point ammo groups .800- inch 3-shot clusters. Remington's 80-grain PSP Core-Lokt and 90-grain Sciroccos land .550- to .969-inch. Handloads of Hornady 65-grain V-Max over 41.5 grains of Varget generate 3,434 fps and have notched one-hole groups spreading .294-inch, while Berger's 95-grain VLD Hunting bullet, driven 2,900 fps with Hodgdon's 4831 powder, have landed inside .445-inch. This performance has been consistent outing after outing, year after year. The rifle holds zero and maintains its accuracy while functioning flawlessly and looking classy in the process. It's a pleasure to carry, a confidence builder to shoot and a delight to call my little Tigercat.