Gangly

Ive decided oneverything for my next rifle except for one detail.....stainless or blued?

What is everybodies experience with stainless as far as barrels go? Has anybody been spotted by game as a result of having a SS brl.? has it negatively affected your ability to stalk game because of its visibility? Has it grabbed an animals attention when positioning it to shoot from a blind or stand? What is the consensus of its conspicuity? Also, does it affect accuracy at all to have a SS barrel?

Any help would be greatly appreciated s othanx in advance.

Chantecler111

In terms of accuracy, a SS barrel will shoot just as good as a blued barrel, and cosmetically, a SS barrel is a bit easier to prevent corrosion on, but proper maintenance should still be practiced, and I can't really report on how they affect stalking an animal, but, I have seen a SS barrel on another hunter's gun, from almost a mile away before, because the sun was shining onto it. Basically, it comes down to what YOU want, a SS barrel will be just as good as a blued one.

Gangly

Functon is first and cosmetics are second for me. I do enjoy the way a stainless steel barrel looks and the fact that i could hunt in the rain for a day or two without worrying about corrosion is a plus, the fact that I might could never see a deer because of its visibility pretty much diminishes the the good points for the stainless(atleast for me). Afterall, whats a lesser maintenanced gun good for if you never able to use it on something to begin with?

Hopefully more people add comments regarding visibility issues or lack there of, but what you said about seeing the barrel a mile away was like aboltoflighteningright through my logic center. If its that visible, i sure dont see how deer wont see it from 100 yards away with the sun out.

Thanx for your reply

SwampCollie

Yeah...sure you did.


I've shot a bunch of deer from the ground with my 700 7-08 that sports a stainless barrel. All distances were inside of 75 yards. Everything from rainy days, to sunny days, to right at dark. Never had one spook, even when excess movement on my part should of sent them running.

Chantecler111

Hey, if you want to totally discredit my account, go right ahead, but you cannot prove I never saw that, I was walking down a dirt road at a WMA, and I did see it, but, I guess that isn't enough proof for you.

statjunk

I've read that stainless barrels that are brushed give off less reflection than a glossy blued barrel. Don't know if it is true or not.

In the last two years I've shot two deer with two different guns that were both stainless. The guns were hanging out of the window of a box blind before the deer even got there. One deer was shot at under 10 yards and it didn't even know I was there until I shot it, the second deer was at 30 yards and the same deal.

This year I shot a deer much the same way but it was at 80 yards.

All my rifles are stainless.

Tom

CamoCop

i'll never own another rifle that isn't stainless. with all the rain and fog in this state, blued barrels tend to start pitting and rusting well before they should. i have always oiled my barrels in excess and still have rusting.

ahankster

I'm with Camocop.
I'll never own another gun w/ a blued barrel again if I can at all help it. If it is too bright, bead blast it to a frosted finish, or have it coated w/ camo or some other coating.

Hank

VAhuntr

I've had no problems killing deer with my Ruger M77with astainless barrel. I'm sure movement and excessive scent will cause you more problems than a stainless barrel.

stubblejumper

Bead blasted stainless has less glare thanmost blued barrels.