Stainless Steel Vs Blued

[dmyers]

I'm looking at getting a 375 H&H for Africa trips and hunting at home here in Canada. Stainless steel is great here because its often wet, cold, snowy, etc. But, anyone have trouble with the brighter stainless steel spooking game while on a stalk in Africa? Rarely a problem here because stainless barrels seem to blend into the snowy background. Solutions if I opt for stainless over blued? And if there has been a discussion on this or another thread or article, I'd like the link please. Any thoughts? And because I'm Canadian -"thank you" in advance.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Bead finished stainless caused zero issues (spooking game) for me in Africa on any hunt.

By the way, neither did the blued barrels.


If you are really worried.

You're welcome...

 

[EGS-HQ]

I too like the corrosion resistant quality of SS, but dislike the increased glare. My solution... I had Cerakote applied to the barrel and action of the SS. Now, instead of two identical rifles; one with SS for Alaska/Canada/Rocky Mts. and one without for Africa, I have just the one SS rifle... I sold the second rifle and used the $$ to upgrade my scope...

 

[dmyers]

Excellent- thanks to you both.

 

[JimP]

My Weatherby is a stainless model and the surface is a non glare type of surface it also has a black fiberglass stock that has no shine to it at all. A blued rifle barrel actually puts off more glare and shine than my stainless one does.

If you are worried about glare with either finish as was show above there is always camo tape or look into some Snake Skins for your rifle.

 

[Code4]

A properly rust blued rifle barrel will reflect direct sunlight. My gunsmith does rust blueing and put a custom quality barrel on my sons P/H Mauser '98 in .243.
Watching from a distance we could see it 'light up'. (It was the grassveldt so there was plenty of sunlight coming from 360 deg).
My custom 9.3x62 was ordered after that trip and I stipulated a 'dull' rust blue for it. It ended up a very subtle matt brown and did the job.

Ever since then I have put wrap around adhesive cammo cloth on that .243 barrel when hunting.

Stainless will do fine, just wrap it and the action, and take the wrap off before coming home and oil it.

 

[CAustin]

No problem what so ever with bright stainless. No problems in the states either!

 

[Bruce]

I have never hunted with a SS rifle and do not own one, so not really qualified to preach here.
I prefer the traditional gun blue affect. Hunting mates of mine do own rifles with SS barrels, bit not complete SS actions... I could see the action acting as a real MIRROR in direct sunlight.. they have never complained of game being "spooked" by this. Then again, we probably don't even know that the game has been spooked as it could happen a mile away before we even spot them!!
I wear eyeglasses... does the sun not reflect off them?? I'm sure that it does.. bino lenses?

 

[Red Leg]

A properly rust blued rifle barrel will reflect direct sunlight. My gunsmith does rust blueing and put a custom quality barrel on my sons P/H Mauser '98 in .243.
Watching from a distance we could see it 'light up'. (It was the grassveldt so there was plenty of sunlight coming from 360 deg).
My custom 9.3x62 was ordered after that trip and I stipulated a 'dull' rust blue for it. It ended up a very subtle matt brown and did the job.

Ever since then I have put wrap around adhesive cammo cloth on that .243 barrel when hunting.

Stainless will do fine, just wrap it and the action, and take the wrap off before coming home and oil it.

I am 63 and have been hunting one place or another for at least 55 of those years, and I can think of no instance where game was frightened by barrel glare - by movement yes - but glare - never. That includes a lot of varmint and turkey hunting where cammo shooting rigs have become mainstream. Most of that nonsense is designed to ambush hunters and hunter dollars rather than game. I am trying to imagine taping up my Westley Richards 318 with its rust blue barrel and action.

 

[EGS-HQ]

I am 63 and have been hunting one place or another for at least 55 of those years, and I can think of no instance where game was frightened by barrel glare - by movement yes - but glare - never. That includes a lot of varmint and turkey hunting where cammo shooting rigs have become mainstream. Most of that nonsense is designed to ambush hunters and hunter dollars rather than game. I am trying to imagine taping up my Westley Richards 318 with its rust blue barrel and action.

Maybe the reason you can't recall an instance of where game was alerted by your gun glare is because you never saw them. They detected you and ran before you knew they were there...

 

[Red Leg]

Maybe the reason you can't recall an instance of where game was alerted by your gun glare is because you never saw them. They detected you and ran before you knew they were there...

Probably not. Unless bow hunting - I don't much worry about cammo - myself or equipment. No rapid movement and above all wind are what are key - at least in my experience.

 

[cpr0312]

Almost I my rifles are SS, I love the look, just a personal preference. If you will be using in locations where it could be wet/moist, definitely go with SS.

 

[cpr0312]

Like CAustin, no problems for me either

 

[Rob404]

My hunting rifles are all Blued and all have wood stocks, It's just my preference, my Target and just plain shooting rifles are a mix of SS and blued

 

[bluey]

im a staino , plastic type ,bloke that way you don't have worry about scratching the girls up in the tick stuff
they are work horses , not show ponies .
I always get the staino barrels buffed so the aren't too shiney .

 

[BRICKBURN]

...........I am trying to imagine taping up my Westley Richards 318 with its rust blue barrel and action.

Send me a picture of that when you do it.
Shortly thereafter we'll send you for a Psych Assessment.

 

[lcq]

I like stainless because I find the bores clean up easier and weather resistance is better. If the glare bothers you use a black or green magic marker, for snow a little acetone the marker is gone everyone is happy

 

[CTDolan]

Stainless + synthetic is a worry-free, carefree option (as for glare, forget about it). If you cannot afford true quality in wood and blued steel, it's probably the best way to go.