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Stainless steel barrels too bright?

8K views 14 replies 14 participants last post by  Six-Gun 
#1 ·
Was hunting with my new Tikka T3 Lite Stainless this year and couldn't help but notice how bright the barrel seemed to be especially under certain lighting. I was busted by a doe close to 100 yards away and I'm pretty sure the only time she saw me was when I swung my rifle over to scope her. I can't help but wonder, do stainless barrels give us away, more than traditional blued barrels, or was my observation just a coincidence?
 
#2 ·
i used a 242 ruger for a few years in stainless.. i never noticed a difference..
i had a buddy that had a t3 stainless... he tock a green scotch bright pad to it..
it did dull it a lot but had micro scratches... can all ways buff out to new look again if you dident like its look
 
#3 ·
I have a Ruger Target rifle in original stainless . Before they put the grey coatings on from the factory . Since the stock is a grey/green lamination , I found a grey/green/ white camo gun tape and carefully covered the barrel . Looks good and no more glare .:thumbs:
 
#5 ·
I hunt with a Browning A Bolt Stainless Stalker and the barrel is similar to a parkerized finish, it is not perfectly smooth. I have never been busted because of the barrel that I have noticed. I bought the gun new in 1993 and it's seen some action. I think the movement will get you noticed more than anything, no way a stainless barrel is more noticeable than an orange hat on a hunters head.
 
#6 ·
I stayed away from stainless for a long time off this reason. Now I only buy stainless and have shot game fine. The highly polished stainless barrels will definitely reflect more light. The less polished barrels will dull even more as they pick up bark, etc. when walking through brush. It can easily be cleaned off but I leave it until the season is over.

I have a Tikka and the barrel is pretty smooth and shiny. I also have a stainless Remington 700 and it is a rougher and duller finish. I have seen people on message boards complain about the dull finish on the Remington but I prefer it for a hunting rifle.
 
#7 ·
Having never seen your barrel I cannot comment on how it would reflect light. But I would suspect you were spotted more because of your movement than reflection off the barrel.

A few days ago I was watching a field. I caught movement past the far edge. The edge is a measured 110 yards. Using binoculars I saw it was a turkey's head in the brush 10 or 15 yards past the edge. I could not see the body just the head but the movement was the giveaway.

Considering deer are prey they are constantly on the lookout for predators and any movement will alert them.

When I'm out there I do everything sloooow.
 
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#8 ·
I'm pretty sure the only time she saw me was when I swung my rifle over to scope her.
A scope objective will reflect like a mirror with the right sun angle. One of the reasons scout snipers use sun shades.

But never had an issue and that's all I've been hunting with for about 20 yrs, and I'm talking about a lot of different environments. Sold almost all the blued stuff. A glossy blue reflects light much more than stainless.
 
#12 · (Edited)
A scope objective will reflect like a mirror with the right sun angle. One of the reasons scout snipers use sun shades.
As will eye glasses...that being said...once I believe I was almost busted by a buck that was comming towards me...he suddenly stopped and looked right at me...I was ready and watching him...I didn't move a muscle when it happened...we had a long stare down...he lost LOL...if it wasn't for his doe standing at the base of the tree I was in l believe he would have headed for the next county.
 
#9 ·
The situation described was almost surely movement that got busted, not a shiny barrel.

Did the brighter barrel make the movement easier for the deer to detect? That might be possible.

I shot a doe last night with my Model 70 with a stainless barrel. I had to stand, turn, and bring the rifle around to bear (she was way around to my left). No issues. She was at 120 yards, and when she was looking toward me, I was still. When she looked away, I moved. She had no idea anything was wrong until a 180gr Partition turned out the lights.
 
#13 ·
I like stainless but I don't like bright stainless.I've had a local gunsmith bake on a black Teflon finish to a few of them.You pretty much need a grinder to get it off and it only costs $75 for a barreled action.Ruger just discontinued their 77/22 line so I grabbed the last stainless/syn 22 mag for my son.Last week I put a Jared trigger in it and gave the stock to a friend of mine who does film dipping.In the spring I'll have the barreled action done in black Teflon.
 
#15 · (Edited)
As others have pointed out, there are three things that will spook any game animal:

1) Movement

2) Movement

3) Movement

Whether it's ducks, geese, elk or deer, that will never change. Trust me, it's not the gun finish. A stainless barrel - even one with a bright finish - will never be an issue as long as it stays stationary in the presence of the prey. I hunt animals all across the US and Africa with stainless-barreled guns and have never had one spook because of the finish. A few examples...

Montana whitetail buck shot with a stainless 7mm-08 Savage Model 116 Weather Warrior:


South African Cape kudu bull shot with a stainless 7mm-08 Savage Model 116 Weather Warrior:


Nevada antelope buck shot with a stainless .243 Win Tikka T3 Lite Stainless:


Pennsylvania doe shot with a stainless T/C Omega .50 inline muzzleloader:


Montana antelope doe shot with a custom built, stainless .284 Win XP-100 specialty pistol:


Montana whitetail doe shot with a stainless .243 Win Tikka T3 Lite Stainless:


I think you get the idea. Take your stainless gun out again and be more cognizant of when you make a move. Timing is everything, be it knowing when to stay dead still or knowing when to move aggressively. The gun will treat you right if you put in a position to do so.
 
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