Any thought about whether blued barrels might be more inherently accurate than stainless barrels? Be it muzzleloaders or rifles, the ones I have shot have always favored the blued barrel, but I have only fired a handful of stainless barrels.
I ask this because I am contemplating getting a new Knight krb7 and trying to decide between blued and stainless. On the one side, I have owned a blued T/C renegade for 20 years and have never really had a problem keeping it rust free, so I don't really know why I would need to pay extra for a stainless.
Was just curious if accuracy issues should enter the delima as well. Probably a nonissue, but just wanted some opinions.
thanks
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Venor ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
Gee Whiz! I can a handful of each and really have thought about accuracy differences - but i do not think there is any difference...
I really do like the stainless in an ML for the easy of cleaning and seeing that is clean + I am not nearly as concerned about rusting as I am with a blued barrel...
I just bought a new Tikka and I did get it in a blued model, prolly just cause I didn't want to pay the extra bucks for the stainless but in an ML I would have automatically gone stainless...
Guess it back in your court as to which one to buy....I was not help...
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Keep on Shooting Muzzleloaders they are a Blast
I have both.. while there is no difference in accuracy, there is a difference in how easy it is to clean them. Face it, fowling shows up better on Stainless steel and nickel barrels. If you can spot it, you can clean it. But on the range, they shoot the same IMO.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
Judging by mine, the denser stainless is just a bit more stable with a little wider range of loads and powder fowling does not seem to stick as much so they are less trouble to wipe between shots. On the other hand I do not like light colored or shiny barrels for hunting they often have to be moved to get a shot and I think easier for game to spot, there for most of mine are blue. Lee
Stainless seems to clean out a lot easier. 2 patches and i am usually done. However i always run atleast 4 to 5, both sides to make sure its all clean.
Stainless barrels are more abrasion resistant, high erosion chamberings, or high use guns are often done in stainless to get more life. Inversely a stainless barrel might take longer to Break-in, all of the little rough spots and tool marks from production will take longer to smooth.
304(cheaper) will rust surface, should not damage function of gun.
I "MY OPINION" think stainless will take longer to get perfected, but will give the same accuracy for a longer life.
In "MY OPINION" you will NEVER wear out a MZ from shooting it. However you can wear out a MZ with corrosion, but stainless really don't corrode much.
Look a picture of a bench rest match, High dollar long-range, count the stainless vs carbon.
You buy a new 22 to keep in the truck Jr spills a coke in the seat, it trickles down and fills up the brand new soft case with your new gun in it, two weeks later you discover your gun. If it is carbon it may be beyond repair, stainless it will probably be discolored, springs might be bad, but should shoot for years to come.
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Accuracy: blued vs. stainless
