TC Prohunter XT
 

If you had a choice between the TC Prohunter XT in weathershield or in stainless, which one would you buy and why? This will be a gun that I intend to keep for awhile. I take great care of my guns, I have some that are 30 years old that look as new as the day they were unboxed. I do hunt in adverse weather conditions when the deer are on the move. I also want one that is easy to find barrels for when I want to swap it over to a coyote gun. I would appreciate your input. Thanks.

I am totally biased... so keep that in mind.... For a ML I really do prefer the stainless option. I just beleive it is easier to care for and a little more durable than chrome molly steel. Although I have weathersield Triumph that has never given me a problem.

I do not believe that the adverse weather is any kinda of concern as long as you are taking care of your gun, especially the bore.

I sent two Triumphs back because of the weather shield. So if i had an option i would get stainless.

Im very partial to stainless too.

Well I"m going to go against the group and vote for the weathershield. I have had no issue with mine and when I compared it to my TC Pro Hunter SS for cleaning, the weathershield won hands down. Nothing seems to stick to it. As for which one will be easier to find different barrels. I dont know what to tell you. Kinda depends on TC. If they really get into the weathershield they maybe easy to find. Right now its easier to get SS hands down. When it comes right down to it, either way is a win win. Just going to depend on what color you want your gun to look like.

SS with a Cerakote type finish is the best of both worlds. ;)

I would go with the stainless if money is not the issue. I wish my Triumph was stainless like my Black Diamond.

Stainless. It is a tried and tested metal. Weathershield has some good following I am sure, but with that finish, are you 100% positive of the durability? With Stainless Steel, there is no question as to what you are getting.

Stainless with out a doubt. Weathershield is a crummy plating on the out side of the barrel the inside is where you need the extra protection.

I'm really old school.

I have a Winchester 94 30-30 (blued or course) that my dad bought for me in 1953. I've used it for years, and the the bluing is still fine.

My point being. Anything better than plain bluing should be good enough if you take care of your gun.

Thanks for the replies, it sounds like stainless has the better following. It's a hard decision, and I just want to be happy with what I get. Thanks to you all.

I prefer stainless mostly for aesthetics. I think it looks better and it has good corrosion resistance. Maybe they will offer it in grade 8 steel. <----- that is just a joke, so please take it as such.

Silver is not a natural color in nature. Have you ever thought of what it looks like to a deer/elk?

Sure has not effected any the animals I have shot... remember animals are color blind, and with the new dull stainless finishes, they they do not shine and/or reflect.

They will see movement long before they see a stainless barrel pointed at them...

Stainless - far easier to take care of... IMO

I agree 100%.

They are color blind to certain colors. They aren't blind. An unnatural color/shade stands out to them.

You have no way of knowing if your barrel has spooked an animal. You might have thought it was something else.

I like to keep all the odds in my favor.

You can wave an unnatural barrel, or a natural barrel. What do you think the game will see first? A dark branch waving in the breeze is natural. A silver branch??

With the bore and exterior coatings available on the market today and with people trying to save money on about everything. SS rifles come down to a personal choice. if a person decides to buy a blued rifle and applies these coatings, there rifle will resist rust as well if not better than SS and they can save quite a few dollars. remember SS will and does rust,if not taken care of. enjoy whatever you decide on and be safe.Ray

I bow hunted for many years and totally agree with you on this subject. Ray

SS will just look like a streak of sun light to them IMO.

They'll hear you / smell you long before they spot your SS gun barrel.

Stainless can easily be covered with just about anything you can use on regular steel except real blueing. BlackIce, Cerakote and several other products can take care that issue very easily and they make cleanup even easier too.

Even when you're upwind and not moving?

I like to cover all bases.

I have shot alot of whitetails that did not mind me wearing blaze orange. If my blaze orange did not scare them off my SS barrel is not going to.

Believe me a stainless barrel is the least of your problems...

You could ask this cow...



or maybe this bull



or even this doe...



or maybe this buck... who even saw it coming...



But others you are right you can do this samething with a blued barrel or even a browned barrel....

Blaze orange is seen by a deer as pale yellow. Just like the terrain.

See how wearing silver works out for you.

Sabot..That's no proof. Those animals could have never seen you or your gun.

I don't even know how game see silver. You all probably don't either. It might be fine, and it might not.

Until I know for sure. I'd rather not use it.

I'm picky that way.

But that is the point... the gun is the least of your worrys as most often its image is broken up by what the animal has to look through to see you.

Even out in the open, if the animal had a good view of you the gun would be the least of the give aways... A brightle blued barrel is more reflective than the new stainless barrels.

Silver to a deer is going to appear as a light washed shade of grey. The silver color will be in the wave length area of 450 and that should show up as a shade of grey and then add in brush, branches, sun and shade and the whole thing becomes broken up...



And the bottom picture of the buck saw every thing coming... I was in the open he was 70 yards away - he watched me raise the rifle (slowly) and i am sure he saw the smoke out of the barrel... He never twitched until he fell....

Well, that good to know. I wasn't sure how the elk saw it. I know if we use the colors we should use, most everything is pale yellow.

I wasn't sure how silver fit into that.