Would you buy stainless steel?
 

Been looking at various bolt action rifles...thinking maybe I should go with a stainless steel composite model. Maybe an X-bolt or the700 XCR.

I've heard they're easier to clean/maintain from a few folks.
Generally speaking, would you say SS is:

a) worth the extra cost

b) a waste of money

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

Depends on the conditions you hunt in and the climate you live in. If you hunt in nasty weather, or hunt in situations where you may not be able to clean your gun well or in a very humid climate then the extra corrosion resistance sure is nice. If you hunt in nice weather, keep your gun clean and live in a dry climate then it probably will not make a big difference.

Or if you simply don't like the looks of it. I personally like the look of polished deep blue metal with pretty wood, but I do own a stainless rifle, and if I were to get another inline muzzle loader I would probably opt for a stainless version if I could swing it. Simply because when I muzzle loader hunt it's usually raining or snowing out and I don't bring my gun in the house until I shoot it or the season is over.

I don't know that they are any easier to clean or maintain, they are just a bit more resistant to corrosion is all. They still need to be cleaned. The one nice thing about them though is if you live in a really humid place, or near salt water they don't rust as fast. Living in Ohio/Michigan sometimes a gun will rust just from touching it if you don't wipe down afterwards. The stainless doesn't seem to do this.

When I lived in the southern California though my guns never had rust on them no matter how you handled them.

Paul

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I'm in Palm Beach, Florida... It's a very humid place and I live about3 miles from the ocean.

Probably be hunting mostly in the Florida-Georgia area with occasional trips to northern Michigan and outwest.

I can afford to buy one; I just don't want to throw money away ifpeople generally don't seea lot of value in it. I've talked with a few folks who think my $1500 budget for a rifle and scope is way too high. Suggesting instead that I shouldn't spend more than $700-800 on a rifle-scope combo.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

XL Jedi I lived in Fl for about 10 years or so and If I lived near the coast and with its humidity I would opt for SS . It is however not maintenance free. If you can find some Eesox and use it on your gun as per instructions it will help out a lot as well. I know my brother lives on the ICW and has a BAR and the last time I cleaned it for him there was rust in the bore and he usually cleans it after he hunts with it.Check into SS Weatherby Vanguards they are made of 410 stainless which has more corrosion resistance then 416 SS and between that and the MK V stainless are the only guns on the planet produced from that. An XCR would be impervious to rust except the bore and another good alternative if you can find it is a Titanium(last years model). I think where you live it would be well worth it. Sad to say but 700-800 doesn't buy much in todays world when it comes to scoped rifles

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I want a composite stock so I don't have to worry about scratching nice wood in the field. As far as stainless goes, I just like the looks of it, something different from what I have already.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

It would be hard for me to buy one because I don't care for the way they look. I really like a piece of wood rather than composit. I could go with composit and blued but probably not stainless. Even then it would be with a heavy heart since I love to look at, hunt with and clean a nice wooden stock gun. I do have some composits but they aren't my favorites.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I am the same way but the SS guns are easier to maintain especially in a high humidity area. Here is some food for thought buy a Stainless STeel barrelled actionn get it Cerrakoted Blue and stick it in a wood stock. Problem solved.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

In your case I would get the stainless then, especially with your budget. And there is no such thing as having to high of a budget for a rifle. If you can afford it get it. There are some great deals if your broke, but if you can afford something nicer why not? You could probably get a really nice set up for closer to a grand though. Like a nice Savage 16, 116 for 5 or 6 hundred and another 3 or 4 hundred for a really nice 3-9 hunting scope and quality rings. That kind of money puts you into the upper end Bushnells, Nikons or even possibly a Zeiss Conquest.

Paul

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

The humidity isn't a big issue for me. We do hunt in wet and freezing weather which would bode well for the composite stocks and accuracy. I am pretty fanatical about cleaning my guns regularly and even when on a travel hunt like out west run a boar snake through the barrel and wipe the stock down most nights. I have dry storage for my guns and even in the off season I pull them all out and wipe them down frequently.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

Actually,I was considering the Zeiss Conquest in a 3-9 40 with that new Rapid-Z600 optic. ...or possibly a Nikon Monarch. On either an X-Bolt SS or the 700XCR...

Haven't really made up my mind completely though. I read something about the 700sps having a little trouble with jamming due to the magazine havingoffset rounds. ...and they fixed it by purchasing a newin-line magazine.

Which composite/SSdo you all like?

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

No, nor laminated wood or plastic, either!!

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I really like the look and feel of a blued / wooden stocked rifle. To me they are just nicer to look at, however that seems to be at odds with what I want a rifle for.
A this point, all of my rifles are blued/wood, but if I were to purchase another, it would be a stainless/composite.

As for which rifle to look at, I don't think you can go wrong with a Browning. Either the new X-Bolt or an A-Bolt.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I read somewher that stainless barrels......esp from big manufacturers tend to be higher quality ....than their regular barrels. so for that reason they may be worth it, higher quality, better accuracty etc.....

my favoriteis stainless coated black......not sure why more stainless are like this.....but depends on the gun/caliber, where its used etc.....but ya if they are better barrels, that alone is a good reason to get one.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

May be - it is certainly true that it is harder to machine stainless to the same degree of accuracy and finish as chrome-moly!

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

When I said that I liked the way stainless looks, I meant just the barrel and not the black plastic stock. If I want another wood stock with a stainless barrel, then it would be the Browning A-Bolt white Gold Medallion. What a beauty!!

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I got a Rem 700xcr in .30-06 last year and I really like it!

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I was wanting a 30-06 too... ;)

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

The problems I have seen mentioned are in relation to the change outin line magswere for the wsm chamberings only. I have a 700spsin a 2506 rem(same case as the 3006 just necked down to .257 bullet) and it feeds fine. I have had several other 700's and no feeding issues with standardor mag cartridges(not wsm's).

I too like wood and blued but can't argue with the functional appeal SS/Composite offers. My most recent purchasewas a moose/elk gun thatwill besubjected to rain/snowso I picked SS/Composite finish. It just made more sense.

FWIW I just gota conquest with the z600 reticle and I am enjoying it. I haven't been one for Ball. Plexs in the past so it took me a few minutes to get use to the site picture but know I find it clean/easy to shoot. This #4 in terms of conquests and nothing but good things to say about them. Good choice;)

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

Hmm then why are 100% of benchrest barrels made of SS ?

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I like guns in stainless. I like the look and I like the lower maintenance factor. Most of my guns are stainless.

Tom

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I read that SS barrels, can actually rust or pit....that theyre more resistant to weather/rain/water, but not 100% care free.

And above it was stated that 100% of benchrest barrels are SS so that only goes to back up what i first thought, they are high quality, and should be more accurate, they may be harder to machine.....than reg barrels, but all that means is that theyre harder to machine.....

sometimes plain stainless can look attractive to me,it still surprises me that few coat the stainless black......i think thats best of both worlds, though that dull stainless I'm sure doesn't relfect much like a shined chrome barrel or glossy blued for that matter, but a blackened SS is quite awesome.

I do find on most customs......stainless barrels and alot of time they are coated black.....so that also goes to reinforce that SS barrels are higher quality, and shoot better. or at least could....

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

SS and a CM if machined and rifled correctly will shoot exactly the same

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

How about shot after shot. Does one dissapate heat better?

Tom

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I would imagine there could be a difference in whose favor I honestly don't want to speculate. Heat would affect barrels in other areas such as throwing the POI off if there are inherent stresses in the manufacturing process and the barrel is excessively heated up. I will say that a fluted correctly button rifled barrel or cut rifled barrel will probably maintain a better POI then a hammerforged barrel that has been fluted.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

I have some of both Stainless and Blued.. I have a Ruger stainless with a brown laminated stock and it is a good looking stick.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

All my big game rifles are s/s with synthetic stocks and that’s the way I like it...

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

Ok so this is how it goes...
You go on a deer hunt for a couple days. It rains while your there.
When you get back you should have to clean it immediatly or the day afterthe rain if you dont have stainless.
If you have stainless you get back from your hunt and you wait a week then clean your gun.

RE: Would you buy stainless steel?
 

For me where SSmakes it isduring awet day hunting then sitting in a scabbord or gun case for a period prior to being wiped down. Had it happen a few years ago to a CM barrel while i dealt withmy bullmoose, in total it sat in the scabbord for 6 hours and when i pulled it out small pits started to form. Extremecase possiblybut considering that is what we typically see and on the chance it happens in the same manner I decieded SS is the way to go. FWIW my partner's SSrifle was subjected to the conditions and he never experienced any problems. In fact he just sat in the corner of the tent and crawled into the sack..no wiping or oiling. Meanwhile i sat in the corner with my bottom lip on my toes...[:o] That said I have been accussed of being anal and wipe down my rifles asap after a wet day in the field, regardless if SS or blued. I also run a dry patch, followed by a lightly oiled patch and the next am another dry patch to remoave any excess oil.