for me its stainless if i can get it. I think it is more resilant to weather and rust which i like. Not gonna pass up a gun because of it but if i have a choice and the price is the same or close i grab stainless.

they still work for me. No complaints from me.

DING DING DING we have a winnuh!!!

Different hunts may need a bit of extra care. If ya go on a hardcore 2 - 3 week coastal hunt in varying extreme conditions.
It may not matter how good ya take care of yer goods.
You may be the god of caring, but with extreme conditions , losing may be your nemesis.

I prefer the look of a blued, walnut stocked rifle. But that is just aesthetics, and I know it doesn't relate to the hunting qualities of the rifle. Probably a stainless steel barrel and a synthetic stock are better materials for hunting, more robust and resistant to the elements.

Having said that -- and not meaning to rain on the parade of stainless/synthetic fans -- for me hunting is not just the killing of the animal, it is the whole deal. It is sleeping in a canvas wall tent at 11000' and smelling wood smoke, seeing the dull glow of the hot steel of the wood stove, hearing the wood snap and crackle. I suppose another form of heat might be more efficient and easier to deal with -- a propane heater? -- but it just wouldn't have the same aesthetic appeal. I like the feel of a walnut stocked rifle in my hands and the look of a deep blued barrel. I just like it better. If I have a choice, I buy the wood stocked, blued barreled hunting rifle. I'm not implying stainless/synthetic fans are ONLY about killing the animal: I'm just explaining in a bigger context my responses and inclinations.

I don't hunt where it rains much, however. If I did maybe I would change my tune.