Stainless steel barrels out in the field??

T

Trapper Luke

New member
Where do you guys stand on predator hunting with stainless steel barrels? I've seen on movies and stuff where some guys wrap up stainless steel barrels and others just leave them as is. Do you think a stainless steel barrel is more easily picked out by predators coming into a call?

Thanks,
Luke
 
They can see them Luke, but the dull finish in staninless is pretty hard to see vs the shiny finish.

You can also paint the barrel, or have it dipped.
 
I run a camo sleeve I made on my SS bbl. I have them for all the rifles I use for varmints/coyotes/antelope even if some of them are the matte black finnish.
 
Hey Luke, I have a Ruger M77 Mark II with a shiny stainless barrel. On a dark night or in the shadows on a moonlit night it's fine. But if the moon light or sun hits it at all it lights up like a christmas tree. I'm planning on painting it this summer but I haven't been able to do it yet because it's such a pretty gun. Good luck.
 
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Most of my guns are stainless, Iv never really had an issue but by the time they see me its to late.Id say this is pretty dang shiny and iv shot 11 coyotes with it since Dec, not 1 over 100 yrd
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I have my stainless barrel painted. I always thought it was odd that guys will spend hundreds on camo clothes, facemask, gloves, etc...then sit on stand with a shiny barrel. I can dang sure see a shiny barrel on stands, so you know a coyote can.

Tony
 
My stainless barrel has a rough finish and I have had coyotes close enough to grab. One stood there with teeth bared. He had me figured for dinner.
I have photographed them and in a sage environment they are very close to the color of silver sage wood.
On the other side of shiny, when I bought my truck we drove it off the showroom and called a coyote to within 20 yards of the truck.
The last coyote I shot came skidding up to the truck peeing literally locked on the caller. The caller was set upwind about75 yards. She even let me open the door to shoot.
If I had a shiny one that bothered me I would have it blasted.
 
I think they see the polished stainless, and react to it much more than they see a bead blasted stainless barrel. I have rifles with both finishes and wrap the polished barrels but don't worry about the blasted one.
I bought a new rifle last winter with a polished stainless barrel and took it out on a clear morning. I set up before sunrise not thinking about the rising sun being a problem. As the sun rose, I ended up sitting in the sunshine. A coyote walked into the field along a creek about 200 yards from me, and as soon as I moved that rifle, that coyote turned and trotted back into the brush. I'm 100% positive that that coyote saw the sun reflect off that rifle.
I also have a hunting buddy that bought a fluted stainless model 700. As soon as he stated using that rifle we noticed we weren't getting as many call ins. He painted the barrel and things picked right back up.
 
Im convinced that the SS rifles/scopes stand out more to the eye. My 223WSSM is silver with a silver scope to match. Im thinking its time for the Rattle can.
 
There is no doubt that a shiny rifle and scope will put out some glare when the sun is out.

My son has a Tikka 30-06 blued rifle with a shiny finished wood stock. When we go deer hunting and he is walking across the canyon from me I can spot him pretty quickly because of the glare and shine off of his rifle. He might as well have mirrors or reflective tape all over him while he is walking with that rifle.

With a real shiny rifle you could very easily get busted on your walk into the stand and you would never know it.

In open country it doesn't do any good to sneak around and be quiet if they can spot you from 1000 yards away.
 
I had a stainles, satin barrel on my Kimber and killed several coyotes at less than 15,20 yards with out them seeing me. However, my AR has stainless barrel and I have it wrapped.
 
Well if you think about it.......when there is snow on the ground there is alot of shine....so in the now I don't think they will notice
 
My SS barrels are bead blasted. When we hunt open country it is harder to see the SS barrel than a blued barrel, the straight black tube just seems to stand out. When I go to pick up my partner at the end of a stand it is alot easier to find him if the is using a rifle with a blued barrel.

AWS
 
my 17 hmr marlin has a stainless steel barrel and foxes coons and coyotes didnt seem to care... but i taped it just in case and my seen/kill ratio went up more
 
a Yote doesnt see the "glare"....the "reflection" like a human can. What they can spot instantly is MOVEMENT...and it dont take much at all...
 
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