Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Old guys - Rifles, Stainless or Blue and why

I live in Oregon and it rains a lot in the fall so I prefer stainless and synthetic stocks to wood less up keep. I am not a
artist to me a rifle is a tool. And hunting the wet woods in Oregon I always end up having to spend some time on up keep with wood stocks removing dings ect?

Define "old" first...

Define "old guy(s)" for me.

I'm nearly 52, but don't feel much different then I recall feeling at age 30.

Stainless, 'cause Nebraska has humid summers and if I take a rifle out to play with, I don't want to worry about rusting. That said, since stainless costs more, my truck guns are rusty blued CM with dented/scratched wood stocks.

Jeff

If you gotta ask ... guess what!!

Spot, for me its both, A nice walnut stock is just something that you want. My first Kimber montana last year sold me on the SS/synthetic stock concept. I think until I find that its time for me to stop shooting deer its wood for nice days, Montana for all the others.

i grew up reading jack o'connor and started using using a wood/blue tang ruger (270 win, of course) back in the early 70's. after a little sealing, it never gave me a problem through many seasons in alaska. i went throuh a brief 5 year stint with s/s rifles, but i only have one s/s 270 left, and it will be gone as soon as my grandson gets old enough or my son wants to move it to his home. i've been back to wood/blue for several years and have no desire for anything else. i don't mind the wear on metal or the dents in wood - in fact i kind of like them. ymmv

I'm almost 66, and drawing Social Security, so I guess I'm there in the old guys catagory.
I dearly love classic rifles with gorgeous wood. My idea of what I want to hunt with as my hunting days are ending. Maybe if I say enough nice things about Ingwe's rifles, he'll let me have one of his to do that with ?
OK, I'm a hopeless dreamer.....
The truth is I don't have such rifles for big game hunting. All of mine have stainless barrels and synthetic stocks. All of them are built with the idea they are going to mean country and are going to hunted hard. All of them are designed and built or modified to work under those conditions. None of them are blued. They feature the most weather resistant, flat black paint for finishes, for instance.
It's not that I can't afford nice rifles. It's just that I don't have the time or inclination to keep up such guns when used under such conditions.
I know those who do and that's fine for them. Maybe someday I will too, but not yet. E

I have heard too many ss rifles having problems.I have worked on some and it seems that they are not as slick as cm rifles.
I just like the look of wood and it you seal it up it should not have problems.

Wow Ingwe I have to get me one of those rifles you can shoot a deer with a mile away...sorry I couldn't, or rather wouldn't control myself.

Randy

By the way I am the same in that I appreciate the servicability of the stainless although my eye apprecciates fine grain wood and polished blue. I have two stainless, a Tikka T3 Lite in 06, and a Ruger mini thirty in 7.62x39. All the rest are wood/blue or wood natural.

Randy

I'm not old, but am going to respond anyway because I like "classic" styling. However, I do like the piece of mind stainless brings, but it has to be coated to look like bluing in order for me to like the looks of the gun.

Seeeee....thats another good thing about stainless/synthetic...the accuracy..

I didn't really shoot the deer from the road ( thats illegal here)....

I got out of the truck, walked across the burrow pit and rested the rifle on a fencepost, so it was really like 5279ft. away..........



Ingwe

I guess I am a traditionalist at heart and while I can see the appeal of ss/syn I cant go past the wood/blue for my own rifles. For me now it is the pleasure of carrying a pleasing to the eye rifle that brings satisfaction. I have never had a ss/syn rifle since my first in 1959. If I was looking for a rifle now that may have to go the distance I think I would look favourable at the ss/syn side as some have made quite an impression on me over the last few years however my wood/blue combo's will see me out. I dont hunt in hard weather now anyway.

Von Gruff.

I only have one stainless rifle out of about 3 dozen. I bought it for looks only and it still wears walnut (it's a lever action). I'm old enough that if it's that wet outside to warrant an ss/syn rifle, I probably don't need to be out there either.

I like blue/walnut. That said, I've had my fair share of synthetic/stainless guns. I finally settled (for the most part) on coated stainless in a good synthetic stock. It's been my experience that the stainless barrel give the best cold bore performance and accuracy - YMMV.

I'm experienced, not OLD!

I have a 50/50 mix of both and I like each for different reasons.

However, the synthetic stocks with free floating barrels are the most consistent and reliable.

I'm 64 years old and have slowly evolved into stainless.

The only remaining blue/walnut rifle I have is a M70 Supergrade Classic .270 Win. it is very accurate therefore deemed to be "keeper status".

I have two blue actions with custom stainless barrels, and all my other rifles including a new Vanguard are stainless.

I don't think I would spend a dime or go to the trouble of having one coated.

Says it all..

I've not been in condtions that I've needed SS/syn.. Doesn't say it can't happen.. But I've carried a certain PF M70 around for over 35 years and I'm not sure there's more than one more teeny ding on the stock or bluing from when I bought it..

A tool it is, but I take care of my tools..

I guess I can be classed as old, though I don't feel old. When I buy a ticket to the movies they sell me a child�s ticket. I'm not sure if that is supposed to be a price reduction for a "senior" or if it is just supposed to confuse us.

Anyway...I really like the classic style with blued steel and walnut, but have used a stainless Ruger M77 in 300 Win magnum as a traveling rifle for a long time. I hunted in Alaska and never noticed a rust problem with a blued 338Win Ruger. I switched from a Browning Safari to a stainless Kimber Montana in 308 for most of my hunting when the Browning was stolen. I love the light weight and accuracy. I'm still getting used to the stainless part. Both my Ruger traveling rifle and the Kimber wear black CeraKote finish and I wish the Kimber had a walnut stock.

I've got a couple of varmint rifles in stainless & plywood and really can't warm up to them. There would be no point in having a stainless/syn rifle for me as I can't even like the varmint rifles I have. They shoot fine but just have no warmth to them.
And yes, I guess I am getting old___er just can't admit to it yet.

In addition to stainless/blued and older hunters set in their preferences, the lever actions used by the seniors used to dominate camps when I was younger.
Now, I have not seen a lever in a hunting camp for several years.