Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Mat or gloss finish on my Model 700 .257 build?

I realize this question like most on the Campfire is pretty much personal preference, but since it's fun getting different opinions, I thought I'd put it out there. My rifle is going to be a blued Remington 700 action, you guys talked me into the stainless PacNor barrel, but I will ceracote it to match the action; barrel and action dropped into a nice walnut stock along American classic lines with hand rubbed oil finish.

From what I've seen the ceracote process is pretty much mat finished anyway, so I am strongly leaning toward a mat finish for the action and Obendorf style steel bottom metal, but what do you guys think?

John

yes

Are you planning to cerakote the whole barreled action? Hope so. It'd look nice with an oil finished stock.

Matte, all metal, with out question.....

Cerakote can be gloss or matte.

Gloss is better looking.

graphite black matches leupold matte finish perfect, who are you going to get to do the cerakote ?

Another vote for matte.

Kampfeld Custom mixes the 2,matte and graphite to get a medium luster black which I like.Skeeter

I'd take a different approach than others, have it cerakoted all matte Silver.

Good idea....

x2

I was glassing a hill once that was a long way away. So far that I missed two hunters walking up toward the top of that hill. The only reason I found them is because as I turned to walk away, my perefial (sp) vision caught a flash of light. I turned back, raised my binos and found the sun hitting the glossy barrel of the rifle one of those hunters was carrying.

A few years later I had some hunting partners spot me about 500 yards away because they saw my barrel shining in the sun.

What does this all mean? Who knows. An hour after my buddies spotted me I dropped a 29" 4x4 mule deer across a canyon.

Deer can see better than humans, but if a deer sees a quick shine, I doubt they think, "rifle barrel!" I guess if I had my choice I would go more matte. But I'll coninue to carry the gloss I have. My shiniest rifle is a 30 year old Ruger 77R and 99% of that gloss is still there protecting that barrel.

Leave it stainless/blue all matte....like this:



It's a 257AI by the way....done up by Mickey Coleman. Brux barrel, McEdge stock. I'd save the money on cerakoting and spend it on upgrades or ammo or reloading components....or beer.