Author Topic: Do stainless steel rifles scare game? (Read 1858 times)

lilabner · « **on:** January 31, 2005, 04:38:41 PM »

They seem to have advantages in bad weather. I wonder about reflected light scaring game, though.

Dogshooter · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2005, 06:24:55 PM »

Have been using SS for years and can't say I ever had that problem.

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** January 31, 2005, 06:58:14 PM »

You better betcha. They scare the dickens out of game. Cuz they know the fellow toting it is a serious hunter not addicted to fluff and good looks and is likely gonna shoot them.

bgjohn · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2005, 02:24:30 AM »

YES! As soon as you fire the gun.
JM :lol:

Dave in WV · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2005, 02:45:02 AM »

I suppose how the metal is finished could make a difference. Ruger has the most reflective finish I've seen. I worked my M77 barrel over with a synthetic sanding pad and got a bushed finish look. My M70 Winchester Stainless Classic is fine as is.

jhm · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2005, 03:40:19 AM »

I have a ruger 223 in stainless mounted on my 4 wheeler and when driving along thru the pastures it just scares the coyotes to death.

JIM

New Hampshire · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2005, 12:08:42 PM »

Not unless your carrying that polished-to-a-mirror gun on a sunny cloudless day :-D . Look MA I can see my reflection :twisted: .
Brian M.

Wynn · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2005, 01:06:33 PM »

Look around on any dewey or clear snowy morning after sunrise and you will see mirror bright reflections all around you. Never have had a game animal ever notice any of my stainless firearms. Personally, I think camo guns are just plain butt ugly. On the other hand, I always prefered "non glossy" wood finishes but it has nothing to do with being afraid of alerting game.

rickyp · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2005, 07:24:17 AM »

I was hunting one sunny day whe I saw something shining off in the distance. I just had to get down and take a look it was a bunch of old glass bottles and it had deer tracks all around it. then I started looking around and could see quite a bit of things shining. the animals get use to it

My 209x50 contender barrel is high polished S.S. and I have had deer and other animals walk right under my tree with out paying it any mind.

If you are that worried about it go to walmart and get a pack of the camo bow & gun tape and be doen with it. the tape will come right off and a little wd-40 will get any goo off the barrel.
I did this for the first year but when I saw the bottles it hit me why do all that work for nothing.

Lawdog · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2005, 10:05:23 AM »

I once bought a stainless Ruger and when I went hunting with my friends they stated that night they could follow my progress along the hill side by the flash of the sun off my rifle. Now it seems to me if a human can see the flash, sharp eyed animals most certainly can. Whether or not it scares them who knows for certain but I do know un-natural things puts them on the alert. Lawdog

Graybeard · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2005, 12:27:13 PM »

Geez will this old argument never die? It ain't the color the metal appears to your eye when looking at it that matters. It's how reflective it is. Highly polished surfaces reflect more light than dull finished. Don't matter if it's a gun barrel, a mirror, a bumper on your truck or what.

And blued barrels on average have a much higher polish than stainless barrels do. In plain and simple layman's terms MOST stainless barrels reflect LESS LIGHT than MOST blued barrels.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2005, 03:06:56 PM »

Quote from: Graybeard

Geez will this old argument never die? It ain't the color the metal appears to your eye when looking at it that matters. It's how reflective it is. Highly polished surfaces reflect more light than dull finished. Don't matter if it's a gun barrel, a mirror, a bumper on your truck or what.

And blued barrels on average have a much higher polish than stainless barrels do. In plain and simple layman's terms MOST stainless barrels reflect LESS LIGHT than MOST blued barrels.

I have to agree with you on that GB. Almost all the stainless guns I have seen have a dull finish. More of the handguns have the polished stainless finish. I like the look of blued gun more than the stainless but that don't matter to the game. I use both and kill game all the time.

PEPAW · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2005, 07:34:29 AM »

Not a big deal with most of our hunting methods, but I am in the process of camo'ing mine right now. I prefer to blend in when it comes to turkeys, coyotes, and anything else that comes by when I hunt.

I am also camo'ing my turkey gun now, but in reality, most game only sees the tiny black hole of the muzzle when they look my way.

pepaw

nomosendero · « **Reply #13 on:** June 13, 2005, 04:08:21 AM »

Yes, I agree with Graybeard, it is how reflective the gun is much more
than the color. I once bought a .300 Wea. Mark V because it was a great
buy from a person with health issues, but I sold it because it had the
gloss stock & bright blue finish. There are bright objects like broken glass that are out in the woods all the time & game gets used to that. But you
holding something that shines & occassionally moving is totally different.

So now, any gun that I have that is not polished or dull stainless or mat
blue gets camo tape or bow paint. Besides, I like to see the look on the
faces of Browning fans when they see a BLR or A-Bolt cammo painted.
Yes, that might be Red-necked!

Rod Smith Pocahontas, Ar.

147 Grain · « **Reply #14 on:** June 23, 2005, 06:23:35 PM »

My new Remington 700 SPS Stainless 30-06 has a non-reflective surface and the stainless finish is definitely subdued.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 24, 2005, 08:00:07 AM »

Lilabner,

Yep, If you miss.....Joe.........

poncaguy · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2005, 07:23:40 AM »

Mine always did , it would say "BOO" just before I shot! Taped it's mouth shut, had no more problems.............. :-D