Stainless or not?

[tightgrouper]

I have a marlin XL7 30 06(love it) and a savage Stevens 270.

I will save the marlin for moose elk and back up but I want to get a 270 that would be my "for life rifle". The main thing I like about the savage stevens is the safety. I am a left handed shooter that prefers right handed rifles and the center thumb safety is nice for me and I like how it is out of the way and can not be flicked by accident.
Also, I live and hunt mostly on Vancouver island and I love to hunt in the rain and the rain is rusting my rifle. It seriously rains here! Anyway, I have a bazillion questions about this.



Will a stainless rifle = less maintenance apart from daily bolt and bore service?
Will a stainless rifle last a long time.
The stevens 270 does not have a trap door to mt the magazine quick but I think I will get a rifle with one or should I go to a clip?
What else can I expect or should know about owning, shooting, and maintaining a stainless rifle.

[keoke]

With my stainless rifle I just wipe it down with a rag and put it by the hot water tank to dry it out. I'm not sure what barrel life is compared to carbon steel barrel, but that is something I don't worry about.

[todbartell]

buy a left hand Savage 116 in 270 with either floorplate or detach mag and be done with it

[Beaufortranger]

Both stainless Rugers I own are absolutely trouble free. rain doesnt even phase me just wipe them of and hang to dry. Couldnt imagine trying to use a blued gun anymore Ive seen partners guns rust overnight.

[SimilkameenSlayer]

i like the look of a black barrel, but s/s is certainly more practical.

[Ronforca]

Have a quite a few firearms,some of them quite old.None of them are stainless and none have any rust on them.I hunted in the fraser valley for over thirty years.It is known to rain there a bit.If you look after your firearms and treat them right you will not have any trouble with rust.I just am not impressed with stainless.Just my opinion.I am also left handed so use left handed bolts,lever actions,pumps and double barrels.One of my favourites is my Ruger #1 which is not rusty.

[91Jason91]

it sounds like a good idea

[Beaufortranger]

Ronforca I think the important thing you said was old guns. They had a lot better steel in them back in the day in my opinion. A few years back two hunting partners were involved in litigation with Weatherby of all people. One was a nickel plated stainless and one was blued. Both would get surface rust overnight even after a good wipe. Admitting however stainless can be bright on a sunny day, I still cant believe how little energy I expend to keep these rifles shipshape. Glare is cured with a strip of black tape.

[Ronforca]

Yes my firearms are quite old including the Ruger # i which is one of my newest rifles.That must have something to do with it.

[IronNoggin]

Anyway, I have a bazillion questions about this

1. Yes, a Quality Stainless Rifle will equal a LOT less daily "maintenance" than a blued rifle. One of the main reasons they came about.

2. As with any rifle, the "life expectancy" is directly related to the care you put into it. Stainless should last a very long time with less maintenance.

3. After owning a floorplate version, I would suggest the clip. Faster.

4. The stainless rifle's one downside (beyond cosmetics) is that they are shinier than blued versions. Critters may tend to pick them up just a tad quicker at close ranges.

I too now live and hunt (a LOT) on the Island. You are absolutely correct that when it rains here it does so Seriously! And, as it seems you have discovered, some of the very best hunting days occur when the rain is happening.

I chose to acquire a Stainless Rifle when living in the Arctic. Reason was I was damn tired of having to service my rifle daily to keep the rust away when working in the salt air (Beaufort Sea). That rifle lasted over a decade up there under rather extreme conditions, and continues to do so today. It has seen a great many rain and snow storms, yet shows little signs of that. Simply wipe down and dry, and it's Good To Go the next day (and the next, and the next...) In fact, I only clean that one after the season, and don't bother doing so over the 60 - 90 days it is afield here. It continues to shoot sub MOA groups, and is "lasting" extremely well.

My choice was a Browning Stainless Stalker with the BOSS in 270. My main Go-To for hunting in inclement weather, and especially so on The Rock. Only wish they made a conversion from the floorplate to a clip available. Other than that, I have been more than pleased.

Can't go wrong with a good stainless in this climate! :)

Cheers,
Nog

[DANOSON]

I had my blued barrel rust over night and was totally pissed. I sent it away to have it powder coated and like SS all you have to do is give it a wipe with a rag and your good to go. Very happy with the finish they did scope mounts sling mounts and bolt barrel and boss. The only thing was the bolt was a little tight but loosed after some use. It cost about $250 to have done but would recomend.

[cariboo crawler]

1. Yes, a Quality Stainless Rifle will equal a LOT less daily "maintenance" than a blued rifle. One of the main reasons they came about.

2. As with any rifle, the "life expectancy" is directly related to the care you put into it. Stainless should last a very long time with less maintenance.

3. After owning a floorplate version, I would suggest the clip. Faster.

4. The stainless rifle's one downside (beyond cosmetics) is that they are shinier than blued versions. Critters may tend to pick them up just a tad quicker at close ranges.

I too now live and hunt (a LOT) on the Island. You are absolutely correct that when it rains here it does so Seriously! And, as it seems you have discovered, some of the very best hunting days occur when the rain is happening.

I chose to acquire a Stainless Rifle when living in the Arctic. Reason was I was damn tired of having to service my rifle daily to keep the rust away when working in the salt air (Beaufort Sea). That rifle lasted over a decade up there under rather extreme conditions, and continues to do so today. It has seen a great many rain and snow storms, yet shows little signs of that. Simply wipe down and dry, and it's Good To Go the next day (and the next, and the next...) In fact, I only clean that one after the season, and don't bother doing so over the 60 - 90 days it is afield here. It continues to shoot sub MOA groups, and is "lasting" extremely well.

My choice was a Browning Stainless Stalker with the BOSS in 270. My main Go-To for hunting in inclement weather, and especially so on The Rock. Only wish they made a conversion from the floorplate to a clip available. Other than that, I have been more than pleased.

Can't go wrong with a good stainless in this climate! :)

Cheers,
Nog
Nog,
Try googling kwik clip

[IronNoggin]

Nog,
Try googling kwik clip

Thanks CC, but the Kwik Klip works for just the Rem 700 as I understand it. Not aware of any conversion kits for the Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker besides taking it in to the smith, and it ain't a big enough a deal for me to do that...

Cheers,
Nog

[Singleshotneeded]

Stainless with laminate or plastic stock is the way to go in coastal areas, you just wipe the rifle down when you come in
and you're in good shape, though if you can lean it up by a hot water tank or furnace outlet that's great. You don't have
to dry and then oil everything like you would with blued carbon steel. If you road hunt a fair bit, or have seen deer in your
area often, in cuts by the road, then get a clip...much quicker to load a few rounds. I'd consider buying a spare clip from
the gunmaker and keeping it in your glovebox during hunting season, some folks have forgotten them in the past.
A stainless barrel will outlast a carbon barrel by some hundreds of rounds, but since a carbon barrelled .270 will last
4,000 rounds if I remember correctly, it's probably not a huge factor for the average guy. Enjoy shopping!