Stainless worth it for backpack hunting?

Are you stuck on bolt action? Cuz this is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think “backpacking through the back country”


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I remember my first stainless mountain rifle, a tikka. The guys back on the lake, over a mile away, could see the glare of the barrel with a naked eye as I stalked a goat. Stainless is great, but I’d never pack one without covering up that shine, either coating it or taping it, they tend to stand out like a sore thumb in the sun.
 
As others have posted I would recommend stainless, based on you usage of "this rifle will be subject to rain and snow for days on end" it would be worthwhile .

For brand recommendations, you'll find this limited with open sights, so you'll have to choose between the few available, I'd say try shouldering whatever is local and then buy what feels nicest in your hands, but you'll likely go with a ruger just based on availability, it's not a bad option though either, but my preference would be a tikka or steyr prohunter. Actually a stainless steyr scout would be good to but over your your expected budget.
 
No reason to not go stainless in a hunting rifle in 2018 unless you just don't like it.

Take a blued rifle and a stainless rifle on a slat water coastal hunt and you will quickly see why stainless has the edge, even if your blued rifle has been "rust proofed"
 
kodiakjack said:
Are you stuck on bolt action? Cuz this is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think “backpacking through the back country”


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This would be a contender for me if offered in .270, .308, 6.5 Creed or some other general game getter low recoil cartridge suitable for a rookie.
 
cody c said:
As others have posted I would recommend stainless, based on you usage of "this rifle will be subject to rain and snow for days on end" it would be worthwhile .

For brand recommendations, you'll find this limited with open sights, so you'll have to choose between the few available, I'd say try shouldering whatever is local and then buy what feels nicest in your hands, but you'll likely go with a ruger just based on availability, it's not a bad option though either, but my preference would be a tikka or steyr prohunter. Actually a stainless steyr scout would be good to but over your your expected budget.
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I think this is where I am at.

I am just going to make the rounds of all the local stores and shoulder as many of the stainless rifles that I can in my price range. If I cannot find a stainless rifle, with sights, and chambered in what I want in my price range (like one of the rugers) I will just go with a composite or laminate stock stainless rifle like a tikka or win 70 or whatever feels best.

I think I may be asking a little much to have all in one gun... might have to just enjoy the irons on my .22 for now and down the line get a fun, blued, dedicated iron sight rifle for plinking and day trip hunting.

Thanks for all the comments!

Matt
 
Ashcroft said:
From the late 60's many many backpack sheep, goat and caribou hunts in the BC mountains, sometimes for a week or ten days straight. In the early years before stainless rifles were available my go to mountain rifle was a Husqvarna M4000 featherweight .270 and I always carried a tiny bottle of oil, an oily rag and a pull through and I was always able to prvent rusting. Put tape over your muzzle and just shoot through it, a waterproof sleeve for the gun works great if not anticipating a quick shot. Inlater years I tried numerous other guns that were usually too heavy and always came back to the Husky. My last mountain rifles were Browning A Bolt Stainless Stalkers and they were true all weather warriors. This is what I would recommend today in a non magnum ( lighter weight) backpack rifle. J
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I've got a couple 1950s Husqvarna Lightweights (270 and 7x57) and one has a varnished stock and I keep the other one well-oiled and also varnished barrel channel and action receptacle parts of the stock too. Keep the metal well-oiled and pack them around in the mountains without worry.
 
I have very few rifles that are not stainless. I’ve been upgrading to stainless over the last several years. Although you can definitely hunt with a blued rifle, these days, personally, I wouldn’t even consider a rifle if it’s not available in stainless.
 
Gatehouse said:
There isn’t much to be gained by putting iron sights on a scopes rifle, as long as you don’t cheap out on the scope.
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I was looking at it as a training type set-up like I have with my .22 where I switch back and forth fairly often. Now I am thinking for a centre fire it may make sense to eventually get two dedicated rifles. I really enjoy shooting iron sights, but my priority for my first hunting season will to have a scoped rifle.
 
Matte stainless finish needed from a stealth perspective. The sun reflecting off a polished finish is a dead giveaway.

Nice iron sights on these 2 rifles.

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.375 H&H Magnum Sako 85 Kodiak with Leupold VX-2 1-4x20mm

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.416 Ruger Alaskan with Nikon Omega BDC 250 3-9x40mm
 
Over the years I have also switched almost all of my rifles to stainless it is so much easier to look after them after a rainy wet coast day of hunting I just spray it whereas blued guns I take the stock off which is not conducive to a retaining accuracy.

I still buy blued rifles though = a few months ago I purchased a matte blued 16" barreled Ruger American in 450 Bushmaster its a cheaper rifle purchased more as a camp defense - thick bush hunting combo so I'm really not overly concerned if it rusts a bit if it does I will eventually get it Cerakoted but if it was available in stainless I would have bought it in stainless.
 
I do backpack sheep hunts. Blued rifles will eventually get little rust spots deeper than surface rust when exposed to lots of rain and not being able to take them apart for a week +. Although it's not excessive if you oil it before and after every hunt.

I use stainless for sheep hunting. Blued for pretty much everything else because I like blued guns.
 
After reading all the responses and thinking about this waaaay too long, I have decided to work toward getting two hunting rifles.

So, I have just ordered a blued CZ 557 .308 with iron sights as this first season I will be, at most, doing an overnighter and walking around in the bush. Then, in a couple years I am intending to invest in a stainless set-up dedicated to a scope as my skills progress and I get into more extended hunts.

Thanks for all the advice!
 
If it was 1976 and we were using iodine bluing yeah i would be concerned. Now with actual chemical true bond bluing its not that much of an issue anymore. If its a real concern get your rifle ceracoted. Will not matter either way then.
 
if you dont have a couple poo tickets in yer backpack on a 3 day hunt to wipe yer rifle down, or use something in the bag thats dry then hell.... im not sure stainless will even survive without warping due to moisture!
 
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