Weatherby drops stainless?

FWIW, I've owned several of both and don't think that Stainless is worth the extra money. I take pretty good care of my blued barrelled rifles and the only barrel I've ever had that developed any surface rust was a Stainless Remington 700.

I think of rifles like my tools, I take pretty good care of them but if they get dinged so be it. I've just not found stainless rifles to perform better or be less prone to rust etc.

Maybe the general public has voted the same way.
 
While stainless is not rust proof,I have found it to be more rust resistant.This may not be a factor for day hunts where you can get indoors and clean your gun daily,but it is nice when you are in a tent for a week while sheep hunting.
 
stubblejumper said:
While stainless is not rust proof,I have found it to be more rust resistant.This may not be a factor for day hunts where you can get indoors and clean your gun daily,but it is nice when you are in a tent for a week while sheep hunting.
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Agreed. I've owned plenty of blued rifles and will own more. I understand how to maintain a rifle, but know some conditions are hard on blued steel. I've even heard some of the most outspoken proponents of good blued metal quietly in a corner agree that stainless is nice when the conditions are tough.
 
Stainless steel does absorb heat faster than normal steel, I have observed this working with both metals often. I don't own any stainless rifles so i can't comment on whether this would affect accuracy. One of my friends did own the exact same rifles in blued and stainless( both remington 700's 300win mags) and he sold the stainless saying it did not hold groups as well.
 
I don't own any stainless rifles so i can't comment on whether this would affect accuracy. One of my friends did own the exact same rifles in blued and stainless( both remington 700's 300win mags) and he sold the stainless saying it did not hold groups as well.
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Two individual rifles proves nothing,take a look at the pictures that I posted earlier in this thread,and you will see that the overwhelming majority of the target shooters at those shoots are using stainless barrels.Look up the past and present world champions,and you will see that most use stainless barrels.Why would so many world class shooters use stainless if it wasn't as accurate?Given the choice,I will believe the majority of world class target shooters opinion involving hundreds of target rifles,over the opinion of your friends based on two guns.
 
Well I can only speculate that world class shooters go through barrels more often then I go through underwear. If they try a barrel and it's not up to par they would likely yank it off and try another. Stainless may be handier for them because they wouldn't have to go through the extra step of finishing it? I don't know, just saying. :)
 
Well I can only speculate that world class shooters go through barrels more often then I go through underwear. If they try a barrel and it's not up to par they would likely yank it off and try another. Stainless may be handier for them because they wouldn't have to go through the extra step of finishing it? I don't know, just saying.
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I doubt that a world champion target shooter would handicap himself by using a less accurate barrel just to save some time finishing the barrel.After all,most of the world champions are sponsored anyways.
 
blargon said:
Looking to see what they had for varmint rifles with 26" barrels...I felt dirty just looking...:p
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I have a Sub-moa stainless Vanguard in 22-250. Once I replaced the trigger with a Timney, it made all the difference.

Had grand plans of getting out to shoot coyotes which never happens.
 
pharaoh2 said:
Ok chuckie, I wasn't going to play games with you anymore but please, enlighten me.
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Show me all the fowl weather big game hunts you've been on. For days on end. In tents no bigger than half a small car. Or better yet no tent at all. You cannot affectively keep ahead of blued steel and walnut in many of those circumstances as easily as you can stainless steel.

This rifle spent all night like this. It had to, and it got rained on the day before. It's a LONG ways from the nearest plug in.

P1060032-1.jpg


For someone that cries foul all the time you sure wouldn't use my name like that in front of my face.
 
chuck nelson said:
For someone that cries foul all the time you sure wouldn't use my name like that in front of my face.
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What, you wanna meet out by the monkey bars at recess? It's time you checked your attitude at the door, and if you think you intimidate me you are sorely mistaken.

Pull your head out of your ass for a minute, go back in this thread and find a post where I said stainless is a bad thing. On the contrary, for weather resistance stainless cannot be beat. I stated in my experiance I have found standard steel barrels to offer better accuracy in rifles I have owned. You are the one who jumped on your high horse and started criticizing me. How many rifles have you owned Chuck? Go ahead and say more then me. Don't bet on it. You are nothing but a guy who fancies himself as some sort of O'Conner/Boddington version 2.0 who expects the world to bow down and kiss your ass. You have insulted more members on this board then I can recall. You bait and troll and belittle everyone who has a different opinion then you do. How you are still on this board I will never know as better men then you have been banned for a lot less. I'm done with you chuckie, the ignore list is the best place for you. I'm in Pincher often enough, if you see me at the A&W on the way through, feel free to say hi.


My appologies Blargon for getting into your thread and ruining it like this.
 
stubblejumper said:
Two individual rifles proves nothing,take a look at the pictures that I posted earlier in this thread,and you will see that the overwhelming majority of the target shooters at those shoots are using stainless barrels.Look up the past and present world champions,and you will see that most use stainless barrels.Why would so many world class shooters use stainless if it wasn't as accurate?Given the choice,I will believe the majority of world class target shooters opinion involving hundreds of target rifles,over the opinion of your friends based on two guns.
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There are about 25 different types of stainless. I bet the higher end barrels have a much better composition than a weatherby vanguard.
 
Actually, Stainless steel barrels are the subject of some controversy in hunting rifles. I am not a metallurgist, machinist, nor an engineer, but my business has brought me into contact with many technicians and barrel makers, and I have made it a point to try and become educated...

There is a belief that Stainless barrels are - I shall use the term - "less safe" than chromoly in very cold temperatures. Krieger is so convinced of this that they will not produce sporter-weight barrel in stainless. Before everyone screams "BS", understand that I am only reiterating what has been expressed to me by those with a vested interest in producing the best and the safest products. (I have used R700 and Tikka T3 lite stainless hunting rifles for years and never had any issues...)

Chromoly is a tougher steel, it is the material "of choice" for manufacturing actions, and military small arms. It is harder to machine, but 4140 and 4150 steel is very strong. Its succeptibility to corrosion is its achilles heel. Having said that, 416R will corrode too.

Stainless steel is easier to machine, and thus it is easier to machine well. It is the choice of precision shooters primarily for this reason. Barrels are a consumable commodity to competitive precision shooters, and thus investing in bluing or parkerizing is an unneccessary added expense.

As to life and accuracy, there is nothing to support one versus the other. I have used very fine Chromoly barrels and had exceptional life. The one anecdote I tend to believe is the tendency to foul slightly more. This has been reported to me by chromoly users, however, there is a flaw in this 'science' too, because the majority of CM barrel users are using vary large calibers (40 cal+) and the powders are different, and the velocities are quite different.

In the case of most factory barrels, they use mass-produced barrels that are not lapped and which still retain a fair number of tooling marks and imperfections. I have never scoped the Krieger Criterion barrels used in some Weatherby rifles; these are Kriegers less expensive button-rifled barrels sold only to manufacturers such as Weatherby. These imperfections contrinute dramatically to the tendency to foul, and can affect accuracy.

I think many will find this boresope video very enlightening.
 
Thanks everyone. I'm looking at rifles, and some comments are helpful. I was leaning toward stainless, but could live with blued steel.

I'm curious about one thing. Does every manufacturer use the exact same grade of steel, be it stainless or carbon? I remember having this conversation with a gunsmith, 25 years ago. I was buying a handgun, for bush carry, and opted for stainless. My gunsmith friend mentioned that stainless wasn't quite as durable, but the difference was very slight. The fact I was working in all weather conditions was a more important factor.

I'd be careful to check that all the internals are stainless. I'd hate to assume a rifle was "weather proof", only to discover some little piece has failed, due to neglect.
 
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