Weatherby drops stainless?

Obtunded said:
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.
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This what I have read too. I am certainly no expert but these themes are common. Shilen reckon the SS is much easier to lap to a 'mirror' bore finish, hence the preference amongst competative shooters. I noticed a barrel makers website where they stated that they won't make light profile sporter barrel bigger than .308 in stainless, but will do the same profile up to .338 in chrome moly. There must be a safety reason for this surely?

I also notice a distinct lack of stainless waterfowling shotguns that see moisture more than most hunting rifles and managed to make more than a few seasons.;)

I was doing so research on Blasers and there are guys who have used them from the wet forests of CAR after Bongo, to the BC coast to the arctic and are very happy with them, chrome moly and all.

Again, I am not knocking SS, I just don't think a blued rifles is going to rust and disententigrate in my hands. My blued rilfes have hunted rain and sleet before, dried off and been 100% fine.

I still believe the the superiority of stainless is overstated.
 
struff55 said:
And the boys are all standing in the school yard measuring the length of there barrels .
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I appologize to all on this board for that, I am sorry.

kayaker1 said:
I also notice a distinct lack of stainless waterfowling shotguns that see moisture more than most hunting rifles and managed to make more than a few seasons.;)
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A very good point and I was just thinking about that. To the best of my knowledge, there has only been one, the Ruger Red Label All Weather double, and that didn't go over so well. Those who love to hunt ducks and geese are out in the nastiest crap that keeps most folks at home and we like it because that's when the birds are moving. :)
 
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