Finishes on hunting rifles

[HughW2]

Please share your opinions on hunting rifles finishes. I tend to like rifles with traditional oil finished Wood (low gloss) or fiberglass. I also prefer bluing to be low gloss versus high gloss. Do any of you think that deer can pick up on gloss finishes. Do any of you think that deer pick up or notice stainless more quickly than blue? Just asking. May be over thinking it?

 

[SC Hunter]

I've got some of all of the above and use all of them, some more than others. My main deer rifle as in gets carried 90% of the time is a stainless encore with camo synthetic stock in 7mm-08. I have a blued/wood m77 in 30-06 that I carry some and mix in a marlin 3030 and 2 other synthetic blued rifles. I've never noticed a deer noticing the stainless rifle. Not saying it isn't possible but I've never noticed it and that encore has killed over 30 maybe 40 deer.

 

[flyrod444]

I feel that color has little to do with deer seeing you. I once stalked up to with in twenty yards of a feeding doe while wearing blaze orange coveralls during buck only muzzle loader season in N.C. I feel movement or being out of place has more to do with being seen. A Matt finish stainless or blued should not be a problem. 95 percent of the time gloss finish shouldn't be an issue either ,while hunting with rifle.

 

[280 Man]

Imo, it has zero, zilch, nada to do with deer seeing you! Marketing ploy! If they are close enough for it to be a problem they should already be dead!

 

[01Foreman400]

As long as the sun isn’t reflecting off of it you’re good.

 

[antharper]

All I use is stainless , I’m to rough on a gun !

 

[ddd-shooter]

Please share your opinions on hunting rifles finishes. I tend to like rifles with traditional oil finished Wood (low gloss) or fiberglass. I also prefer bluing to be low gloss versus high gloss. Do any of you think that deer can pick up on gloss finishes. Do any of you think that deer pick up or notice stainless more quickly than blue? Just asking. May be over thinking it?

If the sun can shine on your gloss, it’s already making other objects shiny. Ever looked through the woods at all the shiny leaves, trees, etc? Try it.

 

[spencer12]

I like a wood stock that has some scratches, dings, and gouges in it. I don’t like shiny, or plastic.

 

[Lilly001]

Deer, like us, see movement of light colored objects better than dark.
Shine will also get their attention.
But all of this is relative.
I could hunt nekid inside my shooting house and nothing would spook the deer. But I don't. Just common sense.

 

[Lilly001]

And I like a deep blued wood stock rifle, but I own about any type made.

 

[Buckstop]

Most mine these days are fiberglass stocked and stainless. A couple of the stainless are bead blasted dull or cerecoated. Have one or two that are still shiny though.

I don't sweat it much as the deer usually aren't in that close and there are shiny things like dewey leaves in the woods anyway. If it gets to that point, its usually a done deal already.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

I have witnessed reflection off of high gloss finishes before. I think oil finishes and synthetic are more practical in the field. Last fall I watched another hunter on a distant hillside his rifle flashed several times in the sunlight. I had never given it much thought until then.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Im pretty sure deer don’t love a deer rifle as much as I.
Not worried if the deer can see my rifle cause by then it’s usually already pointed at them with the smallest profile possible. I darn sure ain’t rattle can painting one or putting tape over stainless to hide it. Gotta give em a chance to see it. If he does he’ll grow bigger so not worried what a deer thinks about my shiny old rifle.

 

[georgia_home]

Like the look of a nicely finished wood stock. That said, I took the shiny wood stock off my skeet gun just to avoid beating it up. Plastic. I feel guilty beating up a nice woody.

That said, it does give character and guns were made to be used after all.

 

[Jim Thompson]

The deer and turkeys dont care either way, but I like the looks of these better. My personal favorite is stainless barrel and action with a synthetic black stock or stainless with a wood finish like this.

or this

 

[Nicodemus]

To me, a wood stocked rifle has a soul.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

Beautiful wood under a high gloss finish and a really bright blue is something to behold and I can appreciate. I would leave it home though on a hunt. If however someone wants the beauty in their hand on the hunt, kudos to them. One of my good friends ordered a really spectacular weatherby mark 5 in 257 in 1980. All these years later that gun has never missed a hunt. She is still a beauty and bears the gentle blemishes that the companionship has shared and stories have been made.

 

[Stroker]

To me, a wood stocked rifle has a soul.



View attachment 1016072

Nic I just picked up it's little brother last week, low wall in .243. Handles like a .22,

 

[Horns]

I hate a rusty gun. Nowadays I get stainless barrels and composite stocks. Here’s my newest gun

 

[oldguy]

Nic I just picked up it's little brother last week, low wall in .243. Handles like a .22,
View attachment 1016098

WOW!