New Build Opinions Needed-SS polished or matte finish

[Chas1]

I'm having a 338AX built and looking for opinions on whether to go with action, barrel, trigger guard and brake bead blasted or highly polished as all components are SS. It will sit in a custom A-5 curly maple stock which will be made from a 2.5" thick piece I've selected and topped with a NF NSX 12-42x56mm scope w/NF UL rings (scope/rings will stay in standard NF finish-black). At least at this point the rifle will be used almost exclusively for paper shooting so I'm not to worried about game picking up reflections.

I've heard the polished finish will heat up faster in sunlight and if marred is alot more involved to repair as all surfaces will have to be repolished to blend in whereas with bead blasted you only have to re-bead blast just the area marred. What opinions do you guys have on this and also which finish do you think will have better eye appeal against the curly maple? All opinions welcome. Thanks.

Chas

 

[japple]

I personally like the way a bead blast looks. looks good but without all the shine! Either way you go, this is the same rifle I am considering getting built so I would like to see pictures when it gets finished. What action/reciever are you using on it?

 

[Chas1]

japple, I agree the bead blasted looks great on most of the stocks I see here on LRH which are mostly synthetic and if I was going with synthetic there'd be no question I go bead blasted...I'm just on the fence on how the bead blast finish plays against the curly maple wood so hopefully others will give their opinion as well.

The action is a BAT Model M, 155R, caliber grouping 416 Rigby (338 Lapua, 378 Weatherby, etc), single shot, right bolt, dual port-left feed, right eject, spiral fluted bolt.

Thank you for responding.

Chas

 

[winmag]

Congrats Chas!!!!! Theres not gonna be a gator safe within 100 miles of your house! I personally love the highly polished look of wood stocks. Browning is notorious for the shine on thier stocks. (with alot lower grade of wood Im sure), but I love the look and feel of polished wood stocks. they just seem warm and inviting. Especially in the cold November woods Elk hunting.
Maple tends to be pretty light in color, so Im sure it would blend with your stainless setup and realy ''POPP''.
If your gonna punch paper for most of your shooting (for now anyways) it should be a pretty safe bet that youll be able to keep it in pristine condition. The elements in a hunting environment may be a bit more harsh.
I guess Im an ''old school'' fan for looks and feel. Almost all my rifles are blued and wood, or matt and wood. I have a couple exeptions of course, with plastic or camo stocks, but they sure dont look right in a cabnet full of pretty ones
If I remember right the BAT actoin has a simmilar feel to the Rem 700 (but much ''beefier''). With you beeing a big fan of the older Remingtons you should feel right at home. Well done. Great choices over all on your build. Youve definately put alot of thought into this one. Im sure, no matter wich finish you go with, youll have a real sweet shooter. As long as its what you like its gonna be awesome.
I cant wait to see the pics and hear how well it shoots when you get it completed.

 

[Chas1]

Winmag, thanks for responding. The stock will be brought up to either as shiny as possible or taken down slightly one notch with 3000 grit wet sanding...either way it'll shine. Given that do you think the SS metal parts should be highly polished or bead blasted?

 

[winmag]

Winmag, thanks for responding. The stock will be brought up to either as shiny as possible or taken down slightly one notch with 3000 grit wet sanding...either way it'll shine. Given that do you think the SS metal parts should be highly polished or bead blasted?

Im a walking catch 22 Chas. I love super shiny stocks, but not a fan of super shiny stainless. Im weird I guess. You know my opinion on inexpensive quality, rifles vs my favored ones, (Im not naming brands) but the catch to that is I like inexpensive quality scopes like Burris.......... unless I can afford better.
Hmmmmm. Im just odd like that. Id go brushed stainless vs super shiny.
Just personal opinion. My dad has a Ruger Blackhawk with a dirty hary like long barrel thats nickel plated. Beautiful gun. But I always tease him for carrying a nickel plated sissy pistol when we shoot it.
I think the less shiny wiuld accent the curly maple better. JMO.

 

[Chas1]

winmag, thanks for responding. I appreciate where your coming from, never thought about brushed SS but, you got me thinking now...maybe that would be the happy medium. I'm going to ponder that option. Thanks again.

 

[winmag]

Im sorry I mixed up the options AGAIN. Oops. Yes brushed first choice, bead blasted second, and super shiny third is my vote.
I think the more shiny option might ''take away'' from the curly maple stock. If you hand selected that one piece of wood Im guessing there was a reason for it. You already have a parts list of the highest quality, so the rifle will speak for itself and no doubt look great in any finish. Id concentrate on accenting/complimenting the wood with a ''less briliant'' look on the steel.
Maybe Im doin you more harm than good here. Sorry. Aparently my mind is still frazzled from my mother-in-law being here this weekend. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

 

[Chas1]

winmag, your not doing more harm than good. In fact you've help me sort through some of the choices and I value your opinion. I appreciate it. Hopefully you've recoverded from Mother-in-laws visit by now.

 

[Boss Hoss]

Bead blast all of my components right before final assy----do the action, spider web finish on the tube, bottom metal which includes the H&S detachable mag system, bases and rings. Like the look and it is easy to re blast if needed.

 

[bigbuck]

I know you mentioned that you want have to worry about the criters but thats what pravoked me to get my rifle bead blasted when it was at the smiths . I had him bead blast just the barrel and action then I painted the trigger guard myself . I have the Hs stock on my RUM but i think it would look real good with your wood stock as well . I remember letting my friend shoot my rifle on a sunny hot day , we were shooting at a target that was 829 yards away he went down to were the target was but waaaaay off to the side of the target with hishand held radio he told me that my barrel looked like ONE big reflector . It always bugged me after that. Sounds like your gonna have a shooter . make sure to post pics of it which ever way you go

BigBuck

 

[Chas1]

Bigbuck, that's the last thing I'd want to hear and it would bug me too. Good point I appreciate it. Thanks for sharing your personal experience.

 

[winmag]

winmag, your not doing more harm than good. In fact you've help me sort through some of the choices and I value your opinion. I appreciate it. Hopefully you've recoverded from Mother-in-laws visit by now.

Ya, its a long recovery proscess.
Hey I just thought of something. Have you ever done any gold leaf flake inlay on your barrel satmps? I do my own. Its an easy proscess. But Ive noticed great results on super smooth blued barrels and brushed stainless. Matt/coarse finishes dont work too well with the meathods I use. I dunno if your into useless fancy crap on your rifles, but I think it looks neat. Its a different way to dress up a rifle. With a stainless bbl, and a curly maple stock, that might look pretty cool. Just another odd-ball, way out there thought.
Id post pics, but Ive tried a dozen times since I posted my Bear pics way back when and I cannot get anything to post. Im a technology retarded individual.

 

[Chas1]

winmag, let me know if you want/can shoot me a pic to my email. Chas