Stainless steel in cold temperatures.

[Ankeny]

I am in the process of having a rifle rebarreld. On Krieger's Web site they mention it is inadvisable to use stainless steel in cold temperatures. Just yesterday I was hunting coyotes with a stainless varmint rifle and the temperature was -16 F. That's pretty cold. What's up with stainless and cold weather?

 

[coupalr]

I have not seen any ill effects of the cold on the stainless. I was just out yesterday shooting my 6mm and I shot 10 shots as fast as I could cycle the bolt and get back on target at 500 yards. It was -20 celcius up here and I felt the barrel right after and it was barely warm. The cold just lets you shoot faster without overheating the barrel.

 

[Ankeny]

I received an e-mail from another major barrel maker regarding Krieger's info about stainless barrels in cold temps. Let's just say the e-mail isn't very complimentary and leave it go at that.

 

[älg]

I´ve heard that in very cold temp. it makes sense to use a non stainless action or bolt at least; barrel can be stainless with no problems at all.

 

[Hired Gun]

Unless you are hunting in a nitrogen tank I can't imagine there is anywhere on earth you're going shooting at that is cold or hot enough to change the properties of the stainless enough to make it unsafe.