Photos of "dipped" or painted hunting rifles

[MCMXI]

Hunting season will soon be upon us, and for a while now I've been thinking about having a couple of hunting rifles dipped. I don't use wood stocked hunting rifles since I prefer a quality synthetic stock and am leaning towards the pattern shown below for one of the rifles at least. Up here in MT I think that the pattern below would look good and blend in with the environment. I'm thinking about having the whole thing dipped including the stock, barreled action, scope and rings. So who has photos to share?



Here's my gf's dipped rifle. The scope and rings will be dipped to match and I like the look and functionality of the finish. I have no idea if a deer, elk or coyote would be easier to sneak up on with a rifle that blends into the background but a part of me wants to believe that it would.

 

[Hookeye]

As long as it isn't shiny it should work fine for hunting.
The hunter moving is what usually blows it, not the camo of the gun/bow.

Camo on a gun is OK, but I prefer the metal black.

View attachment 730723

 

[Inebriated]

Camo is good, but being still is better. I assume we're all familiar with that concept, though.

I painted this a couple seasons ago just for fun, and because I wasn't using the stock, but I liked it so I threw it on for the season (bipod is just to hold it up for the photo, it's useless on a factory Savage stock).

Blends well enough here.

 

[ZGunner]

My Tikka .270s factory stock is dipped in Kryptek Highlander. It looks pretty good. It's not as durable as I thought it would be but a few scrapes on the edges will just add to the character, right?

The only picture I have on my phone of the rifle has a bloody deer in it. So once I get home Sunday morning I'll try to remember to get a decent one for you.

 

[dubbleA]

MCMXI

I think you're on the right track on getting everything done. Leaving things black such as the scope and barreled action just doesnt do it for me as far as camofaging goes.

Here are a few examples I have done sponging Duracoat. Note the "break up" abilities of the contrasting blotches and note the black of the recoil pads, bipods, suppressor etc. What sticks out and doesnt blend with mother nature?

 

[jobu07]

Those last three beautifully demonstrate camouflage doing what it is supposed to do.

 

[AK103K]

I like Multicam myself.

Its one of the easiest patterns to paint too.

 

[Walkalong]

Some really cool rifles.

 

[03fatboy]

This is my wife's savage .243 hydro dipped.

 

[Ash]

Not to disparage the jobs, which are excellent. Some of those were really hard to see in the photograph. But, that's camo for our eyes. How does it work with animals that see differently? I've always wondered.

 

[mainecoon]

They say that deer have the hardest time distinguishing colors on the red-brown spectrum, so maybe a brown camouflage pattern would be best?

 

[jmr40]

I picked up this custom 338-06 used a few years ago. After using it a few years decided I just didn't care for 338-06, but always liked the rifle and the way the stock was painted.

 

[AK103K]

How does it work with animals that see differently? I've always wondered.

Ive always found it works quite well, and even with birds, which have always been the biggest challenge, as they see color.

My favorite pattern for critters has always been the old "tan" ASAT pattern. Works well with people too. Its a simple, almost stark, break up pattern, that breaks the outline, even at distances where most of the others tend to blob, and give up your outline.

If you think about it, you go to the trouble of getting all cammied up, yet the one thing thats often/usually not cammied, is one of the first things to move, and attracts attention even more.

 

[bannockburn]

dubbleA

Really like your "blotchy" paint application. Blends in perfectly with the each environmental setting. The light, medium, and dark shading give it an almost 3D effect.

 

[clearcut]

Has any one painted a hogue rubber coated stock ? If so what kind of paint and did it stay on.
CC

 

[rduchateau2954]

I had a shotgun dipped. In hindsight probably not the smartest idea as the cost of having the entire gun dipped cost amidst the same as the gun itself but oh well, I already had the gun.

 

[Shipwreck]

I keep seeing so many awesome pics of cool digicam guns on all the gun forums. One of these days I'm gonna have to send something of mine off for refinishing

 

[CApighunter]

I did my mossberg MVP in alumahyde earlier this year.

 

[Longhunter1700]

MCMXI

I think you're on the right track on getting everything done. Leaving things black such as the scope and barreled action just doesnt do it for me as far as camofaging goes.

Here are a few examples I have done sponging Duracoat. Note the "break up" abilities of the contrasting blotches and note the black of the recoil pads, bipods, suppressor etc. What sticks out and doesnt blend with mother nature?

you do good work!

 

[rduchateau2954]

DubbleA, how do you paint that?

 

[Longhunter1700]

A couple of Savage .22's i did for my grandson and grandaughter.

 

[MCMXI]

There are some outstanding examples of dipped/painted rifles here. I met with the owner of the dipping company this past weekend and she's going to order the film shown in my first post. I've seen examples of her work first hand and she does an awesome job. I'm committed to dipping every part possible and dubbleA's images convince me that this is the way to go. Talking of dubbleA ... those are some of the best painted stock/barreled actions/scopes I've ever seen.

 

[taliv]

one caveat, for what it's worth, none of my dipped or otherwise painted rifles shoot as well as my non-painted rifles. i've tried two or three and they look friggin awesome. but the parts don't fit together as well as they otherwise would, which makes them a little stiff and they dang sure don't shoot as well. really really disappointing.

so if you're going to have something dipped, especially all parts.... i'd satisfy myself that the rifle shoots great BEFORE it's dipped, and then you know if it comes back shooting horrible, what done it. and you don't have to spend an inordinate amount of time and money trying to figure out if you got a bad barrel or your stock wasn't bedded right or something else


if i want a rifle camo'd in the future, i'll stick to a krylon externally only.

 

[MCMXI]

Taliv, excellent points there. I've been shooting the rifle shown in my first post a fair amount, and although it shoots well, the bolt isn't smooth (feels sticky) probably for the reasons you mentioned. I will most likely paint the bolt bodies with Cerakote or similar so as not to have a "sticky" bolt.

 

[Casefull]

Awesome camo jobs.