I have one of Art's aforementioned shiny, blued, Weatherby rifles. Finish really doesn't matter, in my opinion. I bought this rifle because I couldn't find ANY .308s in my price range ($500 or less) in the whole Seattle area - and believe me I checked. When I finally found one, finish didn't matter, I bought it. Deer, to me, and elk to a bit of a lesser extent, will look to see what something is before spooking. Sounds and smells will send them scurrying before a glint of steel, blued or stainless, sends them into the wallows.
Just this year, on two occasions, I stepped into a fairly open area and there were bulls in it. I was trying to be spooky and not make any noise while playing the breeze. They looked at me and my shiny blued rifle, glinting in the morning sun, for a good 15 seconds before trotting off; plenty of time to kill one (I generally have a cow and buck tag in Idaho when I hunt there - no shot today). But oh, just try and sneak up on a herd bedded down on the side of a hill while they are laying in the bushes and deadfall.
Just get the rifle you really want and don't skimp on the scope.
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