Barrel wear?
 

I need some guidance from those who use bore scopes. I bought a used rifle knowing it needed a little work. Looks like the original owner didn't use it much (from the look of the exterior), but also didn't clean it.

After using a variety of cleaners, brushes, and patches...it looked decent from the muzzle.

Then I got my first bore scope. Here are some pics. Please advise. Looks like some rust and pitting, but how bad is it? Is the rifle still usable? What else can I do to treat it? ( i already used hopps pro cleaner, proshot copper solvent, ...)

This is a 308 lever. (Don't ask for specifics).

The pics...

More pics ..

How does the rifle shoot?

I’ve seen barrels with bores that resemble a beat up gravel road shoot very well.(ask Bushrat)

I’ve seen barrels with 2” or more of the throat eroded away that would still hold MOA accuracy too.(ask Catnthehat)

Just borescoping a barrel without shooting it, just leads to a pile of speculation.

Now if a rifle/barrel won’t shoot or shoots in a un predictable manner, that’s where the borescope comes in handy, it’s a diagnostic tool.

I’d hit the barrel with some JB’s bore paste and Kroil on a patch wrapped around a used bore brush, and stroke the heck outta it, then follow up with a few patches of Kroil on a patch jag.

Then go shoot it.

Looks like the original user didn't maintain it much either. Appears to have some serious pitting in there. As mentioned shoot it and see how it goes but pictures don't lie.

As far as bore scopes go, I prefer to use the mirror that gives you a look at the side of the barrel, I have never been able to decipher anything from looking straight down the bore like your pics.:budo:

I would clean the rifle well as Dick284 suggested , then run a wet patch of G96 through it then a dry patch, and shoot it . Have you cleaned the rifle with Wipeout?
That is excellent stuff.
If you don't have any JB's and you have cleaned it. Yry shooting it like that after making sure your bases and rings are tight

It is a hunting rifle I would assume, so don't expect match rifle accuracy , if you can get a 3 shot group inside 1.5" or at 100 yards , you are good to go.

In my opinion, there is way too much emphasis these days put on gear like bore scopes, electronic scales , chronographs and annealing etc., for most gun owners and hunters to even conider worrying about.

None of the above gear will make a difference on a critter at 200 meters, that has been proven many times over in the past and will continue to be a fact of life :)
Cat

......

Looks like all these pictures are before cleaning? Show some after cleaning pictures. A tight bronze brush wrapped with a patch with some JB paste would mechanically clean the surface rust and show the actual extent of the pitting. Chemical bore cleaners that remove copper and fouling don't do much to remove rust. If the pics are after cleaning then I don't know what to say.

This is after cleaning.... 30+ wet/dry patches, different types copper and carbon solvents (proshot and hoppes), and nylon/brass brushes, aswell as the brass tornado brush. Much of my cleaning gears' brass components were heavily tarnished (brass tipped carbon rod, copper or brass brushes, etc....). It was much worse than this when I started (sorry no pics).

I will try the other products recommended for rust.

I haven't tried shooting it yet, as I just moved provinces and it may be a while before I get to the range. Point taken, to shoot and assess.

A bummer though.... buying a misused near new gun at a pretty penny or two.... not like it was a beater truck gun, or an old item that was inherited. I should have looked closer.

I will shoot and see. Until then, will try the rust removing options.

Thank you all.

You maybe surprized at its accuracy. I have seen some nasty barrels that shot very well .

Do exactly as dean instructed

Now regarding pitted/rough barrels in general, they often require multiple fouling shots to settle in to their best accuracy. So if you do end up with acceptable accuracy, don’t clean it again until accuracy starts to degrade significantly.

Another thing with fouling, is many modern bullets only “like” their own fouling. So don’t mix and match, or use cheap ammo to foul. This is a marked departure from old school bullets that had very similar jacket materials, and you will see well intentioned but misinformed people suggesting cheap ammo for fouling.

You're being way too hard on yourself. Pretend you never used the bore scope and go shoot it. Then assess it as you would any new purchase.

I often use cheap ammo for function testing or initial zeoring and have never noticed an increase in fouling or accuracy degrading because of it, even out to 1K.
I do however clean my rifles regularly .
Just the other day I ran 15 rounds through one of my .223's at 300 and 500 meters, then shot a 48/50 - 5V's with the sling'n'irons at 500.
The cheap stuff was steel cased Wolf 55 grain FMJ and my match ammo i was shootin was loaded with 80.5 grain Bergers
Cat

I had an issue when shooting barnes after partitions, and between old CIL and federal as well. Groups more than doubled in that 308 win. Cost me a fair bit of wasted ammo, cleaning and swearing. Someone on here told me about it, and they were right. Now it’s one load per rifle and no wasted shots. As always YMMV

Probably more likely a bullet design difference , not a material difference.
I can shoot several different brands and weight s of bullets in a rifle but I might have to re-zero quite often- not always, but sometimes.
Bullet profiles can vary immensely even though they are the same weight, but I'm sure you already know that.
I'm not saying different bullets work without an OAL change, but they can work if a person takes the proper steps.
In factory ammo however, one has to contend with what they have.:)

However I do not think that this is the reason that the OP's barrel looks like it does.......

Cat

This ^^^ In Spades ^^^

Report back when you do find out how she shoots, as now a bunch of us are interested:)

Barnes cautioned about the mixed gilding metal issue back in the day. But who reads the instructions on stuff like that?:thinking-006:

If you have a good platform on the rifle, why not just rebarrel ?
A barrel like that will strip copper off each and every bullet shot from here on. no matter what you do.
If you plan on keeping that rifle, and shooting it, make a jackhandle out of the current barrel and carry on.

It looks rusty. I don't see why it wouldn't shoot accurately. My rusty or pitted barrels collect a lot of non hard carbon that looks like a lot but comes out easy unless you try to get all of it, some carbon hides in the surface and you just hafta say good enough. It might get copper or it might not, ive never had a barrel that wasn't clear of copper by the time I was done with the carbon when using solvent with copper remover.

I acquired a 22-250 from Barotto's fire sale, exterior was fine, stock was perhaps discoloured a bit, rust strip plainly visible inside the middle of the barrel on the bottom. Shot it for a year, 3/4moa with 50gr Nos Expanders, same with Lyman 55gr GC cast, took it up to 2300fps with the cast, then rebarreled it to a 32-40.
I tend to subscribe to the thought that borescopes probably create more problems than they solve for folk, by way of cleaning causing more damage than what they thought was there.

Completely Agree
 

I have to say that I completely agree with Cat. We have to make sure our standards suit the application. You dont ask the salesman at Ferrari how much the car will tow, nor do you ask the zero to 60 time for your F350 Superduty.