Just had a question after using a Bore Scope today. Normally i don’t use these often, but having a weird gas issue with another rifle so wanted to check my new 16.5” Proof 6.5cm custom bolt build. Approx 65 rounds fired and did a barrel break in as well and want to make sure i didn’t do this or if its just weird machine marks. Barrel shot good and accurate no issues. Anyways the first 1/4 of the barrel looks rough but last half looks perfect. Anyway here are some pictures and it was also build by Altus which i know they do good work and never had an issue just wanted to see what’s normal. I believe last picture is where it looks good which is about half way until the end of barrel.
Question on Proof barrel after bore scope
- Thread starter Joeyg023
- Start date
So, it shot good ? 
Put the borescope where I put mine. The back of the bottom drawer of one of my roll around tool boxes.
Go shoot the gun. Work on your technique and your loads (if'n you handload).
Put the borescope where I put mine. The back of the bottom drawer of one of my roll around tool boxes.
Go shoot the gun. Work on your technique and your loads (if'n you handload).
Haha i know stupid question. I generally don’t use them ever, but already had it out diagnosing another gas gun and figured I’d look at this rifle since i shot it today as well.So, it shot good ?
Put the borescope where I put mine. The back of the bottom drawer of one of my roll around tool boxes.
Go shoot the gun. Work on your technique and your loads (if'n you handload).
If it shoots fine, it is fine. A cleaning rod is not going to do any of that. As long as it doesn't copper foul heavily in those areas, then I don't think it is as bad as it looks.
Only thing I use mine for is when I clean my rifles to see if it is good enough. Generally not looking at the barrel it self.
Only thing I use mine for is when I clean my rifles to see if it is good enough. Generally not looking at the barrel it self.
Ok cool yeah i didn’t think so either. I wonder if it’s just carbon inbetween machine marks or something. Patches come out cleaning using Boretech stuff so who knows. It shoots good at least.
No, not really a stupid question............
You want to know stupid ? Stupid is when "you" try out your new borescope for the first time on a freshly cleaned barrel and see a bunch of little "cracks" in your barrel that are perpendicular to the bore axis and "you" freak out.
Then, when you calm down and think about it a little, you decide to blow some compressed air down your bore. It's amazing how much lint dry patches leave behind in your bore. It's even more amazing how "you" could confuse all that lint with "cracks" in the barrel. AMHIK.
Point being is that borescopes are fine. But, they are fine in the hands of someone that knows what they are looking at. There have been a lot of people on here that have gone down this same path and have freaked out about something (or other) that they see (or thought they saw) in the bore of their brand new barrel. I was one of those people once.
Just shoot it and have fun. It it doesn't shoot well, it's probably a number of other things before it's the (brand new) barrel. Unless of course, you've bought junk.....
Last edited:
I believe you need to do one more accuracy test. Take the bore scope out and tape it to the center of the target. Back off to 100yrds take aim and shoot 5 rounds through the scope, if the scope survives, keep it, if not, you know what to do with it.
Shooting is the ONLY true measure of a barrel.
Shooting is the ONLY true measure of a barrel.
The depth of field on those bore scope mirrors can be a little skewed and make things look more prominent than they are. I've seen machine marks in plenty of premium barrels that shoot amazing. I have an HS Precision Barrel with machine marks all the way down the barrel, it shoots great and barely fouls. 
I don't sweat it until the bullet tells me I have a problem. They are great for cleaning inspections though.
I don't sweat it until the bullet tells me I have a problem. They are great for cleaning inspections though.
I told my doctor to put away the freaking xray and to get his smoke and candles out! None of this new fanged tech for me. It skulls and chants all the way for me, baby……
Keep your borescope out and at the ready.
Folk blaming a precision tool instead of learning and then educating folks on expectations and interpretation of results, is utterly moronic.
It has taken a bit of trial and error but now I can look through a bore and learn quite a bit. With newer cartridges it certainly has helped understand carbon rings and how soon they appear, as well as how well my chosen cleaner works.
It has shown me the difference from abusing a barrel to more moderate usage. Sure, like with pulling a great shot of espresso, the end result is what matters. That said, precision instruments can aid in understanding what does and does not, get you there…..
"Precision instruments are designed to achieve an idea, dimensional precision, whose perfection is impossible. There is no perfectly shaped part of the motorcycle and never will be, but when you come as close as these instruments take you, remarkable things happen, and you go flying across the countryside under a power that would be called magic if it were not so completely rational in every way." Robert M. Pirsig Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
I have zero problems with a bore scope. You are right it is a tool nothing more. What I do have a problem with is with is people getting one and probing a perfectly great barrel and coming to the assumption that there is something wrong because it is not perfectly uniform, forget that it shoots .5 moa all day. Barrels that are not shooting to par can be analyzed but without understanding they jump to conclusions. It is the lack of understanding of when to use the scope and what to look for.
