Whats My Borescope Telling Me

[18whlsrolin]

After attempting to zero in a friend's 1994 Remington semi-auto 30-06, I ran the borescope down the barrel. Hadn't thought to do so prior to shooting because it appeared to be so well oiled and maintained.

Took about 6 shots for the barrel to start to settle down and then about the best I could do was 3 inches at 100 yds. Multiple 3 shot groups (as I was adjusting the Leupold scope) would have two about an inch apart and one flier, but never in the same order. All groups were about the same shape ( 2 close together and one high and left).

There is more corrosion in the barrel. Pictures are just typical of what's there. It exists from throat to muzzle, but chamber is clean.

Is this what is to be expected. I've seen some horrid looking barrels that shot well and some that didn't look too bad that shot terrible. Kinda new to interpreting what I see with the bore scope.

As always, thanks for your help!

I can't take the time to read all the posts but if this is a Remington pump or semi a
uto 7400 series then they are press in barrels. As time passes along with use they will fail accuracy wise expanitionaly more than screw in barrels. It's just a fact and at this point and I don't mess with reloading for friends any more if these are their firearm choices

 

[18whlsrolin]

I can't take the time to read all the posts but if this is a Remington pump or semi a
uto 7400 series then they are press in barrels. As time passes along with use they will fail accuracy wise expanitionaly more than screw in barrels. It's just a fact and at this point and I don't mess with reloading for friends any more if these are their firearm choices

 

[18whlsrolin]

I can't take the time to read all the posts but if this is a Remington pump or semi a
uto 7400 series then they are press in barrels. As time passes along with use they will fail accuracy wise expanitionaly more than screw in barrels. It's just a fact and at this point and I don't mess with reloading for friends any more if these are their firearm choices

Sorry if reply sounds crazy, auto correct/ texting wears me thin

 

[Bob2650]

I think 500 to 300 rounds or less is about all most people got out of a 742 in 30-06. That is a lot of years of hunting for most. I recommend no heavier than 150 grain bullets in the 30-06 742 rifle. The heavy bullets wear down the shotgun action faster than the light projectiles.
This is a rifle where only the cold clean bore shot groups mattered. I have had several 742 rifles and they are or were very much good enough for typical hunting distances using cheap factory ammo. My beat up personal favorite 742 "truck gun" will give me a 2" wide group at 100 yards over a few days. That is worthless for a long range rifle but that also means putting the bullet within one inch of the point of aim at 100 yards for the first shot of the day. It gets a LOT worse if I try to shoot a 5 shot group. They do have "floating barrels" but that does not seem to matter unless the barrel is touching something when fired.

 

[SMK1000plus]

A friend of mine has a 50+ year old Browning BAR 30-06 that shoots consistent 1/2" groups at 100 yards with factory Remington core locks. Very manageable recoil to boot. I was amazed how well it shoots for a semi-auto.

My beloved late Uncle Frederick had a simular old original Browning BAR 30-06 that he had hunted with for over 40 years. He NEVER cleaned the bore, EVER! The only cleaning that rifle ever got was at least 15 years after he had owned it, once every few years when he would let his son and I check zero for him (200 yard zero) and I insisted on a full cleaning, especially the bore. By the time that I had got it for its first cleaning, that bore literally looked as if someone had blasted a coarse grit with a sandblaster down the inside of the barrel. There were easily visable pits and grooves all over inside, including across the lands. That rifle still constantly shoots 5 round groups of various, often mixed lot numbers of Remington CoreLokt PSP 150gr, Remington SP 125gr (NOT CoreLokt) and even Winchester 150gr SP ammunition, all sub-MOA. I know, unbelievable. If I hadn't seen it first hand over and over again, I'd have never believed it myself. Not one of the half-dozen BARS that I have owned in 300 Win Mag, 30-06 or 308 Win had ever consistently shot 5 round groups under 1-1/4 MOA. Most were just under 2 MOA in 5 rounds, typically. Yes, I have occasionally shot some sub-MOA, even a couple of 1/2-MOA 3 round groups with them but, the best of them was a true 1-1/4 MOA grouping rifle.

 

[TheFishBox]

We used to call these guns stove pokers, cause all they were good for was stirring the fire. The family had a half dozen of these since someone thought they were the cats meow and we all own bolt actions now, because of the exact issue you are having.

 

[Hudge76]

When my son told me that he chose Minot, ND as his duty station instead of Barksdale AFB, which is only a 4 or 5 hour drive from home I asked him WHY? Why would you pick Minot?? He said, all of my friends are going to Minot. I said - GET NEW FRIENDS! We're 5 pages into this post, I'm replying to post #1

He could have at least chosen bases like did when I was in. For the couple of bases I had a pick in, I chose the ones with the best hunting in the area. It worked very well in MT, and so-so here in AK. I retired 5 years ago and we are still in AK. Once I retire for good, I'm moving somewhere I can hunt whitetails and possible hogs and now shovel snow.