Carbon or a shot out barrel?

[Smokerroller]

These photos are from my 6.5SAUM with about 350 rounds on it. The bad pictures are from an inch or two after the throat. The good picture is middle of the barrel. Is that just carbon or is that fire cracking of the steel? Should I keep trying to scrub it out or is it part of the barrel steel? Accuracy has been satisfactory, ES and SD have never been good so can’t speak to that.

 

[spife7980]

A bit of cracking on the land and a bit of carbon staining in the groove. Looks fine, shoot it.

 

[diggler1833]

Lands are starting to show some firecracking. Probably only have a good 500 - 750 rounds left on her . When velocity drops considerably or accuracy goes away, that is a better time to determine when she's shot out.

As far as the carbon buildup; it is certainly there. Nothing that some careful cleaning won't alleviate though.

 

[cas6969]

Looks like a pretty normal barrel to me.

 

[TheJeanyus]

Fire cracking is totally normal and not an indication that the barrel is "shot out". As long as it's printing groups that you're happy with, keep shooting it.

 

[Thump_rrr]

If you are unhappy with E.S and S.D try a different powder or primer. As Eric Cortina says think of it as an ignition problem. I have one barrel that went from an SD of 30+ to single digits going from one powder to another.

 

[Andrew863]

Stop scrubbing, burn your bore scope and go shoot.