Rough looking lands and groves.

[thefiremeister]

What do guys think of this? Pics are of a 308 factory barrel on a bolt gun that I've had for a while and have put about 7 or 8 hundred rounds though it.

I was cleaning it the other day and thought I would try out the bore scope. Wish I hadn't.

I've always struggled with this rifle.

Any one seen one this before?

 

[Long Range 338]

Is the first picture closer to the chamber or muzzle? It looks like your barrel could benefit from lapping.

 

[spife7980]

Its common, doesnt make or break a barrel from shooting well.

 

[ruts]

Looks like a pretty good savage barrel, clean too

 

[JBoomhauer]

Looks like a pretty good savage barrel, clean too

Certainly looks like a savage.

 

[Ledzep]

Remnants of reamer marks before they ran a button through it. Fairly common on "factory" grade button barrels. My old M1 Garand and M1903's had this, too.

 

[wind gypsy]

Is the first picture closer to the chamber or muzzle? It looks like your barrel could benefit from lapping.

That was my question, that has to be the crown right?

 

[JBoomhauer]

Remnants of reamer marks before they ran a button through it. Fairly common on "factory" grade button barrels. My old M1 Garand and M1903's had this, too.

If this is the case how are the marks on the lands and the grooves at approximately the same pitch?

I have always assumed it was due to the button loading and releasing.

 

[Ledzep]

If this is the case how are the marks on the lands and the grooves at approximately the same pitch?

I have always assumed it was due to the button loading and releasing.

It's reamed to roughly bore diameter and the marks are made, then the button pushes the marks into the grooves.

 

[diggler1833]

Button rifled bore with standard rifling. Some look better, some look worse...some that look like that shoot pretty good too.

Borescopes are great for seeing how clean everything is, or as a step in diagnosing a problem. Frequently however, we create problems by looking through them.

 

[thefiremeister]

Is the first picture closer to the chamber or muzzle? It looks like your barrel could benefit from lapping.

Picture number 5 is the muzzle

 

[Long Range 338]

That was my question, that has to be the crown right?

Funny, I figured the smoother section would be worn more towards the chamber.

 

[thefiremeister]

Certainly looks like a savage.

Nailed it.

 

[thefiremeister]

I stuck the bore scope up a Criterion 223 barrel and an Aero 6.5. No machining marks at all.

This rifle shoots OK. Probable better than me at this point but it looks horrible. I do plan on running another 1000 rounds through it and putting another barrel on it.

 

[Long Range 338]

I stuck the bore scope up a Criterion 223 barrel and an Aero 6.5. No machining marks at all.

This rifle shoots OK. Probable better than me at this point but it looks horrible. I do plan on running another 1000 rounds through it and putting another barrel on it.

If it were mine and underperforming, I would first strip down to bare metal and if that fails I would use JB bore lapping compound or the Tubb Final Finish product. Both options are fairly cheap and if they won't get it shooting nothing else likely will either.

 

[FredHammer]

I shoot 4 factory Savage barrels. Fuckucking laserbeams they are. Defy the laws of "Copper Fouling Fucks Precision". They need it.

"I was cleaning it the other day and thought I would try out the bore scope. Wish I hadn't."
No, you learned. You will continue to learn. The borescope is an invaluable learning device.
I shot, and still shoot, a barrel that looks similar to this to 1 Mile. I've had 1/4 MOA groups, nestled into 1MOA groups on the norm.

Let'er eat!

 

[JBoomhauer]

My savages look identical. All shoot very well.

Another vote for let it eat until you kill it.

 

[ubettcha]

If it doesn't shoot run the tubbs final finish through it. I'd look to have it recrowned. I've used the tubbs FF on 4 rifles so far all have shot better and had about 100fps increase in speed with the same load. Does a nice taper lap and improved my es/sd. If your getting vertical and it's a savage send your bolt to Desh Ind and get a bolt lift kit and have that bushed by him. It will shoot better with less effort to recock the action

Savage Bolt Lift Kit Stainless (Universal)

This is the only kit that works with Savage bolts with the cocking indicator in the BAS. For a long time I have been toying with different bolt lift kits and I have tried just about every type out …

deshind.com

 

[FisherT&C]

You could be keeping it too clean. Sometimes a production barrel like that needs 10-20 rounds through it before producing the best groups.
I've had varying grades of aftermarket barrels that needed 3-12 fouling shots before tightening up after cleaning to bare metal. The number of foulers needed can increase as the barrel ages.
Aside from the barrel.
Is the action bedded into a rigid stock or mounted in a chassis?
Does it have a muzzle brake and crisp trigger?

 

[thefiremeister]

You could be keeping it too clean. Sometimes a production barrel like that needs 10-20 rounds through it before producing the best groups.
I've had varying grades of aftermarket barrels that needed 3-12 fouling shots before tightening up after cleaning to bare metal. The number of foulers needed can increase as the barrel ages.
Aside from the barrel.
Is the action bedded into a rigid stock or mounted in a chassis?
Does it have a muzzle brake and crisp trigger?

I have it in an MDT chassis and an after market trigger.
I don't clean it that often. Might clean it at 80 to a 100 rounds.

 

[FisherT&C]

I have it in an MDT chassis and an after market trigger.
I don't clean it that often. Might clean it at 80 to a 100 rounds.

That sounds good. The only thing I see in the pictures that may be a concern is the third picture, it looks like a void or tear in the steel.
The number one thing I look for in a barrel is bore uniformity. You want a bore that is either the same diameter and not over sized or the bore gets slightly smaller towards the muzzle. When the bore gets bigger towards the muzzle I expect that barrel to not perform. The other problem is residual stress which can't be detected without shooting. If the barrel is not performing to your standards it may be time to switch it out.