Borescope Should I get one?

[jcm24m]

Looked through Hawkeye's many many times over the years, tho I never owned one. bought the Lyman a little over a year ago and really glad I didn't spring for a Hawkeye. The Hawkeye gives you a little better resoution because it is direct sight and not video feed, but I have absolutely no trouble seeing any sort of copper/carbon fouling or metal wear or imperfections in my barrels with the Lyman. My favorite thing is like someone else mentioned about not having to have your eye pressed up against it and lined up on the barrel like you do with the hawkeye. If you buy a portable USB cell phone/tablet power charging pack, you can take the Lyman with you anywhere.

Also very nice to be able to capture digital images with the Lyman and save them on your computer. One of my Uncle-in-laws had me take one of his rifles to my father in law for a future varmint hunt, and asked me to take a look at it because it wasnt shooting very well. I used image capturing feature to inspect his bore then send him images of the badly and unevenly washed out lands via email so he could see why his rifle wasn't shooting good.

 

[jcm24m]

Does Hawkeye or Lyman make a unit for 17 CALIBER ?

 

[snert]

I haven't bought one yet. I'm afraid to look.

Youcan use mine...I will enjoy watching your blood pressure plummet, like mine did. Funny thing is, groups have not changed from before, and no groundhogs complained yet that I cleaned my barrels better.

 

[Motoman006]

I bought a Lyman the other day waiting for it it mail

Optic planet has them for 212 shipped

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Does Hawkeye or Lyman make a unit for 17 CALIBER ?

Lyman only makes the one unit and it will only do down to 20 cal.

Hawkeye makes a few models and have one that will fit down a 17 cal bore.

 

[CTK]

I have been hunting this weekend and just read these replies. Without a doubt I have taken the hunting rifle accuracy quest too far. I am going to lay off the gadget purchases for a while. Possible exception may be a Labradar chrono. I have somehow managed to cleanly kill deer while remaining ignorant of potential carbon rings and throat erosion. I am a closet perfectionist with my hobbies and a complete gear slut.

 

[msinc]

I bought the Hawkeye many years ago, back when they were about all there was. I also bought the 90 degree eyepiece, which is nice, but I didn't buy it new because I thought the price was high for an eyepiece. I lucked out and got it off of ebay for like $75.00. After getting the thing I realized it probably would have been worth the money new, but am glad I didn't pay the new price.
No, the appearance of a bore is not a good indicator of how well it will group, and no, a borescope cannot change a bore or make it better.
I cant imagine not having a borescope, but then again I do quite a bit of gunsmithing for a lot of people. I wish I had the ability to capture photos and maybe I just need to spend some more money. I will say this in regards to borescopes.....all you guys that swear by your favorite "bore cleaners" would probably use something else if you had a scope. Most of the cleaners I see people posting and raving about on this and other forums accomplished little to nothing {as in zero} when I tried them. The funny thing about it is that all the guys who post claims about bore cleaners that you apply and minutes later simply wipe the bore whistle clean DO NOT OWN A BORESCOPE!!!!!!!

 

[Joe R]

I was pleasantly ignorant about my rifle bore conditions prior to the internet. Now I wonder if I have a carbon ring, residual copper fouling, etc.... I load for my rifles for hunting but enjoy the process and challenges. Is a borescope a helpful tool for occasional use or is it mainly a tool for competitive shooters and gun dealers? See that the Lyman digital scope is only a couple of hundred dollars. Would it show a carbon ring. Is it a decent product? If threw down the money for a Hawkeye, would it be more useful as a regular part of my cleaning regimen? I really want to know if I have carbon rings. Can these be isolated without a borescope. Should one just assume a carbon ring is present and scrub away at it?

3 years ago (before Lyman came out with theirs) I decided to buy a digital bore scope. The reason I chose to go with a digital bore scope is very simple. An Hawkeye has a very delicate glass tube inside the optic rod, any pressure on the rod or accidental drop and you're done. Its a $600 repair job. It wouldn't last a week in my hands.

I have been very pleased with my Chinese made bore scope ($200), I can see copper and fouling a plain as day. A 5.5mm fiber optic goes down a .22 bore snug but no resistance. I use mine every time I clean my rifle, and if it broke today I would buy another tomorrow.

I would advise against a 90 degree mirror adapter at the tip. I tried using it and its like putting on mule blinders and looking down at your feet. You don't know where you are, where you've been or where you're going. Its totally useless.

Kindest regards,

Joe

 

[DRNewcomb]

You don't need a borescope. You need a buddy who owns a borescope.

 

[Lapua40X]

Borescope Should I get one?
Yes

 

[ND shooter]

Borescope Should I get one?
Yes

And YES again

 

[msinc]

You don't need a borescope. You need a buddy who owns a borescope.

very good point and advice!!!!....and a boat, and a hunting cabin up in the big woods....I'd have a lot more money if I just could find one of these guys/gals!!!!

 

[DRNewcomb]

very good point and advice!!!!....and a boat, and a hunting cabin up in the big woods....I'd have a lot more money if I just could find one of these guys/gals!!!!

I can tell you, having a buddy with a big fishing boat is just great. I'm happy as a clam to bring lunch and beer for everyone, chip in my share for fuel, bait and ice; help clean up the boat, and then just walk away.

 

[CTK]

I can tell you, having a buddy with a big fishing boat is just great. I'm happy as a clam to bring lunch and beer for everyone, chip in my share for fuel, bait and ice; help clean up the boat, and then just walk away.

I tried, with no success, to find a friend that would partner with me on a saltwater "bay boat". Did not want to go this alone. None of them felt this was a good plan given that we all live in TN. I would argue that they lacked vision and investment savvy.

 

[okie]

I think they are great tools. You could use the money you will save on shooting supplies now that Trump won, to get you a hawkeye.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

very good point and advice!!!!....and a boat, and a hunting cabin up in the big woods....I'd have a lot more money if I just could find one of these guys/gals!!!!

It's true. I'm the guy with a nice boat and that's exactly why a lot of my friends or family doesn't want to buy their own. They just go out on mine. Lol

As long as we're having fun, catching fish or both, it's fine by me. Boats are really boring when you're out there by yourself anyhow

 

[msinc]

Anyone out there that has a boat and a hunting cabin looking for a new friend????? Even if you are female...not a problem...I'll just go into it knowing that I will be wrong all the time!!!!

 

[hogan]

Do you own a Boresighter with Scope Collimator grid?

Bushnell #74-3333 is the most used gun tool I have ever bought; maybe after my Brownells screwdriver bit set...

If you can't diagnose scope problems and set-up your scope mount systems you are flying blind in the shooting game.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Do you own a Boresighter with Scope Collimator grid?

Bushnell #74-3333 is the most used gun tool I have ever bought; maybe after my Brownells screwdriver bit set...

If you can't diagnose scope problems and set-up your scope mount systems you are flying blind in the shooting game.

I disagree. boresighters are worthless in my opinion. I've tried a few over the years. Think I threw them all in the garbage. can't really remember cuz it's been so long since I used one.

Pop the bolt out, look down the bore and get it centered on the target at 100 yards. Dial the scope into the center of the target. Shoot. Make fine tuning adjustments and I'm off to the 300, 500, and 600 yard range to really tune it in. Nothing to it. Never taken me more than 5 rounds to sight in a newly mounted scope at 100 yards, and that includes a verification round once it's where I want it. Sometimes less if the bore is already fouled a bit.

Heck sometimes I'll boresight that way at 300 yards and be sighted in with the same amount of rounds or less. I'll never own another bore sighter.

 

[hogan]

I disagree. boresighters are worthless in my opinion. I've tried a few over the years. Think I threw them all in the garbage. can't really remember cuz it's been so long since I used one.

Pop the bolt out, look down the bore and get it centered on the target. Dial the scope into the center of the target. Shoot. Make fine tuning adjustments and off you go. Nothing to it. Never taken me more than 5 rounds to sight in a newly mounted scope at 100 yards, and that includes a verification round once it's where I want it. Sometimes less if the bore is already fouled a bit.

Can lead a horse to water, eh?

The collimator grid allows you to verify scope movements and can be used to swap scopes between one or more rifles. Do you keep a log book? You zero your rifle, then put the collimator on and record in your book the grid coordinates that the reticle is positioned on. Collimator will also enable you to verify that your scope is mounted on center bore line. Can verify your turret movements without having to fire ammunition.

Lots of uses. Looking down the bore might work; and it does to get On Paper, but... If your scope is canted or off center, or, or,.... you'll have problems you can't diagnose and will likely waste hours and range time trying to correct.

A crummy barrel don't need a Hawkeye to diagnose it, and some cheap barrels will shoot just fine even though they're rough.

Had a guy in Hawaii buy a Sako Vixen barrel from me and he griped about the condition after he borescoped it. I asked him if he had cleaned the barrel before scoping it, because I had coated the barrel with some heavy grease. Never heard back from that guy.... Goes to show you can own all the cool toys, but knowing how to use them; and knowing to patch-out a barrel before inspecting it are not matters of common sense.

I dunno what you "need", but scopes are the most complex and delicate tools we use in daily shooting. If you can't diagnose scope irregularities you are flying blind.


Also, why is this discussion posted in the loading forum, rather than the correct forum for borescope discussion?