Saubier.com  



Go Back   Saubier.com > Saubier.com Forums > Small Caliber Discussion Board

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-17-2014, 03:29 PM
Gary in Illinois Gary in Illinois is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Taylorville, Illinois
Posts: 1,815
Default Borescope

I would like some feedback from those who own a borescope. Do you find it very useful or just interesting in the short term? I have a rifle I think needs to have the barrel replaced and I would like to check the barrel out before having it replaced. The borescope can be purchased for around 1.5 - 2 time the cost of replacing the barrel.

Is this a good use of funds? Would you make the purchase again? Is the scope a worthwhile purchase at the cost of 1.5 barrel replacements? How important do you consider the readily adjustable focus feature? How about the right angle viewing attachment?

I realize that it would probably be useful in checking for barrel cleaning results but that is likely to just cause me more work!

Let me know your thoughts and experiences if you have taken the plunge.

Thanks for your input!

PS - I don't think barrel inspection is something that is available to me locally.
__________________
Good shooting!

Gary

NRA Endowment Life Member
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 04-17-2014, 05:28 PM
Centerfire Centerfire is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, TX.
Posts: 688
Default

If you plan on a life of gun shooting in front of you, you will always wonder just how fine the barrel bore on the new rifle you bought is. Or, how well the chamber or bore on the custom barrel you bought was made. Or, how well your typical cleaning regimen really cleans your barrel. Or, if there is a slight imperfection on your barrel crown, or a pit at the gas vent in your AR rifle barrel, Or, Or, Or............

I don't have a focus feature on my Hawkeye scope, but moving the rod closer or further against the surface focuses it well enough to see the detail of what's going on. After having the right anlge detachable eye-piece, I can't imagine myself having to hang the hawkeye borescope off the edge of my table and having to kneel and put my head down in the right position to look into it.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 04-17-2014, 06:51 PM
bowfisher bowfisher is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 820
Default

It's worth the cost, IMO Gary. Especially when dealing with worn throats, or barrels that prove troublesome. not too mention the peace of mind it gives when buying a used barrel.

I've discovered that different powders tend to carbon ring more than others, learned which cleaning products work best, in certain order of application, have seen the difference between an excellent chamber job vs a hurried one....to name just a few.

It's like fishing wish a good side view finder or Vexlar for ice fishing...once you've used one, you wonder how the heck you were ever bale to make it without it!

Frankly , I'm surprised you don't have one already. ( How's that for purchase mentoring?!?!)
__________________
"I used to wear barrels out fretting over a bunch of things that don't amount to a rats petutie."
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 04-17-2014, 07:38 PM
dlong dlong is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 210
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Centerfire View Post
If you plan on a life of gun shooting in front of you, you will always wonder just how fine the barrel bore on the new rifle you bought is. Or, how well the chamber or bore on the custom barrel you bought was made. Or, how well your typical cleaning regimen really cleans your barrel. Or, if there is a slight imperfection on your barrel crown, or a pit at the gas vent in your AR rifle barrel, Or, Or, Or............

I don't have a focus feature on my Hawkeye scope, but moving the rod closer or further against the surface focuses it well enough to see the detail of what's going on. After having the right anlge detachable eye-piece, I can't imagine myself having to hang the hawkeye borescope off the edge of my table and having to kneel and put my head down in the right position to look into it.
I'm too cheap to buy the $250 angled eye piece so I get on my knees. Nice option to have though.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 04-18-2014, 03:28 AM
thekriebles thekriebles is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Collegeville, PA
Posts: 363
Default

Hello Gary.

Mine is worth every penny to me. I have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the wealth of info it has provided me on bores, chambers, throat areas, crowns, and cleaning. I've had mine for over 8 years, and still use it often. I would definitely purchase again. I have the adjustable feature, which is a plus. Your eyes change over the years, and having the focus feature is a bonus. Just imagine your rifle scope without a focus feature. The right angle attachment is nice. But, if you have majority of rifles with a high comb on stock, then you're not going to be able to use it. Because it is quite large in diameter were it attaches to the unit and you need additional clearance under the scope and above the top of stock to use it. Another nice feature with Hawkeye is to remove the angled-mirror tube to use the center optic tube for .204 and .172 caliber barrels, since the center tube is .168" in diameter. It will only provide a straight-on view, but it's still a revealing image.

Don
__________________
NRA Lifetime Endowment Member
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 04-18-2014, 08:42 AM
Alan in GA Alan in GA is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,581
Default straight on view in .17s.....

you get an even better view if you locate a white paper wad or cleaning patch just forward of the end of the scope tube for THAT area of the bore you want to examine......it reflects light and illuminates the area.
Don't forget to remove it.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 04-18-2014, 11:32 AM
xring xring is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 873
Default

Here's something I've always wondered about . Let's say you are experienced with a Bore Scope and that a few Barrels are in front of you . Will you be able to tell ( using a Bore Scope ) which are Hummers and which are Bummers ?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 04-18-2014, 03:42 PM
SmokinJoe SmokinJoe is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Augusta, GA
Posts: 982
Default

Lots of good comments here. I've had mine for about 15 years & wouldn't be without it anymore. I still get on my knees as needed because I find the right angle viewer too bulky. The scope is very useful for checking barrels on used rifles, especially CM barrels which are frequently pitted on used rifles. And yes, you can tell the real bummers from the rest, but only God knows which are hummers ahead of time. Like was already said, it's the only way to truly know what your cleaning regimen needs to be. Gary, I'm surprised you don't yet own a borescope, too.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 04-18-2014, 06:30 PM
Gary in Illinois Gary in Illinois is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Taylorville, Illinois
Posts: 1,815
Default Hard-core mentoring!

Barry, you and Joe are making me feel like a real slacker for not having a bore scope! How hard is it to manually adjust the focus on the Limited Edition model without the AEP? Gradient Lens sight says the focus on this model can be adjusted but doesn't indicate how.

If you add the right angle viewing attachment, the information on the GL website says this attachment contains its own adjustable focus. Does this give the same results as the Adjustable Eye Piece? Can it be added to the Limited Edition model? Does the Adjustable Eye Piece (or the focus adjustment in the right angle viewer) improve the view when using the scope without the mirror tube?

I know, a lot of what might seem stupid questions, but since you guys are pushing me into a purchase I want to get the right model with the least outlay.

By the way, if it affects any of the answers to the questions above or any of your suggestions, most of my rifles are 17 and 20 caliber which precludes use of the mirror tube.

Thanks,
__________________
Good shooting!

Gary

NRA Endowment Life Member
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 04-18-2014, 08:06 PM
bowfisher bowfisher is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 820
Default

You can still use the mirror on your 20's, just not the 17's. The 360 view on 17 cals is better than nothing, but still not as nice as the 90 deg view on everything else, IMO

I haven't done any research lately, not sure if anybody make a 90deg view for 17's... it's worth a look.
__________________
"I used to wear barrels out fretting over a bunch of things that don't amount to a rats petutie."

Last edited by bowfisher; 04-19-2014 at 12:04 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 01:49 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.