I bore scoped my new CA Ridgeline barrel...not what I expected!

[Viper]

I just bought this rifle brand new, in the box from Bass Pro. Christensen Arms Ridgeline, 6.5 PRC. I thought I would bore scope it before firing the first shot. Note: I have around 30 mins total experience with this $50 bore scope, but seems pretty straight forward. I guess I expected a "match grade, lapped barrel" to be very clean and smooth lands and grooves (?). I attached a video. It starts on the groove in question, then I rotate to  see the others, and back to the "bad" one, then travel up the barrel a short ways. This is at the chamber end, where the rifling starts. It looks this way through the entire barrel. To my untrained eye, it looks like gouges.  Am I being concerned over nothing? Does the barrel "breakin procedure" smooth it out? Is this normal for a new barrel from CA? My main concern...will it affect accuracy?

[Couesdeer]

I'm not an expert by any means, I have never looked at a CA barrel in my life, but that doesn't look right to me.  Those multiple "steps' between that one land and goove looks like it will collect crud in a hurry.  The perpendicular chatter marks might lap out, but then again, I haven't seen anything like that with new barrels from Shilen, Hart, McGowan, Lilja, or Shaw.  

 

[recurveman]

Well that does look like crap.   But then again I haven't seen a really good chamber/barrel from a production gun.    Honestly I've seen quite a few custom chamber jobs that looked like crap too.    I think you have a couple choices.    You could take it back and get another gun (don't know if that is even an option).   You could see if it shoots good (you have shot worse looking barrels before but just didn't know it).   If is shoots poorly then sell it.   You could try lapping the barrel but I don't see those grooves coming out.   You could put a new barrel on the gun.   Would run about $700 for a top quality barrel and a quality chamber job that will shoot better than this barrel.

I would shoot it.   Then decide to keep it as is or sell it if you don't want to put a new barrel on the gun.    long guns that aren't awesome don't get a spot in my safe.....EVER!!!!!!!   

[Viper]

Exchanging it is not an option, per Bass Pro policy. They will handle shipping to CA for warranty repair. I would have to contact CA first. Maybe I will post to Long Range Only...they seem to favor CA and have history with them.

[SO I HUNT]

I’m not a barrel expert, but I have this same rifle in 300 rum and it shoots lights out and I have a custom 6.5 prc with a match grade barrel by Proof and it looked like this also when I called the builder I was told it looked like that from test firing it. Who knows, both rifles shoot amazing. That good enough for me. 
 

[GreyGhost85]

I’m no gunsmith but I’d shoot it and see what it does. You have documentation prior to firing it if for some reason it doesn’t shoot

[Viper]

Thanks to you all for the replies. I often over think it and over analyze. I will shoot it and see how it does. It probably shoots better than I. Kinda hard to go shoot with it so blasted hot and fire restrictions still in place. Btw, I posted this on Long Range Only. They seem to be big proponents of CA. They don't think it is an issue. 

[lancetkenyon]

Go shoot it.  If it shoots, that is all that matters, but now you will always have that in your mind.  

One of the best arguments why NOT to buy a bore scope.  Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.  

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  

[desertmafia21]

I have the same rifle and mine shoots .5 all day with 143 eldx. Haven't tried the 147's yet but I heard they shoot better out of these rifles. Shoot that thing and let us know how it does!

[Viper]

Maybe Saturday at Jim Jones. Too bad they don't open until 9:00...it's already hot.

[HyNoon]

Ya it is, that's what time we stopped shooting yesterday and it was hot already...

[Viper]

13 minutes ago, desertmafia21 said:

I have the same rifle and mine shoots .5 all day with 143 eldx. Haven't tried the 147's yet but I heard they shoot better out of these rifles. Shoot that thing and let us know how it does!

 

2 hours ago, SO I HUNT said:

I’m not a barrel expert, but I have this same rifle in 300 rum and it shoots lights out and I have a custom 6.5 prc with a match grade barrel by Proof and it looked like this also when I called the builder I was told it looked like that from test firing it. Who knows, both rifles shoot amazing. That good enough for me. 
 

Did you follow the CA break in procedure? That's a $90 break in! Seems excessive.  There's a lot of conflicting opinions. 

[SO I HUNT]

Yes

[desertmafia21]

5 hours ago, Viper said:

 

Did you follow the CA break in procedure? That's a $90 break in! Seems excessive.  There's a lot of conflicting opinions. 

Bought the gun used with 30 rounds down the tube. Only cleaned it once after last deer season so no...

[recurveman]

For the most part barrel break in is done after about 50-75 shots.    The biggest issue I've found with barrel break in is that the speed of the barrel changes until about 50-75 rounds.    What this means in layman terms is if you are doing load development nothing really matters until about 50 shots because your bullets are going different speeds until it settles down.   If you aren't using a chronograph and doing load development then I don't know if it matters much to be honest.