Need advice - what would you recomend?  I have never owned one.
Only used one once but they do have my interest up.
Opinions please as to make, model, options and where to buy.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Respectfully - the rimfire - cd persons

I have to agree with KAF.  Cut rifled barrels can look real rough and shoot real well. Proof is on the target. Perhaps they are usefull if buying a used rifle but once committed better not to look

Boats

Well given your screen name I'd assume you shoot rimfire . The Hawkeye from Gradient systems is, I would say, the most widely used and a quality piece of equipment. Mine is used for CF and RF barrels primarily and I will tell you without equivication if you shoot a .22 extensively you will development a whole new understanding of how and what cleans these barrels and chambers and what's necessary to maintain them which is not possible without one.

As the the Hawkeye you want the 17" model with the 90deg mirror, not cheap but worth every penny.

Bore scopes are a lot like chronographs they can be usefull tools if their information is put in the proper context. If you know the speed your bullet is traveling on your best load it will help you develop loads using different powders. It can also help you to learn how to use your powder measure. Once you have a load and learned how to use the measure the chrono doesn't tell you much. It's the same with a bore scope. If your barrel goes sour a look through a bore scope can identify a problem like a ring or damage to the throat. If you are sticking the thing down your barrel every time you clean you are overusing the tool. These gegaws aren't the be all and end all for good shooting and as often as not they will take an unsuspecting shooter down the wrong path.

40 Rod

40 Rod

My point was that as shooters we get hooked on the gegaws. Way too many shooters either overuse or misinterprete the information they get from things like bore scopes and chronographs. Way to many are looking for some missing link of information that will improve their scores. They wuld be better served by spending more time learning to shoot their rifle in a varity of conditions.
  In the case of chronographs I see guys who can't take a shot downrange without running it through a set of screens. What makes a difference is what is on the target not what is on the readout. 
  In the case of bore scopes they are a must have for a modern barrel maker. They can be useful for a gunsmith to inspect a new barrel for defects or to identify a problem when something goes south. If you are using the bore scope to make sure that you have gotten every last speck out of a barrel when cleaning then you are doing more harm than good. A cast bullet barrel break in is more about seasoning the barrel with lube than polishing it down. If you are using the bore scope to clean it down to the molecular level you are over-cleaning and shortening the life of your barrel.

40 Rod