So has anyone heard of a gun barrel going bad?
For a deer hunter with a .30-06 used for hunting use only? The short answer is NO. The barrel is highly unlikely to be bad.
I’ve heard it again and again, some armchair know-it-all tells somebody their barrel is shot out and 90% of the time, after some investigation, it turns out to be the scope, rings, or base. Most of the time, it’s loose screws on the base or rings. Occasionally, I’ve seen a scope that has had something break internally and just won’t hold zero.
Just last fall working at the gun club, I had a gent at the 50 and his rifle was very inconsistent. He was getting pretty steamed up, thought his brother in law had “shot out” his barrel last year, etc. I suggested he check his rings and base screws. Nothing wrong with them he says. The next shot, his scope went flying off the rifle!
Remove scope and rings being careful to note if you find loose screws. Remove base and reinstall with blue (removable) thread lock compound. Reinstall everything and bore site. My guess is the problem goes away.