Can you help me understand? The bore of my rifle seems to be tighter near the muzzle.

[Y2GREY]

My Hatfield half stock is like that. Gets really tight about 4 inches in then loosens up. It has a Green Mountain barrel and is very accurate. I've taken to using a brass starter and fiberglass rod she gets that tight.

 

[smoothshooter]

Quite nornal. A decreasind depth accounted for Gas cutting.Tapered bores egzised Long before choke boreing. EVEN the Poor old British Enfield P53 had decreased depth rifling. Originals always did and still shoot acurately out to 6/7/8/900yd's. Ask David or the russians.. OLD DOG..

That would be shooting bullets, and not balls at those ranges.