Bore sight

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duckman3279

New member
What is the best way to use a bore sight? I have a Lite Site that I traded an old smoker for. This is the kind that you can change o-rings on and slide it in the muzzle of the gun. Just wanting to know the proper distance to use it at and all that good stuff. And yes, I realize that this should just get me close on the paper. Thanks guys!:)
 
Put it in the drawer and forget about it. You'll be on paper and closer to your zero without one with any bolt rifle. It MIGHT save you one round with any other action and zero with a bolt gun.
 
Yep, I've had guns boresighted twice, and both times they were further off than if I just put the scope on then shot it at 25 yards to see where it hit.

I shoot at 25 yards to see where it hits, make an adjustment to get it close, then move to 100 yards and see where it hits. I then make adjustments as needed. IMO it's a much better way than a boresighter. You can also take the bolt out on bolt action rifles and boresight it that way.
 
I've had the same results with the laser boresighters until I got this...

http://www.leupold.com/hunting-and-.../zero-point-magnetic-illuminated-boresighter/

It really works slick!!! I put a big target up backwards at 100 yards with a small target in the middle and I've never been farther off then 5" using this thing (at 100 yards...1st shot). Then you just set the gun in a solid stand and re-allign the crosshairs back on the bullseye (by moving the rifle not the adjustments)... and THEN adjust the scope with the adjustments so the crosshairs are on the hole you made and the second shot (if you didn't move the rifle) will be right there in the bull!

Saves alot of ammo and also shoulders.
 
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When I bore sight a bolt rifle, I do just that.....remove the bolt, look through the receiver while adjusting the barrel position to center it on target, and the finally adjust the scope for the same POA. I recently did this with a new .308 with a 20 MOA base and Bushnell 4200 mil-dot scope. My first shot hit the top half of the 3/4" bullseye. It doesn't get any easier than that. ;)
 
This works better then a laser bore sighter and I used it until I got the Leupold gizmo. If you don't want to spend any money and take your time arizona98tj's suggestion works great.
 
I suppose I am the contrarian here.

I have two laser bore sighters and they work great.

The rear sight on my M1A came loose last Friday and today I got everything put back together.

Put the bore sighter in and made major adjustments to the sight while looking at the garage door across the street. Took less than five minutes.

I will be back at the range Friday and finish getting it dialed in.

If you switch out scopes, it really does help get the first shot on paper.

Geetarman:D
 
When I bore sight a bolt rifle, I do just that.....remove the bolt, look through the receiver while adjusting the barrel position to center it on target, and the finally adjust the scope for the same POA.
Click to expand...

+1. This method has always worked well for me.

My Dad duct tapes the gun down so it doesn't move (a towel between your gun and the tape is a good call) and then follows the above steps. I usually by pass the duct tape but either method works pretty well. You'll be on paper pretty quick.
 
I've used books on the dining room table to set the rifle level enough to look through the barrel at something outside the window. Transformer on an electric pole, car window, whatever. Fiddle around until the crosshairs and the bore look close enough for 25 yards.

Always been on the paper at 25 yards, and usually within a couple of inches. :)
 
While I agree about looking through the barrel...

... with a bolt action, I don't see where the OP indicated he was trying to sight a bolt action rifle.

So, for a lever, or a semi-auto, etc, how do people use boresights? (Curious myself, as I haven't tried one yet.)
 
I changed out the optics on a Bushie .223 and DPMS LR308 and put EOTECH Holosights on them.

Boresighted them in my living room.

I have done it the old way of sighting through the bore on bolt guns.

No question that it works. Seems that the laser is just faster. . . especially for the semi-autos.

The other thing that is really handy is the attachment and target provided with the Sitelite to level your reticle.

Geetarman:D
 
EOTech...

Geetarman, I put an EOTech on my AR with pop-up irons. All I did with that one was adjust the dot to meet my already sighted in irons. Took it to the range, and it was already in the bull.

Gotta love EOTech.... particulary the 552 (AA batteries, easy to find).
 
My dad got one of the laser type that you stick in the bore, and it was a royal PITA.

First try with a 90* bore mirror (gun was an M1A) and the look down the bore method, and the round was on the paper and not far off the aiming point. The bore sighter never made it on the paper.

I think the biggest problem with the bore sighter was the arbors were not tight enough fitting, and allowed the thing to move every time you bumped/touched the gun, dramatically changing where the dot was each time you looked.
 
I guess I am lucky. I bought a laserlyte bore sighter and have use it to sight in over 30 rifles from 22 to 45-70. This tool has always put me on the paper at 100 yards. Often within 10 inches from center. Mine has made up for its cost in saved ammo.
I have also sighted in a scoped SW 500mag and a 480 SRH with this tool.
Both times resulted with the first shot being within 6 inches of the bullseye at 50 yards.
I offer one hint. When using the laserlite, do it in low light conditions outside as you can see the dot at a farther distance. Also zero your scope at the distance you want to sight your rifle or handgun in at. IE, If I am sighting my rifle in at 100yds, I will place the laser dot at 100yards and click the scope reticles right on the dot.
 
... with a bolt action, I don't see where the OP indicated he was trying to sight a bolt action rifle.

So, for a lever, or a semi-auto, etc, how do people use boresights? (Curious myself, as I haven't tried one yet.)
Click to expand...
On others, I don't look through the bore. I just mount the scope and shoot it at 25 yards first. I use one of those big targets that have the bullseye in the middle and a small bullseye in each corner that they sell at Dicks Sporting Goods or other sporting goods stores. I've never not been on paper. In most cases I've been closer than I have after having the gun boresighted. I just adjust it so it's halfway close at 25 yards. Take another shot to verify, then move to 100 yards and make the final adjustments. Works perfect.
 
MLeake,

I hear that. I have a DPMS Panther Bull that had an Aimpoint and magnifier as well as co-witnessed irons.

The laser would have verified that easily for me.

I had to remove the carry handle from both the Bushie and LR308 to mount the EOTECHs.

I am able to remove the sights and reinstall the carry handle and be on paper.

For my use, the electronic sights work fine. I have the carry handle for backup.

The M1A on the other hand is much more fun to shoot with irons.

I had the elevation screw come loose last week and when I dialed the elveation down to my 100 mark, the elevation kept on turning.

I wanted to take the elevation shaft all the way out to mark the index marks with white laquer and lost both elevation and windage. The boresighter allowed me to get back to the point I can fine tune Friday and get the rifle back to where it should be.

++++++++++++1 on the AA batteries. I have a 512 and a 552 ( I think the models are correct ) and both use AA. It makes them a little long but the N size batteries are a lot harder to find.

Geetarman:D
 
Traditional bore sighting works on some lever actions too.

I just picked up my Marlin 1894 yesterday.

It has instructions on how to take it apart to clean it from the breech end, rather than the muzzle. I assume this would also let me look down the bore to sight it.

I don't think this would work on an auto.

Do you have some other type of laser device? Maybe a laser pointer to tape to the barrel? It will be off center by a bit, but should still aim straight enough to get you on paper.
 
For guns like autos, or anything else you cant look directly down the bore, you can use the old military type 90* bore mirrors. Works the same as sighting down the bore.
 
The one with the o-rings is a pain but u can get it to work. U have to figure out a way to get the laser centered. Easier to just shoot the rifle. Makes for a good cat and dog toy ......
 
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