Best type of bore-sighter?

Futo Inu · June 17, 2002, 11:59 AM

Optical or laser? Why? I hear laser ones are not reliable.

mcole · June 17, 2002, 02:56 PM

mine is. i got a laserlyte from cabela's. mcole

SWFA · June 17, 2002, 04:01 PM

The Leupold one piece magnetic is the best for sure.

Reasons why.

1. Single piece
2. $49.95
3. No battery
4. No minimum distance required to operate it
5. Durability
6. One unit fits any gun

C.R.Sam · June 18, 2002, 10:59 PM

Or most reliable
Vise and eyeball

Sam

orlando5 · June 19, 2002, 12:15 AM

Save your money because you still need to zero it in after your bore is sighted. All it does is give you the general impact location. Different type of bullets will give you different impact locations.

444 · June 19, 2002, 12:26 AM

The other night, I used a laser boresighter for the first time. This was one that looked like a cartridge. You load it in the gun and when you close the action, the laser illuminates.
I went out at night to spotlight jackrabbits. I wasn't going to take a gun at all, I figured we could share a gun taking turns, but the guy I was going with thought it was important for me to bring my own so he volunteered to let me use one of those small "Colt" scopes on my AR. I boresighted and went to work. At about 25 yards, it shot maybe 5 inches high and windage was right on the money. I just put the horizontal crosshair on the base of the rabbit and never missed from there on out. I wouldn't trust the zero of a boresighter for any serious purpose, but for plinking a few jacks, what the heck ? And, I had to detach the scope and give it back at the end of the night, so it worked out fine.
This concept seems to me, to be the most accurate method of boresighting. There is no arbor to have misaligned; you are actually shining a light through your bore from one end to the other. And, you can shine it at whatever range you desire. I can't see why you couldn't shine it at a couple hundred yards and adjust your scope. True, for serious use you would also have to fire on paper, but I personally would like to be able to have it fairly close before using live ammo. It isn't nessessary and I have gotten along for years without it, but I would like to have one now that I have seen it in action.
One use of it is in actually mounting a scope. If you are using Burris Posi-align rings with inserts, you can determine what insert you need to line up the scope. If you are using Leupold rings, you can adjust the windage pretty close with the ring prior to leaving the house minimizing the BS you have to go through at the range.

Futo Inu · June 19, 2002, 11:05 AM

Thanks, guys.

I realize it's just to get you on paper. That's what I need. In fact, Orlando, I'd be very curious to know what you do when there's no hole in the target at all.

SWFA, thanks, but Brownell's has it for $69.60, $20 more than what you said. I would be most appreciative if you can tell me where to get it for that price, or at least closer to your price than Brownell's.

Sam, what is the procedure, please, for the vic and eyeball method? Thanks.

orlando5 · June 19, 2002, 07:50 PM

Go do Wally world and buy a long sheet of paper wrapper. Have it cover the entire area and shoot at it. If there is no hole then the best way is to have someone stand behind you and tell where the bullet impacted.

If you wanted you can do a quick general zero in with one shot. Make sure the rifle is very stable, shoot one round. Move the cross hair to the hole that you just made. There is your zero. Not the best way but it is the fastest way I know of. It will at least get you the general impact area of the bullet.

I have used bore sighter before and they never help me zero my rifle.

One last reminder makes sure that the bore sighter is out of the gun barrel before firing. Write it down on the bore sighter so you don't forget.

MarineTech · June 19, 2002, 08:34 PM

I use a Bushnell collimeter kit to boresight and make sure I have the scope on straight.

Yes, you still have to do some fine scope adjustment at the range, but at least you know that when you put 4 clicks of "up" on the scope, the rounds are actually going "up" instead of somewhere diagnally.

444 · June 21, 2002, 06:45 AM

"SWFA, thanks, but Brownell's has it for $69.60, $20 more than what you said. I would be most appreciative if you can tell me where to get it for that price, or at least closer to your price than Brownell's."
SWFA is a scope business, he was quoting you his price on the item: http://www.swfa.com/
I have spent a lot of money with Chris.

The best way to get on paper if you don't have a boresighter is to start off close. If you don't hit the paper, move closer until you do. Then you can see where you are hitting. I almost always start off at 25 yards, fire a few shots and get it pretty close, then move back to 100 for the final setting. Over the years I have found that this saves time, ammo, and frustration over hopeing I will hit paper at 100 right off the bat.

"One last reminder makes sure that the bore sighter is out of the gun barrel before firing. "
Another beauty of the laser boresighter I was using; the laser itself is like a cartridge. It is chambered in the gun. It would be impossible to load a live cartridge with the laser in the chamber.

Guyon · June 29, 2002, 12:57 AM

I'm with CR Sam on this one. Bore sights are a waste of cash IMO.

Go to Wal-Mart and spend $20 on a Case-Guard Gun Maintenance Center. Or get a decent gun vise. Both work great for holding a gun steady while cleaning or while sighting in.

Set up the gun in your vise and remove the bolt. Look down the barrel towards some distant object. I set up on my kitchen table and look down the street at my neighbor's mailbox. It's white and shows up easily in the barrel. Center the object in the barrel. Then without moving the gun (thus the need for a vise of some sort), align the crosshairs of your scope on the center of the object you viewed down the barrel.

Job done. I'm on paper at 100 every time.

C.R.Sam · June 29, 2002, 09:19 AM

Futo....
Guyon got it.
Works for iron sights or optics.
Can't see down barrel ? Use mirror.

Sam

uglymofo · July 4, 2002, 01:40 AM

www.midsouthshooterssupply.com has it:

Item #0015453500 LEUPOLD SCOPESMITH MAGNETIC BORESIGHTER $42.90

another way to sight in is to wait for night. Find a street light way out at 100-200 yd. If you can center it in the bore, and find it in the scope, you'll be good at least to 100yd (at least, that method worked for me). The lack of other visible objects has made this method real dependable for me.

I tried the dental mirror trick, but it was a real hassle with a 10/22, so I went to the Leupold Boresighter. Sure it's >$40, but I was ready to kill after the frustation with the Ruger. Now, all my boresighting is < 2 minutes and painless.

Stray1 · July 6, 2002, 08:47 PM

I have used a laser bore site many times. Luckily I didn't spend my money on it. I still had to spend just as much time zeroing. It helps you not to have to make macro changes in site possition. If you don't hit the paper there are 2 things to do. 1. increase the size of the target or 2. decrease the distance to the target. I hope this helps.

"The greatest means to keep peace is a nation ready for war" Pres. G. Washington

June 17, 2002, 11:59 AM	#1
Futo Inu Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Oklahoma City, OK, USA Posts: 3,624	Best type of bore-sighter? Optical or laser? Why? I hear laser ones are not reliable.

June 19, 2002, 12:26 AM	#6
444 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,968	The other night, I used a laser boresighter for the first time. This was one that looked like a cartridge. You load it in the gun and when you close the action, the laser illuminates. I went out at night to spotlight jackrabbits. I wasn't going to take a gun at all, I figured we could share a gun taking turns, but the guy I was going with thought it was important for me to bring my own so he volunteered to let me use one of those small "Colt" scopes on my AR. I boresighted and went to work. At about 25 yards, it shot maybe 5 inches high and windage was right on the money. I just put the horizontal crosshair on the base of the rabbit and never missed from there on out. I wouldn't trust the zero of a boresighter for any serious purpose, but for plinking a few jacks, what the heck ? And, I had to detach the scope and give it back at the end of the night, so it worked out fine. This concept seems to me, to be the most accurate method of boresighting. There is no arbor to have misaligned; you are actually shining a light through your bore from one end to the other. And, you can shine it at whatever range you desire. I can't see why you couldn't shine it at a couple hundred yards and adjust your scope. True, for serious use you would also have to fire on paper, but I personally would like to be able to have it fairly close before using live ammo. It isn't nessessary and I have gotten along for years without it, but I would like to have one now that I have seen it in action. One use of it is in actually mounting a scope. If you are using Burris Posi-align rings with inserts, you can determine what insert you need to line up the scope. If you are using Leupold rings, you can adjust the windage pretty close with the ring prior to leaving the house minimizing the BS you have to go through at the range. __________________ You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.

June 19, 2002, 08:34 PM	#9
MarineTech Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2002 Location: Southern Maine US Posts: 299	I use a Bushnell collimeter kit to boresight and make sure I have the scope on straight. Yes, you still have to do some fine scope adjustment at the range, but at least you know that when you put 4 clicks of "up" on the scope, the rounds are actually going "up" instead of somewhere diagnally. __________________ Morituri Nolumus Mori - We who are about to die, don't want to. -

June 21, 2002, 06:45 AM	#10
444 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,968	"SWFA, thanks, but Brownell's has it for $69.60, $20 more than what you said. I would be most appreciative if you can tell me where to get it for that price, or at least closer to your price than Brownell's." SWFA is a scope business, he was quoting you his price on the item: http://www.swfa.com/ I have spent a lot of money with Chris. The best way to get on paper if you don't have a boresighter is to start off close. If you don't hit the paper, move closer until you do. Then you can see where you are hitting. I almost always start off at 25 yards, fire a few shots and get it pretty close, then move back to 100 for the final setting. Over the years I have found that this saves time, ammo, and frustration over hopeing I will hit paper at 100 right off the bat. "One last reminder makes sure that the bore sighter is out of the gun barrel before firing. " Another beauty of the laser boresighter I was using; the laser itself is like a cartridge. It is chambered in the gun. It would be impossible to load a live cartridge with the laser in the chamber. __________________ You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.

June 29, 2002, 12:57 AM	#11
Guyon Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2000 Location: Over the Hills and Through the Woods, Tennessee Posts: 1,207	I'm with CR Sam on this one. Bore sights are a waste of cash IMO. Go to Wal-Mart and spend $20 on a Case-Guard Gun Maintenance Center. Or get a decent gun vise. Both work great for holding a gun steady while cleaning or while sighting in. Set up the gun in your vise and remove the bolt. Look down the barrel towards some distant object. I set up on my kitchen table and look down the street at my neighbor's mailbox. It's white and shows up easily in the barrel. Center the object in the barrel. Then without moving the gun (thus the need for a vise of some sort), align the crosshairs of your scope on the center of the object you viewed down the barrel. Job done. I'm on paper at 100 every time. __________________ Gun control should just be about hitting your target.

June 17, 2002, 02:56 PM	#2
mcole Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2002 Posts: 102	mine is. i got a laserlyte from cabela's. mcole

June 17, 2002, 04:01 PM	#3
SWFA Member Join Date: February 8, 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 23	The Leupold one piece magnetic is the best for sure. Reasons why. 1. Single piece 2. $49.95 3. No battery 4. No minimum distance required to operate it 5. Durability 6. One unit fits any gun

June 18, 2002, 10:59 PM	#4
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	Or most reliable Vise and eyeball Sam

June 19, 2002, 12:15 AM	#5
orlando5 Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2001 Location: Somewhere in wonderland. Posts: 699	Save your money because you still need to zero it in after your bore is sighted. All it does is give you the general impact location. Different type of bullets will give you different impact locations.

June 19, 2002, 11:05 AM	#7
Futo Inu Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Oklahoma City, OK, USA Posts: 3,624	Thanks, guys. I realize it's just to get you on paper. That's what I need. In fact, Orlando, I'd be very curious to know what you do when there's no hole in the target at all. SWFA, thanks, but Brownell's has it for $69.60, $20 more than what you said. I would be most appreciative if you can tell me where to get it for that price, or at least closer to your price than Brownell's. Sam, what is the procedure, please, for the vic and eyeball method? Thanks.

June 19, 2002, 07:50 PM	#8
orlando5 Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2001 Location: Somewhere in wonderland. Posts: 699	Go do Wally world and buy a long sheet of paper wrapper. Have it cover the entire area and shoot at it. If there is no hole then the best way is to have someone stand behind you and tell where the bullet impacted. If you wanted you can do a quick general zero in with one shot. Make sure the rifle is very stable, shoot one round. Move the cross hair to the hole that you just made. There is your zero. Not the best way but it is the fastest way I know of. It will at least get you the general impact area of the bullet. I have used bore sighter before and they never help me zero my rifle. One last reminder makes sure that the bore sighter is out of the gun barrel before firing. Write it down on the bore sighter so you don't forget.

June 29, 2002, 09:19 AM	#12
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	Futo.... Guyon got it. Works for iron sights or optics. Can't see down barrel ? Use mirror. Sam

July 4, 2002, 01:40 AM	#13
uglymofo Member Join Date: August 1, 2001 Posts: 72	www.midsouthshooterssupply.com has it: Item #0015453500 LEUPOLD SCOPESMITH MAGNETIC BORESIGHTER $42.90 another way to sight in is to wait for night. Find a street light way out at 100-200 yd. If you can center it in the bore, and find it in the scope, you'll be good at least to 100yd (at least, that method worked for me). The lack of other visible objects has made this method real dependable for me. I tried the dental mirror trick, but it was a real hassle with a 10/22, so I went to the Leupold Boresighter. Sure it's >$40, but I was ready to kill after the frustation with the Ruger. Now, all my boresighting is < 2 minutes and painless.

July 6, 2002, 08:47 PM	#14
Stray1 Member Join Date: February 17, 2002 Location: Tulsa, Ok Posts: 59	"what if there is no hole?" I have used a laser bore site many times. Luckily I didn't spend my money on it. I still had to spend just as much time zeroing. It helps you not to have to make macro changes in site possition. If you don't hit the paper there are 2 things to do. 1. increase the size of the target or 2. decrease the distance to the target. I hope this helps. "The greatest means to keep peace is a nation ready for war" Pres. G. Washington