I'm trying to boresight my Tikka with a Vortex HST on top but cna't get the reticle on the laser. I've turned the turrets all the way but it still seems short of lining up. I was able to line up my Z8i fairly quick but the HST is being a pain. Any thoughts on what I may be doing wrong?
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Rifle Scopes Boresighting Help
- Thread starter cjs88
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perhaps laser or rod is off. pull the bolt. look thru the barrel at a fence post top or the like ~100 yds. adjust the reticle to the fence post top.
if you can't adjust the scope reticle to the 'target,' check to see if you have any zero stops engaged.
if you can't adjust the scope reticle to the 'target,' check to see if you have any zero stops engaged.
This might be very unconvential, but what we do is a five-step approach:
1) Use Badger Dead Air level to get the scope in the mount and make sure it is optimized from a level stand point
2) Attach the mount or rings, and apply just under the recommended torque. Just enough that the rings or mount does not move. Probably 10 ft-lbs.
3) Use an inexpensive bore sight laser. The type that comes in the shape of an actual round, made of brass, and insert into the chamber an apply bolt pressure. At a short distance, in the dark, maybe in your baseement, get the laser on at the dot, and 1-1/2" below or so (based upon your scope height)
4) Use a more professional bore sight that you insert into the bore, and try again, now at 50 to 100 yards, and see how much adjustment you need. Generlly, we find we need a little, but not much.
Steps 3 and 4 get your scope to where it needs to be for precision sighting.
5) Fire 5 rounds just for fun, and to warm the barrel and get the bolt used to the barrel, etc. Now, shoot on paper at 100 to 200 years, and do a proper zero. Everyone has their own method. I like shooting 3 to 5 rounds, check the zero, and adjust, and repeat twice. Other people have their method. Finally, when happy, tighten down to 15 ft-lbs, or what is recommended by manufacturer.
What i find is that with this step by step process, you spend less time on the range getting to zero, and you also diagnose early any defects with the scope.
1) Use Badger Dead Air level to get the scope in the mount and make sure it is optimized from a level stand point
2) Attach the mount or rings, and apply just under the recommended torque. Just enough that the rings or mount does not move. Probably 10 ft-lbs.
3) Use an inexpensive bore sight laser. The type that comes in the shape of an actual round, made of brass, and insert into the chamber an apply bolt pressure. At a short distance, in the dark, maybe in your baseement, get the laser on at the dot, and 1-1/2" below or so (based upon your scope height)
4) Use a more professional bore sight that you insert into the bore, and try again, now at 50 to 100 yards, and see how much adjustment you need. Generlly, we find we need a little, but not much.
Steps 3 and 4 get your scope to where it needs to be for precision sighting.
5) Fire 5 rounds just for fun, and to warm the barrel and get the bolt used to the barrel, etc. Now, shoot on paper at 100 to 200 years, and do a proper zero. Everyone has their own method. I like shooting 3 to 5 rounds, check the zero, and adjust, and repeat twice. Other people have their method. Finally, when happy, tighten down to 15 ft-lbs, or what is recommended by manufacturer.
What i find is that with this step by step process, you spend less time on the range getting to zero, and you also diagnose early any defects with the scope.
You keep saying ft/lbs. 10 ft/lbs is 120 in/lbs, that's about double the common setting for ring to base torque which is usually 65 in/lbs and 15 ft/lbs is about 180 in/lbs, far in excess of any recommended settings I've seen from a manufacturer.
You'd probably need some funky adapter to get a T20 head (or whatever the scope screws are) in a torque wrench capable of 15 lb-ft, so I'm going to assume longshot meant lb-in.
For boresighting, I recommend the eyeball technique as well. Put the rifle in a stable position, like a gun vise or use one of those rear bags with ears. Adjust it so that you can look down the bore and see your target, without touching the rifle. Then adjust the scope until it's pointing to the center.
If that doesn't work, dial your scope to one extreme and then count/measure the adjustment to the other extreme. If that doesn't match the owner's manual or website, take it out of the rings, repeat the measurement, and see if it adjusts properly. If you don't get the full range out of the rings, your scope is broken. If you don't get the full range in the rings, but do out of them, your rings are messing up your scope (e.g. they're too tight).
If you do get full rotation make sure your rotations are actually moving the reticle. For that put a perfectly vertical yardstick at exactly 100 yards. Then put the scope on a level, fixed mount and point it at the bottom of the yardstick, dial 10 mrad up, and the crosshairs should be on the top of the yardstick. You can then adjust your mount to point the rifle at the bottom again (without adjusting the scope) and dial up another 10 mrad. Repeat that until you're satisfied that the reticle is adjusting properly.
The good news is it's a Vortex, so if any of this fails, call them up and they'll fix it for free.
For boresighting, I recommend the eyeball technique as well. Put the rifle in a stable position, like a gun vise or use one of those rear bags with ears. Adjust it so that you can look down the bore and see your target, without touching the rifle. Then adjust the scope until it's pointing to the center.
If that doesn't work, dial your scope to one extreme and then count/measure the adjustment to the other extreme. If that doesn't match the owner's manual or website, take it out of the rings, repeat the measurement, and see if it adjusts properly. If you don't get the full range out of the rings, your scope is broken. If you don't get the full range in the rings, but do out of them, your rings are messing up your scope (e.g. they're too tight).
If you do get full rotation make sure your rotations are actually moving the reticle. For that put a perfectly vertical yardstick at exactly 100 yards. Then put the scope on a level, fixed mount and point it at the bottom of the yardstick, dial 10 mrad up, and the crosshairs should be on the top of the yardstick. You can then adjust your mount to point the rifle at the bottom again (without adjusting the scope) and dial up another 10 mrad. Repeat that until you're satisfied that the reticle is adjusting properly.
The good news is it's a Vortex, so if any of this fails, call them up and they'll fix it for free.
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I used the old school sight down the bore method at 100y too. Whenever I setup a new scope I bring a large white poster board to put my target on. If you can line the reticle and bore up on the center you should be able to dial in the zero in a few shots. Having a large clean backer is a big help and saves a lot of frustration.
I’ve done it with a bipod and bags, but a shooting rest or gun vise would make it easier. I use my tripod for it now and makes it really easy.
I’ve done it with a bipod and bags, but a shooting rest or gun vise would make it easier. I use my tripod for it now and makes it really easy.
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