Gunsmithing Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

[MrOneEyedBoh]

I was looking at the USO bore sighting videos and they say to use an optical bore sighter. What about a laser setup? Are these worth the expense? It would save some ammo from trying to get it on paper etc. If you use one, who sells a modest priced one.

What about using these with brakes and flash hiders? I have a few guns that need to be sighted in, well checked.

 

[turbo54]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

I think it depends on caliber.

I can boresight a .223 rifle by looking down the bore and be on an 8.5x11 piece of paper at 200 yards.

30 cals I can be on paper at 100-150

338 cal takes me a couple shots to be on paper at 100

12 gauge I set up at 25 yards and cross my fingers!

I have the Leupold collimator boresighting thing, but I prefer just looking down the bore.

 

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

You dont like the Collimator? Or do you have it just because its one of things that we own and not sure why we have it? haha

 

[turbo54]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

I bought the collimator before I knew what I was doing, and before I used subtended reticles. With experience, one can look down the bore at an F class target 600 yards away, adjust scope and score a first round hit in the 9 ring with a 30cal.

 

[E. Bryant]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

The optical bore sighters that I've used are going to be dependent upon either a very square muzzle surface (crown, brake face, flash hider, etc.), or a tight-fitting arbor. Given that constraint, they can yield excellent results. More often than not, my Leupold magnetic bore sighter has simply demonstrated how badly most factory muzzles are out-of-square.

turbo54's suggestion of sighting down the bore is free and easy to use, at least on a bolt gun.

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

I sight down the bore whenever possible. I just care about getting on paper at 50 yards. Then I can read the offset through the reticle and dial the correction. If you are using a reticle without any scale to it, then just bag the rifle in with the crosshair on your aiming point and carefully move the adjustments until the crosshair is on the shot hole.

I really have no idea why guys spend boxes of ammo zeroing a rifle unless it's really that inaccurate. If it is that inaccurate then a SWAG is good enough and get on to the real shooting.

 

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

Thanks guys. I was looking for something I can do at home.

 

[dieselten]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

I don't use the Leupold bore sighter to get the scope close on the first shot, I can get closer by doing an old school visual bore sight. I use it and it works extremely well to reference a setting for the rifle/scope combination after it is zeroed. Record the setting after it is zeroed and you can then mount a new scope or remove and replace the old one and be within a minute or so.

 

[Clark]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

This is a 12 second video of me screwing on turrets while looking through a scope at a Leupold bore sighter.

I have modified the bore sighter to use a different battery, resistor, and a green light emitting diode. I use a rack and pinion microscope base to align the camera with the exit pupil.

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KJXO8kaXfJI"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KJXO8kaXfJI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>

 

[Walt K]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

I use the Sweany,"Site-A Line", optical bore sighter by the Allen Supply Company of Gardernivlle, Nev. I find it to be a excellent ( the best) bore sighter I own. I have many other brands but this is the one I always use now.

My unit has the " X " type crosshairs for alignment which I recommend. I have come as close as 1" from the center of the target at 100 yards and that's no BS.

You do have to purchase a separate spud for each caliber. There are longer spuds available also. I forget the the prices.

I know that alot of the members recommend bore sighting through the barrel as quick, easy and inexpensive and that's true. But you can do this job in the comfort of your work area and out of the elements ( Winter, snow, rain , wind, etc). Also , you will be able to detect gross misalignment in your sighting system right then and there and also read out total available travel of your adjustments.

I highly recommend checking this unit out.

 

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

What about using these with muzzle devices. I.e. flash hiders, brakes ercw.

 

[E. Bryant]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MrOneEyedBoh</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What about using these with muzzle devices. I.e. flash hiders, brakes ercw. </div></div>

If using the type with an arbor ("spud"), then the arbor must be long enough to go through the muzzle device and pick up the rifling. If using the magnetic type, then the muzzle device must be square to the bore.

The brake on my GAP .338LM is dead square to the bore. Using the Leupold sighter and adding elevation to compensate for the bore/scope offset, POI is within 3/4" of POA at 100 yards. That's pretty darn good in my book. I've had other rifles where the muzzle itself was far enough out-of-square to throw shots 12" or more away from POA. Flash hiders that have various teeth or spikes can also be problematic, since it is hard to get the boresighter to sit flat against those features.

 

[wtopace]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

Unfortuantely, it doesn't look this way for the other guys, but I have had very good luck with my Leuopold Zero Point. I like it because even if the muzzle is not square (I haven't really ever noticed this myself) the boresighter will match up the same on each rifle forever.

Bore sight it, zero it, mark the boresight grid location and you are good to go to remove your optics and re-install them. Just dial the scope back to the marked grid location on the Zero Point. It has never failed to get me on paper and only takes about 15 seconds to boresight any rifle.

 

[Texar2]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

At 100 yards take the bolt out and look down the bore. You will see many concentric rings. Line the rings up like apertures with the target in the middle. Then click your scope over to the target. With practice this gets me almost zeroed before I ever fire a shot. If your stock allows for it.

 

[smschulz]

Re: Optical bore sighter, thoughts?

I use the the Site Lite SL-100

It comes with several adapters for many calibers.
I have only used it on 556/6.8/308 but it can handle many others.
Works with flash hiders no problem.

Mainly to get it on paper, then you can zero the scope.
I have found it is almost dead on left to right and elevation varies a bit.

It says to adjust it at 25' then take it to 25yds to shoot.
I can't shoot 25 yds at my range but it only takes about 3 shots to zero at 50 yds and three or four more at 100 yds.
I could probably skip the 50 yds if I want.

It sure beats wasting ammo and under 100 bucks I cannot complain.