After mounting your scope do you use collimator, laser, bore sight through the barrel, voodoo? I still end up using a cheap Bushnell collimator, likely because I'm too dumb to figure out if there's a better way. Is there a better way? The Bushnell collimator works, but I'm open to improvements.
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What's your preferred method of bore sighting your scope?
- Thread starter AbitNutz
- Start date
I usually pull the bolt, put the keyhole on the trunk of the car 30 yards away in the center of the bore, and bring the crosshairs to the keyhole. This puts me on paper at 100 yards about 80% of the time. The other 20% can get pretty frustrating 
interested to see what others do as well!
interested to see what others do as well!
at the range I take the bolt out. I look through the bore and align it on the target, without disturbing the bore I align the reticle to the bore. Usually gets me on paper.
if I don’t care about shooting rounds I shoot it at 25 and zero it low about .5 Mil then go to 100.
if I don’t care about shooting rounds I shoot it at 25 and zero it low about .5 Mil then go to 100.
I try to scrounge the little laser deals that shine down the barrel from the breech end from a buddy or use the couple i have and run the scope to the dot. Works well for the caliber they fit in. Otherwise same as above. I have had inconsistent results with the ones that fit in the end of the barrel.
Easy:
- Set a large (12" or bigger) target at 100 yards
- Set it up on the bipod/bag such that it's about right for aiming at the target without touching it.
- Pull the bolt
- Look down the barrel and get the target in the center as best you can.
- Center the scope and double check the barrel
- Fire and adjust as necessary
- Zero turrets
- Set a large (12" or bigger) target at 100 yards
- Set it up on the bipod/bag such that it's about right for aiming at the target without touching it.
- Pull the bolt
- Look down the barrel and get the target in the center as best you can.
- Center the scope and double check the barrel
- Fire and adjust as necessary
- Zero turrets
Wheeler Professional Red Laser Bore Sight
The Wheeler Engineering Professional Laser Bore Sight is constructed of a machined aluminum body with soft rubber over-molding which houses the laser...
www.midwayusa.com
Using high-quality components, center scope travel in both directions, dial down by rail+mount cant, dial down another 1.7 mrad / 6 moa, and I’m on paper at 100yd.
You can’t always look down through the barrel after you remove the bolt. I use a laser boresite to get me paper. Works every time and it’s easy. If you can look through the barrel then that’s obviously the easiest method.
Eyeball method. Stupidly easy, accurate as anything and cheap.
If you aren’t using a magnetospeed, RRS gear, tab bags, adjusting your atlas bipod while wearing cree pants tucked into your Solomon high speed footwear while wearing nods and watching the SnipersHide YT channel while simultaneously listing to a shooting podcast while muttering how it’s a “one hole rifle as long as I do my part” then you are probably doing it wrong.
Put a clay pigeon on berm at 100, or find a dirt clod to shoot at.
See where first round hits, hold scope and adjust reticle to impact point, shoot one more, adjust if needed.
Move to paper for final tuning.
I'm usually within 2" in 3 shots at 100.
See where first round hits, hold scope and adjust reticle to impact point, shoot one more, adjust if needed.
Move to paper for final tuning.
I'm usually within 2" in 3 shots at 100.
Like many others have mentioned, using the hillbilly bore sight method of pulling the bolt and eyeballing it. I’ve almost always been within paper
Same as most, look down the bore and align the sights with whatever I'm lined up on. The main mistake I tend to make when I'm trying to shortcut on ammo or time is to not use a big enough target downrange; I'd say 12" is minimum at 100 yds, but really, the bigger the better, and you'd think I'd remember that... Every shot is worthwhile if you can find the dang thing.
I have the wheeler green laser, but still usually just look through the barrel. I tend to take advantage of the barrel break in to get my rough zero going. You're sending one down the barrel. Might as well sight down the barrel and have a paper target at 25 yds for that first shot. Then clean, move the target out to 50 and repeat. And again at 100.
I don't bore site at all. Ever. Usually I can get a zero in about 5 rounds or less. Every now and then I get something stubborn but not that often.
The method is pretty easy. Get a big clean target. It can be a poster board or whatever. I have used those big foam boards with aluminum foil stuck to them that you get at home depot but you might not need the whole thing. Maybe half is ok.
Put a small dot on the large target, just enough for an aiming point. This works if you are using a led sled or something like that to hold your rifle during zero. Having a bubble level on your rifle helps a lot.
If you want to be more precise you can put a 'plus sign' on the target for an aiming point but do it with a ruler or something straight, but make sure the lines are square with the edges of your target. If you use the 'plus system' make sure the target is level when you set it up. You can use a tape measure to get it pretty square and a level to set up the target downrange. It doesn't have to be perfect but the closer the better. This gives you a much more accurate way to measure from the first shot horizontally and vertically. The 'plus' way is good if you are using a bipod or bag and rear bag or whatever. Just take a tape measure and a pen or marker with you while shooting.
Set up at 25 yards or whatever is suitable and fire one shot. [Note: a good rear bag or a led sled makes a huge difference.] The distance you are at needs to correlate to your caliber and load as it relates to your desired zero distance. Getting a rough idea of the ballistics before you start helps. You need to take into account scope height and all that when plugging the data in though.
95% of the time you are on the board somewhere after just one shot. Go to the board and physically measure from your aim point to your point of impact on an X Y axis. By that I mean how many inches left or right and how many inches up and down. Don't measure in a diagonal line. This is why it's important to make everything square before you start particularly if you are just using bags or whatever to rest your rifle. Mark the bullet hole with a pen or marker.
Do the math and extrapolate what that means at your desired zero distance. If it's 50 yards or 100 yards just calculate and adjust the scope accordingly. If you use a led sled or something like that you can just dial up or down and over just so long as you do not disturb the gun while doing so.
Go back to your desired zero distance and fire another shot but don't waste shots. At this point it might be a tad bit high or low but horizontally it should be fairly ok. Measure. Don't eyeball it. Make fine adjustments as needed after each shot.
Surely you don't physically measure if you have subtensions in your reticle. Just measure with the reticle and click away.
Yes. I physically measure using a tape measure or a ruler or something like that. But that depends on the scope I am using. Often people have optics that don't have a lot (or any) data in them when people bring them over to the house to be zeroed or work up a load (or both).
[For reference I can get out a little past 300 yards at my house and my reloading room is right there as well so we don't have to haul crap around back and forth to the range and have some big production to do stuff. You can just set up and go load up 5 rounds, try them out, go load up 5 more, or whatever the method is. Every now and again people will ask me to help them make up a hunting load or zero their new optic, or even build up a load for a new rifle.]
Either way though I figure out the basic idea of what we are doing and where we are going with it before we start shooting.
Re: Often people have optics that don't have a lot (or any) data in them - I think we may be saying the same thing. I'm saying that if you can measure the distance from point of aim to point of impact with the reticle and then adjust, there is no reason to physically measure.
Six or half a dozen. It's your choice. But in my experience it's a lot more precise and efficient to physically measure. It cuts a lot of the fluff out of the process. Of course you will get there measuring with the scope but it's not always as efficient as measuring the old fashion way. The reason for this is because you can get a lot more exact horizontal and vertical measurements. Just so long as you were holding your gun level when the shot broke then the rest is just math. That said either way will get you there for sure. It's just been my experience that getting exact measurements works better particularly if you are working alone. Using the reticle you will need to take more shots during the zero process especially if you are doing a 100 yard zero.
If you have a led sled (which I like to use) you don't really need to measure. If you have a friend present and a led sled its the most efficient. One person behind the gun maintaining visual contact and level and one person dialing up and over. If you have a sled and two people you can get done really fast. If you disturb the gun during the process though you gotta do it again.
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I bought a Sightmark laser cartridge and it's simple and fast to get on paper. Then fine tune at 100 yards. Laser was < $30.
My thought was that with factory ammo running $30 per 20 rounds I'd be paying for the laser after my second scope mounting.
VooDoo
My thought was that with factory ammo running $30 per 20 rounds I'd be paying for the laser after my second scope mounting.
VooDoo
Cheap green laser that inserts into the barrel, but I put a couple of layers of shrink wrap on the cone part to protect my crowns. Bolt guns are easy enough to get close with looking through the barrels, but ARs are more of a PITA. And for some reason I find it fun lasing the neighbors wall...
I put the upper (or bolt rifle with bolt removed) on my dining room table in a gun vise pointed out the French doors at a T-post fence top that is exactly 100 meters away ... (I live on a small ranch). I use the gun vise adjustments to sight down the bore until the top of the "T" is centered. Then I adjust the scope. Check back and forth between bore and scope a few times, and done. Used this with a dozen or so rifles, and hit paper on the first shot every time. Laser bore sights NEVER worked for me.
Look through the bore. I do it at 50yards. 1 shot and adjust. 2nd shot to confirm. Move to 100yds to finish.
Lasers suck and cost money. Fudds leave them in the barrel.
Lasers suck and cost money. Fudds leave them in the barrel.
Look through the bore at a 25 yard target, center on bullseye, dial scope to bullseye, shoot target at 100 yards. Measure correction with scope, correct and shoot bullseye, use remaining three rounds in mag to confirm zero. Reset turrets, done.....
Since time is limited for me, I normally mount and then head to the range . At 100 yards I place a single clay pigeon and power down the scope and press the trigger. Using my scope I dial to get near zero , fire another shot and normally it is within 1-2 MOA. Then 3rd shot is on paper
- Bore sight at 20-25ish.
- Bore sight and shoot a single shot around 50 to confirm on paper.
- Shoot a single shot at 100 to confirm on paper.
- Adjust and usually 1moa bulls-eye with the next shot.
- Bore sight and shoot a single shot around 50 to confirm on paper.
- Shoot a single shot at 100 to confirm on paper.
- Adjust and usually 1moa bulls-eye with the next shot.
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at the range I take the bolt out. I look through the bore and align it on the target, without disturbing the bore I align the reticle to the bore. Usually gets me on paper.
It is an Army proof method
Wow, I'm the only one using the old Bushnell collimator. I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm still surprised. I just can't see well enough through the breach of the rifle to get on target. I may try the laser gizmo.
Shoot one rd at 25...
Use reticle to figure out which way to adjust from the POI to POA. make adjsutment
Fire second rd to confirm adjustment took
Move to 100 fire, adjust from there
No lasers
No borescope
no looking down bore
easy peasy
If your scope is junk, then ignore the above and add 40 rds to the above receipe.
Use reticle to figure out which way to adjust from the POI to POA. make adjsutment
Fire second rd to confirm adjustment took
Move to 100 fire, adjust from there
No lasers
No borescope
no looking down bore
easy peasy
If your scope is junk, then ignore the above and add 40 rds to the above receipe.
Pull the bolt and peer down the barrel with the rifle aligned so your bullseye (POA) is visible thru the bore.
Holding the rifle still in this position (say in a gun vice or similar) manipulate turrets to align reticle with bullseye (POA)
Then shoot (helps to have a big piece of paper) and based on where you are relative to POA, adjust turrets then set zero stop.
Holding the rifle still in this position (say in a gun vice or similar) manipulate turrets to align reticle with bullseye (POA)
Then shoot (helps to have a big piece of paper) and based on where you are relative to POA, adjust turrets then set zero stop.
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I use an eotech that I got from my brother. It has inserts for each NATO caliber and adjustments for first getting the laser shooting correct. You shoot the laser on a wall or whatever, then rotate is 180 degrees and adjust the laser accordingly. Then you are ready to line up your cross hair on the laser. Works pretty well, especially if you can get a good 20yards away. I typically put my gun in my gun vise thing on my truck and shoot the laser against my shop door. I wait until it starts getting dark and it's a lot easier to see it.
I do this, and I have a short target at about 35 yards, so one shot and I am really close.
i have one of these and it has worked for a variety of guns where you cannot "look through the barrel".
i don't even have a bolt gun.
I never understood the need to purchase a bore sighting device. I probably "waste" 2 rounds without it.
Would I be money ahead over time with a boresighter? Maybe.
But...If the couple extra rounds that I fire each time I buy a rifle or switch a scope is a financial burden then I have far bigger issues to content with!
Fire 1 round (offhand) at 20 yards at a large target and make a very rough scope adjustment.
Fire 1 round (offhand) at 50 yards and make a scope adjustment
Move to 100 yards with bipod or bags and finalize the process.
Would I be money ahead over time with a boresighter? Maybe.
But...If the couple extra rounds that I fire each time I buy a rifle or switch a scope is a financial burden then I have far bigger issues to content with!
Fire 1 round (offhand) at 20 yards at a large target and make a very rough scope adjustment.
Fire 1 round (offhand) at 50 yards and make a scope adjustment
Move to 100 yards with bipod or bags and finalize the process.
That's a very good point!
I've always owned and or had access to rural ground as is the case with all of my shooting friends.
Having to contend with range rules that prohibit flexibility would indeed increase the value of a boresighter.
I'm sure any of the systems can get the job done. Run with what is available, in the budget or seems most appealing!
I've always owned and or had access to rural ground as is the case with all of my shooting friends.
Having to contend with range rules that prohibit flexibility would indeed increase the value of a boresighter.
I'm sure any of the systems can get the job done. Run with what is available, in the budget or seems most appealing!
None of my guns have a removeable bolt. I get one of those cheap bullet lasers, set it on the side on a very flat surface, roll it, adjust it until the red dot does not hop while it rolls. I slap it in the rifle, bring the bolt forward, aim it at a wall 20 feet away, and allow for the scope mount height difference, and adjust the scope to be above the dot the correct distance. It allows me to be well within the circle portion of a typical target at 100 yards. Fire two shots, adjust scope. Fire a confirmation shot or two. If it is good, pull the vertical turret, set the zero stop and zero, then pull the turret for the windage, and set the zero for it too. I smile. Then it is time to start tapping some gongs further off (with the correct elevation and windage adjustments).
Bingo! We live in what my wife insists on calling a "rather affluent area". I counter this, based on our neighbors, and correct her and say we live in an "effluent area". I have to drive a fair distance to go to a shooting range. On nice days this does upset the local constabulary as they see an old one eyed fat man with guns strapped all over his 128" M8 Harley Road Glide speeding down the highway. The public ranges won't let me shoot my 300 RUM, and the like, at 25 yards, so I have to find method of sighting in my rifles before I ever fire a shot.
Exactly!
All my shooting buddies run MRAD reticles, and we have spotting scopes with MRAD reticles, we follow the same approach with one exception. The spotter simply calls out the correction and the shooter just dials it in. Amazing how many times we zero in 3 shots using this method (as long as people dial in the direction you tell them LOL). If the shooter is running MOA, I still use my MRAD spotter and just multiply by 3.43 to give the correction in MOA.
I've not pulled out my collimator since 2015 and now I have no hesitation to move scopes around. I generally have only 2 rifles active at any one time and I just move them around since re-zeroing is no longer an event.
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I used a collimator professionally for 50 years, had 2 gunshops, and had them for customers to at least get on the paper.
I just look through the barrel from the bolt end and adjust the scope. I am at the point now where it gets me on paper at 100 every time. I recommend starting at 50 until you get used to it.
18" Shoot-N-See on a piece of poster board at 100 yards. Yank bolt or BCG and center target in bore by eye. Shoot once. Measure to impact with reticle. Adjust scope. Shoot one more to be sure before setting turrets to zero. Done. ( I have used the same Shoot-N-See for a few years now)
Same. When I don't do it by eye this is what I'm using the rest of the time. Fits the end of any rifle. It been within 12" at 50 yards on every rifle I've put it on.while Id love to say I can pear down the barrel and see anything to align my gun I can not Its just all blurs but spotting the red dot I have only had one time not been able to pick it up fast and easily its super simple to add on to the front of a rifle easy on easy off with the use of a magnate and not tiny rubber bushings that through normal use break like a few other products I have tried did nothing inside the barrel just on the end .Wheeler Professional Red Laser Bore Sight
The Wheeler Engineering Professional Laser Bore Sight is constructed of a machined aluminum body with soft rubber over-molding which houses the laser...
I know a few guys who like that one a lot. They said the same about it. It doesn't seem like it would be that accurate with it just resting against the barrel with a magnet, but it obviously is because everyone I know that's got one, love it.
Yeah it all depends on how well the manufacture cut the end of the barrel off. If they didn't cut a straight line and make it flush it won't be good. But I've tried it close to a dozen rifles so far and it's worked on all of them.
Everyone before me has pretty much covered the process. The basics, at 25 yards most scopes will only have limited focus AT 25 yards use the biggest paper target you have because the first bullet is always a unknown an could go any direction . When bore sighting for elevation remember the turret goes in the opposite direction as the reticle. At 25 yards multiply your impact from the bullseye by 4 and make your correction as if you were shooting 100 yards. If you have a FFP scope with sub tensions you are good
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