• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

Bore sight advice

Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
9,073
Likes
8,941
Location
Breathing free in Tennessee!
Feedback: 115 / 0 / 0
I have an AR I need to sight in with a scope. I have another that has a red dot. I'm waiting on a 7.5" pistol that will get a red dot and backup irons. They all need sighting in. At nearly $1.00/round for 300blackout (one of the three guns) I don't want to spend $30 getting zeroed.

So I need (really want) a good boresight tool. Questions are what type and what brand? Looks like the choices are one that mounts/attaches to the barrel at the muzzle, most of which also appear to have adapters for multiple calibers, or one that goes in the breech like an actual cartridge and "shoots" down and out the barrel.

Which is better? Why? What brand? I can read 100 ads and 20 articles/reviews but I'd prefer advice from folks here.

So?
 
Last edited:
First a question, do you have a rifle vise that can hold the upper? A cleaning vice is adequate for holding the upper while you actually bore site it. Just remove the upper, pull the bolt and use the actual bore. That’s one nice thing about ARs. I’ve used both the down the muzzle and cartridge based tools and found that they both will get me on paper at 25 yards. The green lasers work much, much better than the red.
 
I don't wan to spend $30 getting zeroed.
...
So?
i think you need a different hobby.

on zeroing - none of those lasers amazon sells is worth spending time with. you will zero rifle at 100yds - at that distance none of those red lasers are visible, at all. plus, they all are very severely off center. i had a .223 laser like that and returned it, it was useless.
can you take the stock off or do anything to be able to see through the barrel? i just zeroed my new bergara - after initial looking through the bore we got scope initial may be 12-15MOA off the zero. fine tuning took about of box of 6.5CM, then we wasted next box to enjoy it.

but, essentially, if you are concerned about ammo $ - it is not a good time for any shooting hobby. like, the last range visit for me - 160 .223, 80 9mm, 40 6.5CM. and it was well worth it.

PS. found a video, but it looks like total BS. paper, screens, duh.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP_ieAXYQ9g


just place a usual target clay cup somewhere behind targets at 100yds on a bullet trap wall, you will be able to see it perfectly fine through the barrel. it is easier to do than to explain. :)
 
Last edited:
First a question, do you have a rifle vise that can hold the upper? A cleaning vice is adequate for holding the upper while you actually bore site it. Just remove the upper, pull the bolt and use the actual bore. That’s one nice thing about ARs. I’ve used both the down the muzzle and cartridge based tools and found that they both will get me on paper at 25 yards. The green lasers work much, much better than the red.
i did not use those - but, wouldn`t that work?
View: https://www.amazon.com/IORMAN-Ultralight-Degree-Offset-Transition/dp/B07YFDD3LP

i would trust if better than a cheap laser.
 
I dropped (~$30?) on a Bushnell muzzle boresighter half a dozen years ago.
Short discussion here.

ETA: I agree you want a cloudy day and/or a sighting scope or binoculars
if you're going to be looking for the dot at distance.
 
Zeroing Target – 50/200 Yard Zero at 10 Yards
by Matt on February 13, 2015 in Tactics and Training
You may remember Frank Proctor’s method for achieving a 50/200 yard zero at 10 yards with your AR-15 that was mentioned here a few months ago. I have been putting it to good use. It is a very fast way to zero an AR-15 which is very convenient for me since many of my carbines are in a constant state of flux as I try various items for review.

I have used the method so much that I created a target for my own use to support the process. It is a simple target with a 1.9″ grid and two dots. The black dot represents your point of aim. The gray dot is 1.9″ below your point of aim (POA) and represents your point of impact (POI). This makes it easy to achieve the POA/POI relationship necessary to achieve the rough 50/200 yard zero at 10 yards.

Of course, it is best to refine your zero at distances greater than 10 yards. You should always check your zero at the actual zero distance when possible but this will get you close. I should also note that this is somewhat dependent on the height of your optic. 1.9″ should get you close for the typical height over bore of an AR-15 optic.


Not sure how 300 would be different.
 
Clarifications and answers... I have a Tipton vise:
Amazon product ASIN B001AT3SCCView: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001AT3SCC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_BIs1Fb3QSJ9RH


So taking the upper off and sighting that way is easy enough, never considered it.

I don't CURRENTLY have plans for handgun optics, but having a boresight that I COULD use for that seems more efficient than buying multiples. I don't mind spending for quality and versatility.

As to the "Don't want to spend $30+ sighting in..." I have three so far. If I change/swap around optics that number increases rapidly. The ones I mention are the ones not zeroed yet. I have other rifles that I may swap optics around as my "collection" evolves.

I have plenty of ammo. I just prefer using it efficiently if at all possible. A quick 10 yard zero to get on paper followed by "finishing" at 50 yards is ideal. I enjoy the accurizing process, not the "where the f did that shot land" beginning.
 
I will say this, since you can easily “bore” sight your uppers with out lasers and such just do it the old school way.

now Im always messing around with diffetent rifles and different scopes swapping from one to the next and helping friends. This is what I have and when following the instructions it will get you darn close so you can fine tune quickly.
The goal is to get on paper quickly , then if you take the time to learn how to “zero” your scope, know your ammo and trajectories it gets easier.

what I have


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw-lN1kuKa4&feature=emb_logo


Once you finish the laser bore sight set up you can do the 2 shot zero like below ...then you can really fine tune at what ever distance you like

cool thing about the site lite is they have a simple software program you can down load . You enter more precise info and it will let you print targets on where the laser should be and where your sights should be looking at.


View: https://youtu.be/TiOpQY2ORo4
 
Last edited:
site lites software is pretty good and got me to within 1 moa @ 100 yds with my back yard 30' "site in" range. you enter the data and it spits out a target you print up. They have a decent ballistic program also but its $70 after the 30 day trial. It was good but I dont think it was $70 good, I dont think I really got to use everything to its fullest before the 30 days ran out.

JUST REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE BORESITE TOOL BEFORE YOU TAKE A SHOT!
1607821051379.png

IDK if these links will work ? nope....

Easy to Use and Works With All Laser Boresighters!


Ballistic Targeting System - Download (Windows version)


Ballistic Targeting System - Download (MAC Version - OS 10.7 or newer)
 
Last edited:
I'll be the first to actually answer @Radtekk 's question. I use the LaserLyte Universal Laser Bore Sight

and it works like a charm, .22 up to .50 cal handguns and rifles. I used it on my 1076 that was shooting low.

It is bright and I use it indoors at 25 ft with the lights down low. It includes a sticker with gradations so you get really close for 50 yd/100 yds. based on 25 ft distance. And you can rotate it 180 degrees to see that you are consistent and that there was no error from inserting it skewed.

Will it be dead nuts at 100 yards prolly not. But it gets you damn close like within 1 inch. Highly recommend.

.
 
I also have the site-light as some of the earlier posters have noted. It works good as long as all of your measurements work out (scope height over bore, distances, etc).
 
I'll be the first to actually answer @Radtekk 's question. I use the LaserLyte Universal Laser Bore Sight

and it works like a charm, .22 up to .50 cal handguns and rifles. I used it on my 1076 that was shooting low.

It is bright and I use it indoors at 25 ft with the lights down low. It includes a sticker with gradations so you get really close for 50 yd/100 yds. based on 25 ft distance. And you can rotate it 180 degrees to see that you are consistent and that there was no error from inserting it skewed.

Will it be dead nuts at 100 yards prolly not. But it gets you damn close like within 1 inch. Highly recommend.

.
no way dude, I answered first, geez 2 post before you [rockon] I win;)
 
Forget all the laser stuff, they're a waste of money.

Place a target outside at as close to the height as you can secure the upper to something.( table, step ladder etc. )Look through the bore of the upper and center it on the target. Then look through the scope and adjust your crosshairs to the target.

I have never used anything other than the bore to boresight in a scope.

You should be able to zero any rifle in 3-5 rnds.
 
Last edited:
Forget all the laser stuff, they're a waste of money.

Place a target outside at as close to the height as you can secure the upper to something.( table, step ladder etc. )Look through the bore of the upper and center it on the target. Then look through the scope and adjust your crosshairs to the target.

I have never use anything other than the bore to boresight in a scope.

You should be able to zero any rifle in 3-5 rnds.
I agree , as my opening sentence says. but i do like the ease of the laser and the calculated targets get me much much closer to actual zero.
 
I’ve used the SiteLite Ballistic Targeting System software with my laser bore sighter, if you enter in all the numbers correctly and use the bore sight at over 10 yards it will usually get you on paper at 100 yards using EZ2C’s 11x17 in. zeroing target, which does make zeroing faster. Goto SiteLite BTS. At the bottom of the page, pick which version you want to download. It will ask for a serial number, but they will accept 123456.

ETA And the instructions on the page are a bit off. You align the crosshairs on the + when you have the laser on the red dot.
 
Ive never had any luck with the laser bore sights, due to visibility. Maybe you would have better luck seeing because you have less restrictions on times of shooting. Maybe try right before dusk.

My recommendation would be: get a bigger piece of cardboard, and just sight the thing in! Haha!
 
Ive never had any luck with the laser bore sights, due to visibility. Maybe you would have better luck seeing because you have less restrictions on times of shooting. Maybe try right before dusk.

My recommendation would be: get a bigger piece of cardboard, and just sight the thing in! Haha!
This works too
 
Never occurred to me to do the "look down the note and get close" with a vise method. I'm working 13's the next 4 days, so next weekend I'll get everything out and see how it goes:) And I'll use a BIG piece of cardboard
If have time at the range to do it you dont really need lasers. I seldom have time to kill at the range so if I can use the laser system on a few rifles At home its just a matter of putting a shot close to where it needs to be then adjusting the scope to that shot.
 
I just have a 36x36 in target stand just for initial sighting in and I sight in newly installed glass at 25yds and go from there. If you ain't catching the bullet in a 3 foot square at 25 yards something's way off. This method has always worked for me, YMMV.
 
Never occurred to me to do the "look down the note and get close" with a vise method. I'm working 13's the next 4 days, so next weekend I'll get everything out and see how it goes:) And I'll use a BIG piece of cardboard

A white paper plate with a cross drawn with a black sharpie is all you need. It will provide good contrast for daytime viewing down the bore.

Remove the scope turret caps before you secure the upper to what ever you use to hold it.
 
That's a really good idea. Might have thought of it, might not. Probably not for the first gun, definitely for the second:D
really does not matter, your going to be moving the thing around , its just a little annoying when you get it set up and you go to adjust it.....and the caps are on.
If your going to try bore sight it at home find a distance you can see a dot and make the dot juzt big enough to get a solid ring of white when viewed through the bore. Like a front aperture target sight.
Your eye will naturally want to center the dot anyway the thin line around the dot will aid you.

Playing around with baliatic apps can give you an idea of the line of sight to bullet travel
Or use site lites software to print up targets for close distance.
 
I don't bother with laser bore sights. As mentioned, once a scope or sights are properly mounted (that in itself is another conversation), I just place the upper or any "see thru" bore into my gun vice and lock it in. I have about 200' of clear space in my backyard that I can use from my basement door when I roll the bench and vice to it and place a clay or any clearly visible object in a spot I can see. Then when looking thru the bore I adjust the vice so the object is centered in the bore. Without moving the vice, adjust the scope/sights to place the object centered. That will at a minimum get you on the paper.

From there hit the range and take the vice and a rest. Take a shot. If your comfortable with it, meaning you know you didn't jerk the trigger or anything, place the firearm in the vice and sight in on the hole in the paper, just to be sure I'll say it again, on the hole in the paper, by moving the vice around and leveling. When the hole is centered in your scope/sight and without moving the vice, make adjustments so that the bullseye is centered in your scope/sights using the adjustment knobs, screws.

You should be pretty damn close to POA, POI with maybe a minor adjustment.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom