It ought to be simple and quick to sight in a rifle, but that isn’t always the case. It can be very frustrating to spend a lot of time and money trying to zero in on a gun with a new optic. There is a way to get your gun on target and move toward fine-tuning, though, without experiencing that frustration and wasting ammo. It is known as a bore sighting.
The process of bore sighting involves lining up the sights on your gun with the bore of the gun. All shooters, even brand-new shooters, need to learn this relatively straightforward procedure. Additionally, bore sighting a firearm correctly only takes a few minutes.
Table of Contents
How To Bore Sight A Rifle?
1. Use A Boresighting Device
There are several different kinds of boresighting equipment available; the two most common are collimators and laser bore sighters. For complete instructions on using a bore sighter, make sure to read the user manual. Carefully place the arbor into the bore when using any device. As you insert it, be careful not to harm the crown or the rifling. When you’re done with the boresighting procedure, remove the bore sighter.
2. Collimator
A collimator is a tool that is inserted into the barrel’s muzzle end and uses a reflective surface and lenses to simulate a target. A grid that resembles a target will be visible when you look through the optic. Simply adjust the windage and elevation turrets so that the optic’s reticle lines up with the collimator’s center to boresight with a collimator. Easy as that!
If the reticle needs to be moved more than 6 to 8 inches in order to line up with the collimator’s center, your optic is likely improperly mounted. If that’s the case, back up and double-check the mounting before making any necessary corrections.
3. Look Through The Bore
And finally, the old school “look through the bore” method. This is a very basic method of boresighting.
- Remove the bolt from the rifle
- Look through the bore and align it with the center of a distant target
- To align the turrets with the center of the distant target you could see through the bore, and look through the optic.
4. Laser Boresighter
An analogous device is a laser bore sighter. Some laser bore sighters are placed into the rifle’s barrel’s muzzle end, while others are put into the rifle’s chamber like a dummy round. The laser that is emitted by these devices should be directed (always in a safe direction) at a target that is about 25 yards away. Look through the optic, and then turn the elevation and windage turrets until the reticle of the optic lines up with the laser.
Once more, make sure your optic is mounted properly if you need to adjust more than 6 to 8 inches.
5. Find The Mechanical Center
You can use the next two techniques even if you don’t have a boresighting tool.
The middle of the mechanical adjustment range of the scope must be located using this technique. So that the scope can move in all directions, this is done.
- Turn the windage turret all the way in one direction
- Count the revolutions as you turn the windage turret in the opposite direction
- To reach the middle, dial the turret halfway back.
- Repeat these steps for the elevation turret.
Considering where it is now, the optic should be pretty close to the middle of its mechanical adjustment range.
Depending on the type of shooting you’ll be doing, some people prefer to “center” the reticle lower so there is more upward travel in the optic for long-distance targets.
How To Bore-sight Ars?
Like a bolt-action rifle, ARs can be bore-sighted. Remove the bolt from the AR and detach the upper receiver from the lower to bore sight it. It is useful to have a friend adjust the scope while you hold the upper steady and maintain the bore center while watching the scope reticle centering.
Start your scope zeroing distance at 25 yards if you have a lever-action rifle and no laser bore-sighter. Get a larger target or move closer to the target until you connect if you miss the target at 25 yards. Then you can adjust your bullet’s impact until you are at the magic “1-inch low at 25 yards” before going to the 100-yard target.
You now have expert guidance. When shooting at 25 yards with the majority of deer rifles, bore-sight at that distance and aim 1-inch low. It should now only take a few shots for you to complete your zero on the 100-yard target. By first bore-sighting and confirming impact at 25 yards, you can make your trip to the range with your new deer rifle more enjoyable. Don’t forget the ruler!
