Do You Really Need a Bore Sighter?

[Greg9111]

Many shooters are under the impression you need an optical or laser bore sighter to Bore sight you scope on a rifle. Actually this is not true. Any rifle that you can look thru the barrel can me manually bore sighted. This includes all bolt action rifles, AR-15's and any other rifle you can look thru from the breach.
Here's how; for this example we will use a bolt action rifle. Remove the bolt then set the rifle on sand bags front and rear on the shooting bench. Make sure you have the target set up down range. Now look thru the barrel and adjust the rifle so when your looking thru the barrel you are sighted on the bulls eye.
Now without moving the rifle, look thru the scope. If your cross hairs are not on the bulls eye (matching barrel aim point), adjust the scope to match the aim point.

YOU HAVE JUST BORE SIGHTED YOUR RIFLE OLD SCHOOL STYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, bore sighting gets you on paper, now you will shoot and refine the scope adjustment.

[Phreak480]

Greg,

This way works even better if you can enlist the help of a friend.  Have them stand down at the target wall you are using for sighting and give them directions to position a standard zero target on the wall.  have them move it up, down, left, right until it is perfectly centered and tape it to the wall.  Then you can adjust the sights easily.  I've done A LOT of rifles this way.

[Greg9111]

I like it but I could never do that at my range. The only time a firearm is out of the rack is when the line is Hot (not safe), so we could never have a firearm on the bench to do that. But its not to say its not a great idea.

[Phreak480]

More a of a tool to use at home before getting to the range.  I wouldn't do it at a public range either.  On private land I might.

[Greg9111]

Got it

[bayrat]

I've done the same thing with a wall in my garage. I sat the gun the vise block made a pencil mark on the wall adjusted the barrel to the point where I could see the pencil mark then adjusted the scope to the mark. On a barrel that have not been so easy to look down I did use a small flashlight to shine down the barrel it worked to get me on paper.

[Greg9111]

another good method.

The bore sighting I describe is meant to be done at the range. Since I work there, we do a lot of bore sighting. I can't tell you how many shooters are not on paper. Then they come to us for help.
On all my builds, I laser bore sight in my basement. I have a Computer program that creates a sight in target for 8 yards based on Caliber and scope height. It prints a target simulated for 100yds at 8yds. Again, all you want is to get on paper!!
The fine tuning you do at the range.

[Kevin WQRE722]

good topic.