Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Laser Bore Sighter?

Just went through a couple of days of swapping scopes, and had brought home a Bushnell laser bore sighter to make things easier.

And it WAS easier. But when I got those rifles to the range they weren't on paper at 50 yards.

I used the appropriate plastic arbor pieces and had a snug fit in the bore of both rifles I used it on.
This was a cheap ~$35 tool, but looked to be simple and workable.

I see some catalogued with various suppliers that look similar at 2wice the price. Is there a laser bore sighter out there that is worth owning?

I took 3 rifles to the range yesterday, and the only one that was bore-sighted properly was the .17HMR that had too small of a bore for the Bushnell tool and was bore sighted with the bolt pulled.

If I can look through the bore that's how I do it, and I start at 100 yards. I can't tell you if there are any boresighters worth using.

Same here, always works fine. Can you do that johnw??

I think he did with the 17.

That's how I do it. The other day an older gentleman asked If I was going to start at 25 yards for zeroing in my new scope on my new rifle. I said no, that's a waste of ammo... 2 shots and its dialed basically...

Can and do. Been doing it that way forever.

But I like to be outside on a table with a gun vise and in daylight.
The weather has not been conducive to that, and all of my prep work for range day this week was done at night.

In retrospect, I shoulda taken the gun vise to the range and done my bore-sights right then and there. Which, in the final analysis is what I did. Just without benefit of the gun vise

I typically set up the rifle on the front/rear rest combination I use for shooting.

I swear I'm gonna have a set-up like that someday. Been saying that for 30 years or more.

Mine is an ancient Wichita Engineering front rest with a Protektor owl ear bag, and a Protektor rabbit ear bag in back.

Same same... Pretty simple.. No need to lock down the rifle in a vise of any sort.


This is all it takes.

Don't bad mouth the Wichita rest. Mine is just behind the rifle in the pic. My hoppes has the tighter front bag that holds the skinnier stocked rifles better. I use the Wichita for my varmint and tactical rifles. Works great..

I don't see where they would save me a single round of ammo or 1 minute of my time. With bolt rifles I look through the bore and adjust the scope before firing a shot. I just lay it on the sandbags. The 1st shot is within 2-3" at 50 yards. I adjust from there. I can have my bolt guns close enough with 3 shots. I may make minor adjustments later if needed. Other guns may take 4 shots

If I can't look through the bore the key is to use a target too big to miss. A sheet of poster board is less than $1. I prefer to start at 50 yards, but if you're unsure start at 25. As long as your 1st shot hits paper it doesn't matter if you're 1" or 1' from the aiming point. Just move the adjustments the correct number of clicks and shot #2 will be very close to the POA. I then go straight to 100 yards knowing I'll at least be on paper at that range for shot #3. After I tweak those settings shot #4 is going to be where I want it. It is only then that I start shooting groups.

You are proficient with your method. Some guys are unsure about doing it at 100 yards. I get that, but if you can do it at 100, you'll use up less ammo and time. That comes with experience though..

Not running it down, I just said ancient because I can't remember not having it.

To the OP.

Did you adjust the laser as you twisted the arbor in the bore? Mine is not just a plug and play set up.

I have an old Tasco laser bore sighter that has 3 or 4 tiny set screws that you adjust as you rotate the laser.

When you initially stick the spud in the bore and twist the laser it generally draws an oblong circle on the wall, as you adjust the screws it will allow the laser to put a fixed dot on the wall.

After that is done I stick the rifle out the back door and adjust the crosshairs to the dot at about 100 yards. If done correctly it is with 2" at 100 yards

Yeah...

My interest in the laser unit was to have the bore sight done before I got to the range.
And done at night from my upstairs gun room and the hallway

I've never used a proper bench shooting set-up, and always tried to have a bore-sight done before I got to the range.
I need to step up a notch or two

My laser works when properly set up. I actually do the back yard deal in the dark so I can see the laser.

Has never been off by as far as you describe when the laser is adjusted properly.

The bushnell unit has no adjustments like the ones you described. It's a tapered self centering spud with an expandable set of rear arbors

And i'll agree that 100 yards can easily work with a normal bolt removed bore sight. The range I frequent though has limited target stands and you'll take abuse if you're working with 3 rifles and wanna cease fire to go down range every 10 minutes. This also adds weight to doing the bore sight at home.

The pistol range just down the hill is more relaxed, and cold range usually happens 3 to 4 times per hour, or whenever a guy requests it. But 50 yards is all it's got to offer.

Same as the Tasco.

Are you sure there aren't 4 small Allen set screws up on the far end of the laser? At the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock position?