boresighting

[gilliu]

Hi Collective Wisdom

Fairly new to firearms. Now have a 10-22 and a mini-14 that I want to get sighted in. The 10-22 has a cheap Bushnell on it, and the mini-14 has a Wal-mart Nikon Prostaff

I don't own a boresight or heavy gun rest to get the scopes dialed in

I have a friend with a farm nearby, but he doesn't have a boresight.

I know before the era of affordable lasers, people simply shot until they were satisfied with the adjustments.

Any recommendations? Any INGOers have equipment they are willing to loan? Should I just suck it up and order a $25 bushnell laser boresighter and use sandbags?

Gil

 

[I Like Firearms]

Go to walmart and get a boresighter.. They are like 40 bux. mine works AWESOME!

 

[shibumiseeker]

It's pretty simple to sight in a rifle scope without a boresight device

From How to Sight-In a Rifle

Now load one round into the chamber and prepare to shoot. Put the crosshairs directly on the center of that big, black bull. Before you shoot, close your eyes for 10 seconds and then open them. Did the crosshair drift off the center of the target while your shooting eye was closed? If it did it means that your muscles are under tension trying to keep the rifle on target. Shift your position slightly until you can close your eyes and find that the rifle is still aimed directly at the point of aim when you open them. Now your muscles are properly relaxed and you are in a position to do your best shooting. Go through this little routine before you fire every shot.
Carefully fire one round. Call the shot. If the crosshair was on the center of the target when the gun fired, you don't need to shoot again. If it wasn't, mark that hole as a flyer and shoot again. Get a perfect surprise break.
Okay, examine the target and find the bullet hole. You can probably see it through your rifle scope, and certainly through your spotting scope. (You did bring a spotting scope, didn't you?) Even though you bore sighted your rifle the bullet hole is probably not going to be in the center of the target at 25 yards, but at least it should be somewhere on the paper. Measure (or at least accurately estimate) its distance from the "X" in the center of the bull. Let's say, for example, that single perfect shot hit 3 inches high and 2 inches to the left of the center of the target.
Adjust your scope the number of clicks or increments required to move the point of impact to the center of the target. For example, let's say the instructions that came with your scope advise that each click moves the point of impact 1/4 MOA, which is 1/4 inch at 100 yards. Fine, but since we are shooting at only 25 yards, we will need to multiply the number of clicks by 4.
To move the point of impact down the required 3" at 100 yards would require 12 clicks (four clicks per inch). At 25 yards, remember, we will have to multiply the number of clicks by 4, so turn the elevation adjustment in the down direction 48 clicks (12 x 4 = 48). It is a good idea to go a little past the new setting and then come back whenever adjusting a scope. I'd turn, say, 50 clicks and then come back 2 clicks for a total of 48 clicks down. This helps settle the adjustments of many scopes. I also tap the adjustment dials after setting them, for the same reason.
Now adjust the windage. You need to move the point of impact 2 inches to the right, which at 100 yards would require 8 clicks. At 25 yards that means 32 clicks (8 x 4 = 32). Turn the windage adjustment a total of 32 clicks to the right (usually marked "R" on most scopes).
Okay, now get back into that comfortable position and fire one more perfect shot at the 25 yard target. Ideally, if the scope's adjustments are accurate, it should hit inside the "10-ring" of a 100 yard small bore rifle target. If it does, your preliminary 25 yard sighting is close enough. No need to waste ammunition getting it perfect. You will do that at 100 yards.
If the second shot is not within an inch of the center of the target, you will have to adjust the scope again. By the third or fourth shot and adjustment of the scope the bullet should be landing inside of the 10-ring. If it isn't, something may be wrong. Check the scope mount screws for tightness. They must allow absolutely no movement of the scope under recoil.

I have used this method on almost every rifle I've had and got the rifle to within a couple of inches at 100 yards within 3 shots.

 

[slow1911s]

They are nice to have, but no at all necessary to do the job. I think you'll learn more if you do it without one.

Try this - mount the scope correctly and shoot off of some type of rest. Rests don't need to be fancy. An old scissor car jack works well. Even a small pillow case filled with sand or navy beans. Then, with the scope on its lowest power, shoot into the berm or backstop and look for the bullet impact. Then, make adjustments to get the impact close to the cross hairs.

Now, go post a paper target. Again, it doesn't have to be fancy. 8" styrofoam plates and a black Sharpie work really well. Now do your fine tuning to get it close to your target center on the low setting. Once it is, move the high setting and continue to fine tune. Be sure to check to see if there is any impact difference when you change powers. With some scopes there will be.

When you fine tune, I recommend groups of no less than 3 shots. 5 is good. 10 is better. You want to make adjustments relative to the center of that group (more or less).

Good luck!

 

[jlm223]

Boresighter is a good tool to have, it will save you some money on ammo if you shoot a lot and mount many scopes, it will get you on paper, but you still have to shoot to zero in the scope. I have one and use it, but I always fine from a rest.

 

[aclark]

Got a question about the laser bore sighter. I can see how it would work on a bolt gun (take out the bolt and put in the laser), but what about with semi-autos (10/22, Model 60, etc)?

 

[42769vette]

Got a question about the laser bore sighter. I can see how it would work on a bolt gun (take out the bolt and put in the laser), but what about with semi-autos (10/22, Model 60, etc)?

there are alot of kinds that slide in the barrel or havd a magnent that you put on the end of the barrel.

now to the op. i still shoot till im satisfied. you can not get a reliable zero without shooting. its just not possible. a bore sighter just gets you on paper

 

[r6vr6]

My $0.02 boresighters are suited to something that is expensive to shoot or recoils a lot. I'd just go sight the 22 by shooting it and probably the mini too. Start close and work your way back.

On my ARs I just pull the upper, take the bolt out and bore sight it by eye on a steady rest. Last time I did this I was 3" to the left @ 50 yds.

 

[gilliu]

Thanks for the good advice folks - will hope to get to the range when the weather is drier

 

[45Guy]

Buy one they don't cost much and the ammo savings will pay for it.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

I did my 10/22 with 50 rounds of bulk ammo starting at 10 yards, then 25, and then 50. I couldn't find a boresighter for less than $50 locally and the ammo was about $1.50

On a bolt action rifle, you can put the gun in a vise, remove the bolt, and look through the barrel at a distant object - then aim the scope at the same object. That will get you on the paper. Fire a group, calculate and adjust - and you're set.

 

[JAMZ]

make sure you look up you point of aim and point of impact for your weapon to know how much distance you need for boresighting

 

[aclark]

The reason I asked is because I need to sight in my .308, and figured since I'm getting a new scope for my Model 60 how I could sight it in with the same bore sighter. Also I will have an AR soon that I will need to sight in. I just have never had to sight in a scope on my own, so the easier the better for the first few.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Might i suggest

MILLETT : BORESIGHTERS - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

 

[Shootin'IN]

I boresight my guns in with a $5 laser pointer wrapped with enough electrical tape to center it in the chamber. I just put more or less tape on the laser pointer, drop it in the chamber and aim it down the barrel until I get only one single dot. Out in the back yard I aim it at a target about 35ft. away sitting on two sand bags. Then I adjust my scope to match up with the laser spot. This will get you on paper at 100yds. so you can adjust your scope from there.