laser bore scoping

[jjohnwm]

These methods are all similar and all of them work...as those of us who use them know, despite being told that they don't! The only difference is that at 20 feet indoors, the line of sight of the scope has not yet intersected with the line of the bore, so you want to allow for that as Longstud does. At 20 yards, you are getting close to the point where those two lines intersect, while at 100 yards they've already crossed once and for best results you want to place the red dot an inch or two above the crosshairs, to allow for the beginnings of trajectory at that range.

We all know that this is just bore-sighting, to get on the paper and allow for easier and faster refinement of the zero by test-firing. It's just nice to be able to use normal smaller targets right from the get-go.

The lasers are terrific also for switching scopes around. If you have a rifle/scope combo that's already sighted-in but want to change to another scope, or maybe sight-in a second scope in separate QD rings, you can just slap on the laser and take a peak at how the red dot and the crosshairs compare, ideally on a target with a fine grid. Without removing the laser, take off the first scope and put on the second. Then compare the sight picture to the previous one at the same target and distance, and make adjustments. When you do this carefully, not touching the laser throughout, you can get amazingly precise results, often within one MOA if the QD mounts you use are capable of that kind of precision.

 

[Butcherbill]

As Butcherbill said, you can see the 'dot' rotate on the wall if you spin the laser in the barrel so the 'precision' is vague.

My Bushnell laser has 4 set screws at the laser end, to center the laser by the looks of it. I tried to loosen them but they seem to be loctited in, I wanted to try and align/center it with a sighted in rifles crosshair.

 

[OkayShooter]

Okay, I'm willing to give one a try.

 

[Butcherbill]

If you can find one cheap enough go for it, they work just as well as any other option that gets you on paper. Just found batteries for mine and I have a semi auto to sight in at some point, will use it to line things up before I head to the range.

Can’t say it’s worth the money for a bolt action or anything that you have an unobstructed view through the bore, the are also useful for a dry fire aide in a pistol. You’ll see quick fast if your trigger press is smooth or jerky.

 

[OkayShooter]

I got my StrongTool one today. I had to trouble shoot why it wouldn't turn on. But that was the rubber switch cover. Trial and error to figure the collet I needed and tension needed. But to my surprise wiggling it was quite secure.

The green laser is bright indoors. Opted for green as my dots are red. Might try and using a black target than my white wall that I got a leveled line on it for aligning scope reticles. Or shine it thru a piece of tint.

But can easily setup a portable bench in the sunporch and project it onto a fence post of mine.

But tried it on a M1 carbine with a TRS 25, then had a CZ Shadow with a RDS that last time I used it, it was off a bit couple inches, high and right.

So M1 when I get to the range, I'll set up a target at 50 and see how off it is. Shadow I zero at 25.

 

[OkayShooter]

I'm still skeptical.

My 45 ACP Rifle at 25 yards as very low. M1 carbine at 50 yards was 16 inches low. Why I use a big piece of cardboard.

Did it get me on paper? Not really, if it wasn't for the cardboard I'd be chasing my shots.

 

[Potashminer]

^ Perhaps was the point of it - to get you to buy it - money in their pocket - whether it works or not, not so important to "them", as making the sale. Has been my experience - shoot and get holes in cardboard - start close, get centered, move back. Is about no "gizmo" involved for me any more. Most of my rifles are bolt action - pull the bolt, peer through the bore and get scope lined up more or less what I see in bore - start at 25 yards - three shot groups - keep backing up and adjusting as necessary until where I want it - holes on target do not lie.

Same procedure worked on the only semi-auto that I own - except for the "peering through the bore" part - start close to see where it is hitting - adjust and more back as desired. Done.

 

[Buck1950]

Funny, I've used mine on 6-8? different rifles, from 22LR to .308. All have been within 2-3" at 50. As I said way back, I can run the laser across the street so ca 50-yds to set up my scopes. I got my laser at Cabelas 10+ years ago for about $50-60.
PS - I've found it critical to check the physical Zero of the turrets by counting clicks - I write down by 10s for some when they're 200-cliks plus. More accurate than mirror-test.

 

[OkayShooter]

Funny, I've used mine on 6-8? different rifles, from 22LR to .308. All have been within 2-3" at 50. As I said way back, I can run the laser across the street so ca 50-yds to set up my scopes. I got my laser at Cabelas 10+ years ago for about $50-60.

YMMV.

They're not everybody cup of tea. Yes I #### on them, yes I was willing to give them a try, yes I bought one, and honestly it didn't perform for me any better than just shooting at a big piece of cardboard.

 

[jjohnwm]

Funny, I've used mine on 6-8? different rifles, from 22LR to .308. All have been within 2-3" at 50. As I said way back, I can run the laser across the street so ca 50-yds to set up my scopes. I got my laser at Cabelas 10+ years ago for about $50-60.
PS - I've found it critical to check the physical Zero of the turrets by counting clicks - I write down by 10s for some when they're 200-cliks plus. More accurate than mirror-test.

YMMV.

They're not everybody cup of tea. Yes I #### on them, yes I was willing to give them a try, yes I bought one, and honestly it didn't perform for me any better than just shooting at a big piece of cardboard.

I guess it depends upon whether you get a good one or a bad one. I've done many dozens of bore-sightings with both of mine, with outstanding results. Many times, when just using the laser to switch from one sighted-in scope to a new scope on the same rifle, I have literally not had to touch the scope adjustments after aligning the dot to the crosshairs to match the sight picture to the one from the old scope. Both of my lasers were bought used at gunshows for cheap.

They are both definitely more precise than one of the old Leupold optical ones with an etched grid that you observe through the scope. And there is literally no comparison between using a good laser as opposed to eyeballing through the bore of the rifle.

Used one today to sight in an aperture sight on a leveraction .22lr. First shot about 6 inches off center @ 100 yards. Dead-on with four more shots. I would normally expect to use 25 or so rounds to get that just right, especially with a levergun.

If it doesn't work for you, I think it's just luck of the draw that you got a wonky one...but it's easy to understand how that could sour you on them going forward.

 

[stubblejumper]

I guess it depends upon whether you get a good one or a bad one. I've done many dozens of bore-sightings with both of mine, with outstanding results. Many times, when just using the laser to switch from one sighted-in scope to a new scope on the same rifle, I have literally not had to touch the scope adjustments after aligning the dot to the crosshairs to match the sight picture to the one from the old scope. Both of my lasers were bought used at gunshows for cheap.

They are both definitely more precise than one of the old Leupold optical ones with an etched grid that you observe through the scope. And there is literally no comparison between using a good laser as opposed to eyeballing through the bore of the rifle.

Used one today to sight in an aperture sight on a leveraction .22lr. First shot about 6 inches off center @ 100 yards. Dead-on with four more shots. I would normally expect to use 25 or so rounds to get that just right, especially with a levergun.

If it doesn't work for you, I think it's just luck of the draw that you got a wonky one...but it's easy to understand how that could sour you on them going forward.

I used a Bushnell boresighter that uses collets in the bore, and it works fine, if the crosshairs are around 1.5" to 1.7" above the bore, but with really high mounted scopes, you have to compensate. I have also tried lasers, and once adjusted with a sighted in rifle, they worked about as well as the boresighter. But after using both, I prefer looking down the bore, to align the bore to the crosshairs. Looking down the bore my first shot at 100m is almost always within 3-4", and often within 1-2" of center bull. Friends have tried this, and they usually don't get as close, one friend doesn't even try anymore, because he just can't seem to align the bore properly to the bullseye. Some people can fairly accurately center the bullseye in the bore, and some can't, and those that can't, are better served to use boresighters or lasers.