Boresighters?

[AV8R]

Just wondering if anyone has used something like this: Laser Boresighter



I'm looking for something that will work with my XD40, S&W .38 SPL, BLR 30-06, .22 Rifle, and shotguns. The above seems to fit the bill, but I'm looking for first-hand experiences, opinions, and recommendations please!

[JimLongley]

Like any other such tool, it serves to get you close enough to fine tune.

My boresighter (actually one of several, but the only laser one that I have) comes with several "spuds" that fit various bores by tightening a screw to expand the spud to fit the bore.

Ok, except they expect you to TURN the boresight as you sight it in to make it concentric with the bore. You need to select a "target" to make any changes significant - I selected a neighbor's eave which is white, and zeroed in on it. I always wondered if anyone noticed te red dot.

Then, having gotten the dot on target, you turn the boresight in the bore by about 90 degrees, and get it back on target using the set screws.

Then you go through the process multiple times until the dot stays in the same place no matter which way you turn the boresight, which means it's concentric to THAT bore for THAT session, all bets are off if you change guns or remove and re-insert it.

Then you tune your sight to the dot and you are ready to go to the range and tune the sights to hit point of aim - all that other stuff just got you close enough, not right on.

Is it worth the effort? Yes, if you have ever tried to sight in a gun with new sights or a new scope and you had no idea where your shots were hitting to start with, it saves a lot of rounds of ammo. It gets you close enough.

My only problem is that the spud rests against the lands of the rifling and I am afraid that the turning of the spud will damage the rifling.

Some of the others use rubber spuds.

[AV8R]

Thanks for the insight! It doesn't sound too complicated.

[DanaT]

With laser boresighters, don't forget high school geometry.

You will also be better served if you know approximate flight path. Then you can use similar triangles to align the scope to the dot on the paper to what the sights are. I have found that at 100 yards laser bore sighting is normally within a few inches.

I am not sure how well it will work for pistols. Most pistols come with semi-fixed sights that are mostly sighted in. If you aren’t shooting where its aiming, you are most likely to blame (movement, sight picture, strange ammo, etc).

-Dana

[Ed Ely]

I always expected a boresighter to get me on paper
and I finished up the job at the range by tweaking
the sights or scope.

Ed

[Sandy]

You don't need a boresighter for handguns!

[AV8R]

Originally Posted by Sandy

You don't need a boresighter for handguns!

Great! Any idea what you *DO* need? I hate to ask for something positive here, but you can't just reply with "you don't need...."

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by AV8R

Great! Any idea what you *DO* need? I hate to ask for something positive here, but you can't just reply with "you don't need...."

Sure I can. I did. Even if you're mounting optics on a handgun, the sighting-in process is so quick and simple that a boresighter would be silly. (In my humble opinion, of course.)