bore sighting guns

[RifleBowPistol]

I started bore sighting guns probably 18 years ago, before that, I just mounted a scope and started shooting a 25 yards to get on the target, close to the bull, then switch to 100 yards and finish sighting in the rifle. At times I burnt up a lot of ammo doing that.

When I bore sight a gun, I look down the bore of the gun, with the bolt out of the gun, or action open or barrel removed from the gun, depending on the gun. For a bolt action, I remove the bolt from the rifle, then set the rifle up on some bags, on a bench, aim the rifle towards a target, then get that target centered in the barrel of the gun. Then make sure the gun will not move, then look through the scope, figure out which direction I need to turn the turrets, and start adjusting, till the crosshairs are on the target and the target is in the center of the bore. For an AR, I open the gun, take the bolt out, charge handle, then remove the upper from the lower, and set the upper on/in some bags, get it nice and solid, so it won't move. Then do the same process as a bolt action. For T/C Contenders and other break open guns, I will remove the barrel from the gun, the set up the barrel in some sand bags, so it is solid and won't move, then get to bore sighting. Falling blocks, just open the action, and set the gun in some sand bags, so it is solid and won't move, then get to bore sighting. Lever actions and some semi autos and pumps can be much more difficult or impossible to bore sight. Things like a 10/22, you are not going to bore sight, using my method, just flat not going to work, unless you drilled a hole in the back end of the receiver, that or created something similar to a periscope, to put in the action.

Over the years, I have gotten good enough at this, for years now, I will start off at 100 yards with most of my center fire rifles. Usually my first shots after bore sighting will be within 2", to 3" of the bull. But there are times, I am off, by 6" to 8", but those are not very common.

Well yesterday, I got my latest AR, a AR45, chambered for 10mm ready to shoot, decided to start it off with some CCI Blazer ammo I had. I have a Sig Saur Romeo 4, I think 4H, it's one with a green dot and circle combo. I bore sighted that gun in yesterday. I was a bit surprised right off, the gun had no recoil, it was virtually identical to a 22 LR. I have heard that blow back pistol caliber ARs have some decent recoil for a pistol caliber carbine. But my gun had close to zero recoil. It was dropping brass 3 ft. from the ejection port. I thought this is amazing. I could not believe a 10mm could have that low of recoil, but it did.

Well I finished off that first box of CCI 180 gr. Blazer ammo, then opened the second box. Right off the noise and recoil were up quite a bit. Then when I went looking for the brass, it was not 3 ft. from the gun like with the first box, they were on the ground about 20 ft., to 25 ft. from the gun. Which is typically how far most of the 10mm ammo I have shot out of my various 10mm handguns, eject brass. Both of these boxes of ammo, I got from Academy 1 year ago, to 1 1/2 years ago. I got it when ammo was first starting to be available again. Academy had a huge mound of 10mm CCI Blazer ammo piled up on their customer service counter. I got as much as they would let me buy.

That first box, was like shooting 22 LR ammo, I mean it literally had the same recoil as a 22 LR. The second box, was on par with any other factory 10mm ammo, nothing heavy, but you got some recoil and you knew when the gun went off.

So when I was bore sighting the gun, I basically got two groups, one group from the first box and one group from the second box. The first box of ammo was hitting low and right of the bull, the second box of ammo, was hitting the bull. I bore sighted the gun, at 30 yards, never adjusted the sight after I started shooting.

[okrattler]

My grandpa always bore sights his rifles. He's had it to where the first round hit dead center first shot twice. Once with my uncle's .17HMR and once with his .223WSSM.

[RifleBowPistol]

My grandpa always bore sights his rifles. He's had it to where the first round hit dead center first shot twice. Once with my uncle's .17HMR and once with his .223WSSM.

It definitely takes some practice to get good at it. Looking down the bore and getting the target centered, is very similar to using a peep sight, but a very deep peep. You want to look perfectly down the center of the bore, so you want to see equal amount of the inside of the barrel all the way around, then get the target perfectly centered in the bore.

Years ago I never guessed doing so would work as well as it does. It was some old fart that told me I should do that to get the rifle close, before I started shooting. It works.

[careybirdwell]

Im better looking down the bore than I am with one of those laser botr sighters

[Jon B]

I have a one of the barrel spud bore sighters. I have spuds from .17-.54 cal. Sure saves some ammo.

[Big pig]

Shot a friends gun that was “professionally” bore-sighted.
It was 18” off at 100.
Went to 25 and got it done

I use the open bore method also.

BP

[WyoBull]

If you do it right, you can sight in a rifle in 2, maybe three rounds.
If you are sighting in dead on at 100 yards as an example, shoot your first shot.
For your second shot, steady your rifle so your scope is centered on the bullseye. I use a Leadsled for this as I can really steady the rifle using one. With your scope crosshairs on the bullseye, adjust your scope until the crosshairs cover your first shot.
Shoot your second round and if you were steady with your first shot, your second should be in the bullseye, or darn close to it.
You can shoot a third round just to verify or make any small adjustment if needed.
I have been doing this for years and am always amazed at the number of people I see at the range blowing through one or more boxes of ammo trying to sight in their rifles.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[jaime1982]

If you do it right, you can sight in a rifle in 2, maybe three rounds.
If you are sighting in dead on at 100 yards as an example, shoot your first shot.
For your second shot, steady your rifle so your scope is centered on the bullseye. I use a Leadsled for this as I can really steady the rifle using one. With your scope crosshairs on the bullseye, adjust your scope until the crosshairs cover your first shot.
Shoot your second round and if you were steady with your first shot, your second should be in the bullseye, or darn close to it.
You can shoot a third round just to verify or make any small adjustment if needed.
I have been doing this for years and am always amazed at the number of people I see at the range blowing through one or more boxes of ammo trying to sight in their rifles.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Lead sled is de way.

[Dbap]

If you do it right, you can sight in a rifle in 2, maybe three rounds.
If you are sighting in dead on at 100 yards as an example, shoot your first shot.
For your second shot, steady your rifle so your scope is centered on the bullseye. I use a Leadsled for this as I can really steady the rifle using one. With your scope crosshairs on the bullseye, adjust your scope until the crosshairs cover your first shot.
Shoot your second round and if you were steady with your first shot, your second should be in the bullseye, or darn close to it.
You can shoot a third round just to verify or make any small adjustment if needed.
I have been doing this for years and am always amazed at the number of people I see at the range blowing through one or more boxes of ammo trying to sight in their rifles.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

This. If you have help, use a bipod and rear bag. Stay on the gun and have them move the reticle as you watch it cover the first impact. Aim at the bulls eye, you should be there.

[Leverhunter]

Was it the same lot number on the ammo ?

[RifleBowPistol]

Was it the same lot number on the ammo ?

Yes, they are from the same lot. I still have both boxes, I will look at them later to verify. Academy got a bunch of 10mm CCI Blazer ammo in after not having any ammo on the shelves for almost a year. All of the lower powered rounds in the first box ejected from the gun, except for one. There was one that did not have the power to cycle the bolt. That case was still in the gun, that was about the third or fourth shot out of the new gun.

I found about seven cases that I fired, that were all in the second box, that the cases were cracked on one side of the case. About the middle of the case, they have a crack about 1/4" long, going around the case. I am not sure that is not a result of whatever is going on inside the chamber, that needs to be cleaned up. All of the cracked cases happened within the first 20 rounds fired of the second box. As the gun started working smoother, I quit seeing cracked cases. I am not sure of what caused the cases to crack. I figure I will clean the chamber up, get it nice and slick inside, then see what it does.

The areas where the cases are cracked is kind of odd, it looks like the brass cracked going around the case, then the brass to the rear of the crack, got shoved under the brass on the front side of the crack. It almost looks like the brass was damaged before I loaded it in the gun, then with the brass folded under in one area, when the round went off, it cracked where it was folded. Not sure I have ever seen damage to a case like that before. Since the cracking occurred in the area where the chamber left rough rings around the case, I am not sure the chamber of the gun did not cause the problem. I think the rings I am seeing on the cases, was done by the chamber, they look like they were done when the round went off and the brass formed to the inside of the chamber.

I am going to pull the barrel back out of the upper, look into the chamber and polish it, if needed.

The lot number on both boxes is B19C203.

[Ætheling]

About 8 years back I started using the sticker method with a rifle rest that straps the rifle to the rest. Theoretically if you are on paper at 100 you can sight in with one round but usually start at the 25 and then 100 and I only need technically two rounds but I fire a third for verification. Definitely saves money.

1. Strap rifle into rest
2. Fire once (take your time and make it a good one) you can also go ahead and shoot
a group if you are unsure of a single shot
3. Place sticker on target where round hit
4. Adjust scope so that the cross hairs are now on the sticker.

Scope is now sighted in