How To Boresight A Scope Without a Boresighter

One of the most irritating aspects of the shooting or hunting experience for the novice or first-time rifle shooters is sighting in a rifle scope. If you don’t have a bore sighter on hand or don’t want to spend the money on one, how do you do the sight-in procedure? There are tools called bore sighters that may assist speed up the sight-in process.

Remember that there are many alternative ways to complete a task and yet be successful. Here is how to sight in a rifle scope without a bore sighter after that:

1. Check that the rifle scope is fitted correctly, that the eye relief is set correctly, and that the reticle focus is set.

2. During sight-in, make sure you have a stable rest from which to fire. If you don’t have a good rest, the procedure will be a source of irritation for you. Now, the break doesn’t have to be fancy or commercial. I’ve used a shooting bag or a rolled-up shirt to sight in several rifles while standing on the bonnet of a car.

3. Ascertain that the shooting range has a secure backstop where the bullets may be caught. The backstop has two functions: 

a)Safely halt the shots that have been discharged. 

b)In the case that your first shot is not on paper, it will serve as a visual point of reference to help you assess where your rounds are striking concerning the target.

4. Select the area of the range you wish to sight in. I advise starting the sign-in process at a tighter range rather than further out if this is your first time placing the rifle or shotgun on paper.

I recommend beginning the sight-in procedure with the target at a distance of 30 to 50 yards if you intend to shoot at 100 yards while the weapon is on. You may move the distance once you’ve put it on paper.

5. If you can perform a manual boresight. Pump or semi-auto versions cannot use a manual boresight since bolt guns are the only type that functions with one. Here’s the simplest technique to perform a manual boresight with a bolt gun:

To sight down the rifle’s barrel, remove the bolt. Place the unloaded weapon in a target-facing position with the installed sight. Place your head in such a way that you can simultaneously see through the scope and down the barrel. Unbelievably, you can use this method to gain a pretty excellent sense of where the scope is pointing about the target and then move on to make modifications such that the scope is at least on paper.

6. Fire the first shot while aiming at the center (or whatever portion of the target is the smallest) (with appropriate eyes and ears in place). Normally, I align the sights precisely where they were before firing two more times.

7. After determining where the first three hits occurred on the target, start adjusting for windage and height. Generally speaking, you can only make one set of modifications at a time to avoid confusing yourself in the process. 

By doing so, just alter the elevation until it is on target, and then alter the windage. Repeat the process once more. Once you have the elevation on target, you change after one shot. Repeat the procedure after that for windage. 

8. Reposition the target to my desired distance after you are largely “on target” (100 yards or whatever you are planning on shooting)

9. Fire a three-shot group to determine your position at the new distance, and then modify it as necessary.

By firing a 10-shot group and then making modifications to those groups, you can usually fine-tune the sight-in procedure. Smaller 3- or 5-shot groups are preferred by some shooters to conserve ammunition, but I believe that a 10-shot group provides a more accurate reading of shot placement on a target for adjusting reasons.

Here’s the gist of it: if you’re shooting a semi-auto, your best option is to double-check that your rifle sight is securely fastened, then fire a shot (or five) at a close range, say 25 yards, before the bullet has a chance to veer off course and miss the paper target. You should be able to sight in at any range you choose to focus on once you’ve done so at 25 yards.

You can accomplish the same thing with a bolt action, but you can also just remove the bolt and align your vision by looking through the bore with one eye and the rifle scope with the other. If you follow the steps correctly, you should at least strike the target. You may move from the initial point of contact on the target to the desired landing spot for your shot using the windage and elevation settings on the sight.

Continue reading if you want additional information on how to sight in scope and modify your pistol at the range without using a lot of bullets.

You just need to get the scope to match the gun’s muzzle each time you fire; minor changes may be sufficient. You’ll need to adjust the mounting if the scope slides when you fire, or you may return it. The location of the shooters, the shooting sights you’re using, and the distances you’re aiming at all affect your line of sight.

The reticle on the rifle scope adjusts to match where the bullet is hitting, not the trajectory of the projectile, which is a crucial point to keep in mind. Additionally, keep in mind that the rounds travel in an arc rather than a straight path. In connection to the scope, the effect of the bullet will alter at various distances because the vision through the scope is traveling straight.

Can a rifle be zeroed without firing it?

Sighting a rifle without pulling the trigger is a rather easy process. Your rifle may be sighted in a matter of minutes by utilizing a bore sighter (a tool that shows the anticipated point of contact) or by visually identifying the point of impact by peering through the barrel at a predefined position.

Do you require bore vision?

Before shooting seriously, boresighting and zeroing are both necessary tasks. People who don’t boresight their weapons will waste rounds in the field trying to hit the target because their sights aren’t lined up.

A laser boresight is what, exactly?

The laser bore sight illuminates the target with a laser beam from a specific distance to align the gun’s barrel and the sight before firing. It is a bore sighting technique that permits more movement in the barrel without removing the bolt, which speeds up the pistol’s optical zeroing.

Why do Scopes drop its zero?

Make that the scope rings are securely fastened and that the connections between the rings and the rails have no play. When a scope won’t maintain zero, this is the most likely explanation. Either the components fit incorrectly, weren’t adjusted, or the scope rings became loose when the rifle was fired frequently.

Can a bore sight be zeroed?

The bore sight approach is the simplest way to modify a zero. Even when a weapon has a bore sight, certain small adjustments will still be required. Regardless of whether you utilize the conventional approach or a laser bore sight, bore sighting will get your weapon quite near to the target but not exactly.

What is the range of a bore sight?

For the majority of deer rifles, bore-sight at 25 yards and impact 1 inch low while shot. In just a few shots, you ought should be able to complete your zero on the 100-yard target. If you initially bore-sight your new deer rifle and confirm impact at 25 yards, your trip to the range will undoubtedly be more enjoyable.

Conclusion

It’s crucial to learn how to sight in optics without a boresighting tool, especially if you often shoot or go hunting. This ability enables hunters to be more adaptable and teaches them how to make modifications based on their desired safe distances and eye relief preferences, which may make you a better shooter.

We advise that you thoroughly practice this procedure after learning it to increase the accuracy of your scope as well as your sight-in technique. Find a technique to modify your scope so that it matches your chosen hunting distance and shooting comfort.

The main issue for beginning shooters is the misconception that sighting in a rifle is more difficult than it is. They’re typically doing it correctly; they simply don’t think it’s that simple to aim without a boresight.

You’ll probably get it there eventually if you depend only on your ability to maintain your scope and rifle while sighting in, but it will take much longer and be much more annoying. Remember that moving the scope’s crosshairs to the impact point of each shot is much simpler once you are on target.

Having said that, feel free to adjust the group shots to a lower number or acquire a Lead Sled if you’re sighting in a heavy caliber with unappealing recoil. By using this method, you can Boresight a Scope without A Boresighter.