Bore Sight Techniques

Bore sighting is the first step in sighting a newly installed scope. Before the rifle's sighting can be fine-tuned at a shooting range, the scope must be aligned visually. The easiest way to do this is to use a bore sighter. There are many bore sighting techniques, varying in two categories: how the bore sight is mounted on the rifle and how the scope aligns with the bore sight.

  1. Barrel loaded

    • The first bore sights were barrel-loaded. They attach to the rifle by means of a device which can be adjusted according to the caliber of the rifle in order to fit snugly and provide a stable base against which careful adjustments can be made to the scope.

    Magnetic mounted

    • Magnetic bore sights are easier to use than barrel-loaded sights because they do not need to be adjusted to the caliber of the rifle. A magnetic bore sight can attach easily to any caliber rifle. Magnetic mounted scopes are unique in that they can use laser or optical sighting.

    Chamber loaded

    • Chamber-loaded bore sights, like barrel-loaded sights, must be customized to the caliber of the rifle to be sighted in. They are bore sights in the truest sense, however, since they shoot a laser beam directly through the barrel's bore. Each chamber-loaded sighter is loaded into the firing chamber like a bullet, from which point it shines a beam out at a wall that the scope can zero in on.

    Objective sighting

    • Objective-sighted bore sights present a lens with a cross hair or other marking that can be used as a template against which to align the cross hairs of the scope itself. Objective sighting is used by magnetic and barrel-loaded bore sights so that the lens of the bore sight rises above the iron sights at the end of the barrel.

    Laser sighting

    • Laser-sighted bore sighters shoot a beam out from the barrel or parallel to the barrel. The laser casts a spot on a wall or target, and the scope is then adjusted to focus on this spot. Laser-sighted bore sights are generally considered more accurate, but they have the disadvantage of requiring space to operate. Usually the wall or target must be about 25 yards away from the gun.