While the procedure will also work with open sights, boresighting is typically used to align the crosshairs of a telescopic sight, or “scope,” with the bore of a rifle or other firearm. Boresighting is designed to ensure that the firearm will be accurate enough to hit a paper target at a distance of 50 yards. While boresighting can be done without a boresighter, by just looking down the barrel and lining the bore up with the target, this method only works with firearms that offer an unobstructed view through the barrel. For most other types of firearms, a boresighting device is extremely helpful.
Collimator and Arbors
A collimator is a boresighting device with a graph-like grid that is visible when looking through the scope. The collimator is held in place by an arbor, sometimes called a “spud,” inserted into the muzzle end of the barrel. The arbors are sized for a specific caliber, or range of calibers, and are held in place by an expanding plug or spring. Once the arbor is secured in the muzzle, the shooter looks through the scope and adjusts the elevation and windage turrets until the scope’s crosshairs are centered in the grid. A collimator can also be used to check the scope’s zero after the sighting-in process has been completed. This can be done by recording where on the grid the crosshairs line up after the firearm has been sighted in.
Magnetic Boresighters
Instead of inserting arbors into the barrel, a magnetic boresighter attaches to end of the muzzle of the firearm with magnets. Magnetic boresighters will fit all calibers with no other parts required. Magnetic boresighters also use a collimator and can also be for checking the scope’s zero after sighting in.
Laser Boresighters
There are two kinds of laser boresighters, one that fits into the muzzle with an arbor and a second type that inserts into the chamber, like a cartridge. Both work by projecting a laser beam onto the target. Laser boresighters do need a somewhat reflective surface for the beam to be readily visible. As a note, most laser boresighters eat batteries, regardless of what the manufacturer claims.
Using a Collimator-Style Boresighter
- Point the rifle in a safe direction and confirm that it isn’t loaded.
- Secure the rifle in a suitable support, such as a gun vise or pair of sandbags, that will hold the firearm securely in place while you work on it. Confirm the rifle scope is mounted correctly and check to be sure all the screws tight.
- Select the appropriate caliber arbor and attach the arbor to the boresighter according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Attach the boresighter to the rifle by inserting the arbor into the muzzle and hand tighten the arbor in place. A magnetic-style boresighter only needs to be placed over the muzzle.
- Look through the rifle scope and rotate the boresighter until the lines on the grid of the collimator line up with both the horizontally and vertically crosshairs of scope.
- Remove the caps from the windage- and elevation-adjustment turrets and adjust the turrets until the crosshairs on the scope line up with the lines in the center of the collimator grid.
- The rifle is now boresighted. Remove the boresighter and arbor from the barrel.
- Test the rifle at the range by firing a three-shot group at a target at 50 yards. Use the hole in the middle of the three-shot group to make any adjustments to the rifle scope. Repeat the process at 100 yards.
Using Laser-Style Boresighters
- Confirm that the rifle it isn’t loaded.
- Secure the rifle in a suitable support, such as a gun vise or pair of sandbags, that will hold the firearm securely in place while you work on it. Confirm the rifle scope is mounted correctly and check to be sure all the screws tight.
- For muzzle-style laser boresighters, select the appropriate caliber arbor and attach the arbor to the boresighter. Insert the arbor of the boresighter into the muzzle of the rifle and hand tighten the arbor in place. For cartridge-style laser boresighters, insert the boresighter into the chamber of the rifle.
- Line the laser beam up on the center of a target 25 yards away.
- Remove the caps from the windage- and elevation-adjustment turrets. Look through the scope and adjust the turrets until the crosshairs on the scope line up with the laser beam hitting the target.
- Move the target to 50 yards and repeat the process. While you can try to skip the initial 25-yard target sighting in step four, the laser beam may not even hit the target if you start at 50 yards.
- The rifle is now boresighted.
- As with the collimator boresighter, test the rifle by firing a three-shot group at a target at 50 yards and then repeat the process at 100 yards.