Bore Sighting: What It Is and Why It Matters

You just mounted a new scope. You head to the range, fire your first shot at 100 yards, and… nothing. No hole in the paper. No idea whether you missed high, low, left or right. That’s what happens when you skip bore sighting. Ten minutes at the bench saves you a full box of ammo and half the range trip.

Bore Sighting In One Line

Bore sighting is the process of aligning your scope with the actual line of the rifle’s bore — so your first live shot lands somewhere on the target instead of two feet off the paper.

01Bore Sight vs. Zero

These are two different things and lots of shooters mix them up.

Bore sighting = get on paper. A visual/mechanical alignment before you ever fire a shot. Puts you within about 6–12 inches of your point of aim at 100 yards.
Zeroing = refine to zero. Live-fire adjustments to bring your point of impact exactly to your point of aim at a chosen distance (usually 100 yards for hunting).

Bore sight first, zero second. Skip step one and step two takes forever.

02How It Works

The idea is dead simple: with the rifle solidly rested, you sight down the bore itself at a fixed object 25–100 yards away, then move the scope’s crosshairs onto that same object without moving the rifle. Three tools do the job:

Three Methods

Visual (through the bore) — remove the bolt, look through the bore at a target 25 yds away, then adjust the scope onto that same target. Works only on bolt-actions and single-shots.
Laser bore sighter — a small unit inserts in the chamber (or muzzle) and projects a laser dot downrange. Adjust the scope onto the dot.
Optical (collimator) — the professional bench tool. Sits on the muzzle and gives a grid pattern you dial the reticle onto.

Laser Boresighters

The most popular home option. A cartridge-shaped unit chambers like a round and projects a laser dot 25 yards downrange. Center your scope on the dot — you’re on paper. Wheeler and SiteLite make good ones.

Bore sighting doesn’t zero your rifle. It gets you on paper — so the first live shot doesn’t disappear into the dirt.— Elk River Guns

03When to Bore Sight

Every new scope install
After swapping bases or rings
After the rifle takes a serious drop or transport bang
Anytime you can’t explain why the rifle is shooting way off

04Zeroing After Bore Sight

Once you’re on paper: shoot a 3-shot group at 100 yards, measure the center of the group to the center of the bull, adjust your turrets that many clicks (in the correct direction), and shoot another 3-shot group to confirm. Two or three iterations and you have a real zero.

For hunting rifles a 100-yard zero is the standard. For AR-15s the classic “50/200” zero (impact at 50 yards, back to zero around 200) is a great all-purpose choice.

05Drop It Off With Us

Our gunsmiths mount, level, torque and bore sight scopes every week, for a nominal fee. That gets you on paper — the zero itself is yours to finish at the range with the load you’ll actually hunt. See our gunsmithing services.

Riflescopes

The full range

Rings & Mounts

Quality steel & alloy

Ammunition

Zero with the load you’ll hunt

Bolt-Action Rifles

Hunting-ready

Local Tip / Bring your rifle in early. September is our busiest gunsmith month — last-minute scope mounts before opening day fill up fast.