Surprise at the range

No need to bore sight again. Just move closer to the target and fire a round to see where you are. Adjust from there and then move back to the hundred yard line.

I've never used a bore sight in my entire life, plenty of other free ways to do it

@marksman13 I've walked it back plenty of times like that.

I've always had good luck pulling the bolt out and looking though the barrel like a big peep sight at a target and adjusting the scope to match. A machine rest helps, but bags and or a bipod works too. I've even done that with an AR upper, without the lower or BCG. Just laid it on a table and zerod on a shrub or mailbox.

If we are talking a bolt action then just pull the bolt out and sight down the bore. I do this at the 25 yard line. Put the target in the center of the bore and then look through the scope without disturbing the rifle. If the scope reticle is not on the target I adjust the scope so it is. A round or two at 25 yards to see where I am at and then out to 100 yards. That saves me aggravation and ammo.

I will usually bore sight at the 50 yard by removing the bolt (AR or bolt-action) and looking down the bore with my eye, adjusting the scope until its close enough to try. Usually somewhere around 3/8-1/2" low @ 50 will put me somewhere close @ 200yds where I re-check.

BobABQ said:

If we are talking a bolt action then just pull the bolt out and sight down the bore. I do this at the 25 yard line.

Click to expand...

I tend to swap optics around and use this same system. I even have a marker on my back yard fence that is a measured 25 yards from where I can set up my rifle vise in the house. I've tried laser boresighting chamber inserts, but have found that I can do just as well by sighting down the bore.

I’ve not found boresighting to be even remotely effective.

we have a range with an exposed shale berm. Aim, shoot, note the bullet splash, aim, dial the scope to the bullet impact.

on paper with one shot 90% of the time at 100yds

If a rifle completely loses zero I automatically expect that the optics have either failed, came loose or another mechanical malfunction with the rifle has occurred. Scopes do not “lose zero” without being broken

When my vision was good, looking down the bore got me very close

Perfect on my 300 winmag.

Just gotta remember youre aligning by the bore, not the optic, so its kinda " backwards " on scope adjustment

Bugster, you shouldn't have been that far off with the '06. Make sure the scope rings are tightened down.

The OP never said he was using a bore sight "tool", just that he was going to bore sight again.

I’ve not found boresighting to be even remotely effective.

Click to expand...

If you're talking about using one of the tools that people use I'd agree. If you're talking about looking through the bore and aligning the scope prior to taking the 1st shot I've found it to work amazingly well. I start at 50 yards and am always within 1-2" of POA at 50 yards. I typically fire 1 shot at 50 to confirm, adjust the scope and fire one more at 100. I then readjust the scope and shot #3 of the day is almost always exactly where I want it to be at 100. Then I start shooting groups.

It doesn't happen often, but occasionally I find that I don't have to touch the scope adjustment after just bore sighting.

To the OP. You probably just need a bigger target or get closer. All you need is one bullet hole on paper. Then you can go from there.

I have a magnetic boresight which is only useful if the muzzle crown on the rifle to be sighted is perfect.

Amazingly, many people w bolt and single shot rifles, don't understand how they can "bore sight" their own rifles, bring them to the LGS thinking a device is needed.

I bore sighted my Ruger #1 at the range and a few looked at me funny.
Had to explain what I was doing.
Federal Premium at 2 bucks a pop..........bore sighting "paid for my lunch".

I got some funny looks bore sighting my AR and my 336. I found the 336 was off by quite a bit doing it this way, maybe 6" in 50 yards. I got even funnier looks when I started using a hammer and punch to drift the rear sight. It's dead on for windage now with my chosen factory load. I'll have to drift it again for my hand loads. Both loads shoot 4" to the right again. More odd looks I guess, but not until my supply of factory ammo is gone. I've been looking into easily adjustable peep sights.

Hookeye said:

Amazingly, many people w bolt and single shot rifles, don't understand how they can "bore sight" their own rifles, bring them to the LGS thinking a device is needed.

I bore sighted my Ruger #1 at the range and a few looked at me funny.
Had to explain what I was doing.
Federal Premium at 2 bucks a pop..........bore sighting "paid for my lunch".

Click to expand...

One thing I've found bore sighting by looking down the barrel is... It's a hell of a lot easier with a .308 hole than it is with a .264 or. 223 lol those will strain your eyes pretty quick. My 300WM was perfect windage at and 3 inches low at 100 yards. I couldn't believe I hit the vertical line on the first shot.

gotboostvr said:

I've never used a bore sight in my entire life, plenty of other free ways to do it

@marksman13 I've walked it back plenty of times like that.

I've always had good luck pulling the bolt out and looking though the barrel like a big peep sight at a target and adjusting the scope to match. A machine rest helps, but bags and or a bipod works too. I've even done that with an AR upper, without the lower or BCG. Just laid it on a table and zerod on a shrub or mailbox.

Click to expand...

I do this method as well. This year I had a real surprise. Looked down the bore and centered the scope. 1st shot hit the center of a 1" target at 100m. Never had that happen before!

BobABQ said:

If we are talking a bolt action then just pull the bolt out and sight down the bore. I do this at the 25 yard line. Put the target in the center of the bore and then look through the scope without disturbing the rifle. If the scope reticle is not on the target I adjust the scope so it is. A round or two at 25 yards to see where I am at and then out to 100 yards. That saves me aggravation and ammo.

Click to expand...

I have found a Black & Decker Workmate and a bath towel makes this very easy to do.

mshootnit said:

I do this method as well. This year I had a real surprise. Looked down the bore and centered the scope. 1st shot hit the center of a 1" target at 100m. Never had that happen before!

Click to expand...

I'm usually within 6", but haven't been "dead on" before. Good job.

I always start zeroing at 25 yards. If you're off the paper at 25, something is really, really, wrong.
Boresighting, as in pulling the bolt on a bolt action, or opening an AR and setting the rifle (or upper) on bags and putting the bullseye in the bore at 25 yards, then carefully (without moving the rifle/upper) adjusting the scope so the reticle is on the bullseye, is an effective method. Then it is just a matter of checking 25 yd. zero, and moving back to the yardage you want. (Or leaving it at 'point blank' and memorizing your ballistics.) I usually mechanically zero the scope and start at 25 yards. This tells me right away if it's a mount problem if it's way off.

gotboostvr said:

I'm usually within 6", but haven't been "dead on" before. Good job.

Click to expand...

I chuckled to myself and thought, you gotta be kidding me

Have had a similar problem installing tang sights on some lever guns; in both cases, the factory buckhorns blocked the alignment completely, so there wasn't even a place to start.
Just use a really big piece of paper behind your bullseye. I've some B29 half scale silhouettes, turn them over and hang a bull on them.
One of the tangsights was off by quite a lot; happily I was only shooting .45 Colt reloads.
Got a preliminary zero at 50' on the other at our indoor range; I'll fine tune it when spring is on the meadow. It's 12 damn degrees here at the moment.
Moon

I've tried the electronic gadgets before and for me, the simple process of removing the bolt and looking down the bore works so much better. If you're using a target stand, be sure the cardboard/paper on the backing is fresh so you know the shot you took was the only one on the paper. I bought a roll of craft paper at walmart and it has worked well for this process. Saves lots of ammo. One shot at 25Y, adjust and then move to 100Y for final adjustment.

R.W.Dale said:

If a rifle completely loses zero I automatically expect that the optics have either failed, came loose or another mechanical malfunction with the rifle has occurred. Scopes do not “lose zero” without being broken

Click to expand...

This. I’ve found that, if it loses zero once, it will never hold zero without repair or replacement

You should never need more than one shot to zero a rifle, or at least get it very, very close.

You need a really good rest. Put a large sheet of paper at 25 yards. Remove the scope caps. You need a small pencil eraser size or less) aiming point.

Shoot once. Then, make sure the rifle is securely held in place and put the cross hairs back on The aiming point. Adjust the turrets until the cross hairs are on the bullet hole without moving the rifle at all.

I’ve done this for maybe forty years and it always works if done correctly

The problem with my bore slighter is too many at the range wants to borrow it !!! hdbiker