Surprise at the range

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I had a gunsmithing business for over 26 years and you would not believe the number of requests I got from hunters to boresight their guns. Then they would just go hunting without checking anything. Tried and tried to tell them that they need to check on paper. Many were just plain afraid of their rifles. "I can hit deer, but can't shoot bulls eyes worth a darn", and similar comments.
 
I had a gunsmithing business for over 26 years and you would not believe the number of requests I got from hunters to boresight their guns. Then they would just go hunting without checking anything. Tried and tried to tell them that they need to check on paper. Many were just plain afraid of their rifles. "I can hit deer, but can't shoot bulls eyes worth a darn", and similar comments.

I had a buddy put a new reddot on a Rem870 20ga slug gun act surprised when he missed a deer. "But it's still zeroed from the factory, why would I need to zero it again? It should be close enough at least!"

Myself and a buddy who was in gunsmithing school couldn't convince him that there wasn't anything wrong with the sight and he needed to verify on paper.
 
I bore sighted my .300 win mag 700 BDL on a buds apple tree.
It was 1" high above dead center at 100 yards (best boresighting I've done).
Have gotten em 2-8" at 50 yds. Make adjustments and go to 100.
Less than half a box total and she's good to go
 
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.

A question: I assumed that right-to-left was pretty much just getting the sights aligned with the bore, and that differences in oomph resulting in mostly an up-and-down difference. But what do I know? Is a different load likely to affect the side-to-side location of the point of impact, and if so, why? Thanks for any ballistic knowledge shared!
 
I do like using the one shot zero “trick” at 50 yds.

You need a good rest with a few adjustments usually though.
 
A question: I assumed that right-to-left was pretty much just getting the sights aligned with the bore, and that differences in oomph resulting in mostly an up-and-down difference. But what do I know? Is a different load likely to affect the side-to-side location of the point of impact, and if so, why? Thanks for any ballistic knowledge shared!

When I got it from my grandfather many years ago, it shot about 6" right at 50 yards. I finally figured out how to move the sights and got it pretty much centered for my chosen load of Winchester 170 gr PowerPoint factory ammo. For that part, I think you are correct. The sights were just not centered.

For my hand loads, both use Hornady bullets: 110 gr FMJ for plinking and 160 gr FTX for more serious pursuits. Both hit about 4" right at 100 yards while the Winchester 170 gr loads are still centered. The windage spread last time I checked was less than 1.5" for the Winchester load, and if I'm honest could still come about 1/4" left, but that's splitting hairs.

I have no idea why the Hornady bullets pull right so much. Part of it is me, as I tend to pull rifles to the right just a little. This rifle has one of the better triggers out of all my rifles; no movement and a clean break. Different bullets can change POI but 4" seems a lot. I had to settle on a factory load and the Winchester was the least expensive and grouped well while I had a scope on this rifle. If nothing else the shift seems brand specific.
 
I boresight in my "cave". One vertical line and 2 horizontals spaced equal to rifle bore and optic bore on a sheet of paper on the wall. Take the bolt out and use books and weights (whatever) to steady the rifle (or just the upper for an AR) and borescope it. With this method I can always get the first shot on paper at 100 yards. My alternate is to use a distant light at night, or a pinecone on a tree (etc) during the day. Not a lot of science to this. I set up a red dot on a 22 cal pistol last year sighting on a doorknob at the end of the hall in my house. It was perfect.
 
Sorry about the time it's taken for this update. After getting my '06 cleaned, I got it out the next day and boresighted. Then I took it to the range a couple days later, when it warmed up a bit. I had to adjust about an inch up and right to get it zeroed. I'll try to get pics up later, but it is more accurate now than it was before I had the problem. I am very happy with it now.
 
I had a gunsmithing business for over 26 years and you would not believe the number of requests I got from hunters to boresight their guns. Then they would just go hunting without checking anything. Tried and tried to tell them that they need to check on paper. Many were just plain afraid of their rifles. "I can hit deer, but can't shoot bulls eyes worth a darn", and similar comments.

I took my older brother, who is not as well versed as I, to zero his shotgun scope a couple years ago. He fired his first shot at 25 yards. When I told him how to adjust, he said that's backwards. It took a bit but he finally let me adjust it. We then went to the 50 yard lane and he fired and it was a dead bullseye shot. It blew his mind cause he thought I adjusted it the wrong way.
Many people think that way and sometimes it's hard to convince them otherwise.
 
I bore-sight to get on the paper all the time. The only time it didn't work was with a contender carbine in 35 Rem. For whatever reason, lining up the scope with what I sighted through the bore meant nothing. Chased that one for awhile to get it sighted in.
 
Is there any possible way one could bore sight something, with the sight and the barrel looking within 3 inches of each other, and not be on paper?
 
Depends on your definition of boresighting. If using one of the devices that attaches to the muzzle of a rifle, yes. If doing the way I described in post #19, much less likely. You will only be hitting at POA at that distance you boresighted in at.
 
Regarding that tc contender carbine. I don't use any tools, just sight through the bore. I figured it was simple a matter of a slow bullet and a really light gun. It jumps quite a bit when you shoot it so it could be akin to poor follow through. Essentially by the time the bullet exits the bore, it's no longer looking where I bore sighted it. Anyhow, once I got it sighted in, I didn't worry much about it.
 
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