Boresighter Rant.
I just have to get this off my chest, so if I may.....
To me bore sighting is like the guys a NASA saying "for the Satern 5 rocket to get to the moon, it must be pointed that way, pointing at the moon with their finger".
I don't know how many times durring deer season I hear a person who shot AT a deer and after missing or injuring the deer say "the guy at the gunshop bore sighted it for me and he said it was DEAD ON at 100 yards".
I haven't yet figured out why any ethical hunter would spend hard earned money on a firearm, ammo, game tag, gas...ect. and not spend the money and time to put some rounds downrange at the most reasonable distance they plan to hunt. I feel that if I am going to take any one of the fine animals that our creator has put on this earth, that I owe it to the animal to do it as quickly and in such a manner as to prevent undue suffering to the animal. Yes, it may require an extra 10-20 or 100 rounds to be fired and it may take an afternoon to do it.(would you rather be at work?) But the confidence gained in the firearm and my ability to use it properly is what I accomplish. When the time comes for me to pull the trigger I KNOW where the bullet will land if I do everything right.
I know I will probably get flamed for this attitude but THAT is my belief and nobody will change it.
I also know that some will say that "on paper at 100 yards is close enough" and I will respond with only if you make a Perfect shot since the commonly accepted broadside kill area is just a little bigger than a 8 1/2"x 11" piece of paper. My perfect target on a Whitetail deer is about 3"x4" the heart any thing outside this area is insurance. RANT MODE OFF
I use a modified "one shot zero" style to sight in my rifles. Some one is going to mention that I fire more than one shot, yes, that is why I called it modified.
Off a stable rest I look through the bore on bolt guns at a target at 25 yards and adjust the sights accordingly, then fire one good shot. On rifles where you cannot look through the bore I just fire one good shot at 25 yards. Now with the rifle held with the sights/crosshairs on the aiming spot I have a friend adjust the sights TOO the bullet hole/point of impact(POI) in the target and fire another good shot. I like most of my bullets hitting dead on or a little high at 25 yards from my rifles. If the shots are hitting dead on I move to 50 Yards and fire one good shot just to check that the bullets are hitting straight up from the point of aim(POA), if not I repeat adjusting sights to bullet hole. At 100 yards I fine tune the POI with three shot groups on hunting rifles and 5 shot groups for Bench guns. This "one shot method" can be used from 100 yards if you can see the POI in your scope, it helps to ues a 4'x4' piece of cardboard or paper. And yes, I have seen a "gunshop boresighted" rifle that couldn't hit a 4'x4' piece of paper at 100 yards.(I will not mention the name of the shop that did that one)
Boresighting is just a place to start, not the end-all of sighting in a firearm.
Flame on.....
Darkside