question about laser bore sighting...

[noob_shooter]

Let's say, I zeroed by rifle @ 50 yards using live rounds at the range. Came home and used a chamber laser bore sighting tool to mark the appropriate location on a paper at X yards. Would it be wise to assume that my rifle is still zeroed at 50 yards if i took the scope off and put it back on and lined up recticle where the laser was originally located?

Hard to explain but i'm sure you guys know what i mean...

 

[nipprdog]

Hard to explain but i'm sure you guys know what i mean...

 

[ThomasT]

Yes that should work. At least you should be very close. I have taken several scopes off that went back on with almost no loss of zero. Ruger rings will do this and so will scopes mounted with the weaver system.

I took the scope and the base off of my marlin 30-30 and reinstalled it and was less than one inch away from where it was scoped in. I have a base with scope sighted in for my marlin 357 and I can screw it on and be very close to zero at 50 yards.

Nearly everytime I have used the laser to set my scope and then fine tuned it at the range I will check it when I get home. It seems like it is always a little high and left after the true zero. I bet yours will be also.

 

[briansmithwins]

What happens if you're off? If it's dropping a few points at a match who cares?

If it's going to result in crippled game or people dying, why chance it?

I always want to confirm zero every chance I get. Doubly so if anything has changed since I last confirmed zero.

BSW

 

[gb0399]

I understand what you are saying, and basically what you have done is made a laser bore sight zero target for yourself. It should work to get yourself back close to zero, but possible not true zero. I use a laser bore sight and laser bore sight target to get "on paper" and save time and rounds when zeroing.

 

[375shooter]

Hello Noob:
You are assuming right. The further you place your paper for marking where the laser is pointing, the more accurate the confirmation will be. It's still always best to fire the rifle to confirm the zero before you go hunting.
Pat.

 

[ArmedBear]

You can't assume that.

Most laser bore sighters I've seen promise 4 MOA or so. That's 4" at 100 yards. I can damn near guess that well.

You can, however, get quick-detachable scope mounts that will remain zeroed when re-attached.

 

[dmazur]

I think you're on the right track.

The instructions that came with my chamber-type laser boresighters referenced a card that was included, but I believe any business card would work.

The instructions said to sight in your rifle, using the laser as an aid as to where the bore was aligned. This is commonly referred to as "getting on paper" and its about all the laser is going to do. (For a bolt-action rifle, it's roughly equivalent to removing the bolt and looking down the bore to center it on the target.) Don't try to make the reticle and laser dot coincident...the bullet path is curved and the laser dot is a straight line.

After completing a normal "zeroing" process by alternate firing and adjusting the scope, the instructions say you can optionally insert the laser again. Set up their "business card" at around 10 yds or so. Measure the distance so you can set it up at exactly the same distance in the future. Mark the reticle location and the laser location on the card, using a different mark or color for each. They will not be coincident.

Now, at some time in the future (say, after baggage handlers have had a chance to toss your cased rifle off a belt onto concrete), you can set up the business card again and verify that the scope reticle is still in the same location relative to the laser dot.

This should also verify that a quick-detach scope mount returns to zero.