How to Boresight a Rifle

How to Boresight a Rifle – Boresighting is a great method used to pre-align your optics to the barrel. This will make zeroing in on your target much easier when at the range. There are several tools out there to help you, but it can also be done very easily with just your eyes. The below 4 steps should get you on paper and ready for the range.

1. Safety

Before starting be sure the rifle is unloaded. After unloading, remove the bolt or open the action on a single shot rifle. You need a clear line of sight down the barrel, so some rifles, such as semi-automatics cannot be boresighted with this method.

2. Keep Steady

Place the rifle in a steady rest. A rest can be anything form a store bought rest to a bag of sand as long as the rifle can be secured and doesn’t move.

3. Find a Target

Find a small object across the room like a doorknob, or mark on a tree, if you’re outside. Look through the barrel and center that object in the barrel.

4. Adjust the Scope

Without moving the rifle, adjust the scope so the crosshair is just above the same object. Now you’re ready for the range.

Putting a scope on a rifle and boresighting is not very complicated, and can be accomplished with only a few tools. If you are unsure of what you’re doing, a good gunsmith might be your best bet.  They should have lots of experience and can probable do it in no time.

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