October 29, 2018

How to Boresight a Rifle

Carsie Young

Boresighting a rifle is an easy 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 four 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 probably do it in no time.

For more GameKeeper tips, read “Ideal Tree Stand Locations: Using Funnels.” Much of choosing the proper stand site has to do with “structure.” In the same way that an angler finds the “spot on the spot,” the lay of the land and topography differences that restrict or guide movement are keys to stand placement.

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