Bore sighter ?.

[samboy]

Hi gang.

            Thinking of getting one of these. Only for my rimfires and air rifle. Any recommendations ?.

                                                                                                                                                Thanks all.

[enfieldspares]

On a bolt action rimfire you can just about manage without one IF you have somewhere to clamp the rifle. Indeed if you have somewhere to clamp the rifle you can in fact manage to sight in with but just two shots fired. Here's how to do a two shot zero.

Make a LARGE target backboard and fire one shot at an aiming mark you have drawn on that board. Now clamp your rifle so that it cannot move and such that the 'scope is aiming at the aiming mark. Just in fact as when you fired that first shot. 

THE RIFLE MUST BE CLAMPED SO THAT IT CANNOT MOVE. If you no clams then bungee cords, parcel tape, heavy weighted sandbag "sausages" will do as long as the rifle cannot move. Indeed you can make an "Enfield Box" if you want.

Now with the rifle fixed SO THAT IT CANNOT MOVE (I think I've mentioned that before...LOL) adjust the reticule on you sight to move it to  be aiming at that first bullet hole. Now un clamp the rifle and fire round number two at the original aiming mark. 

If your rifle was correctly clamped so that it could not move whilst you were adjusting the 'scope it will now be zeroed on to your aiming mark. You'll sometimes see this method in publications similar to "The Anarchist's Cookbook" (I'm told I've never seen nor owned a copy) or referred to as "the urban guerilla zero".

And "Enfield Box" is a shallow wooden box...think one foot wide, one and a half feet long, eight inches deep. There is a broad U or V notch in the front of the box to take the rifle forend. There is a notch in the back of the box with a rectangle of wood to the side.

The front of the trigger guard is pushed right up to the back of the back of the box. The rectangle of wood is to stop the rifle canting and serves the purpose that when a rifle is put on the box it ALWAYS will be in the same position.

Being a open box you can put bricks or sandbags in it to make it stable. This way you don't need clamps but, of course, you will have to adjust the target and the box position to align them. You can do this by putting a sandbag or lengths of wood to raise the front underneath it.

ENFIELD BOX

Edited November 18, 2022 by enfieldspares

[old'un]

15 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

On a bolt action rimfire you can just about manage without one IF you have somewhere to clamp the rifle. Indeed if you have somewhere to clamp the rifle you can in fact manage to sight in with but just two shots fired. Here's how to do a two shot zero.

Make a LARGE target backboard and fire one shot at an aiming mark you have drawn on that board. Now clamp your rifle so that it cannot move and such that the 'scope is aiming at the aiming mark. Just in fact as when you fired that first shot. 

THE RIFLE MUST BE CLAMPED SO THAT IT CANNOT MOVE. If you no clams then bungee cords, parcel tape, heavy weighted sandbag "sausages" will do as long as the rifle cannot move. Indeed you can make an "Enfield Box" if you want.

Now with the rifle fixed SO THAT IT CANNOT MOVE (I think I've mentioned that before...LOL) adjust the reticule on you sight to move it to  be aiming at that first bullet hole. Now un clamp the rifle and fire round number two at the original aiming mark. 

If your rifle was correctly clamped so that it could not move whilst you were adjusting the 'scope it will now be zeroed on to your aiming mark. You'll sometimes see this method in publications similar to "The Anarchist's Cookbook" (I'm told I've never seen nor owned a copy) or referred to as "the urban guerilla zero".

And "Enfield Box" is a shallow wooden box...think one foot wide, one and a half feet long, eight inches deep. There is a broad U or V notch in the front of the box to take the rifle forend. There is a notch in the back of the box with a rectangle of wood to the side.

The front of the trigger guard is pushed right up to the back of the back of the box. The rectangle of wood is to stop the rifle canting and serves the purpose that when a rifle is put on the box it ALWAYS will be in the same position.

Being a open box you can put bricks or sandbags in it to make it stable. This way you don't need clamps but, of course, you will have to adjust the target and the box position to align them. You can do this by putting a sandbag or lengths of wood to raise the front underneath it.

ENFIELD BOX

Is that the correct sequence? I thought you fired the first shot whilst it was clamped?

[enfieldspares]

Hello OLD'UN. No indeed with a high power rifle it'd be very difficult to clamp it. A "lead sled" for example doesn't AFAIK clamp the rifle? The clamping is to stop the rifle from moving when you adjust the 'scope. The other way to bore sight of course is to rest the rifle and take out the bolt. Then look through the barrel from the receiver end and line the rifle up on a fixed, distant, mark. Then adjust the 'scope so that it too now aligns with that same distant mark. The advantage of this method is that you don't need any clamping. Just somewhere to lay the rifle on. The disadvantage is that it isn't as precises as the two shot zero. 

[old'un]

1 hour ago, enfieldspares said:

Hello OLD'UN. No indeed with a high power rifle it'd be very difficult to clamp it. A "lead sled" for example doesn't AFAIK clamp the rifle? The clamping is to stop the rifle from moving when you adjust the 'scope. The other way to bore sight of course is to rest the rifle and take out the bolt. Then look through the barrel from the receiver end and line the rifle up on a fixed, distant, mark. Then adjust the 'scope so that it too now aligns with that same distant mark. The advantage of this method is that you don't need any clamping. Just somewhere to lay the rifle on. The disadvantage is that it isn't as precises as the two shot zero. 

Ok, thanks, yes I can understand the problems with a high powered rifle.

So the first shot is free hand, not clamped? is there not the possibility that the first shot is off the aiming mark? Shooter error? Also, if the shooter does his part and puts the cross hairs on the mark, is there not the possibility of a flier?

[enfieldspares]

Well, yes, there is that possibility but, in truth, if you shoot rested or braced, and have a big enough sheet of paper (old wallpaper rolls from charity shops or Freegle) at a close enough distance you'll be OK.

[Newbie to this]

Best to take the shot from a bipod with a rear bag. This method does work but I find it takes 3 or 4 shots to fine tune.

I did this at 100 yards with my .308. I didn't clamp the rifle, but used an bipod and rear bag. I bore sighted first by removing the bolt, this got the first shot on paper, then the two (and a few) shot method.

It was then bullet on bullet at 100, I then used Strelok to work out my adjustments for other distances. These then need slight adjustments but are pretty close.