Fast, Simple and Inexpensive sighting-in tool

[AJMD429]

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For about $26 total cost ($15.70 laser, $9.99 clamp mount) I put together this more-or-less universal sighting-in tool.

You can clamp it to barrel, scope, or magazine tube, and you just need a target of some sort (one spot on a blank paper is fine), and a shooting rest of some sort.

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(click to enlarge picture)


First, fire one shot (or a group of three if you want) at an aiming point on a big piece of cardboard or paper.
Now, place your gun in the rest and line up the sights on the aiming point again; the laser will follow.
Then, adjust your scope or sights until they point at the actual bullet hole(s), keeping the laser on the original aiming point.

Providing you didn't pull the shot, you should be sighted in now, but you can repeat the process if needed.

If it is difficult to adjust your sights without moving the gun excessively you can adjust the laser first instead:

First, fire one shot (or a group of three if you want) at an aiming point on a big piece of cardboard or paper.
Now, place your gun in the rest and line up the sights on the aiming point again; the laser will follow.
Then, adjust your laser until it points at the actual bullet hole(s), keeping your sights on the original aiming point.
Finally, adjust your sights so they are aimed where the laser is.

I've used this method before many times, but with different mounts and lasers. Now that such little lasers are so inexpensive ($15.79 for this one) I just figured I'd make a dedicated unit for sighting-in. I wouldn't trust s $16 laser on a protection-gun, but for this purpose it works well. The advantage of this methods is that you don't need a super-secure rest that keeps the gun from moving while you adjust the sights; without that, or this laser method, the problem is that while you are gently turning scope turrets or adjusting open sights, the gun tends to move a bit, and since you've moved the sights, there is no way to tell if and how much you've bumped it. So you generally have to re-verify and re-adjust, several times. The laser provides a way to verify and resume the exact placement of the gun when fired, which greatly facilitaes the odds of one-shot sighting-in being successful.

It would be slightly faster (wouldn’t have to find the right hex-wrench) with one of those quick-detach lever mounts, but they are way pricey…!

[MingoKid]

You are also able to change scopes on rifles without firing a shot. Line up the laser with the crosshairs of the scope. Remove the scope. Place another scope on the rifle. Train the crosshairs to the image of the laser. You should be very near to zero. At least it will save a bit of ammo.

This assumes that the laser is mounted on the barrel or another stable place other than the scope! MK

[AJMD429]

You are also able to change scopes on rifles without firing a shot. Line up the laser with the crosshairs of the scope. Remove the scope. Place another scope on the rifle. Train the crosshairs to the image of the laser. You should be very near to zero. At least it will save a bit of ammo.

This assumes that the laser is mounted on the barrel or another stable place other than the scope! MK

Yeah that's great for me because I tend to switch scopes a lot; I really need to just settle on what scope for what firearm, but I am kind of fickle when it comes to scopes. At least this makes switching pretty painless. At 50 yards I'll usually be within about an inch on the first shot.

In bright sun I use a piece of foil with a marker-blackened dot in the middle for the target; it reflects the laser well enough to see in bright sunlight. Foil can also work for thermal scopes fairly well if there is enough sun to make it hotter than the cardboard behind it. Blackening either the foil or the cardboard would likely make that even better. Most thermal scopes already have two reticles though, so are fast to sight in. Still, if you can use the laser and have a blackened target (would heat up from the beam) it would help when switching scopes and one or both is thermal.

[Bryan Austin]

can you list the items and where to buy them? Looks promising.

I see the Pinty laser, but what mount is that...can't find one

[Bill in Oregon]

Nicely done doc!

[Bryan Austin]

I found one, not the same but it works

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