Blast from the Past

Bore Sight Your RifLe the Old Fashion Way

Rifle ammunition is scarce as hen’s teeth these days, and hunters need to save ammo as much as they can. Some of you may not be familiar with bore sighting a bolt-action rifle, which is simply looking through the rifle bore from the rear, viewing a close object, and while the rifle is held perfectly still, adjusting the scope reticle to come to the object. This will save hard-to-find ammo and will work on all rifles from .22s to .300 Mags.

Before you start, find out how many clicks are needed to move your scope reticle 1 inch at 100 yards. You will need this to fine tune the scope after you bore sight in at 25 yards.

The shooter removes the bolt from the rifle and rests it so the shooter can look through the barrel at the object. About 25 yards is best. This operation is best done by two people—one to keep the bore on the object and the other to turn the scope knobs to make the reticle move to the object. Of course, the rifle will need a few shots, usually less than five, to sight for hunting. I’ve used this method for years after putting on a new scope.

First, put up an object at 25 yards—a beer can, target, or a spot that you can see through the rifle bore. Next, you’ll need something to keep the rifle sturdy, and high enough for the eye to see through the bore. I’ve used a suitable cardboard box on a waist-high table or bench. I cut a deep V in the front and back of the box so the rifle can be placed on top of the box in the V cuts, fore end out front, and pistol grip next to the shooter’s eye. The same can be done by using a commercial rifle rest, so you can look straight through the barrel at your object.

Look through the barrel at your 25-yard object. While someone holds the rifle steady, turn the scope knobs to go right, left, up or down. While they hold the bore of the rifle right on the object, the scope gets adjusted until the reticle of the scope is directly on the object.

You replace the bolt and fire a round at a 25-yard bull’s-

Try bore sighting. It will save time, ammo, and money.

eye target. Remember the correction at 100 yards is the number of clicks to move the reticle 1 inch. If you do this right, you can have your rifle sighted in with less than 10 shells, saving money, time, and recoil. If you’re smart, you will sight in a deer rifle 3-inches high at 100 yards, and you’re ready for a shot at 50 yards or 300 yards. Just put the crosshair where you want to hit. The bullet trajectory will be such that you can kill a deer at the feeder or on the hillside.

Better yet, if you shoot several different rifles with scopes, you probably should take some of your party money and buy a bore sighter. Several models and brands are made to allow you to look through the scope at the sighter and adjust the scope very close to zero at 100 yards.

Give bore sighting some thought. It will save time, ammo, and money. And sighting in at 3-inches high at 100 yards will let you put a lot of deer, pronghorns, and hogs on the skinning rack. This is not just hearsay. I’ve done it for 60 years. —Horace Gore

Editor’s Note: The farther along we crawl through the 21st century, the more we crave just a little bit of nostalgia. If you would like to share some vintage hunting photos (anything before 1960) with our readers, please send them our way, along with a brief description or story.