Getting on the paper

[HeavyDuty]

I have several ARs that need rough sight in before I get to the range to save time and ammunition. For handguns I use an inexpensive bore sighter to do this, it saves a lot of effort. But for ARs I’m having a tough time figuring out where I want the sights in relation to the laser in the very short distance I have available in the house. Remember, this is just to get me on the paper before live fire. I’m traditionally a 50 yard zero adherent, but am probably going to switch over to 36 yard zero for more predictable performance out to 300 which is generally the maximum distance I care about in a 5.56 AR.

Remember, this is only a rough-in thing, not final sighting.

So, I have a convenient distance of 50’ in the house. Getting windage set is easy, but my brain is rebelling at comprehending the math involved in determining where a typical 16” AR with a 36 yard zero shooting M193 should be sighted at this distance assuming standard sight height above bore. Can someone point me to an algorithm or app?

[Pnut]

Are you using a laser bore sight? If so, put you point of aim (POA) about 4” over where the laser hits… point of impact (POI). You can do this inside you house which should get you on paper at the range.

[Darth_Uno]

With a 25 yd zero and cowitness optic height, holdover at 10 yds is about 1.5". If you're zeroing at 36 yds I'd scoot that up to about 1.75". That'll get you close enough to not wonder where the hell your bullets are going.

[HeavyDuty]

Thanks, guys - my WAG was a couple of inches. If I can get windage OK, this should get me on paper.

[mmc45414]

And an AR is pretty easy to bore sight if you wanna double check (before you start converting money into noise) when you get to the range?

[HeavyDuty]

And an AR is pretty easy to bore sight if you wanna double check (before you start converting money into noise) when you get to the range?

That’s how I used to do it at my old club, but currently my maximum distance available is 100 yards without a proper bench unless I drive a few hours. I can’t easily put the upper on bags and boresight at this place.

[HeavyDuty]

I realized today that I actually have 36 yards to my back fence if I sight through the bedroom. Much easier, I should be close to sighted in now. I did three rifles in ten minutes.

I’ve noticed the cheap red laser I’m using isn’t visible through my 1x red dots, I assume due to filtering. Would a green laser stand a better chance of being visible?

[Default.mp3]

I realized today that I actually have 36 yards to my back fence if I sight through the bedroom. Much easier, I should be close to sighted in now. I did three rifles in ten minutes.

I’ve noticed the cheap red laser I’m using isn’t visible through my 1x red dots, I assume due to filtering. Would a green laser stand a better chance of being visible?

Is it not visible at all, or simply hard to make out in the daylight in conjunction with a red dot? I find it hard to imagine that an optic would filter out red light to that extent, and would think that it's simply an issue of the sun washing out the 5 mW pointer. I've always used an old license plate for dealing with vis laser cowitnessing, as the license plate is retroreflective; that being said, a green laser would make it easier to overlay over an RDS, I would think, given that they're two different colors (I've only really used green lasers, so I don't know how much the similar colors between the red laser and RDS would make it hard to tell when they're properly cowitnessed).

[mmc45414]

I realized today that I actually have 36 yards to my back fence if I sight through the bedroom. Much easier, I should be close to sighted in now. I did three rifles in ten minutes.

I was going to ask you where you lived, since I would have done the same thing you did, but maybe not in all neighborhoods. I actually could probably go out on my deck and nobody would freak, especially during the day when I am working (ahem, cough-cough...) from home..

I’ve noticed the cheap red laser I’m using isn’t visible through my 1x red dots, I assume due to filtering.

I had trouble doing this with a pistol because the dots were just too close to each other. I intermittently suck something in front of the muzzle to eliminate the laser to check against them.

[HeavyDuty]

Is it not visible at all, or simply hard to make out in the daylight in conjunction with a red dot? I find it hard to imagine that an optic would filter out red light to that extent, and would think that it's simply an issue of the sun washing out the 5 mW pointer. I've always used an old license plate for dealing with vis laser cowitnessing, as the license plate is retroreflective; that being said, a green laser would make it easier to overlay over an RDS, I would think, given that they're two different colors (I've only really used green lasers, so I don't know how much the similar colors between the red laser and RDS would make it hard to tell when they're properly cowitnessed).

Not visible through the optic at all, but clearly visible with the naked eye. I like that license plate idea, I’ll give that a try. Today is overcast, I’m sure this wouldn’t work midday.

I was going to ask you where you lived, since I would have done the same thing you did, but maybe not in all neighborhoods. I actually could probably go out on my deck and nobody would freak, especially during the day when I am working (ahem, cough-cough...) from home..


I had trouble doing this with a pistol because the dots were just too close to each other. I intermittently suck something in front of the muzzle to eliminate the laser to check against them.

We have a high fence, and aren’t directly visible from the neighbors behind me. Plus, I’m all the way back in a dark room aiming out the open door. I’ve only heard black helicopters twice. (Except for the AUG I did pull the uppers and hold them up like a pirate spyglass.)