Laser Boresighter

[theJanitor]

I'm going to be reconfiguring a few AR's in the coming weeks. Mostly swapping around optics and irons, and such. It might save me some ammo and trouble if I had a quality laser boresighter. Does anyone have a preference?

eta: do these even work?

[CWE]

i personally have never seen the need for one. here is what i do:

place a target about 20-25yd away. take your upper off and remove the BCG. set it on a stable table/chair, aimed at the target. look down the bore and align the center of the bore with the target. now without moving the upper, adjust your scope so that the crosshair has the same sight picture as when you look through the bore. this will get you pretty close and save you some ammo when zeroing.

[theJanitor]

I've done that many times. It still takes time, and you can still be off, wasting ammo. I was hoping for a magic pill. Amazon has these down to as low as $5

[NEPAKevin]

So long as you do not have a slanted muzzle device, the Wheeler laser bore sighter is quick and easy, but slightly more than five bucks.

[the_ure]

Laser boresighting is an excellent way to get close.
It is used as regular confirmation on many weapons before range confirm of a zero.
I have used the 'look down the barrel' method on an m4/Acog with one eye down each handheld to align a soldiers gun before a qual with success(work with what you got, eh?), but laser is the correct step between mechanical centering and fire confirm.
When getting a laser boresighter look for one what can be collimated easily while mounted, otherwise you will be fighting yourself.
Also Bore laser >> Chamber laser
Get one with range of ferrules and use it for future as well. later when you get a .30 cal you wont wish you had. Be the guy with the tools and help your mates.

[JMS]

Spent a lotta years working for PM Optics for the Corps, which uses the LBS/PEM-1 laser borelight, a collimating muzzle device that uses different sized mandrels (or arbors) for each common MIL caliber. It's an unquestionably great labor-saving tool...IF one bothers to properly conduct the collimation procedure on each and every barrel it's stuck in.

Having said that, our whole training team carried Sightmark chamber boresighters in 5.56, 7.62, 9mm, etc. as a part of our range kits for those instances where the concept of ops wasn't teaching the use of the LBS, vice getting groups of shooters on paper as rapidly as possible so we could get to shooting and establishing zeros as rapidly as possible. Where I found them to shine is when establishing zeros to thermal devices mated to belt-feds (because TRIPODS!).

Point being, given that boresighters are meant to save time and rounds, not MAKE one's zero, the precision lost between a collimated (muzzle) boresighter and a chamber boresighter is practically nonexistent. The time saved by simply slapping a borelight into a chamber and GO vs. lock gun into rest/set up lasing surface @10m from host weapon/insert emitter/lase/mark fall of laser dot/turn emitter 180*/mark/find middle between those marks, mark it/adjust borelight azimuth & elevation until laser falls on center mark/do optics crap/repeat all....is a practical, measurable difference, especially if done frequently.

So, a collimated device is not broad-brush > chamber device....it's more precise.

I'd not say "don't get a collimating device."

I'd say "only get a collimating device over a chamber device IF you'll derive palpable benefit from the extra precision a collimated device can provide."

I've had chamber devices since mid-2009, pumped them through untold thousands of guns. I've replaced the 5.56 device once. they work dandy.

[the_ure]

Valid points
Also if you really only intend one caliber, chamber is cheaper.
Getting on paper quick? Chamber.
For all thermal / night vision / laser co-witness, I always prefer adjustability. Again that's just me.
I sometimes think of ideal and future usability and overlook the get it done now.
(I don't buy paper plates, I get hard use ones and take care of them. But paper plates might be perfect for someone else)
As this is now an historic thread, all information may help future searches, so feel free to disagree with me or everyone.
More info > less info (My bias)