Sighting in a new gun — or re-zeroing an older rifle — can be a very frustrating chore…
It can be such a hassle, in fact, that we sometimes end up neglecting that first day at the range for fear of pulling our hair out as we chase shots all over the paper — if we even hit paper from the start.
Traditional bore sighting involves some guesswork.
But now, instead of engaging in a procedure equivalent to tossing darts at a dartboard while looking through a rolled-up newspaper, a laser bore sighting system can simplify the whole process for you.
We tested five laser bore sight products — three for general firearm applications and two specifically for a firearm chambered in .223.
Let’s see how these products performed in the field.
By the end, you’ll have a better idea of which ones performed best, under what circumstances, and which ones might work for you.
THE QUICK LIST
-
Decent Choice
-
Great for Pistols & Rifles
-
Editor’s Pick
-
.223 Specific Unit
-
Better .223 Specific Unit
Table of Contents
Loading…
Why Trust Us?
The entire team at Pew Pew Tactical contributed to this post. Most of us have experience shooting, although we come from a variety of backgrounds, from prior law enforcement to competition shooters to concealed carry instructors.
We constantly test gear and regularly update articles as new models become available, so if you’re favorite isn’t here, check back soon!
Testing Procedures
While we performed multiple tests on each product to determine visibility and functionality, we settled on a simple test for comparison’s sake.
The goal was to zero a Savage Axis .270 to 100 yards with as few shots as possible.
We started at 25 yards, aligning our first shot using the bore sighters. From there, we would realign and shoot as necessary until we were zeroed at 100 yards.
However, we did something slightly different for the .223 bore sighting products. We wanted to see how the bore sighters would work to set the iron sights at 25 yards.
Safety Note
Remove your bore sight, either in the chamber or on the muzzle of your weapon, BEFORE test firing the firearm. Failing to do so will cause massive damage to your firearm and/or you and/or the people around you.
You would think this didn’t need to be said, but coffee is hot also. Stay safe out there, people!
And just in case, don’t forget to bring your IFAK to the range with you.
Best General Firearm Bore Sights
These bore sighting tools are not chamber or caliber-specific, and you can use them on a range of guns, though limitations do apply.
1. Bushnell 740100C Laser Boresighter
Pros
- Fits .22 to .50 caliber
- Shotgun compatible
- All-metal construction
Cons
- Lacks power for long-distance
This is a competent unit, but it lacks power for greater distances and has to be used in a specific way for maximum effectiveness.
The Bushnell can be set up to sight in anything from handguns and rifles to shotguns, and the kit includes arbors to fit from a .22 to a .50 caliber weapon, as well as 12- and 20-gauge shotguns.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
However, due to its length, this boresight will only work in pistols with barrels 4.5 inches or longer. Overall, though, the build quality is high, and the all-metal construction feels exceptionally sturdy.
However, the laser did diffuse somewhat quickly, and a special reflective surface was necessary to take full advantage of the Bushnell as we put it through its paces.
We began our testing in the early morning, with less direct sunlight, and we found this boresighter offered laser visibility to just over 50 yards on a white target. Beyond that range, it was a challenge to see the red spot on the white paper.
This is OK, though, as we began testing at 25 yards, and the Bushnell got us on paper easily.
After fitting the arbor, which took a little adjusting to get the screw seated and the fit correct, the boresighter sat snuggly in the .270’s barrel, and we could easily line up our crosshairs.
The first shot was around 4 minutes of angle off high-left at 25 yards, so we simply readjusted for a second shot at 25 yards without the boresight and moved out to the 50-yard target distance, where we reinserted the boresighter.
This shot was off by about 5 MOA, but we were on paper, and after a readjustment and two more shots, we zeroed the .270 at 100 yards without using the boresight.
Now, it’s important to remember the pointer isn’t 100% accurate. It won’t point exactly where your shot goes, but it doesn’t have to do that to get the job done. The idea is to save time and ammo by not having to guess while boresighting.
So, after only two shots lined up with the boresighter, we were set up, and the Bushnell was back in the bag.
Not bad, and the unit is capable overall as long as you know how to use it. The unit doesn’t feature a super-powerful laser, and while it was visible earlier in the day, that visibility dropped significantly over the course of our testing.
It did come with a handy carrying pouch, though, and the system’s versatility is nice.
I can absolutely recommend this product as striking a great balance between price, portability, ease of use, wide applicability, and usability.
But be aware that you absolutely need a special reflective surface, preferably designed for use with laser boresights, for the Bushnell to be most effective in a variety of conditions.
2. LaserLyte MBS-1 Mini Laser Boresight
Pros
- Pistol compatible
- Works beyond 50 yards
Cons
- Does not fit in shotguns
- Screws are easy to lose
This more compact boresighter performed similarly to the Bushnell product, except that it is smaller and can fit into pistols with barrels from 3 inches and above.
It lacks arbors that will fit shotgun barrels and is intended for use with rifles and pistols exclusively.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Where the LaserLyte shines — pun intended — is in a slightly more powerful, tighter laser. We could spot the laser more easily past 50 yards, and its beam appeared to be tighter in our testing.
That said, the effective range is close to 65 yards and certainly no more than 70 yards without a special reflective surface to sight off of.
As an aside, a reflective target insert would be a huge help.
When you’re first setting up the LaserLyte — and the Bushnell, for that matter — be aware the arbors use very small screws that take some finagling to set up properly.
Work over a box or other surface where you won’t have to be concerned about dropping your screws and losing them.
We set the scope on the .270 out of zero and sighted using the LaserLyte. After a single shot at 25 yards, we were only off the expected point of impact by about 2 MOA.
This felt a little tighter than the Bushnell Boresighter, but we were still on paper with both systems.
After we shot again at 25 yards and readjusted the scope, we went out to 50 yards and sighted using the boresight to check the expected point of impact. The next shot was only about 3 MOA off our aim point, and we were easily able to zero from there.
We went out to 100 yards and zeroed easily without using the LaserLyte.
The unit’s greater compactness and slightly more visible laser — especially in more direct sunlight — make the LaserLyte easy to recommend.
The Bushnell and LaserLyte have slightly different applications, and if you’re seeking a boresighter with greater versatility for pistols, this is probably the unit for you.
Both products performed admirably, however, and both are usable for their intended applications within similar ranges.
3. Wheeler Engineering Professional Boresighter
Pros
- Great daylight visibility
- Includes carrying case
- Comes with handy reflective target sticker
Cons
- Expensive
- Can scuff your firearm
This unit has a lot of unique, premium features that make it an exceptional product and probably my favorite pick of the bunch.
First, it uses a green laser — every other unit we tested uses a red laser — which was strikingly more visible in daylight, all the way out to 100 yards, without any special reflective materials.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
This boresighter also features a strong magnet to attach to the end of a muzzle, and this worked admirably well.
However, note that we immediately found the unit did scuff up the rifle crown when we first attached it.
We solved the problem by placing a piece of cleaning cloth in between the crown and the boresight. Arbor-based systems, in theory, may damage the bore upon insertion, so both types of alignment have their pros and cons.
The Wheeler also comes with a lithium battery and a carrying case. Everything about the unit feels premium. The best part is that it even included a special reflective target sticker that was extremely helpful sighting in every laser boresighter we tested.
I didn’t even have to use the reflective tape I brought because of this. Way to go, Wheeler!
In terms of our test, the Wheeler wasn’t exactly the most accurate out of the box, probably because of how it attaches to the muzzle. We could rotate the Wheeler on the muzzle, and it absolutely did jump around the paper a bit.
While it took some practice, once we were confident, we took a shot at 25 yards, and we were on target! Only off by about 3 MOA high and to the right of our aim point.
This was totally acceptable, and after we readjusted our point of aim for a second shot at 25 yards, we moved out to 50 yards and re-sighted using the Wheeler. Our next shot was off around 3 MOA, this time to the bottom-right of our target point.
We adjusted again and were able to zero out at 100 yards. This time, however, because of the Wheeler’s powerful laser, we used it to check our adjustment, and we were about right on to our point of aim from here.
The Wheeler is an exceptional, premium unit, and it has some excellent features. It’s priced higher than any other unit we tested, however, and it really does have a more limited range of applications in a sense, in that it really isn’t practical for sighting in a pistol.
While you could sight in a shotgun or a pistol with it in theory, I see most users sighting in rifles with the Wheeler.
That said, I highly recommend the Wheeler, especially if you want high ease of use or you’re sighting multiple firearms under controlled conditions and want a unit that will save you a lot of time.
For a gunsmith, this might be the unit to have.
For everyone else, an Arbor-based system may be more practical.
What do you think of the Wheeler? Rate it below!
.223-Specific In-chamber Bore Sighters
While these two bore sighters are designed for .223 Remington chambers, boresighters that are made for other calibers are widely available.
They also all work the same way – just drop them into the chamber like you would a normal cartridge and use per the instructions given.
Be careful when using these and, as always, adhere to the Four Rules of Gun Safety.
If you poke around on the internet, you can find accounts from people who mistook their live ammo for their bore sight and fired their rifles unexpectedly.
Don’t be that person.
4. Sightmark Laser Boresight
Pros
- Comes with a carry pouch
- Extremely accurate
- Easy to use
Cons
- Only visible to 25 yards
This bore sight is easy to use, and worked reasonably well, though both .223 bore sighters were less powerful than the other units we tested.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
The Sightmark takes three AG3 batteries, and was visible only out to about 25 yards, though using the reflective target greatly improved this range.
This was fine for the open sights on the rifle we tested. It also comes with a handy carry pouch, which was a nice addition.
Because the Sightmark operates in the chamber and sights down the length of the bore, it proved to be very accurate and extremely easy to use. We simply turned on the laser and loaded the unit, adjusted the sights, and took a shot.
At 25 yards, the Sightmark got us on paper after the first shot, and it only took three more shots to get the open sights adjusted. The accuracy off the bench held true at 50 yards.
We really only had to load the Sightmark once to get on paper, and it performed flawlessly in this application.
At greater distances sighting in an optic, however, some reflective material would absolutely be necessary.
5. GoZier Tactical .223 Laser Boresight
Pros
- Visible beyond 25 yards
- Affordable
- Easy to use
Cons
- Works best with a reflective target
The GoZier performed similarly to the Sightmark bore sight. However, the GoZier does take up to four AG3 batters and we found it did appear to be slightly brighter out past 25 yards.
I’d say it had an extended range of about 10 to 15 extra yards over the Sightmark.
Practically speaking, however, it didn’t perform substantially better in terms of visibility, and still worked best with a highly reflective surface to sight off of.
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
After we let our test rifle cool down for a while, the test results were similar.
We loaded the laser bore sight after intentionally misaligning the rifle’s sights and then sighted the rifle in. We took a single shot, which was on paper, though we were about 2 MOA further from the dead center of our aim point compared to the Sightmark.
This was most likely simply due to the variation in how we had the sights set for the first shot, however, and after we adjusted slightly, we took three more shots.
From there, we were able to fire accurately at 25 yards, remain on paper, and readjust at 50 yards without needing to rechamber the GoZier.
Both the GoZier and Sightmark performed well.
The GoZier definitely had a slight but noticeable edge in visibility. However, both bore sighters needed reflective surfaces to be effective and required four shots to sight in the rifle.
Both products get my vote.
Final Thoughts
Do you absolutely need a bore-sighting product?
Not necessarily.
But these units make it so easy to get on paper right from the start and are cheap enough that it seems pointless not to keep at least one of these in your range bag.
Hitting paper the first time you shoot can be invaluable, especially for newbies or those working with multiple firearms. If you’ve ever tried to zero a rifle by sighting down the bore, you’ll know how extremely frustrating it can be if you can’t consistently get on paper right from the start.
A laser bore sight will keep you from chasing your shots all over the paper, saving you time and ammunition in the process.
My favorite for rifles and pistols is the LaserLyte.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
If you want to go a little bit more pro (and green), I like the Wheeler.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
And for something .223 chamber specific…the GoZier takes a slight edge.
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
How do you go about sighting in a new rifle? What type of boresight do you use? Tell us in the comments below. If you’re heading to the range, don’t forget your Essential Shooting Range Gear!
33 Leave a Reply
any recommendations on a bore sight that's compatible or "best" with the suppressor on?
I need something for compact pistols. I have purchased 7 sightmark chamber bore sighters. My .223 and .300 blackout and .380 all worked fantastic. I have purchased 3 in 9mm and had to return 2 as the laser would not make it out of the 8.5” barrel on my AR. It actually was pointed that far off. Returned it and got its twin brother in return. Sent it back and got one that was spot on. I purchased one for 6.5 Grendel and its laser couldn’t make it out of an 18” barrel. This stuff has gone to hell. For your own sake READ the 1 star reviews. By the way, their customer service stinks.
LaserLyte MBS-1 Mini Laser Boresight is not good. IMO, it was worse than others I found for only $18-$20 on amazon. Horribly difficult to turn the laser on and off as well.
Though not tested here, I have the SightLite SL-500 which I have found to be less than helpful with initial scope setup and adjustment. This is so much so that it has required many range trips to test initial sight-ins set with this boresighter only to learn that the alignment indicated actually exceeded the scope adjustment range.
HMark....I had one of those. It now resides in the local landfill.
I have the Sightmark bore sighters in .223, .22-250, and .308. I've always used them at 25 yards in conjuction with a ballistics table to set my point of impact below the cross-hairs, generally around 1.1" low. It's worked great to get "bore sighted" and then I test everything out at an outdoor range for either 50 or 100 yards. Battery life is good for all of them. If you use them at an indoor range, seeing the laser at 25 yards isn't an issue.
I have three bore sighters. I have an ancient optical Bushnell with multiple arbors. I has worked on almost every firearm I've owned, except a couple of mouse guns and my M1A1. I also have a Laserlyte. Its arbor is too short to anchor it inside the bore, due to the length of the flash hider. I also have one similar to the SightMark, the chamber bore sighter for .270-.308. I thought it worked well, but the bolt does not depress the "primer" switch to turn it on. So I was trying to use my forefinger to keep it on while used the scope to determine POI. I thought that worked, but I was way off the paper (24"X24") at 75 yards. I reinserted the chamber bore sighter and it had a seriously different POI. I'll just have to burn a bit more ammo and work up to 100, 200, and 500 yard targets.
I set up a laser bore sighter on a rifle. I looked through my rifle scope at a target about 10 yards away inside of my garage. Due to the parallax of the scope at 100 yards, the boresight is almost worthless; crosshairs varied from 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" as I moved my head slightly. "It might" get you on paper at 25 yards. I would suggest bore sighting at the longest practical distance that you can see the laser dot.
Pew pew
Just so you’re aware, there is a reviewer on You Tube called mr Paul reviews. It’s a computer voice doing reviews of products. There is one review about bore sighters where they are using your review WORD FOR WORD and claiming it as theirs. My guess is they do this on all their reviews. FYI
Thank you for the heads up on that. We really appreciate it!
Thanks Kevin u have opened my eyes and gratefully closed my wallet to this item. HHPETE47
I really don't understand these 'reviews' you guys do... The wheeler is the best? Because why? It's most expensive? You said it's not even that accurate... Isn't that the point of a boresight?? What the hell?
100% agree.. Just goes to show these millions of best blank blank review "articles" from all these.. Hard to to say.. "writers" are written purely for the money. Now those who argue getting paid for a service you provide bla bla. Bla, I agree, but that's not the case and your know and he knows it don't care if i you used a archery bore sight that cost $2 on your 10mm pistol somehow... If it somehow worked and was accurate then that's your clear winner. Iam stopping cause I go on forever on this rant... I'll go back to just agree with Eric.
Some tools have their limitations. But all tools have their usefulness. Adjusting and learning is the key to needs fulfillment.
Will any type of reflective material work? i.e. running vests.....reflective gloves....etc.
I have purchased two laser bore sighters, one green and one red, from 2 different makers. Neither centered or zeroed when purchased, The most centered of the two was about 1.25" off which produced a 2.5" circle when rotated. The green laser was adjusted after a lot of trial and error, the red laser is off and not adjustable, rendering it worthless. Neither is visible in daylight at 25 yards. I'm disappointed you didn't address either issue (not with mine but overall) in your reviews. You only mentioned the reflective tape was useful with the Wheeler.
No kidding!
The wheeler sounds like the best if used with tape.
>You would think this didn’t need to be said, but coffee is hot also.
If you're referring the the McDonalds coffee lawsuit, you've almost certainly never heard what actually happened.
Often cited as a case of frivolous litigation it was anything but.
Um, If I am not mistaken. She dropped the cup of coffee in her lap! It has been too many years
The case is much more complex than that but the bottom line is that Mcdonald's was at fault for violating local health laws and she was a 70+-year-old grandmother who had 3rd-degree burns to something like 20%+ of her lower body.
Where does SiteLite rank (especially for AR15/AR9)?
How well does "Wheeler Engineering Professional Boresighter" work and compared to other options with a AR15 muzzle brake? The main concern I have is the muzzle brake has to be squared with the bore, and since the muzzle brake is threaded, it won't be square.
Thevp Wheeler is great. It will not stick to stainless. Long muzzle devices give all of them fits. If your barel is threaded a steel thread protector can be you best friend when boresighting.
Cool, great to hear about your experience!
I start with a piece of paper with a pure vertical line on it. I tape it to the wall at 5 feet (plumbed vertical). I measure the distance between bore center, and scope tube center. I put two dots on the vertical paper line at the dimensions. I set the rifle on a stand, and put the laser dot (any/all manufacturers) on the lower dot drawn on the line. (usually a regular sharpee dot) and, making sure the rifle is level (line levels, bubble, wally world $1.) I adjust the scope left right to center the cross hair on the upper dot. Left/right adjustments are the most critical to get perfect. I make sure, by scope rotation, that the vertical cross hair aligns perfectly with the plumb vertical line on the paper. It must stay perfect during scope ring screw torquing.
With left right adjustment being laser perfect, I go to the range, and adjust the vertical poi/poa where I want it.
The key is consistency, repeatability, and attention to initial set up details.
Yup! When I first started I used the line from my wind chime as a perfect vertical.
Good information, thanks Aged Shooter!
Can you use a .223 boresight on a.224 Valkyrie
Yes you can as long as it's one that slips into the muzzle of the barrel. .223, .224 Valkyrie and 22 Nosler are all considered .22 calibers and use the same dia. bullets .224 dia.
I have a Site Lite SL-150 and can use it for multiple calibers.
Yes, .223 Remington actually has a bullet diameter of .224 - same as .224 Valk.
Yes