The best laser bore sighters in 2026

By the OpticVerdict Editorial Team.
Research-based roundup · Updated 2026-10-14

A laser bore sighter does one job well: it lines your scope up with the barrel so your first live rounds hit the paper instead of vanishing into the berm, which saves ammo and frustration. It does not zero the rifle, that still takes live fire, but it gets you close fast. The choice comes down to how many calibers you shoot: a universal magnetic unit or an arbor kit covers many guns, while a caliber-specific chamber sight fits one chamber and costs less for one gun.

How these picks were made: a research-based roundup comparing published specifications, warranty terms, owner reviews and pricing on OpticsPlanet. Scores are our editorial opinion, not a hands-on test of every unit, and owner ratings are shown attributed to their source. Confirm current price on the retailer page. See how we evaluate.

Quick comparison

Bore sight kit or a single laser?

A bore sight kit is one laser plus a set of arbors that fit it to different bores. Our kit pick, the Bushnell Laser Boresighter with arbors, comes with arbors for .22 through .50 caliber per Bushnell, and OpticsPlanet also lists 20 and 12 gauge shotguns. It suits a shooter with several rifles and shotguns in different calibers who wants one package. Against a magnetic muzzle unit (the Wheeler or Triple Duty), the kit sits in the bore instead of on the crown, and two owners used it with a muzzle brake fitted; the trade-off is a laser that more than a dozen owners report is off center. Against a chamber cartridge (the SightMark or SSI), one kit covers many calibers, while each chamber sight fits one caliber and seats like a round.

Best overall: Wheeler Professional Laser Bore Sighter

4.5/5 our editorial score

4.4/5 from 107 reviews on OpticsPlanet

Universal magnetic muzzle attachment · daylight-visible laser · aluminum housing · Lithium 123A

around $100exact price on OpticsPlanet

Check price on OpticsPlanet

This is the premium way to replace a whole drawer of caliber-specific bore sighters. It is a universal magnetic unit that snaps onto the muzzle of any rifle, shotgun or handgun, with no arbor to push into the crown and risk a scratch, and it is hand-tuned at the factory. It has the highest owner rating of the five picks here, and owners consistently land on paper within two to three inches at 100 yards. We card the red-beam version; the pricier green-beam model is the easier of the two to see in bright daylight. You pay more up front than a single chamber sight, but once, for every caliber you own.

Pros

• Universal: one magnetic unit works on every caliber across rifles, shotguns and handguns, with no per-caliber cartridges to buy
• Magnetic muzzle mount with soft rubber over-molding: no arbor pushed into the crown, so no risk of scratching the bore
• The highest owner rating of the five picks here (4.4/5, 107 reviews); owners report on paper within 2 to 3 inches at 100 yards
• Aluminum housing with a hard storage case; hand-tuned at the factory for consistency
• Daylight-visible laser, especially the green-beam model, so you can actually see the dot outdoors

Cons

• The most expensive pick here: the value is in replacing several caliber-specific sights, not in a low sticker price
• The red beam we card is the harder of the two to see in bright sun, and the brighter green-beam model costs about a quarter more, so the cheaper of the two is also the dimmer one outdoors
• The magnet needs a squarely crowned muzzle, so a muzzle brake or flash hider has to come off first, and mount it gently (the magnet can snap onto the muzzle)
• Runs on a CR123A lithium battery, less common to keep on hand than button cells

Best for: shooters with several calibers who want one tool for all of them, and anyone who would rather not push an arbor into the muzzle. Step down to a caliber-specific chamber sight if you own one rifle and want to spend the least.

Key specifications

Manufacturer	Wheeler Engineering
Type	Universal magnetic muzzle attachment
Caliber	Universal (rifles, shotguns, handguns)
Beam color	Red (580022, the one we card) or green (589922, dearer and brighter)
Housing	Aluminum with soft rubber over-molding
Battery	Lithium 123A (1 included)
In the box	Bore sighter, hard case, 123A battery
Condition	New

“I’ve used this for several long rifles & AR’s. It puts me within 2 to 3 inches every time. Always on paper at 100yds.”

Danmac (TX) via OpticsPlanet

Best value (universal): SightMark Triple Duty Universal Laser Bore Sight

4.0/5 our editorial score

4.0/5 from 139 reviews on OpticsPlanet

Universal magnetic muzzle · self-centering · brass · AG3 battery · limited lifetime warranty

around $50exact price on OpticsPlanet

Check price on OpticsPlanet

This is the universal magnetic bore sighter for shooters who do not want to pay premium money. It self-centers on the muzzle, works on rifles and pistols alike, and comes in at under half the price of our top pick, with a carrying case and a SightMark limited lifetime warranty included. Owners sight in AR-15s in a few rounds and praise the strong magnet. The honest caveats: choose the red-beam model (owners find the green version hard to see, and it is much pricier), and like most affordable lasers it fades in bright sun, so it is at its best indoors or in shade.

Pros

• Universal magnetic muzzle mount for rifles and pistols: no caliber-specific cartridges, and it self-centers on the muzzle
• Under half the price of the premium universal pick, with a carrying case and a SightMark limited lifetime warranty
• Quick and simple in practice: owners zero AR-15s in a few rounds and praise the strong magnet
• SightMark rates it more accurate than push-in arbor sights, and there is no arbor to risk the crown

Cons

• One owner finds sunlight makes the laser disappear even at close range, while another calls the red very bright outdoors, so plan to sight in indoors or in shade
• One owner could not see the green version on a target outdoors and swapped to the cheaper red, though another owner recommends the green
• A muzzle brake or flash hider has to be removed first for the magnet to center on the bore
• Runs on AG3 button cells that can drain if the unit is left switched on, so keep spares

Best for: the shooter who wants a do-everything universal bore sighter for rifles and pistols without premium pricing, and who mostly sights in indoors or in shade. Step up to the Wheeler for a brighter daylight laser, or down to a chamber sight for a single caliber.

Key specifications

Manufacturer	SightMark
Type	Universal magnetic muzzle (self-centering)
Caliber	Universal (rifles and pistols)
Beam color	Red (green model available)
Material	Brass
Battery	AG3 (battery pack included)
Warranty	SightMark Limited Lifetime
In the box	Bore sighter, battery pack, carrying case
Condition	New

“One of the easiest and fastest units I’ve come across... Just a few rounds was needed to get my AR’s sighted in. Don’t let price fool you into thinking it’s just a cheap unit, well worth the money.”

JC, verified owner (FL) via OpticsPlanet

Best caliber-specific (most calibers): SightMark Laser Bore Sights

4.0/5 our editorial score

3.8/5 from 430 reviews on OpticsPlanet

Caliber-specific chamber cartridge · 30+ calibers (.17 HMR to 12ga) · brass · red laser · lifetime warranty

around $35exact price on OpticsPlanet

Check price on OpticsPlanet

When you own one rifle and want a precise bore sight for little money, start with this line. Instead of sitting on the muzzle, the caliber-specific unit chambers like a live round, so it references the exact chamber it is made for. The line spans over 30 calibers from .17 HMR to 12 gauge, including .223 Remington and 9mm, and popular calibers run under $40, with some calibers cheaper still. It is the most-reviewed bore sighter here. Be clear-eyed about the trade-offs: the button-cell battery life draws steady complaints, and the laser fades in bright daylight past about 25 yards, so use it in shade or indoors. You buy the one that matches your chamber.

Pros

• Caliber-specific chamber fit: it loads like a round for a precise, repeatable reference in that exact chamber
• Low cost per caliber: popular calibers like .223 Remington and 9mm run under $45, and less common ones are cheaper still, some under $25
• Available in over 30 calibers from .17 HMR to 12 gauge, so rifle, pistol and shotgun owners are covered
• The most-reviewed bore sighter here (430 reviews), with a SightMark limited lifetime warranty

Cons

• Battery life is the recurring complaint: the button cells can drain fast, so keep spares and pull the battery for storage
• One owner finds the laser hard to see past about 25 yards and uses it in shade, early morning or late afternoon
• Caliber-specific: it only fits the chamber you buy, so a multi-caliber shooter needs several (where a universal muzzle unit wins)
• Rated 3.8/5, below every pick here except the Bushnell kit, largely on those battery gripes rather than on how well it aligns

Best for: the one-rifle owner who wants a low-cost precise bore sight for a single caliber, and who sights in indoors or in shade. Multi-caliber shooters are better served by the universal magnetic Wheeler or SightMark Triple Duty, or by the Bushnell arbor kit.

Key specifications

Manufacturer	SightMark
Type	Caliber-specific chamber cartridge
Calibers	Over 30 (.17 HMR to 12 gauge; .223 Rem, 9mm, .45 ACP and more)
Beam color	Red (green on some models)
Material	Brass
Battery	AG3 / AG5 (battery pack included)
Warranty	SightMark Limited Lifetime
In the box	Bore sighter, battery pack, carrying case
Condition	New

“Works well for an inexpensive bore sight... this is not to “zero” in an optic. Rather, it saves you a few rounds for getting close. Do not depend on a bore sighter to dial in your rifle.”

Phillip Holden, verified owner (IN) via OpticsPlanet

Best bore sight kit: Bushnell Laser Boresighter with Arbors

3.6/5 from 123 reviews on OpticsPlanet

Laser bore sighter kit · arbors for .22 through .50 caliber · red laser · LR44 batteries · 6 inches long

around $55exact price on OpticsPlanet

Check price on OpticsPlanet

The kit answer for a mixed gun safe. One red laser comes with a set of arbors that fit it to the bore: Bushnell says the arbors cover .22 through .50 caliber, OpticsPlanet also lists 20 and 12 gauge shotguns, and at least four owners confirm a 12 gauge arbor in their kits. It costs about half as much as the Wheeler, and two owners used it with a muzzle brake still fitted, where both magnetic picks need the brake removed. The price of that flexibility is precision. More than a dozen owners report the laser is not centered in its housing, so the dot traces a circle when you turn the unit in the bore, and the plastic arbors draw complaints about a loose fit. Two owners describe finding the middle of that circle and adjusting to it.

Pros

• One laser plus arbors for .22 through .50 caliber (Bushnell), with 20 and 12 gauge shotguns also listed by OpticsPlanet, so several guns share one package
• At least four owners confirm a 12 gauge arbor in the kit, though one other owner could not make the arbors work on his 12 gauge
• About half the price of the Wheeler, and two owners used it with a muzzle brake still on, which both magnetic picks need removed
• Compact: 6 inches long and runs on LR44 button cells, included, per OpticsPlanet

Cons

• More than a dozen owners report the laser is not centered in its housing, so the dot circles when the unit is rotated in the bore
• The arbors are plastic, and at least six owners call them flimsy or a loose fit; the most helpful positive review explains expanding them with the arbor screw
• Hard to see in daylight: several owners use it only in low light, at dusk or indoors
• No arbor for .17 caliber (three owners), and two owners could not fit it in a CZ .22 LR bore
• The rating is the lowest of the five picks here (3.6/5), and owners also fault the switch and the tiny instruction sheet

Best for: shooters with several rifles and shotguns in different calibers who want one package to get each of them on paper, and who will rotate the laser in the bore to check it before trusting it. For one rifle, a chamber sight avoids the arbors entirely; for a muzzle you would rather not put an arbor in, go magnetic.

Key specifications

Manufacturer	Bushnell
Model	740100C
Type	Laser bore sighter with caliber arbors (kit)
Calibers	.22 through .50 caliber arbors (Bushnell); OpticsPlanet also lists 20 and 12 gauge
Beam color	Red
Housing	Metal (OpticsPlanet); owners describe the arbors as plastic
Battery	LR44 (included)
Length	6 inches
Condition	New

“I have a wide range of calibers that I used to test the arbors with and I could easily find one that worked with all of the calibers, even 12 gauge.”

Steve, verified owner (CA) via OpticsPlanet

Chamber alternative (.223, 6.5 Creedmoor): SSI Sight-Rite Chamber Cartridge Laser Bore Sighter

4.1/5 from 60 reviews on OpticsPlanet, pooled across every caliber reviewed on the listing

Caliber-specific chamber cartridge · .223 Remington model (XSI-BL-222) · brass housing · red laser · nine caliber models on the listing

around $35exact price on OpticsPlanet

Check price on OpticsPlanet

A second chamber-cartridge line next to the SightMark, and the one to check if you shoot 6.5 Creedmoor: OpticsPlanet sells it in nine caliber models, from .17 HMR and .22 LR to 12 gauge, including 6.5 Creedmoor, the .300 and .338 Winchester Magnums and four Winchester Short Magnums. We card the .223 Remington model. Like the SightMark it loads like a round, so its aim comes from the chamber, and the maker says each one is factory aligned for its caliber. Owners like the on/off switch on the back, turned with a small supplied key. The trade-offs are the chamber kind: four owners had it stick in the chamber, and battery complaints recur.

Pros

• Caliber-specific chamber cartridge with caliber-specific factory alignment (maker), so the aim comes from the chamber it seats in
• Nine caliber models on one OpticsPlanet listing, including 6.5 Creedmoor, .22-250, the .300 and .338 Winchester Magnums and four Winchester Short Magnums (see the caliber table below)
• An on/off switch on the back, turned with a small supplied key, which several owners prefer to pulling the batteries
• Brass housing, per both OpticsPlanet and the maker

Cons

• Owners report it sticking in the chamber, and one who jammed it in a semi-auto says to use it in bolt actions only
• Batteries are a recurring complaint: two owners received corroded cells, and others report dead cells or short battery life
• The 4.1/5 OpticsPlanet rating pools every caliber reviewed on the listing, including calibers it no longer sells, so it is not a rating of the .223 model alone
• Two owners report the .22 rimfire version runs off a wired external battery pack that stops a semi-auto pistol from closing fully
• Owners split on daylight: four say it works only in low light or indoors, two found the laser strong outdoors

Best for: the one-rifle owner whose caliber is on its list, above all 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm or .325 WSM, or .338 Winchester Magnum, where the SightMark listing we read showed no model. If your caliber is on both lists, compare the two chamber picks on price and on the trade-offs above.

Key specifications

Manufacturer	SSI per OpticsPlanet; the maker site is Shooting Made Easy (SME)
Type	Caliber-specific chamber cartridge
Model on this card	.223 Remington, MPN XSI-BL-222
Calibers on the listing	Nine models (see the caliber table)
Beam color	Red
Housing	Brass
Battery	LR41 button cells, 3 included (OpticsPlanet)
In the box	Bore sighter and batteries; owners also report a storage pouch and a key for the switch
Condition	New

“I took my rifle to the range and took 5 shots using my red dot at 25 meters and all shots were within a .75 inch circle on the bullseye.”

Andy R., verified owner (VA) via OpticsPlanet

Which calibers each chamber bore sight covers

Both chamber lines sell .22 LR, .223 Remington and 12 gauge models; only the SSI listing showed a 6.5 Creedmoor model, and neither showed a .308 Winchester model. A chamber bore sight has to match your caliber, so check this table before you buy. The SightMark column comes from its 28-model OpticsPlanet listing as we read it in July 2026, so "Not confirmed" means that listing did not show the caliber then. The SSI column covers all nine models on its OpticsPlanet listing as read in October 2026.

* OpticsPlanet's own caliber row labels model XSI-BL-25-06 as ".30-06 Springfield", while its model list names the same part ".270 Win, .30-06 SPRG, .25-06". Check the caliber on the retailer page before you order. Two owners report that the SSI .22 rimfire version runs off a wired external battery pack.

Chamber vs magnetic muzzle bore sight: which is more accurate?

A chamber bore sight is usually the more accurate of the two. It seats in the chamber like a live round and shines down the bore, so its aim comes from the rifle itself. A magnetic muzzle unit is only as straight as it sits on the muzzle, and a small tilt or twist moves the dot on the target. Either one only gets you on paper: live fire still sets the zero.

The one published side-by-side hands-on test we could find points the same way. Pew Pew Tactical tested five laser bore sighters and reported that the magnetic Wheeler could be rotated on the muzzle and its dot moved around the paper, which they put down to how it attaches, while the .223 SightMark chamber sight, which "sights down the length of the bore", proved very accurate (source: Pew Pew Tactical, hands-on test).

That does not make the chamber type the right buy for everyone. Accuracy here decides how close your first shot lands, not your final zero, and a universal magnet does the job on every gun you own. Owners of the magnetic units report taking care to center them: the Triple Duty has a centering point that sits in the muzzle, while Wheeler owners describe lining it up by hand. Push-in arbor sights are the third type, and our Bushnell kit is one; SightMark rates its magnetic Triple Duty more accurate than arbor sights, and two owners of the SSI chamber sight say they prefer it to the muzzle-inserted kind.

How to choose a laser bore sighter

Four things decide which one is right for you:

• Universal, kit or caliber-specific. A universal magnetic unit sits on the muzzle and fits every gun you own; a bore sight kit like the Bushnell fits one laser to many bores with arbors; a chamber cartridge loads like a round and fits one caliber precisely for less money. Own several calibers? Go universal or kit. One rifle? A chamber sight is the low-cost precise option; check the caliber table for yours.
• Laser color and where you sight in. Bright sun washes these lasers out: owners of the Triple Duty, the SightMark chamber sight, the Bushnell kit and the SSI report sighting in indoors, in shade or in low light, and the red Wheeler we card is the dimmer of its two beams. If you bore sight indoors or in shade, red is fine; if you need daylight visibility, the green-beam Wheeler is the one that shows up.
• Barrel safety. Magnetic muzzle units avoid pushing an arbor into the crown, though a strong magnet can scuff it: Pew Pew Tactical found the Wheeler marked a rifle crown until they put a cleaning cloth between the two. If you use an arbor or chamber type, seat it carefully, and never let a bolt slam home on a chamber sight: one SSI owner who jammed one in a semi-auto says to use it in bolt actions only.
• It is a head start, not a zero. Whichever you pick, you still finish with live fire. Learn the whole process in how to bore sight a scope and how to sight in a rifle scope.

Bore sighting a handgun? See our best laser bore sight for a pistol for the 9mm and .45 ACP chamber picks. New to the idea? Start with what is bore sighting. Setting up a fresh optic? See best rifle scopes 2026 and how to mount a rifle scope.

FAQ

Related: how to bore sight a scope · what is bore sighting · how to sight in a rifle scope · best rifle scopes.