What is bore sighting?
Bore sighting is aligning a scope with the rifle's barrel so that the barrel and the crosshair point at roughly the same spot. Done at the bench with no shots fired, it gets your first live rounds on paper instead of missing the target entirely, which saves ammo when you then zero. It is a rough starting point, not a substitute for live-fire zeroing.
Why bore sight at all?
Mount a fresh scope and the crosshair can be pointing well away from where the barrel is; fire at a target and you may not hit the paper at all, with no idea which way to correct. Bore sighting fixes that. By matching the scope to the barrel first, you guarantee your opening rounds land on the paper, so you can see your point of impact and dial from there. On a box of ammo that is not cheap, that is real money and time saved, which is exactly why bore sighting is a fixture of the setup process.
What a bore sighter is (and when you need one)
A bore sighter is simply the reference that reveals where the barrel points. A laser bore sighter does it with a dot, either a cartridge-shaped unit that chambers like a round or a rod or magnet at the muzzle. An optical collimator does it with a grid you view through the scope. But you do not always need a tool: on any rifle you can see through from the rear, like a bolt-action with the bolt out, you can bore sight by eye down the barrel for free. A laser earns its place on semi-autos, lever guns and pump guns you cannot see through.
The one thing to remember: it is not a zero
Bore sighting and zeroing are different jobs. Bore sighting is a rough, no-shots-fired alignment that gets you on paper. Zeroing is the live-fire process of adjusting the scope until the bullet strikes exactly where you aim at a set distance. Because the scope sits an inch or two above the bore and the bullet travels in an arc, the two lines only cross where you actually zero. Treat bore sighting as the head start and sighting in as the finish.
Ready to do it?
The full procedure, both the free optical method and the laser method, is in our how to bore sight a scope guide. Shopping for a tool? See the best laser bore sighters. If you are still setting up, start with how to mount a rifle scope, and if you are still choosing glass, see our best rifle scopes picks.
FAQ
What does bore sighting do?
Bore sighting lines up the scope with the barrel so that where the barrel points and where the crosshair points roughly agree. The practical result is that your very first live rounds land on the paper instead of missing the whole target, which saves ammunition and time when you then sight in. It sets a rough starting point, nothing more.
What is a bore sighter?
A bore sighter is the tool that shows where the barrel is aimed. The common type is a laser bore sighter: either a cartridge-shaped unit that chambers like a round and projects a dot down the bore line, or a rod or magnet that fits the muzzle. There are also optical collimators. You do not strictly need one, because on a bolt-action you can bore sight by eye through the barrel.
Is bore sighting the same as zeroing?
No. Bore sighting is a rough alignment that gets you on paper; zeroing is the live-fire process of adjusting the scope so the bullet hits exactly where you aim at a chosen distance. Bore sighting happens at the bench with no shots fired, while zeroing requires firing groups and dialing to your real point of impact. One is the head start, the other is the finish.
How accurate is bore sighting?
A careful bore sight usually puts your first shots within a few inches of aim at 100 yards, close enough to be on paper but not close enough to hunt or compete with. Accuracy depends on doing it on a steady rest at a known distance. Because the scope sits above the bore and the bullet arcs, live-fire zeroing is always the necessary next step.
Related: how to bore sight a scope · how to sight in a rifle scope · best rifle scopes 2026.