sighting your firearm

[Bloodknight]

Throughout my life. I have always sighted in a new firearm by taking it to the range and starting from square one. I've purchased a new 5,56 AR and I'm looking at these laser sighters. I've got iron sights and I added a red dot. The rear sight is a peep sight and front sight a typical AR sight. I figure I'll get the iron sights aligned and go from there. Some of the laser sights look promising while others look like crap.Most of the videos I see are using these things with scopes.I want to keep it under $100.So guys and girls lets have some feedback. Good idea or waste of money?

 

[BobT]

I have several of them. My experience is that they are only good for getting you in the ballpark but not much else. Regardless of the price, everyone of them is off to some degree. If you take one, point it at the a wall and roll it on a known flat surface, you will see it making circles on the wall. It might take a few less rounds when you use one but the upshot of the downdraft is you will still need to sight the gun in at the range.

 

[Bloodknight]

I have several of them. My experience is that they are only good for getting you in the ballpark but not much else. Regardless of the price, everyone of them is off to some degree. If you take one, point it at the a wall and roll it on a known flat surface, you will see it making circles on the wall. It might take a few less rounds when you use one but the upshot of the downdraft is you will still need to sight the gun in at the range.

Thanks for the info. It's a no go for me.I'll stick to the old fashion way.

 

[Bassbob]

The red dots are almost all zero’d for windage at the factory. Install the red dot, go to the range, set a target up at 25 yards and shoot it. Verify windage is zero’ed and move out to 50 yards. When the dot is zero’ed, adjust flip ups to match the dot. Then shoot with the flip ups to verify.

It generally takes me less than 10 rounds to zero an AR with a red dot.

 

[Jfal]

What BobT was referring to is that as that laser cartridge spins in the chamber, the dot will spin on the target paper. Each chambering of the laser cartridge will position the laser differently. They NEVER are perfectly aligned with the bore. Better lasers are off-target less, but still not very good. Mark the base with a sharpie, spin the cartridge 90 degrees and take a peek down your sights. Do that 4 times, each 90 degrees from the last, and your sights will show how mis-aligned the laser is relative to the bore axis.

My last laser bore alignment experience on a 9mm Canik Rival with the Mechanix2 dot showed about 4" off true bore axis. Meaning when I spun the laser 90 degrees and re-aimed, the dot was 4" off zero at about 10 yards....pretty significant. I could have zeroed just as fast starting laser-less at 10 yards...as long as you get on paper, you can proceed from that point.

Like Bassbob said, start at 25. If you miss the paper, start at 10. Work it in from there. If you miss paper at 10, you're hopeless (just kidding).

One of the most enjoyable things for me is zeroing anything at a range....I sometimes wish it took longer.

 

[Bassbob]

What BobT was referring to is that as that laser cartridge spins in the chamber, the dot will spin on the target paper. Each chambering of the laser cartridge will position the laser differently. They NEVER are perfectly aligned with the bore. Better lasers are off-target less, but still not very good. Mark the base with a sharpie, spin the cartridge 90 degrees and take a peek down your sights. Do that 4 times, each 90 degrees from the last, and your sights will show how mis-aligned the laser is relative to the bore axis.

My last laser bore alignment experience on a 9mm Canik Rival with the Mechanix2 dot showed about 4" off true bore axis. Meaning when I spun the laser 90 degrees and re-aimed, the dot was 4" off zero at about 10 yards....pretty significant. I could have zeroed just as fast starting laser-less at 10 yards...as long as you get on paper, you can proceed from that point.

Like Bassbob said, start at 25. If you miss the paper, start at 10. Work it in from there. If you miss paper at 10, you're hopeless (just kidding).

One of the most enjoyable things for me is zeroing anything at a range....I sometimes wish it took longer.

I have laser boresighters. Most of them are no more accurate than removing the barrel and looking down it.

The only time I use one these days is with a scope. Sometimes.

I put a red dot ( Romeo 5) on a guy I know's carbine a few weeks ago. Took 3 rounds to zero it at 50 yards.