# laser boresighter reliability?



## redhankyspanky (Mar 30, 2009)

I was looking to pick up a laserlyte boresighter for my Beretta CX4, and the guys at the gun shop I go to told me that they were a waste of money. THese guys are smart and professional, and havent steered me wrong yet.

Paraphrasing what they told me, they said the recoil/kick of the gun had to be factored into the sighting. I understood this to mean that the laser didnt account for the muzzle rising after the shot.

At the range, the guys up there WERE believers in the laser boresighter, and even threw it up on the vice and used their in-house laser to sight it up for me. I had to tweak it a little right on the range, but Ive been tweaking everything on the gun constantly.

Any thoughts as to whether these laserlyte boresighters are reliable? Are these things worth the money?


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## dovehunter (Dec 18, 2007)

Yes they are reliable. Question to you is, how often are you going to use it? If money is not the question, then just buy it, if it is, then just buy the manual ones, and they also work just fine.


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## redhankyspanky (Mar 30, 2009)

Money isnt that big a deal. I dont have _much_, but I see investing in my ability to hit what I shoot as a wise move.

Thank you for your advice. Ill be picking one of these up at my earliest convenience.

thanks,
Red


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

I've used one for a couple years. Does a fine job. Helps save a little ammo when sighting in a new pistol or when changing sights on the. The one I have also works well in rifles so it has more use than just checking a pistol now and then.


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

redhankyspanky said:


> Paraphrasing what they told me, they said the recoil/kick of the gun had to be factored into the sighting. I understood this to mean that the laser didnt account for the muzzle rising after the shot.


With proper technique, the bullet is long gone before the recoil has an effect on it's impact. I think what they are getting at is how you handle the gun just prior to recoil. Meaning, are you flinching, compensating ahead of time for recoil and so on. Personally, I think laser bore sighters are a waste of money. Besides, shooting to zero is much more fun becaues you actually get to shoot!

It should really only take you about 3-5 rounds to zero a rifle and about 5-10 rounds to zero a pistol (off of a rest of course)

Zhur


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## SaltyDog (Jan 1, 2009)

I have a laser bore sight and it is great for initially sighting in. I use it on my rifle to get in the ball park up to 100yds. Of course this depends on the ammo ballistics but it will get you on the target to accurately sight in your optics/iron sights with live fire.:mrgreen:


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## redhankyspanky (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am new to my present location, and dont know any good isolated spots to go shooting. I currently drive about 45 mintues to the nearest range, and even then they wont allow me to use my SKS on the range (I usually bring my CX4 45 cal, and my sons .22).

As far as shooting to zero being much more fun, I wholeheartedly agree! I wish I could walk out the back door and shoot in the yard but I cant. I figured the boresighter would save ammo, and allow me to make progress, even when I cant shoot.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think Im going to get the laserlyte $200 model (unless anyone has any advice on a better model). Its what they used at my (somewhat) local range.

Thanks again, this is a great forum, Im glad to have found it.
Red


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## dovehunter (Dec 18, 2007)

Check out Midway, I just got their flier in the mail and they have a couple/several models on sale.


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

Yeah..I've seen em cheaper than that. i got mine at a Walmart for 40 bucks I think. It's been a while ago.


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## beretta-neo (Mar 11, 2009)

Yes, there are much cheaper ones than that. $50 or less.

None of them will be dead on. They just get you very, very close. And, you start on paper. You will still have to do some adjustments. Tiny ones.


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

zhurdan said:


> With proper technique, the bullet is long gone before the recoil has an effect on it's impact.
> 
> Zhur


Not quite true. Notice, especially in revolvers, that when the sights are aligned on target, the muzzle is pointing downward. This because the revolver scribes a more noticable arc in reccoil than autos, because of the line of the bore is higher in revolvers than in autos.

The photos Winchester made years ago showing the bullet exiting did not take into account barrel flex.

Bob Wright


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

Bob Wright said:


> Not quite true. Notice, especially in revolvers, that when the sights are aligned on target, the muzzle is pointing downward. This because the revolver scribes a more noticable arc in reccoil than autos, because of the line of the bore is higher in revolvers than in autos.
> 
> The photos Winchester made years ago showing the bullet exiting did not take into account barrel flex.
> 
> Bob Wright


True enough Mr. Wright, as far as revolvers are concerned. As their grip is considerably different in angle and that there is little release of gas (aside from cylinder gap) or recoil energy (slide movement). With semi-automatics, there is almost no decernable delay to the shooter from when the bullet leaves the barrel and the recoil action starts. There IS a measurable delay, but you've gotta be measuring it at around 1000 frames per second to even tell. See this video at time index 1:06 Slow Mo shooting That is far beyond the shooters ability to effect. Now, prior to the shot, jerking the trigger and such, that has far more to do with accuracy than after the hammer falls. Guns are inherently accurate, they will shoot to where the barrel is pointed. There's where the weak link comes in, where is the barrel being pointed at the time of ignition? Totally shooter related. After ignition, it's pretty hard to say that the shooter is having a measurable effect.

Zhur


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## SaltyDog (Jan 1, 2009)

redhankyspanky said:


> Thanks for the advice everyone. I think Im going to get the laserlyte $200 model (unless anyone has any advice on a better model). Its what they used at my (somewhat) local range.
> 
> Thanks again, this is a great forum, Im glad to have found it.
> Red


OUCH! $200 ???

This is the one I purchased $69.95 and it covers 22 to 54 cal Laserlyte 650 and it comes with a daylight target to reflect the laser at longer distances. If you are using it for pistols you may have to change to the shorter version. This model is only good for a 4" or better legnth barrel. I use it in my 6.8mm rifle to sight in mt EOtech.

http://www.nightvisionsales.com/pro.../2448?osCsid=268f540e1f071369feaf2519f04dfea4


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## redhankyspanky (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks for the link, Mr. Salty. I bookmarked it and am going to purchase. I saw the $200 tag at Cabelas, I think, maybe Ableammo. Mustve been a deluxe kit or something. $70 is much better!


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## redhankyspanky (Mar 30, 2009)

Bob Wright said:


> Not quite true. Notice, especially in revolvers, that when the sights are aligned on target, the muzzle is pointing downward. This because the revolver scribes a more noticable arc in reccoil than autos, because of the line of the bore is higher in revolvers than in autos.
> 
> The photos Winchester made years ago showing the bullet exiting did not take into account barrel flex.
> 
> Bob Wright


Yeah thats the way the guy explained it to me. He showed me a few revolvers, and said the sights were actually angled downwards from the barrel, to compensate. Personally, Im only looking to use the boresighter in a Beretta CX4, which is a pistol caliber carbine with a long barrel, but close enough to rifle size for what I want to use the boresighter in.

Thanks Bob!


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

The factor that affects recoil to impact is based upon barrel time, or how quickly a bullet gets out of the barrel. Lighter bullets generally are driven to higher velocities than heavy bullets, hence shorter barrel time.

Good case in point, a gun, pistol or revolver, sighted in with a heavy bullet, will print low when switching to a lighter weight bullet. Sight in with a lighter bullet and switch to a heavier bullet, and the gun prints much higher.

Another case in point, shooting blackpowder, as the bore fouls, thus slowing velocity, bullet impact will climb.

True, as the line of the bore gets lower in the hand, the effect is lessened. The Russian "Hacksaw Pistol" of a few years back was an attempt to rectify this phenomenon. This pistol had the barrel/slide upside-down, below the shooter's hand, with the sights on a rib above, hence the name.

Bob Wright


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