Boresight is usually used as a verb, i.e. "to boresight." Boresight consists of aligning a firearm's bore with its sights and/or scope.

Traditional boresighting requires no tools, but you must be able to see through your gun's barrel from end to end. See this article on how to boresight a bolt-action gun.

Many tools to help with boresighting, called boresights, bore sights, boresighters, etc, have been sold over the years.


My favorite is this good, simple magnetic one made by Wheeler Engineering.

Boresighting is no substitute for zeroing or sighting-in a firearm. A boresight will only get a gun sorta-kinda close, and you absolutely need to zero your scope or sights after boresighting. See this article on how to sight in a gun.

- Russ Chastain

Glossary Index