Why do laser boresights suck so hard?

Laser boresights should be commonplace. I don't know why they suck so much, but they do. Mechanically I don't see why they cannot be at least within 1 MOA of POI. Usually they are ~6-8" away from POI, why is that?

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  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    because

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    they are just meant to get you on paper moron

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      They're not "meant" to get you on paper they are just generally accepted as such because they suck and nobody can make one that actually works

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        https://i.imgur.com/yzPY2jI.png

        Laser boresights should be commonplace. I don't know why they suck so much, but they do. Mechanically I don't see why they cannot be at least within 1 MOA of POI. Usually they are ~6-8" away from POI, why is that?

        >he doesnt know

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          my first thought was to have long precisely manufactured rod to fit to to the barrel, but alas soneone else thought of it already

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          You can find these cheap on ebay sometimes.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Satan you do realize the armorer is probably like 10 feet away from the wall or less when they're using a laser bore sight and you're like 25 feet away when you're using paper. It works about well enough to get you on paper to dial it in.

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Because the absolute overriding most important thing to most people is that they are cheap. A bore laser's sole job is to get on paper on the first shot, from there one can zero normally. It exists to save money with expensive ammo zeroing at long range. Most people will only use one once in a blue moon. Market doesn't justify much there.

    There are fancy pro ones for gunsmiths or big collectors or whatever. Maybe those do better.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      I just don't understand how a laser diode fitted inside a replica .223 case isn't more precise? Unless the laser isn't being perfectly centered inside the case or is canted.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Bullet has 20in of barrel.
        Bullet laser has basically 2.
        Accuracy cost More than you'll pay.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          moron that's not how light works

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            If you don't understand that explanation I have some bad news for you

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >Laser diode centering off by a tenth of a degree
        >Chamber reamed within spec (so barely centered, it doesn't have to be)
        >Laser comes out of barrel at any point around a 15-20" circle depending how you insert it

        You could make an apparatus that does the job of a laser bore sight by mechanically locking in place with multiple points of contact... and it'd still be pointless at anything but getting windage down because bullets fly parabolically. A mechanically perfect laser would only be on target at two points of a bullets trajectory. And that changes by the loading.

        Or you can just sled the rifle and center the cross hairs now that it's roughly in paper after a single shot. Which you'll always have to do anyway.

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Probably something fricky wucky with the internal lens. I bought a cheapish one and decided the calibration I was getting was more of a suggestion than an accurate reading. Or maybe it's a head spacing thing but I used it on multiple rifles and the results were all pretty bad so I lean more towards the laser just not being perfectly straight.

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Barrels don't inherently release the bullet straight at where you were pointing originally.

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    this is going to blow your mind anon, but the bullet doesn't actually go in the direction the barrel was pointed when you pulled the trigger. it's close, but not exact. the two frequently differ by 6-10 MOA.

  7. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Put a post-it note over the barrel and poke a hole in the center with a pin. You'll be closer on target.

  8. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    You probably want to search up and read about this "gravity" thing all the kids are talking about these days. Might be something to it.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      nah it's just a theory

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      That Apple thing? Yeah, I want one of those!

  9. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Because most guys buy the cheapest boresights and expect them to work just fine.
    A laser is a complex lenseatic system just like a scope.
    And just like a scope you cannot expect much when you don't pay a lot of money.
    You want 0. MOA accuracy? Don't buy cheap boresights.

  10. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    You can pay > $100 for a laser bore sight machined and tuned to be perfectly in line with the bore, but the $20 one isn't going to do that because it needs to come off of the Chinese assembly line at breakneck speed. Just realize that the way it's going to be most off is from the diode being a little off-axis. Sight in using the boresight normally, rotate the boresight 180 degrees, adjust to where you're halfway between the old and new dot location. That will get you closer.

    Even then, it can't account for harmonics or bullet drop.

  11. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Mine works good enough and I bought it off of Amazon for like $10.
    >two sharpie dots ~2.25" apart on a box
    >place at 10 yards
    >laser on lower dot, "zero" optic to align with top dot
    >get on paper first time at 30 yards
    >battle zero
    There are tons of calculators which can help with zeroing if you know your muzzle velocity (approximate), bore to optic centerline, and desired zero.

  12. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    i know what you are saying! i bought a 35$ sight in .45 with the intent of using it for dry fire practice in my home. but even 3 feet away its off by a wide margin. often times not even on paper! and if i shake my gun it will roll around and wind up shooting in a completely different direction next time.i would like to say id pay good money for an accurate laser but now im sorta iffy about the whole concept. very lame

  13. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >Laser boresights should be commonplace
    no they shouldn't be
    >I don't know why they suck so much, but they do
    this is why. use your eyeball instead.

  14. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    First off, boresights are for boresighting. They don't account for drop or windage.
    Second, the device never fits perfectly in the bore both due to lack of mechanical precision and the fact you'd need lube to get the thing out if it was.

  15. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Because bullets don't fly precisely in the direction barrel is pointing.

  16. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Anytime I get a new scope, redot, etc I always use a boresight. I've tried the external ones and they are marginally worse, especially if the rod gets bent. They are great for getting on paper and from then on out I just zero as normal.
    Surprisingly though when I used a .308 boresight for my M1A and zo witnessed my irons I was only off a half inch of windage at 100 yards.
    So they definitely have their purpose. My only complaint is the battery last like 5 fricking minutes and needs to be done at dusk or eaaaarly morning.

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