Best Bore Sighter - Cost not an issue
 

What is the best bore sighter out there? Laser or grid? Pull no punches, I want something that really works and allows me to set a zero at 100-200 yds and be reasonably close.

If it's a bolt action. Go to the range.
Pull the bolt out of the gun. Look down the barrel from the breech end.and center it on a target at 50 or 100meters/yards. (The further away the better).
Then adjust your scope so it lines up with the center of the target. This should put you on paper.

Note use a sand bag/gun rest, bipod etc to hold the firearm up right. If you need to block the butt up use a box or two of bullets, or any other material under the but so it will hold steady lining the bore up to the target
It works really well, you will be o paper and can buy a box or two of bullets for the cost of the bore scope

X2. No need whatsoever for a bore sight tool.

For a bolt action or singleshot or break action I wouldn't bother, you can do it on the bench. Set it up at 25, and get it pretty close on paper at 100 by pulling the bolt and setting it up, or opening the action on the singleshot or break action, takes a couple of minutes to do, but you can definitely do it in under 10 rds. Adjust the scope to where the barrel is pointed at 25, use a round target and center the barrel on it, adjust the scope to center that target, then shoot and adjust again. Then shoot 100 and adjust to where it needs to go at 100. Set it at 2-1/2 high at 100 and shoot and adjust again at 200. Need a good rest that the gun will not move on, while adjusting.
Now, if you are trying to sight that crooked barreled shotgun of yours, all bets are off.

Works well

I do this then shoot at the dirt berm at 50m. Pick a spot and see where bullet hit adjust till it's close then go to paper. Dirt works well with semi as well. I usually find 50m best for me with any rifle.

You can even bore sight a break action that way if you take the receiver off and just put the barrel(s) on the bags.:)
I bore site my rifles a 200 meters using this system and can usually get on the gong in three or less rounds.
Cat

The only time I found a borsighter has been useful is diagnosing a bad scope that had internal movement. Other then that I dont find they are worth their cost.

Good advice already given for bolt guns. I’ve seen a number of shooters very frustrated with their laser rigs which sunlight washes out and are often difficult to see at 25M. For actions that don’t give access to the bore...shoot a big paper and make scope adjustments.

lol bore sighters are a scam. like they all said shot a few more rounds it ain't hard.

I have an old bushnell with a grid and uses individual caliber arbors . It’s been pretty good . I certainly would not just use it and go hunting without properly sighting in .

The grid sure helps to get proper 'scope alignment with the bore. I center the turrets and do any major windage or elevation adjustment with the bases. I use it in conjuction with three levels , then confirm on paper. Seems to work fine.. and saves a lot of ammo.

I use the Leupold grid and it works awesome. Bore site, remove tool, shoot once, then reinstall tool and center the grid back to crosshairs and to the target then adjust the scope to the point of impact. One shot and you are very very close.
Looks like it may be discontinued now though?

Agreed. Great tool, also useful for levelling a scope and verifying crosshairs are good.

Agreed with the boresiting by eye method. Works extremely well. Bolt actions, break barrels, ARs and other black rifles, anything you can look down the barrel of and adjust the scope to match.

I have an older Bushnell Professional with a grid. It has the adjustable arbors, they expand via a thumb screw to fit inside the barrel. As FPS stated it works good.

Also have a Wheeler Engineering Professional kit with a grid as well. What I do not like is the way it affixes to the muzzle. It has a very strong magnet that "snaps" onto the muzzle as soon as you get it close to the muzzle. The magnet is also a fairly large diameter and is hard to center on the muzzle. Instructions state it does not need to be dead center but I like to be as accurate as possible. I cut a piece of circular thick paper the same diameter as the magnet and taped it to the magnet. I drew a circle on the paper spacer the same diameter as the muzzle and try to center it the best I can. I do not want to damage the muzzle or the finish on the barrel if the magnet "snaps" onto the muzzle. Not exactly easy to use but once you get it centered it seems to work good.

Also have the Site Lite laser mag SL500. This model has the strongest laser they offer, green in color. Site Lite advertises it is visible out to 100 yards. Site Lite provides a target to use with a cross and vertical and horizontal hash marks. The Site Lite laser mag is the most accurate of the three that I have.

As previously stated you still need to verify the scope alignment with point of impact at a range and make any adjustments required at the range.

I also use the Wheeler Engineering Magnet Laser (in green) and I put it on the muzzle, set the rifle up and set the scope onto a paper target 50 yards out (laser is clear up to 100 but 50 seems to be sharper).

At 100 yards, first shot is generally within a couple inches, 3" at worst, .....works fast, easy and is accurate on all my rifles. Do it once and don't have hold your breath trying to track your scope. lol.

I tried doing the "look through the bore thing" but honestly, it takes much longer and the result is "I will likely get it on paper at 100" but the accuracy isn't even close to the Wheeler. I also don't like the fact you have to be extra careful not to bump/move anything as I go back and forth and have to set, and re-set doing it a few times until I'm happy with it.

I'm sure more seasoned vets might get better than that, but for a simpleton like me, I like the ease, accuracy, and simplicity of the Wheeler.

Lol
 

If a person thinks a grid Bore Sighter tool is a scam, your likely using it incorrectly. Lol
Ive not walked into a Gunsmith shop that didnt have one.
Can verify scope function and travel, etc. Pick an arbor, stick in muzzle and adjust.
Doesnt get any easier.
Preffer older Bushnell 3 adjustable arbor set. Also use chamber laser models for Semi Autos for scope and iron sight adjustment on new builds.

Its your money, but the way people have discribed, looking down the barrel is pretty easy and intuitive. Plus nothing gets put in the gun barrel.

Each to his own I guess. I used to bore sight looking down barrel, then won a Bushnell Pro grid unit as a door prize. Used it to sight in my 17. HMR the first time I used it. It was a half inch off at 100 yards first shot. I've had results from that, out to 4" off at a hundred yards on a dozen rifles for myself and friends. One of the rifles we did was a friend's model 70 Featherweight in .270. It was also dead on first shot. They work. Anybody who wants to laugh at them, won't hurt my feelings.

Edit; for context, those first rounds were shot from a steady bench rest, seems the most reliable way to sight in and eliminate operator error.

My father had one of those, worked very well, but someone ( not I !) dropped it many years ago and I have never replaced it.:(
Cat

the lazer types are best, IMHO. I have two, the muzzle and the chamber kind, plus a colimator, and usually can use a colimator (mine is a cabelas, which was something like 50$), but on guns with a high scope over bore set up they are sometimes not high enough, so the lazers work well there.
Personally if you dont run alot of big glass in high mounts I would go colimator (grid), otherwise I would go the spud (muzzle) style lazer, do multiple calbibers, rather than the cartridge speciffic types, which can leave you scrambling for a speciffic casing if you pick up another gun etc.

In my opinion the more you spend on a bore site the more money you will waist.

It simplifies getting on paper I suppose but how often are you putting new scopes on? Looking down the bore gets you 95+% of the usefulness of a bore site. You can't substitute shooting and fine tuning either way.

But hey if you want one who am I to tell you otherwise I suppose. Just throwing my opinion in where it isn't really needed I guess :)

I think your basic point is on target. I am also of the opinion that the extra bit of practice involved with converting the bore sight to zero ...is not wasted. If the purpose of using a device is to reduce the use of ammo then perhaps purchasing one meets that intended purpose.