The best laser bore sights can turn out to be an incredibly helpful tool to avid hunters.
No matter how experienced of a hunter you are or how at ease you feel outdoors, you can’t overcome a faulty firearm. If something’s off with the alignment of your rifle, landing a clean shot will prove to be a nearly impossible ask.
Sure, you can try to compensate for the misalignment by taking that into account while you’re shooting, but you will find it difficult to consistently land good shots.
It would be so much easier to just attack the root of the problem and align your firearm correctly. This is where the laser bore sighter comes in.
Previously, some folks shied away from bore sighting because of how time-consuming the process usually is. Add to that the amount of bullets you would need to fire off, and it’s understandable why hunters are not very fond of that activity.
Laser bore sights have revolutionized the process though. If you’re interested in finding the right one to use for your preferred firearms, then please go ahead and read on.
Our List of Top Laser Bore Sights
Wheeler Professional Laser Bore Sighter
Laser bore sighters are supposed to save you time that would have otherwise been spent on the laborious process of conventional bore sighting. Convenience is a big selling point for these items.
There’s no denying that this laser bore sighter from Wheeler is designed for the purposes of being a convenient solution for outdoorsmen. Instead of having to find a spot for it inside the bore or the chamber of your gun, this device can simply be attached to the muzzle of your gun.
As long as the surface of the gun you’re using can work with a magnet, then it should be compatible with this laser bore sighter. That’s a huge plus if you’re planning on using multiple firearms for your upcoming trip to the hunting grounds or to the shooting range.
This bore sight produces a class IIIR or IIIa laser. It’s decently powerful and it can continue to work well even in brighter conditions.
It remains fairly consistent for the first 50 yards. Go beyond that and its performance starts to drop off. That’s not exactly an unusual problem for laser bore sighters, but you would still like to see something better especially considering the higher price tag attached to this item.
As long as you manage your expectations, you will be pleased with this item. Its durable aluminum frame and sturdy storage case should also enable it to stay in service for a long time.
- Attaches to the vast majority of guns
- Can be attached quickly
- Features a bright green laser
- Frame is very durable
- Performance drops beyond 50 yards
- Among the more expensive bore sighters
SiteLite SL-500 Ultra Mag Laser Boresighter
Many folks aren’t always afforded the luxury of having entire weekends off. They don’t get the chance to invest that much time in their hobbies, which is why it’s important to make the most out of the time they do have and this product helps with that.
This laser bore sighter from SiteLite is designed to help people enjoy extended shooting exhibitions. It’s powered by a battery that can keep it running for up to 15 hours. That’s not the kind of power you’ll find often.
What makes that battery life even more impressive is that it’s being used to produce a strong, bright green class IIIa laser. You would think that the quality of the laser would take a bit of a hit in order to produce that kind of brightness, but that is not the case.
As you would expect from a laser that bright, it remains highly accurate even when deployed from great distances.
Gun enthusiasts don’t have to worry about missing out on this laser bore sighter. It fits all firearms that fall within the .22 to .50-caliber range. It can also be used to improve the accuracy of 12 and 20-gauge shotguns.
Don’t forget to make use of the included SRL Scope Leveler to get your crosshairs level before you start with the bore sighting process.
Unfortunately, you will likely end up having to purchase replacement O-rings for this sighter early on. It has a tendency to nick them up pretty good.
Considering everything else you’re getting in this item though, that minor issue with the O-rings is easy to deal with.
- Exceptionally long battery life
- Produces a highly visible green laser
- Continues to work well over long distances
- Bundled together with an SRL scope leveler
- Tends to deal substantial damage to O-rings quickly
SiteLite SL-100 Mag Laser Boresighter
SiteLite is arguably the top brand in the laser bore sighter marketplace. Their products have even been used by the U.S. Navy and it’s easy to understand why.
The laser bore sighters they produce are top-notch. This one in particular is probably the closest you’ll get to a standard laser bore sighter.
It works on a wide range of firearms. All .22 and .50-caliber firearms are compatible with this product. It will also fit 12 and 20-gauge shotguns.
The class IIIa laser produced by this SiteLite creation burns bright red. With a fresh battery, the laser should last for about two hours if left continuously running. That battery life is a bit disappointing and if you forgot to bring fresh batteries along with you, chances are you will need to cut your firing session short.
The laser does more than just get you on paper. It maintains its accuracy pretty well even as you draw back further and further. You should definitely give this laser bore sighter a try when you go out on the range because it’s a lot of fun to work with.
To further improve your accuracy, this bore sighter comes with the SRL Scope Leveler. That feature is useful for aligning your crosshairs.
Be warned though, because the O-ring on this laser bore sighter can sustain a substantial amount of damage quite quickly. You may have to acquire some replacement O-rings for this laser bore sighter sooner rather than later.
- Works with numerous firearms
- Laser is very bright and maintains its accuracy well
- Comes with an SRL scope leveler
- O-ring can get damaged easily
- Battery life is short
Sightmark Triple Duty Universal Laser Boresight
Do you want your laser bore sighter to stay out of the way whenever it’s being used? Do you want to avoid using something that can change the elegant form of your favorite firearm? If you’re responses to both questions are in the affirmative, then a bore arbor sighter could be more suitable to your needs.
This laser bore sighter from Sightmark is a great item to consider if you are indeed on the market for a bore arbor option. You can slide it over the barrel of your gun and then allow the magnet to attach properly. Because of the way it attaches to weapons, it can work with just about every kind of rifle or pistol.
Sightmark’s bore sighter produces a class IIIa red laser. It works really well for precision sighting. You should be able to confidently hit your targets with this laser guide showing you the way.
You don’t need a lot of time to get used to this laser bore sighter as well. It should help you line up your shots better within minutes.
This is also the kind of laser bore sighter that should be able to last for a long time in your possession. It doesn’t have to take on a lot of damage because of where it’s positioned and it’s also encased in durable material to prolong its lifespan.
Notably, this laser bore sighter stops being as effective when it has to cover a lot of ground. You may have to seek out an alternative if you’re practicing long-distance shooting.
- Red laser is great for precision shooting over shorter distances
- Slides over the barrel of the gun quickly
- Made out of highly durable material
- Not suitable for long-distance shooting
Sightmark Rifle Laser Bore Sighter
There are examples of laser bore sighters that can be placed inside the barrel of a gun such as this particular Sightmark creation. You use it by first sliding it inside the barrel of your gun as you would with any bullet. Once inside, the bore sighter will produce a class IIIa red laser that shows you where you’re aiming.
Admittedly, there are some issues that stem from using this kind of laser bore sight.
For one, it doesn’t work with a very wide range of guns. This specific model can only be used on rifles. You could end up spending twice as much if you want laser bore sighters for all the guns you own.
Another issue is that there is no switch present on this laser bore sighter. In order to turn off the class IIIa red laser, you will have to extract the sighter from the barrel of your gun and take the batteries out. That can be a bit bothersome.
The upshot to using this laser bore sight is that it’s easy to take with you wherever you go. It can fit easily inside your bag or pocket and it’s also very light.
You can also save a bit of money if you opt to get this laser bore sight. From the perspective of being practical, it makes a lot of sense to get this item for your rifle.
- Compact laser bore sighter that you can bring anywhere
- One of the more affordable laser bore sighters
- Produces a reasonably accurate laser
- Will only work with rifles
- Batteries have to be manually removed to turn it off
Buyer’s Guide: Laser Bore Sights
After poring over some of the top laser bore sighters on the market, let’s lock in on the factors that can determine whether a specific product is going to work for your weapons.
Type of Laser Bore Sights
There are three basic types of laser bore sighters and they vary from one another by virtue of how they are added to the gun.
The first type is known as the magnet-mounted laser bore sighter. What most hunters love about this type of bore sighter is that it’s very convenient to use.
You can simply pick it up, find a good spot for it along the muzzle of your gun, and stick it on. From there, you just have to turn on the laser to start aligning the sight for your gun.
If the body of the firearm you’re using isn’t properly aligned to start with though, a magnet-mounted sighter may not be able to resolve your shooting woes.
Bore arbor sights are similarly convenient to use and they don’t rely as much on the correct structure of your gun. However, their alignment can be messed up easily if you’re not careful.
Some gun owners prefer the sighters that function inside barrels. Being compact and lightweight makes them easy to take along for trips, but they are not quite as versatile as the other laser bore sighter variants.
The safe option would be to go with the magnet-mounted laser bore sighters, but the in-barrel options are smart pickups if you want to cut down on your equipment expenses.
Laser Quality
They are called laser bore sighters after all, so you should probably pay attention to what kind of light beams they are capable of producing.
It’s easy to say that you need a bright laser, but there’s obviously more to it than that. What you need to look for in order to ensure that you’re buying a quality laser bore sighter is an item that can produce a class IIIa or IIIR laser.
Laser beams that fall into those subclasses range in power from 1 to 4.99 milliwatts, according to Laser Safety Facts. In other words, those lasers are pretty bright.
Crucially though, the aforementioned subclasses of lasers are not very dangerous. You should still avoid directly exposing your eyes to them, but if it’s just a momentary flash of light or a reflection that hits your eyes, you should be fine.
The other more powerful subclasses of lasers are considerably more dangerous and are not ideal for use in bore sights.
Battery Life
After getting everything ready for your trip outdoors or to the shooting range, nothing can be worse than turning on your laser bore sighter only to find out that its battery has been completely exhausted. All those plans you had for the day can go out the window at that point.
Battery life is an essential consideration for laser bore sighters, and the longer the life, the better it will be for you. Some of the standout products have batteries that can allow them to keep working for well over 12 hours. Try to grab one of those if you can.
Product FAQs
Is a laser bore sight really necessary?
Some people out there may look at a laser bore sighter and think that it’s just for show. It’s a flashy accessory that you can do without if you’re a serious hunter.
Even if you need to re-align the barrel and sight for your gun, doing it the old fashioned way is sufficient.
If you prefer the old school method of adjusting the bore, then you should feel free to continue using it, but there’s a definite benefit to using the laser-aided products.
You can work a heck of a lot faster if you’re using a laser bore sighter, thus meaning you can spend more of your time actually hunting. Furthermore, you can save your bullets if you decide to use a laser bore sighter to align your gun properly.
The old school method of aligning the barrel and sight is fine, but if you want to be more efficient with your time and resources, turning to the laser bore sighter is a good move.
How do you use a laser bore sight?
Hunters who are still new to this activity may not be familiar with all the tools of the trade such as the laser bore sighter. This guide provides a quick rundown of what you need to do if you are planning to use one yourself.
The first thing you have to do if you’re looking to use laser bore sighter is to empty out its contents. Take out all the bullets and perform a triple check if you have to. While you’re at it, go ahead and make sure that no one is anywhere close to the area where you will be performing the re-alignment apart from yourself.
The next step depends on what kind of laser bore sighter you have.
Bore arbor sights are usually bundled together with adapters that allow them to stay on the guns. They will require a bit more work to properly install.
In-chamber laser bore sighters can slide into place inside your gun while the magnet-mounted options are fairly easy enough to stick to the muzzle.
With the laser bore sighter now attached to the gun, you will need to secure the position of your setup. To accomplish this, Gun Goals recommends using a gun vise.
Set up your target next. Place it about 25 yards away from where your gun is. If the target does not already come with a bullseye, make sure to create one yourself.
Now, you can start with the alignment process. Look through the scope of your gun or use your naked eye to check where the laser falls on your target. You want the laser to be trained on the center of the target.
You can fire off a couple of shots just to see how well the gun has been aligned if you want to, but that’s not really necessary. If the sight indicates that you’re spot on with the alignment, that means your gun is good to go.
