SL100 Boresighter

[TMan]

Today I was shooting a CZ452 with open sights at 50 meters. I forgot my binoculars, so set up 3 targets down range and shot from sandbags. Elevation was perfect, but all shots were to the left.

According to the book I needed to move the sights a full screw turn to move the sight to the right.

Well, the SL100 Boresighter arrived in the mail today. So, I measured out 25 feet across the front hall to get the distance they recommended. I then measured from the floor to the exit point of the laser beam. Using this measurement, I then adjusted my stand to have the beam hit the target on the wall at the same height. Looking through the sights, I could see that yes indeed the rear sight needed to move to the right. It was slightly over 1 screw turn to get lined up. I was impressed.

The SL100 comes with two targets, a wide selection of o-rings, and a CR2 battery already installed. This is a very bright laser. They recommend using Vaseline on the o-rings prior to inserting into the barrel. The fit was snug.

When my scope and Ruger get here (hopefully both next week), I plan on setting the scope initially with the boresighter at 25 meters, their recommendation, and then heading to the range, but this time with my binoculars.

I don't know the proper terminology, but the CZ 452's rear sight is adjustable for your distance to the target. I expect that having it set at 25 with the boresighter then moving it to the 50 meter mark at the range should have me hitting very close.

The only problem I have with the SL100 is with open sights it is a little difficult for my old eyes to see exactly where on the target I'm aiming. With a scope this won't be a problem, but of course with the red dot scopes I'll have the same problem as the open sights. Maybe a little more ambient light on the target will help.

For use with my pistols and revolvers, I need to have some means of holding the gun fixed with the barrel level. Rather then using a level, I will measure from the floor to laser and floor to target to "level" the gun.

From the brightest of this laser, I'm sure it will work at the range in broad daylight too.

For the price of two Jennings J-22's I consider the money on the SL100 well spent. ;D

["DoubleAction"]

TMan; I've found by working outdoors with sights, I have a much better depth of focus. Much like depth of field from a camera lense, the iris of my eye narrows the light entering the visual optics of my eye.
I'm no eye doctor but I do know the eyeball is connected to the eye bone, and the eye bone is connected to the head bone.

[TMan]

admin said:

... and the eye bone is connected to the head bone.

Well, sometimes I think my head bone is connected to my tail bone.

Anyhow, what you said opens up a whole new line of thought for me: I've always kind of believed in the theory that some days you eat the bear; some-days the bear eats you.

Certain days I do quite well at the range, and others I don't do nearly as well. I often thought it might be because of the coffee consumed the morning of shooting, or something that might have been consumed the night before.

However, it the eyeball works like a camera lens, then the wider it is open means that when I am focused on the front sight, the less the target will be in focus.

One time I was in Florida working on a problem at Martin, and I knew in two days I was going to have to fly to LA. So, I left the transderm-scope patch behind my ear. I'd noticed previously that the sun in Florida was really bright. However, this particular morning that I got up to fly to LA, I couldn't read my airline ticket. I looked at myself in the mirror and all I had was pupils. I thought it must be the patch, I removed it and by the time I got to LA, my eyes were back to normal.

So, the duller the day at the range, the lesser my depth of field, which might account for those days that I've been bear fodder.

["DoubleAction"]

TMan; You can test the camera lense & eye relationship by performing this easy experiment.
Take a dark sheet of thick paper or cardboard, preferably black, and punch a small hole in the center of it. Now, without the paper, look at a small object with your dominate eye without the benefit of your eye glasses. If the object is out of focus, try looking at it, using the same dominate eye, through the small hole in the paper. That is how the Merit Advantage Optical attachment works, as well as the "Far Sighter", to give your vision a greater depth of focus. Many times, if you have a small enough hole ( Peep Sight ) you can have the target and front sight in focus at the same time. Good for those 25 yard indoor 10 rings.

[TMan]

I hated the sights on the SU16, so I was looking at scopes at the local gunsmith's. (Man, some of those are expensive). I bought a reasonably priced scope and they offered to mount it for me.

The gunsmith mounted it, didn't like it, and remounted it with different rings that made the scope higher. They then boresighted it.

I asked my buddy to zero it in at the range. I was down at the pistol end driving people away with the 460. When I finished, I went down to the rifle lanes, and asked him how it was coming. He had shot all my ammo, and still didn't have it on the paper. He was quite frustrated. I felt bad because I knew he was a better shot than I, and I figured he would do a better job than I could. I didn't expect him to have a problem with it.

I brought it home, put it on a stand, leveled it, stuck the SL-100 into it. It was way off. I got it in where the cross-hairs were right where they were supposed to be.

Next I took it to the range and set my target at 50 yards. It was on the paper, and the horizontal was right on the mark, but the vertical was off. After tweaking the adjustments, I was pretty satisfied and let the range officer shoot it. He is good; he is better than I'll ever hope to me. He didn't like the trigger, but said it shoots really good (sic).

I brought it home, stuck the SL-100 down the barrel and shot it at the target. The cross hairs were about an inch high. At this point the SL-100 was destined for the trash compactor. Prior to junking it I decided to read the manual. Hmmm, it assumes that the center of the barrel to the center of the scope is 1-1/2". Whoops, out came the ruler. Center to center I was reading 2-1/2". Now it made sense. I checked again and the cross-hairs were an inch high.

Also, I found by reading the manual, that when you bore-sight it at 25 feet, you should set it at 25 yards at the range. I was at 50 yards.

What is the saying, oh yeah, I remember: RTFM. (Read The Foolish Manual).

I like the SL-100, and as soon as I get this SKS back together I'm going to sight the fixed sights with it and take it to the range. (I'm doing a mild trigger job on the SKS. It isn't as easy to work with as the AR15.)