Here's a question for all you tactical accessory fans out there

[p51mstg]

I'm sure this is not shocking for some of you, but it surprised the heck out of me and now I don't know what to do about it.

I've been saving ammunition by using a cool red laser bore sighter for quite a few years. Considering how inept I am at initially sighting in a new firearm, this has made a huge impact on both my perceived accuracy and the amount of ammo expended on sighting in.

That is, until my latest toy... a cheap reflex sight for the 15-22. It uses a red reticle, and I think the glass must be coated with something that allows red to be reflected on the inside. This seems to be preventing the color red from passing from the muzzle end to my eye.

Here's how that thought occurred to me:

I waited until almost dark the other night, and sat on my deck with the sight mounted on the rifle. My yard is about the same distance as the range where I shoot, and there's a tree at the end for me to aim at. I turn the laser on, turn the sight on, and all I can see is the sight reticle. I thought maybe my old-man bifocals were playing tricks on me, so I adjusted the sight up and down to see if I could get that telltale halo from seeing too dots at once.

No such luck, so I turned the sight off completely. STILL no laser dot on the tree. I lift my head up so I'm looking over the sight, and there it is. Look through the sight, and it's gone.

So, what's the secret? Can I take a sheet of colored paper and tape it to the tree, to change the color of the dot? Or, is there another way (aside from just taking the rifle to the range and sighting it in the old fashioned way)?

 

[ragingyeti]

That is odd. My red dot was sighted in using a bore sight and it worked just fine. I didn't have any problems seeing the red laser through my red dot sight both turned on and off.

I have found the easiest way to sight in a red dot is to use irons anyway. Sight in the irons using the boresight (if you haven't already), then attach the red dot and turn it on. Look through your iron sights, and just place the red dot on top of your front sight post. It should be pretty close if not spot on to sighted in now. Then fold down your sights if applicable, or just look over the top of them to use the red dot.

What red dot do you have anyway?

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

If you can co-witness your iron sights, I would sight in the irons with the boresighter then line up the reflex dot with the irons.

 

[2hawk]

You might want to ask the seller of the reflex sight if this is a known issue. It is possible the lens coatings are cutting some of the visible light. Other than that, boresight the laser, as others have suggested. Neat thing is on an AR you can just pull the upper, remove the bolt carrier group and look down the barrel from the chamber end to boresight. The only other advice I'd have is when your shooting, keep both eyes open. hth

 

[p51mstg]

It's a Sightmark. I've had a Burris - which worked fine, by the way - and didn't have any trouble sighting it in the same way.

I no longer have another set of sights on this rifle, and can't cowitness (perfect reason to put them back on, however).

Ruger had a video on their web site (probably still there), where they explained how to look down the barrel to visually bore sight a rifle before firing the first shot. I never thought of that in this case - good idea.

 

[xxspudxx]

Separate the upper from the lower.
Remove the bolt carrier group.
Secure the upper some how.
Look though the upper/barrel and aim it at a target.
Adjust the sight.

That should get you close.

ETA: 2hawk beat me to it.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Red lasers don't work real well outside unless it is dark (or inside). My guess is that "almost dark" was producing a faint laser image that was difficult to see through the dark blue/green dime store lens coating of your SM, and/or the laser battery isn't as strong as it used to be. Replace battery and try later when it is really dark outside.

 

[Kayback]

Spend what you did on the laser on a box of ammo and dial it in by putting holes in paper.......

KBK

 

[Raydee]

Which sightmark are you using?

 

[p51mstg]

It's a Sightmark Sure Shot.

And, nope, it's not the laser bore sighter - it's plenty bright and I could see it just fine (from outside of the sight glass).

I can use the suggestions that others have offered, and I appreciate the input.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Are you sure the red dot is on level and centered?
Sounds more like it's canted enough that looking through it you can't see the laser.
Do you have the same view looking over the top as looking through?

 

[Maddmax]

Not trying to be a smart arse or anything. ...but do you have it mounted in the right direction ? I had a friend do that a long time ago. Also might need to be raised up just a pinch too.

 

[p51mstg]

Are you sure the red dot is on level and centered?
Sounds more like it's canted enough that looking through it you can't see the laser.
Do you have the same view looking over the top as looking through?

I can see the pipper in the viewfinder, but not the laser downrange. However, I'll take another look. The view looks the same, except for the missing laser dot.

Maddmax, no offense taken - I'm 99.9% sure that it's installed properly. But, there's always that .1% hanging out there, and anything is possible.

I took a Burris reflex sight off to put this one on, and the Burris worked fine. I still think the glass has a coating on it that's filtering the red laser light, probably because the pipper is red and that needs to be reflected on the glass. Kind of like an unsatisfying personal relationships - one-sided.

It's been a busy fall. Between jacked up pressures at work and a lots to do as fire chief (a volunteer job, and one of my many hobbies), I haven't had time to look at the rifle, much less shoot it. As soon as I can, I'll make sure it's mounted correctly and will post pictures.

I realize that I took a more expensive and ultimately better sight off the rifle and replaced it with a cheap airsoft gimick. My goal was to try something new and not spend a lot of money doing it. If I can get it sighted in (finally), I may find my troubles just beginning. But, it wasn't the destination I was looking for in this experiment, it was the journey.

 

[p51mstg]

Sightmark actually has tech support, and they responded - something I should've tried in the first place. Here's what they said:

"Being that those units have the Red and Amber tinted glass you will lose the laser in some cases due to the color of the glass. You might want to look into getting a green universal laser it would for sure show up and can be used on many different rifles and pistols."