Sighting in a red dot without shooting is a great first step: it saves ammunition and lets you do most of the alignment on a bench. These methods will get your dot close enough to “on paper” so a short live‑fire session can finish the job.
Firearm with red dot securely mounted (and unloaded)
Stable rest or vise (sandbags, front rest)
Target paper or plain white board/wall
Laser bore sighter (recommended) or mechanical collimator
Camera or smartphone (optional)
Basic tools (allen keys, screwdrivers)
Safety: Always confirm the firearm is unloaded before work.
Insert the laser into the chamber or attach to the muzzle. Stabilize the firearm and turn on the laser and red dot. Adjust windage/elevation until the red dot overlays the laser dot on the target. Recheck for consistency.
Fit the collimator into the muzzle or chamber as instructed. Use its reference center to align the red dot by adjusting the turrets. Good when batteries aren’t available.
Stabilize the firearm and take a photo showing the muzzle, target, and red dot. Zoom in to see any offset, adjust the optic, and repeat. Useful at home with a phone.
Use a flat reflective surface at target position to see where the bore projects. Make coarse adjustments only — not precise.
Always re‑verify the firearm is unloaded.
Tighten mounts and rings before aligning.
Know your turret click values (MOA/MIL).
Keep consistent eye position to reduce parallax.
Record turret positions for future reference.
Clean optics and bore for best results.
No bench method accounts for real bullet flight, barrel harmonics, ammo variance, wind, or temperature. After a no‑shoot alignment, fire a small group (3–5 shots) from a stable rest and make final micro‑adjustments with real ammo.
No‑shoot methods (laser bore sighters, collimators, or photo checks) get you on paper quickly and conserve ammo. They’re efficient prep tools — but always finish with live rounds at a safe range to confirm an accurate zero.