boresighting

Intermediate 🎖️ Military / Defense

Definition

The process of aligning a weapon's sights with its actual point of impact, because shooting in the general direction of the enemy is considered poor form. Think of it as calibrating your 'delete button' before using it.

Example Usage

After mounting the new optic, the armorer spent an hour boresighting each rifle before releasing them back to the unit.

Origin

From the practice of looking down a weapon's bore (barrel) to align sights, dating to early firearms development

Fun Fact

Modern laser boresighters can accomplish in minutes what used to take hours of trial and error at the range, saving thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Source: Military weapons and ordnance terminology

Related Terms

Translate This Term

See “boresighting” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator