Zeroing red dot with collimator?

Just acquired an ultra dot for my Clark longslide and need to zero it. I continue to not have access to a range:evil: but I can borrow a collimator. Haven't used one before...all three actually, and not seeing a search result am asking if anyone has had success zeroing a red dot on a pistol with a rifle scope collimator.

A collimator is only designed to get you close.  rifle bore sighters are designed for offsets of 1.5 inches...

A laser “bore sighter” may be a tad better, but these have a very short battery life (minutes, it seems)

I agree it will only MAYBE get you on target, high unlikely it will put the sights where you want them.  They do, however, serve a good purpose.  Once you actually get your pistol sighted in, make a note where your sights are on the bore scope for future reference if you happen to lose zero for whatever reason.
Phil

Never liked the idea of sticking that spud in the muzzle. In all my years as a rifle shooter I could bore sight my bolt guns by looking through the bore. Of course this won’t work for pistols but just get close to a big target and fire a shot. Then make a bold correction if it’s a long ways out.

If you don't have a range to shoot it at, why do you need to zero it?

Got a basement? A dirt road out to nowhere, and a sack of empty cans?

I have had very good luck with a $30 laser bore sighter, the type that has a set of expandable plugs that fit the bore and hold the laser in line. I sight across the shop, put one dot on top the other and am on the paper when I get to the range. The optical collimators do not work well on pistols.

As others said, it may get you close. Everyone is a little different. My dad and I share guns regularly andhis sighted in is about 2 inches high and left of mine. A sighter will show you the guns perfect center, but our eyes are all a little different.

I've used collimators on mostly rifles, but some pistols, after mounting scopes. The collimator always got me very close, if not exactly right on. Give it a try. What do you have to lose? That being said, I wouldn't go to a match without verifying my sight setting by shooting.

WesG wrote:If you don't have a range to shoot it at, why do you need to zero it?

Got a basement? A dirt road out to nowhere, and a sack of empty cans?

The dirt road and the sack of empty cans sounds like my basement.