Ballistic Calculators

[Buckshot85]

Looking for opinions on Ballistic Calculators that y’all use.
I have a chrono to help. Not an expensive one. Pro Chrono DLX.
Looking for an app that I can input my actual MOA for target distance in hopes to get a more accurate chart for various elevations and seasonal changes.
I am not a reloader but may start using custom loaded ammo. Pricey, but I have no urge to jump into manufacturing.

 

[Reburn]

I use strelok and have been very happy with it especially with my kestrel. If I was going to switch it would be to applied ballistics.

My only gripe about switching from suppressed to not suppressed on switchlugs is very complex and you must have a scope that dials in correct measurements and returns to zero. I dont know if applied ballistics would handle the program storing any better but I wish strelok had a button to switch a gun to suppressed where you could just enter the new velocity and POI change instead of making a whole new profile. It would make it cleaner to make sure all the BC data and everything else for the suppresed option carried over the same. It goes something like this and all at 100 yards.

Profile 1 - Hells canyon tikka switch lug 300 wsm not suppressed - true zero
profile 2 - " " suppressed - 0.3D 0.2R mils - Which change in velocity
Profile 3 - Hells canyon tikka switch lug 6.5 prc not suppressed - 0.1U 0.1L mils - with different velocity
profile 4 - " " suppressed - 0.2D 0.1R mills - with different velocity
repeated for a total of 8 times.
If you do anything to change that 300wsm unsuppresed zero it changes everything.

 

[Buckshot85]

With the above mentioned programs, I am able to input my real world data and it will adjust to my drop?
Basically, I enter what I know. Off the box BC, my recorded velocity, weather data, distances, elevation and my actual MOA, etc...
Will the program then calculate what it needs to in order to keep my bullet path
consistent?
I’m not very articulate here. Appreciate your patience.
Just for the record, my scopes are a Zeiss V6 and a NF NXS. So, I think that will obviously help eliminate some uncertainty in repeatability.

 

[Buckshot85]

Appreciate your help.
My range I have set up only goes to 500.
that being said, I’d like to find a place to stretch it out once I get more efficient at that range.
Again, appreciate you guys replying.

 

[Buckshot85]

One more quick question, what are you referring to as zero offset?

 

[Cant hit em]

Im a newbie to this longer shooting stuff and Strelok pro is pretty simple to use and made me a drop chart out to 500


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Buckshot85]

Wow!
That’s very in-depth!
I had no idea.

 

[Nealm66]

Just for fun try having your zero at about 1” to the left at 200 and just click up using the ammo box data. At least from my experience.Should work in a lot of different temperature/environments without too much wind out to 700 on a 12” plate. If it’s windy, you can practice and get pretty good but I would try to get closer in a hunting scenario. I use the kestrel and the Hornady app . I really like the wind adjustment on the Hornady app for long shots as it lets me set what I guess to be the wind in between me and the target vs what’s hitting my kestrel sitting next to me. I’m definitely no expert but that’s my experience

 

[rayporter]

and if you have a labradar you can find your muzzle velocity and your hundred yard velocity to compare to what the book or program claims you should have at 100.

i have seen some unusual things at 100.

 

[Buckshot85]

Thought about setting my chrono up down range at a few targets just for that reason.

 

[hereinaz]

Ballistic Solvers are prediction machines based on the information you put it. And, they are based on models. The models aren't perfect, so you need to "true" the data to reality by tweaking the inputs.

Out to 500, you very likely won't notice anything that would take you out of the vitals (except for wind variables). Beyond that, you do need to verify.

Most any ballistic app will work if you set it up. Find one that others use around you, or has the features you like. Streloc seems to be one of the most popular.

I like Applied Ballistics because they are at the leading edge of the science, tech, and modelling. The custom drag models they produce have been very good for me, better than using the BC. The BC is based off a specific shape bullet and no bullet is manufactured in that exact shape. Then, once fired, no bullet out of different rifles is gonna be perfectly the same.

So, Applied Ballistics with custom drag models, verified by radar is what I like and recommend. Its also in so many systems like the Kestrel and Garmin.

Hornady 4dof has similar radar verified modeling and seems to be well regarded.

 

[hereinaz]

You will almost never have an exact zero at whatever distance you sight-in. If you have an exact 100 yard range, after you sight-in your group center of mass maybe off 0.1” high and 0.18” left (completely made up). You need to take these offsets into account. If you don’t, and depending how far off your group center of mass is off, that could force you to erroneously toggle your MV or BC or something that is actually correct.

But I wouldn’t over think 500 yards. Get to understand the basic principles and how your solver operates, but don’t overthink it in practice at that range.

Edit to add:

Heres 20 shots from last summer, and tabulated locations for reference to help show what I mean by offsets
View attachment 259065View attachment 259066View attachment 259067

For the most part, I would call that a good zero on my gun, especially out to 500. I currently do a "set it and forget it" system favoring left to offset and then forget about/turn off the right drift from Coriolis. Its no issue at my current practical hunting distances.

But, for maximum precision, knowing offsets and then accounting for each variable is the way to go. Ballistics is a deep rabbit hole, and the further out you go, the more you need to know and account for. Its why I dislike CDS turrets once the distance for that particular caliber increases variables so that the turret becomes unrealiable.

 

[WCB]

I use JBM hasn't let me down yet.

 

[hereinaz]

I use JBM hasn't let me down yet.

Do you print and use hard copy dope sheets?
How far are you using it to shoot?

I like JBM for playing with cartridges and combos when I am investigating or answering questions. It has cool bells and whistles.