Ballistics calculator? Which one?

[mugsie]

I'm looking for something else to keep my little mind occupied. I thought a ballistics calculator, or maybe a reloading software type of program. What's out there that you have tried? What's inexpensive (or free - free is always good).

Give me the reasons you like them, how often you use them, and how accurate to actual shooting have you found them?

Thanks people....

 

[gbran]

I use Point Blank

http://huntingnut.com/index.php?name=pointblank

 

[gbran]

Point Blank is free. Has a bullet database, can print targets and do lots of what-ifs.

 

[km101]

Hornady also has a pretty good one online. And it is also free.

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator

 

[Ankeny]

The best on-line calculator I have seen is
jbmballistics.com/

 

[SuperNaut]

I use Ballistic AE

It's $20 though.

 

[docsleepy]

Jbmbalistics.

 

[AK103K]

Ive been using jbmballistics as well.

Up until I found jbm, I had been using the ballistic calculator that came with Sierra's "CD" manual.

 

[mugsie]

I may have misrepresented myself or made myself not clear. What I am looking for is something where I can select a case, the amount of powder, a bullet weight etc and it will predict to speed, drop, etc of the bullet / load combination. Same other criteria though, inexpensive (or free), and results plotted against actual data.
Sorry for the confusion.

 

[docsleepy]

Yeah, we would all like to have the kind of Calculator you're looking for! Simply put in the number of grains of powder, the bullet, and bingo it tells us how to hit something at 600 yards!

I doubt you're going to find it, because there are too many other variables that in turn into the equation, such as:

Length of barrel, neck tension, exactly how deep you seated your bullet, type of primer, tightness of rifling,

Some of these impact the combustion pressure, some of them impact the friction the bullet experiences, and the length of barrel impacts the amount of time that it gets Accelerated.

I think the general consensus is that you use the data in loading manuals as a starting point, Adjust for the length of your particular barrel, and then go out and measure the velocity to get a more accurate input to a typical ballistics calculator

 

[wally]

What I am looking for is something where I can select a case, the amount of powder, a bullet weight etc and it will predict to speed

"Quickload" is I believe used by user "Clark" who likes to see what it takes to blow up guns.

You're looking for "interior" ballistics programs, like QuickLoad.

http://www.neconos.com/details3.htm


If you get a prediction of muzzle velocity then you can feed it into any of the previously mentioned exterior ballistics calculators.

 

[Krogen]

I use Quickload and it's predictions are uncannily accurate as far as velocities go. It also predicts pressures, but I have no way to verify if those predictions are accurate. Quickload certainly satisfies the "Geek Streak" in my psyche.

Quickload has a lot of "buttons" to push and "levers" to pull, but if you account for the variables correctly, it works well. Still I would not, absolutely not, use it as a primary loading source. It's not a substitute for tested loads published by reputable sources.

 

[HammsBeer]

A simple fun to use calculator is http://www.handloads.com/calc/

 

[climbnjump]

Hornady also has a pretty good one online. And it is also free.

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-re...ics-calculator

I like the Hornady calculator, but it does have one anomaly that you should be aware of if you use it in "Advanced" mode. In that mode, it has inputs for both altitude and pressure.

The anomaly occurs if you input BOTH altitude AND the corresponding standard pressure for that altitude. In that case, the effect of altitude is applied TWICE to the trajectory. If you leave the pressure set at its default value and input only altitude, then you will get correct results. Alternately, if you leave the altitude at zero but put in the standard pressure for the altitude where you will be shooting, your results again will be ok.

For ranges of say, 400 yards and under, the error probably won't be a big deal. But if you are concerned with extended ranges of 600 yards and beyond, the error could be enough to cause a miss.