Ballistics calculator

[kjrobinson1]

Hello all,

I am not new to firearms, or shooting. But, I am just beginning to look into ballistics. Can anyone recommend a good ballistic calculator? Either online, or an app?

I am looking for a way to calculate the effects of bbl length on power, when I know the details on the bullet.

Thanks

 

[Kuyong_Chuin]

Hello all,

I am not new to firearms, or shooting. But, I am just beginning to look into ballistics. Can anyone recommend a good ballistic calculator? Either online, or an app?

I am looking for a way to calculate the effects of bbl length on power, when I know the details on the bullet.

Thanks

There are several ballistic calculators at http://www.handloads.com/calc/ and http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/calibers.html Will give you the effects on muzzle energy for different barrel lengths with the tested ammo and calibers they have tested. Hope these two sights help.

 

[kjrobinson1]

There are several ballistic calculators at http://www.handloads.com/calc/ and http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/calibers.html Will give you the effects on muzzle energy for different barrel lengths with the tested ammo and calibers they have tested. Hope these two sights help.

Thank you

 

[LRShooting]

Handloads.com is what i use online. By far the best mobile app I have found (android, I dont know about other Operating Systems) is Strelok. I have it on my android and its free. You can upgrade and get a couple extra features like holdovers at any power. Its been accurate as far as Im concerned.

 

[arspeukinen]

By far the best mobile ballistic software is "Ballistic: Advanced Edition" by J. Zdziarski. It's for iOS devices, dunno about Android.

It even has group size calculator. Here's my Mosin group from testerday

 

[jmr40]

am looking for a way to calculate the effects of bbl length on power, when I know the details on the bullet.

You need a chronograph and need to spend some time researching others experiments instead of a ballistics calculator.

You first need to know the bullets velocity before you can use a ballistics calculator and without a chronograph you are just making a wild guess. Two identical guns, with equal barrel lengths and using ammo from the same box will never produce identical velocities. Around 25-50 fps difference is the norm, but over 100 fps is not unusual. Once you have established the bullet speed you are getting from YOUR rifle, then you can plug the numbers into a ballistics calculator for meaningful numbers.

If you start comparing info from gun "A" with one barrel length to gun "B", with a different barrel length the data is useless. The only helpful data comes when you to start with a long barrel and test the exact ammo through the same barrel and retest as the barrel is cut shorter. Of course you then end up with a ruined, too short barrel.

Or you could research where others have done the same and published their data. It still won't tell you what YOUR rifle will do, but you can get a good idea of how much difference different barrel lengths make. Here are a few links.

BBTI is primarily handgun related, but they do have some data for 223.

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/index.html

Some good info on common hunting calibers.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/short-barrel-magnum-velocity-19346/

And a SWAT teams data on 308 tactical rifles.

http://www.tacticaloperations.com/SWATbarrel/

 

[LRShooting]

Of course you then end up with a ruined, too short barrel.

And possibly end up in some trouble with feds if you don't meet the minimum rifle barrel length requirements.........