I want to know how to calculate the downrange velocity of a projectilce from the muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient. I found a formula at www.garandshooter.com but it only works for high velocity cartridges, and I want to calculate this for both high and low velocity cartridges. When I tried that formula for a Civil War rifle firing a Minie ball it didn't work (gave me a number higher than the muzzle velocity!).
I went online and put the same values into Hornady and JMB's ballistic calculators and it worked there. So here's what I'm thinking:
1. Hornady's online calculator takes the BC and the muzzle velocity and gives me numbers out to 1000 yards.
2. There is obviously a formula used by the program to do this.
3. So I should be able to do it with a few sheets of paper and a scientific calculator.
Do any long range competition shooters here have a formula for retained velocity, out to at least 1000 yards, that works with a Minie ball with BC .135, and at a muzzle velocity of 1,350 fps?
I hate having to go online to calculate this and if an online calculator can do it, so can I.
Maybe somebody could look at the source code for one of these online calculators and find the formula?
Again, I don't want to go online to do this, or buy a ballistic program, etc.
I went online and put the same values into Hornady and JMB's ballistic calculators and it worked there. So here's what I'm thinking:
1. Hornady's online calculator takes the BC and the muzzle velocity and gives me numbers out to 1000 yards.
2. There is obviously a formula used by the program to do this.
3. So I should be able to do it with a few sheets of paper and a scientific calculator.
Do any long range competition shooters here have a formula for retained velocity, out to at least 1000 yards, that works with a Minie ball with BC .135, and at a muzzle velocity of 1,350 fps?
I hate having to go online to calculate this and if an online calculator can do it, so can I.
Maybe somebody could look at the source code for one of these online calculators and find the formula?
Again, I don't want to go online to do this, or buy a ballistic program, etc.