Ballistic Calculator apps?

[Alberta Bigbore]

Any preferred apps some of you are using? Ive downloaded Hirnady seems pretty straight forward. But only for Hornady projectiles as far as i can find. Thanks for any heads up.

[Big Lou]

I’ve been liking the Revic Ops app myself.

[Smokinyotes]

I find AB mobile pretty simple to use.

[Pathfinder76]

JBM Ballistics

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

JBM Ballistics

I have used JBM for many years, simple to use, and it has been accurate.

[Irina]

No an app, but nightforce made a ballistic cd years back, it’s unreal. Everything one could imagine it has for data.

[rugerfan]

The hornady one is decent and will work with any projectile if you use the bc calculator side of it. Chairgun is a replacement for the formerly popular strelok app which has the advantage of being able to determine ranges for each point on your reticle if using one with multiple subtensions.

[Engels]

Hornady app. Its been accurate and user friendly.

[Pointer man]

I've been happy with Geoballistics.

[GrandSlam]

I use Ballistic AE and Shooter.

[getatmewolf]

I have ballistic AE and Hornadys 4dof apps on my phone. The Hornady one is user friendly and easy to use, free too I believe.

[ScottFitter]

I use Strelok Pro, which is almost unavailable now for anyone. Still a couple work around for Android users.

I also use GeoBallistics as it does happen to pair with one of my rangefinders. I don't find it laid out as well as Strelok, but I've been using Strelok for a lot longer so I'm more familiar with it.

[markg]

Applied Ballistics Hands down. It is considered one of the best if not the best ballistics calculator. I have been using it for years and can make shots confidently out to 1000m

It is critical that with any ballistics program you put very good data into it. If you do your chance of first shot impacts goes up dramatically. It also helps if you have a Kestrel for temp humidity and most importantly wind.

Another program I use is the hornday 4DoF app. I think its free. Its usually pretty close to the Applied Ballistics.

Have fun and enjoy your shooting.

[6MT]

I use Applied Ballistics on my Kestrel which is tied to my Terrapin range finder. This gives me the best of all worlds. Brian Litz’s AB is cutting edge ballistic software. But it’s only as good as the data inputs (just like all ballistic software).

Having AB on my Kestrel, gives me profiles and all the data points of each firearm. (Such as bullet speed, bullet weight, scope height, zero range, and the list goes on.) Virtually every data input that a ballistic software package needs. And then…the Kestrel gives you real time, at your location environmental data that AB uses for firing solutions.

And finally, I’ve paired my range finder to my Kestrel. It’s just so easy. Point the range finder and range the target. The Kestrel “sees” that distance. Then AB does its magic with the firearm profiles and all and the environmentals. The result is an instant shooting solution (dope).

Sounds complicated, but it really isn’t. The Kestrel and the Terrapin do all the work. Hot or cold, humid or dry, at 2300 feet above sea level or right at sea level….it just works. (Absolute pressure is key.) You can even use a wind meter on the Kestrel. (Although I never do because the wind at the shooting position can be much different then at the target distance.)

[Alberta Bigbore]

Good info here thank you.

[Ballertrawler II]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I have used JBM for many years, simple to use, and it has been accurate.

Best one I have ever used... especially with advanced settings, and is built from actual testing

[Subaru297]

Here is another vote for GeoBallistics. It is pretty user friendly and has lots of useful features.
I was a Strelok Pro user for many years and Chairgun looks interesting but I don't like the subscription model of payment.
The Lapua app and Hornady app also work well but I just uninstalled them after inputting all my rifles and loads into GeoBallistics. The solutions they all come up with appear to be the same to me but I don't do long range stuff. 500 meters is the farthest I've shot.

And I use JBM when at home on the computer.

Cheers

[6MT]

I have a question for all the revic, strelok, jbm, chairgun, geoballistics, and 4DoF users. How do these programs use environmentals? That is, do they have real time at your location data?

From what I’ve seen, some of them will link to local weather stations (possibly miles away from where you’re shooting). Some don’t even consider temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, or height above sea level.

Just curious. (Not trying to start any arguments.)

[Subaru297]

All the ones I have used will search for local weather data and download it if you have cell signal but you are correct that they will use data from the nearest weather station or airport which isn't always close to where you are shooting.

You can manually enter weather data into any of the programs though if you want more accurate environmentals.

[LJalberta]

You can also sync some of them (not sure about all) directly to your kestrel.

[rugerfan]

Strelok, Chairgun, 4dof will all link to a kestrel of other meters. Chairgun will talk to your terrapin as well (assuming it’s the newer x model).

[6MT]

Originally Posted by LJalberta

You can also sync some of them (not sure about all) directly to your kestrel.

Well…the Kestrel has a weather station built in.

[Smokinyotes]

I think the majority of these apps are dependent on the nearest weather station. If you want the best in accuracy you need a Kestrel.

[6MT]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I think the majority of these apps are dependent on the nearest weather station. If you want the best in accuracy you need a Kestrel with Appied Ballistics.

Corrected that. Some Kestrels don’t have AB installed. The 5700 with Link and AB is the best choice model of Kestrel.

[LJalberta]

But you can also use the most basic kestrel for wind, pressure, temp, and a more advanced app for enhanced ballistics.

[Ackleyman]

I have used Strelok and found it helpful getting on paper but not overly accurate. What is the purpose of the Kestrel correlating ballistic apps and weather stations for the average shooter ? I can see this equipment for "First Shot Critical" types such as Military Snipers. Just asking as i dont know and not bucking what works for some. I know if im shooting to 900m with the luxury of shot markers, a few sighters and its game on right away. Of course this is a known distance. How does the Kestrel help when target is just about 1 km away from where your holding it with fishtail wind conditions etc ? Watching flags is about as technical as I get and seems to work....at times
Thks, the equipment does sound very interesting , especially if you know how to use it.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

I have used Strelok and found it helpful getting on paper but not overly accurate. What is the purpose of the Kestrel correlating ballistic apps and weather stations for the average shooter ? I can see this equipment for "First Shot Critical" types such as Military Snipers. Just asking as i dont know and not bucking what works for some. I know if im shooting to 900m with the luxury of shot markers, a few sighters and its game on right away. Of course this is a known distance. How does the Kestrel help when target is just about 1 km away from where your holding it with fishtail wind conditions etc ? Watching flags is about as technical as I get and seems to work....at times
Thks, the equipment does sound very interesting , especially if you know how to use it.

To take it further, how many hunters carry a Kestral around while hunting, and take the time to set it up when they come across an animal? I use the calculations to get on paper at various differences, but when I am hunting, the only piece of equipment that I carry around is the laser rangefinder, built into my binoculars. As for the wind, it can change significantly over longer distances.

[6MT]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

I have used Strelok and found it helpful getting on paper but not overly accurate. What is the purpose of the Kestrel correlating ballistic apps and weather stations for the average shooter ? I can see this equipment for "First Shot Critical" types such as Military Snipers. Just asking as i dont know and not bucking what works for some. I know if im shooting to 900m with the luxury of shot markers, a few sighters and its game on right away. Of course this is a known distance. How does the Kestrel help when target is just about 1 km away from where your holding it with fishtail wind conditions etc ? Watching flags is about as technical as I get and seems to work....at times
Thks, the equipment does sound very interesting , especially if you know how to use it.

Well first off, the Kestrel has a built in weather station. It doesn’t link to far off weather stations.

Also, I bolded your first sentence. You may have answered your own question with that. So, just how accurate do you want to be? If you’re long distance hunting, and want to make the first shot kill, you don’t really have the luxury of “a few sighters”.

Environmental’s are very important at longer distances. Ignore them, and your accuracy will suffer. Maybe not at 100, or 200, or even 350 metres when your kill zone target is 6 inches. But getting out further, it really helps. I don’t really use the wind meter in my Kestrel. I look at surrounding indicators (grass, trees, etc.) both close in and all the way out to what I’m trying to hit.

The combination of a Kestrel, a range finder, and ballistic software is really pretty simple. Point and click simple. Fast too.

I haven’t hunted much beyond about 350 metres. But I have done extreme distance target shooting. And the further you go out, the less margin there is for error. I’m not saying my way is the best, I’m just posting my experiences because I’ve successfully made hits out the 1900 metres….2600 yards, and so on.

[wallz]

I still have strelok pro, but find myself using it less, now that I have the leica pro bino's with AB.

There is a strelok work around for when you already have it and upgrade your phone, so you can get it on your new one. Works great.

I upgraded to the leica pro, temp, pressure, angle, and distance all figured out in the equation for the bullet drop.

The only thing that you have to worry about is having the bino close to your chest and getting ambient temp warmer than what it actually is.

You won't see anything different out to 3-400m, but beyond that you will start to see increase in error if you don't consider environmental factors. 500m shooting seems like a cake walk, after you shoot 1000m constantly.

I think it is near 1000m that you start getting the Coriolis effect as well to factor in, if you shoot there or beyond.

[tallieho]

Have a look at Element optics calculator,does it all.Range,wind,temp etc.