Ballistic Apps

QQQQQ said:
Does anyone use strelok anymore?
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It's not as easy to get strelok now. My old phone quit working and I lost all my data but I was able to get the strelok app transferred over to my new phone. I'm just going to redo everything and stick with strelok since I'm used to it.

OP, make sure your scope height is entered correctly too
 
BrentM said:
I don't know your experience level with apps etc and external ballistics but generally apps like Shooter, AB, etc are very accurate. The keys are rifle and ammo profile with a solid set of environmental data. Generally with Apps I see the common mistake of using the atmospheric section wrong. Some will run station pressure from a local source, which is fine if its very near your location. Others will use the elevation and barometric pressure in Absolute vs corrected. This is a problem. When using absolute, you DO NOT enter elevation. The last method is to use Desnsity Altitude (DA). DA is one stop shop of temp, elevation, baro, and humidity. If you have a kestrel or similar device you can set the app to DA and the meter to DA and use a singular input. In some cases you can blue tooth the data, kestrel 5700 for example.

In the end, IMHO, you are seeing high impacts because the app is not set up right for atmospheric. Another issue that can occur for a range shooter and heat is, mirage. The target boils up and to the shooter that means the target appears high, therefore, you aim higher and impact higher.
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I am fairly familiar with the Shooter app and Hornady 4DOF app. I've played around with them for some time but only recently had the chance to apply them in actual shooting at moderate range.

I've considered the fact that my environmentals are the issue as I normally get those from the nearest weather station, which could be 20 miles away. However, I have a hard time believing the conditions would be that far off as to make a significant difference at 400 yds or so.

I plan to play with the apps some more in the near future as my issue will be exacerbated at longer distance.
 
QQQQQ said:
Does anyone use strelok anymore?
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Yes, absolutely. Our government stopped Igor from updating the Strelok app with new scope reticles and new bullets, but it still works very well. Our government did it because Russia invaded Ukraine and the Strelok program was so good that some Russian soldiers were using it. You can safely and confidently continue to use Strelok.
 
I use BulletFlight and it's been spot on with everything I've plugged into it. I heard it was created by Knights Armament way back when. I dunno but sure works great for me! Has a bullet data base, transmits weather via your location and great breakdowns. Worth looking at. Sure beats the old pen, paper, mildot master and slope doper,….
 
Lazy D said:
Bullet flight will also calculate the bullet true BC from actual measured drop at distance.
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I think every app/ calculator will do this. Applied ballistics recommends to true MV out to the end of supersonic and then true BC in transonic.
 
Buttermilk, you seem to understand ballistics apps inputs, so it may not be a bad input except for velocity. We've been having some exceptionally hot weather lately. Powder consistently starts spiking above 80F. When powder spikes, it causes more pressure and higher velocities, also stiff bolt lifts. Higher velocities will cause your bullet to strike the target lower at closer ranges due to the bullet still climbing in its arc. Higher velocity causes the bullet arc to be flatter and not arc as much so it will impact lower at close distances. Where this bullet climb ends and the bullet starts falling depends on the cartridge (.22LR, 300WM), bullet weight, BC, muzzle velocity, scope height, picatinny rail angle, etc. So, your lower impacts may be due to letting your ammo get hot on your bench or in your hot rifle chamber, etc. and you're getting higher velocities.
 
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I've never worried about a wind straight at my back me or straight at my face but I'm thinking it does have an influence. According to the Hornady or shooter calculator it does .
 
Buttermilk, you are only shooting about 400 yards, except for winds, weather will not affect your impact appreciably at this close range. So, using a local weather station in your circumstance will not account for the large error between your bullet strikes and your computed impacts. If you don't believe me, try changing the weather +/-30F for 400 yards with zero wind and see how much impact changes. It must be a velocity error as I explained above.
 
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Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

I've attached a target where I shot at 100 yds. I then moved ~402 yds where Shooter called for 5.5 MOA up. I dialed 5.5, shot high and slightly left. I then dialed 1 MOA down for 4.5 MOA up. That shot landed ~1" low and slightly left.

Vociy was recorded that day at 100 yds as was the environmental conditions. So my data inputs should be as correct as I can get them.
 

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JustMe2 said:
Buttermilk, you are only shooting about 400 yards, except for winds, weather will not affect your impact appreciably at this close range. So, using a local weather station in your circumstance will not account for the large error between your bullet strikes and your computed impacts. If you don't believe me, try changing the weather for 400 yards with zero wind and see how much impact changes. It must be a velocity error as I explained above.
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I agree. I've already done just that to see what effect it has on the calculation. Minimal at best.
 

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