Which ballistics calculator?

Ok since we are on the subject of ballistics calculators. What's everyone's opinion on printed drop charts vs. Calculators when it comes to hunting situations. Seems to me a printed chart would be faster but the calculator would be more accurate since the chart would be accurate only at a particular set of conditions.
 
That's my current dilemma. After missing numerous opportunities at large whitetail this year at ranges from 600-1000 yards because of the time it took me to range and do my calculations on my app. Tough to do everything alone.

My solution is some saving and getting the new Sig kilo ABS.
 
l have been looking for a good metric ballistic calculator since forever. no ballistic calculator till today has given me accurate estimates. l put in everything right ( scope height, altatude.....) and the results are allways the saim. shows more drop than reality but close to 400 yards then the drop is way bigger than my actual shots at longer ranges. 3 moa differance at 550 yards. l dont reload so lm guessing maybe its my barrel. or my factory load is much faster than what is sais on the box. in this case ( federal power-shock 175GR 7mm rem mag advertised at 2860 fps from a standard barrel length) l cant mesure my velocity as l dont own a device to do so. so l just developed my own drop chart. lm ALLMOST at the saim lvl of a 7mmRUM acording to the calculators drop charts. yeah so l stoped looking at calculators. only use them to get on paper at closer ranges if l need to. dont spend alot of ammo developing charts either. just fire 1 shot, hold the crosshair on bulls eye and tell a mate to dial till the crosshair gets to the point of impact. so its just 1 bullet for every step of your chart. 2 if you wanna check. 20-40 bullets for 0-1000 yards with 50 yard intervals.

typed all this stuff for new comers to check if thay happen to come across it.
 
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l have been looking for a good metric ballistic calculator since forever. no ballistic calculator till today has given me accurate estimates. l put in everything right ( scope height, altatude.....) and the results are allways the saim. shows more drop than reality but close to 400 yards then the drop is way bigger than my actual shots at longer ranges. 3 moa differance at 550 yards. l dont reload so lm guessing maybe its my barrel. or my factory load is much faster than what is sais on the box. in this case ( federal power-shock 175GR 7mm rem mag advertised at 2860 fps from a standard barrel length) l cant mesure my velocity as l dont own a device to do so. so l just developed my own drop chart. lm pretty much at the saim lvl of a 7mmRUM acording to the calculators drop charts. yeah so l stoped looking at calculators. only use them to get on paper at closer ranges if l need to. dont spend alot of ammo developing charts either. just fire 1 shot, hold the crosshair on bulls eye and tell a mate to dial till the crosshair gets to the point of impact. so its just 1 bullet for every step of your chart. 2 if you wanna check. 20-40 bullets for 0-1000 yards with 50 yard intervals.

typed all this stuff for new comers to check if thay happen to come across it.
Ballistic AE will help with this. There's a validation option. Tell it how high or low you're shooting at measured ranges and it will recalculate you're speed to match your drops. I haven't used it yet but someone on here might chime in how its worked for them.
 
Ballistic AE will help with this. There's a validation option. Tell it how high or low you're shooting at measured ranges and it will recalculate you're speed to match your drops. I haven't used it yet but someone on here might chime in how its worked for them.
is that Ballistic Advanced Edition ? if so, l might give it a try. does it have a metric option instead of yards ?
 
Ok since we are on the subject of ballistics calculators. What's everyone's opinion on printed drop charts vs. Calculators when it comes to hunting situations. Seems to me a printed chart would be faster but the calculator would be more accurate since the chart would be accurate only at a particular set of conditions.
That's the whole reason I got into ballistics. Printed tables are part of the PACE concept. Primary, Auxillary, Contingency, Emergency. Primary is your app. When that dies you go to aux, printed tables with detailed data for a whole span of conditions, contingency is the little quick dope table good for maybe 500yrds inside your scope cap. emergency is that you should have memorized your gross drops at 100yrd/m intervals before going into the field. Check out ballisticxlr.com. I make printed tables on nearly indestructible media. Waterproof, not just resistant.


That's my current dilemma. After missing numerous opportunities at large whitetail this year at ranges from 600-1000 yards because of the time it took me to range and do my calculations on my app. Tough to do everything alone.

My solution is some saving and getting the new Sig kilo ABS.
This seems like you're using the wrong thing. Digital apps are great when you have the time to set up like before a match. In the field, trying to rely on gadgets is IMHO just asking for a missed opportunity. Ranging alone is going to take more time than most shot opportunities allow for. Get thee a printed table, learn to bracket ranges with your reticle on your target species so that ranging is done instinctively. I would only have to see a deer in my optic to get a useful range for it at any range I might really engage at.

Basically, train for what you're doing. Find those things that fail and stop doing them don't just change to a different brand of the same bloody thing.

l have been looking for a good metric ballistic calculator since forever. no ballistic calculator till today has given me accurate estimates. l put in everything right ( scope height, altatude.....) and the results are allways the saim. shows more drop than reality but close to 400 yards then the drop is way bigger than my actual shots at longer ranges. 3 moa differance at 550 yards. l dont reload so lm guessing maybe its my barrel. or my factory load is much faster than what is sais on the box. in this case ( federal power-shock 175GR 7mm rem mag advertised at 2860 fps from a standard barrel length) l cant mesure my velocity as l dont own a device to do so. so l just developed my own drop chart. lm ALLMOST at the saim lvl of a 7mmRUM acording to the calculators drop charts. yeah so l stoped looking at calculators. only use them to get on paper at closer ranges if l need to. dont spend alot of ammo developing charts either. just fire 1 shot, hold the crosshair on bulls eye and tell a mate to dial till the crosshair gets to the point of impact. so its just 1 bullet for every step of your chart. 2 if you wanna check. 20-40 bullets for 0-1000 yards with 50 yard intervals.

typed all this stuff for new comers to check if thay happen to come across it.

Ballisticxlr.com, download for free. Support is free. Never been wrong yet metric or SAE. If you're getting things wrong by using metric you're not using your ballistics calculator correctly. Simple as that. If you want help, contact the support line for your calculator. If it doesn't come with support, you should change products to one that does.
 
Ok since we are on the subject of ballistics calculators. What's everyone's opinion on printed drop charts vs. Calculators when it comes to hunting situations. Seems to me a printed chart would be faster but the calculator would be more accurate since the chart would be accurate only at a particular set of conditions.

I do that. I print up some drop charts for the altitude and temp and anticipated barometric pressure in that area and make multiple charts for varying "angle of shot". I use charts if I'm in for a long time, weather is cold and I'm worried about batteries. Stashing multiple charts aren't super fast either but they're not bad and definitely more useful than a blank screen.
 
I think I might print up a bunch of tables on some laminated index cards then hole punch them and put them on a ring so I don't have a bunch of loose cards around.

That being said an app will work for me most of the time on elk. Seems like most of the time if I'm going to have to make a shot past about 500 yards I've got anywhere from 10 minutes to a couple hours to get set up.
 
Is AB much different than Shooter?
In average shooting there's not much difference but I like AB because of the constant support and up to date bullet library, I also like the function at more extreme ranges where you'll be running multiple BCs in Shooter you'll have one in AB.
 
Ok since we are on the subject of ballistics calculators. What's everyone's opinion on printed drop charts vs. Calculators when it comes to hunting situations. Seems to me a printed chart would be faster but the calculator would be more accurate since the chart would be accurate only at a particular set of conditions.
I started with charts, then got into apps and I found charts OK but slow and having to break concentration when inside typical ranges just was costing me opportunity, the app is a little faster for me because as I'm hunting I'm updating the chart in app vs carry cards.
The absalutely fastest system I've ran is to run a BDC turret for 500-600 yards, I can range, rip on the dial and have a bullet in the air fast enough that I predator hunt with it.
I have my dials made it takes made with MOA on them as well so when I have time and range I pull the app for that dead nuts real-time solution and dial it in.
 
LOVE Shooter, BUT....no updates and no support. it is what it is!!

As far as in the field, i do this:

Top....Full value windage holds in 5 MPH incruments out to 1500 in MOA . Middle....drops to 1500 in 25 yard incruments in MOA. Bottom....hold overs to 20 MOA.

If I see an large weather change coming, I print up new dope and tape it to my scope.

Tod

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