Re: Best ballistic calculator ?
Here's my advice for selection of a ballistic program:
First pick the platform you intend to run it on.
<span style="font-weight: bold">(1)</span> If it's your Internet-connected PC, there is simply no question - the choice is JBM Ballistics.
As a backup for that program when no Internet connection is available, download the free Berger Ballistics program developed by Byran Litz here:
http://www.bergerbullets.com/Ballistics%20Program/index.html
<span style="font-weight: bold">(2)</span> If you don't intend to carry an electronic device in the field, there's also no question: print a Density Altitude firing table on JBM Ballistics. Some comments and instructions on doing that can be found in
Making Ballistic Cards Using Density Altitude.
Acquire a device to tell you the relevant atmospheric parameters. That might be as complex as a Kestrel 4000+, which does DA Calculations for you.
Or it might be as simple as a device to measure the station pressure, like a Casio Pathfinder watch, and a cheap thermometer - the zipper-pull types are accurate enough. In that case, you'll need to learn to calculate Density Altitude in the field, for which, see
Manual Calculation of Density Altitude. Print the spreadsheet and the chart there for field use, and you're done.
That also works as a backup for any electronic device you carry in the field.
<span style="font-weight: bold">(3)</span> If you are going to carry a device in the field, my recommendation is that you examine the feature sets of the various programs to determine which one fits what you need to do with a rifle in the field. <span style="font-style: italic">Then acquire the appropriate platform on which to run that software.</span>
That advice is based upon my experience with many ballistic programs which resulted in the conclusion that most do an adequate job of computing draq equations, so choice rests on other factors.
For example, my choice for field use is
Field Firing Solutions. That program runs only on a Windows Mobile-based Pocket P.C. There are platforms for that program ranging from inexpensive HP iPAQs to high-dollar ruggedized mil-spec systems.
Ballistic FTE runs the same ballistic engine as JBM Ballistics. That's a good solution if you are willing to acquire an Apple device.
The main advice I have is, don't mess around with a bunch of programs.
Get <span style="font-weight: bold">one</span> program, learn it thoroughly, validate its outputs in the field, tune it if necessary until your shooting results match its predictions, and then use it.
My advice on learning to shoot a precision rifle is to get one good rifle, one good scope, one good load, and then spend money on ammo and training.
Diversity of effort results in being poor at many things rather than a master of one. And my advice with ballistic programs is the same.
