ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

I picked up an iPod Touch a couple weeks ago and downloaded the Ballistic FTE. Simply awesome. Easy to use, great features... I couldn't be happier with it. Very glad I went that route instead of PDA + some other program.
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

I would tell you to get none of them.

Every person I have seen with a PDA program misses WAY more that gains hits.

right next to a person that memorizes his / her dope to 1000yds.

All of these programs make neat charts and numbers and such, but fail in giving a shooter DOPE that works.

its a gimmick at this stage.

John
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

The purpose of a ballistic program - whether it's carried in an electronic device in the field, or used to generate a Density Altitude dope chart - is to increase the probability that a shooter can get at least close to a target at long distance <span style="font-style: italic">in an environment that he doesn't normally shoot in.</span>

Try getting your 1000 yard dope at, say, Fort Bragg, then deploying to 8,000 feet in Afghanistan. The Bragg dope won't work.

If you always shoot in the same environment, you don't need a ballistic program. But who does? Given angled targets, moving targets, variations in barometric pressure and temperature, it would take years to accumulate actual shooting data for any given location.

Are ballistic programs perfect? Of course not - see Sources of Ballistic Program Inaccuracies.

Are they better than a guess? If you say no, I hope you don't have to bet your life, or that of a team mate, on that answer.
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

Lindy,

You and I understand that.

and you prove my point. Its not a digital dope book as EVERYONE is trying to make it be and they do not work as hoped.

I would not bet my life on anything with battery's. So I guess I am a fool then.

John
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

A ballistic program, backed up by a Density Altitude Dope Card verified using real-world shooting dope, offers the shooter the best of both worlds.

There are no perfect tools - but something close is better than nothing.

A fool is one who neglects tools that work, because there are times when they might not work.

The prudent shooter is one who uses tools that work, and has a plan for when they fail.

Back when I was doing a lot of sailing, I used GPS receivers for navigation - with backup receivers in a sealed, watertight, Faraday box. I had a sextant and chronometer as backup for position determination using paper charts. And I learned the techniques in this book for when those methods failed.

An old sailor's saying is, "The prudent navigator never relies on a single source of positional information."

There are prudent shooters, too.
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

I have FTE and like it.

I have a Dope Card and like it.

I would never rely solely on FTE, but would on a proven dope card. Nonetheless, neither are perfect, but both are useful tools.

Lindy nailed it on the head:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lindy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">An old sailor's saying is, "The prudent navigator never relies on a single source of positional information."

There are prudent shooters, too.
</div></div>
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

I have Ballistics FTE. I like it. I'm a newbie and didn't have any hard dope for my rifle or loads. I used it to get me in the ball park. Really close in the ball park. I think it's pretty handy. I'm no expert though, just a newbie getting by
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

I have Ballistics FTE and I use it a lot, but one thing I absolutely hate about it is when you close the program it goes back to some default mode, I would like it to save whatever “page” you were on so you don´t have to go to HUD and choose your profile again, but maybe it’s just me that finds that annoying?

/Simon
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

I think it will save where you left off as of sometime this month. The new OS 4 from apple is coming out and that is one of the "multi-tasking" features. Just update your Iphone asap and i think that will solve your problem. I've had the same inconvenience so im looking forward to the new update!
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CarbonOne</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have both and like different things about each one. </div></div>

+1

I use both, they each have some different features, having both helps in some situations.
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

Beating the old horse - I find that Bsllistic FTE has more features and more bugs. Its support is not ad good as that of Bullet Flight (which is streamlined and extremely convenient to use, more so than Balllistic FTE). So in the field I use Bullet Flight.

I find it difficult to argue with people as experienced as LoneWolf (i.e., if Ballistic is good/accurate enough got him - how can I question it). But still, if you try to use more of it's functionality (spin drift and stability calculations) you'd find that it either assumes that your rifle is zeroed for windage <span style="font-style: italic">for the wind you're computing trajectory for</span>, or zero-range windage is <span style="font-style: italic">not</span> adjusted for spin drift either. Comes to error of 0.1 mRad at 100m, about 0.8 mRad at 1200m (roughly). Bullet Flight performed similar calculations flawlessly.
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

On a minor tangent. Recently acquired 'XR MilSpec' (ACTS), the FDAC for the 300WM/338LM based on a 100m zero w/ ranges listed in meters. Compared firing solutions for several 300WM rounds using FDAC and Ballistic FTE. Dope results were very very close. Looking forward to driving the FDAC at 600yd soon.

The attractive feature of FDAC, besides being analog and not relying on batteries as many have pointed out, is the comparability matrix of FDAC that allows its use for the 208gr AMAX, Berger 210/220 VLDs, and many other bullets.

Strongly believe that FDAC makes a shooter learn/comprehend/employ an accurate firing solution for given environmental conditions. OODA loop. With known Altitude and Temperature, FDAC is a breeze.
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

Since this thread has come back from the dead, I will update my experience.

I have been using both and have started to gravitate more towards the layout of Bulletflight. It just seems like I can input my variables and achieve a firing solution faster with it.

I prefer some of the features of FTE over Bulletflight and vice versa for others. I don't generally get into spin-drift or coriolis corrections simply because I don't need to with the systems I run.

They are not expensive compared to all the other crap we buy. I say try them both and see what you like. I have found them to be equally accurate when care is taken to input accurate data.
 
Re: ISnipe or Ballistics FTE

So to answer the question "iSnipe or Ballistic FTE" is BulletFlight!
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