Ballistics

There are a lot of articles and forum threads out there comparing MIL and MOA, but most either aren’t objective or they’re overly complex. I’ll try to avoid both of those pitfalls in this article. Executive Summary A few months ago I asked Bryan Litz whether he personally used MIL or MOA. Bryan is an expert among experts in the shooting community, and after reading his books I’ve gained a respect for his scientific approach to decisions like this. His response was so concise and objective, I thought it could serve as the executive summary for this whole comparison: “You ...

Oehler Research definitely makes the best chronographs in the industry … hands down, no argument.  I had a chance to talk with Ken Oehler at the 2013 SHOT Show, and have to say it was one of the most enjoyable conversations I’ve ever had with someone regarding ballistics.  Ken knows his stuff, and is an expert among experts in shooting sports.  I’ve used an Oehler 35P, which is the pro-sumer grade model they offer (i.e. model targeted at professionals or high-end consumers) and can say they are a joy to use … and VERY accurate.  You get very few errors and ...

I’ve found myself needing to reference this info a lot while making data cards. It indicates the standard atmospheric pressure at different elevations. Pressure can vary quite a bit from the “standard” listed here, and although that won’t make much of a difference at short or mid ranges … when you get out to 1,000 yards or beyond it can make a noticeable difference. If you know the specific pressure the day you are shooting, it could really help your ballistics tables be more accurate. Having a Kestrel that can measure the instantaneous pressure is the best solution. Altitude (ft) ...

“No mere gadget, the chronograph is one of the most powerful tools imaginable in load development and problem diagnosis. A bullet’s velocity is one of the major contributors to its behavior, and if you don’t know what its velocity is, you may never understand that behavior. But knowing why the bullet behaves as it does, you can take intelligent corrective action that wasn’t available to you before.” – Dan Hackett, Precision Shooting Magazine A chronograph can be a powerful tool … but if you get more than a few “ERROR” readings in a row, you may be tempted to put ...