Frank’s Recommended Shooting Software Picks

1. I download a program.
2. I test it.
3. If it is the best so far it gets added to the list
4. The old program gets taken off the list.

Tweet This Post 

Berger Ballistics Program

Berger Ballistics Program

This is a great program for a couple of reasons.

• It is very accurate (as it should be, it was written by Bryan Litz, Ballistician for Berger)
• It is free
• It is very simple

The program doesn’t give you fancy output options, but you can copy and paste the output to a Google Spreadsheet and process the numbers to your heart’s content.

It has G1 and G7 drag tables, and metric/imperial options. Output in distance, MOA or Mil.

Let me emphasize the accuracy again. This gives almost exactly the same output as GunSim, and is much the same as JBM.

So there isn’t anything significantly better for the shooter. The program is written in Java 1.5 with a Windows loader, so it is Windows-only.

Litz’s book comes with a straight Java 1.6 version, which works in Linux and 64-bit Macs.

Tweet This Post 

Sierra Infinity v6

This is the first program I’ve ever seen where I have had difficulty entering in some parameters and getting a sensible result. They seem to assume you will use the pre-existing bullet database. Plus it isn’t free.
Good points:
It has a database of bullet data.
It has multiple BC values for different velocities.
It has a good range of angle outputs, MOA, mil, clicks.
It is from Sierra, and they must know about bullets.

Bad points:
I cannot get zero drop at 200 yards with a 200 yard zero. I assume they are adjusting my BC for atmospheric conditions, but I don’t want them to.
When entering a custom bullet it keeps resetting your data.
I can’t load a custom bullet I save.
They actually want money for this. $39.95

You can get much user-friendlier programs for free. Is it more accurate because it is Sierra? I don’t know, I can’t enter in data to get a useful result to compare to other programs. Worse case scenario in the picture, they actually display “NaN” (not a number) rather that tell me what’s wrong. I was trying to compare the multiple BC’s to 3 other programs here, and I had nothing presentable from Infinity. 

“Renowned Sierra Ballistic Consultants Ted Almgren and Dr. Bill McDonald, who have written all Sierra Software since 1970, also wrote INFINITY. Both are retired Chief Scientists from a major aerospace company.”

OK, written by rocket scientists. I’m sure the physics is just great guys, but I can’t use this. I’d rather use Jonathan Zdziarski’s libballistics. I have to compile it and run it in a DOS box, it doesn’t have a user interface, and I really have trouble with his surname.

Tweet This Post 

Internal Ballistics

Here I apologize, I can’t help you much with what happens inside the barrel. Well, not for free.

I have Quickload, which is very good, but not free. You can see what effect different barrel lengths and powders will have on your velocity. A safe 2500fps load with one powder has half the chamber pressure as a dangerous 2500fps load with a different powder. So it is certainly educational.

To be logical, I don’t actually have a practical use for Internal Ballistics software. I use the manufacturer’s recommendations,  I don’t care what happens in the chamber as long as it is safe.

There is nothing like this that is free, as far as I know. I don’t have enough information to write a program like this. If you actually need to develop custom loads, buying the program is way cheaper than blowing yourself up.

If you find anything free (I mean legallly) please add a comment.

Tweet This Post 

Point Blank Ballistics Software

Point Blank Ballistics Software

This is a nice little Windows ballistics calculator. It plots a graph (sometimes the curve goes off the edge) and prints a table. It is very well designed, a lot of information in a small space looking only slightly cramped. It has a bullet database as well a a list of primers and powders.

There is also a firearms database for armory inventory.

You also get shot plotting program. You take your actual bullet hole-ridden target, and plot the holes onscreen. This gets saved with your load data, although you only get to save one group per load.

There are some other formula calculators too.

Overall a well-executed program. I don’t know how many people would want to record 1 group per load, but no other program does it. The Ballistic calculator isn’t unique, but it works fine.

So it wins the plotting award, and the rest of the program is free and useful.

I’m not sure if I should put this in the list of greatness or not. Perhaps as a load database program. But good program design definitely.

Tweet This Post 

Frank’s Ballistics Blog

My Ballistics Blog

Ranting about the AK-46, L1A1 sights, bullet drop and so on.

Tweet This Post 

JBM – Calculations

The JBM guy has a great set of calculators.

JBM – Calculations

Tweet This Post 

JBM Small Arms Ballistics

This is a great online ballistic calculator. The output page groups the data is a very compact manner.
JBM – Calculations – Trajectory

 

 

 

And the compact range card version: 

JBM – Calculations – Trajectory μCard

Tweet This Post 

Gunsafe

Gunsafe is a simple Gun Inventory. I’d rather use a spreadsheet, but for the non-Excel guru, this is just the ticket.

Gunsafe

Tweet This Post 

Al_Bal

“Windows based ballistics program for small arms and airguns. Nice Windows installer. Free. ”

Ad-Watch Live! alert, Win32.Adware.Chiem. Might be a false alarm, but I’m not going to run the program.

No link from me either.

Tweet This Post 

Shoot! ballistics software

$59.95, not really free. This is just a target you shoot at, that shows you the center of impact.

But Wait!Shoot! is only $39.95 until Midnight Friday, April 10, 2009!

Screams “Integrity” doesn’t it? OMG, just one day left! I’ll buy 2 copies while I still can.

Click Here to Download Shoot! v3.2 (Try it free for 7 days)

Click Here for my program which does this for nothing.

Decisions, decisions….

Tweet This Post 

Next Page »