Ballistics

The "gun handling" part of the Modern Technique's triad of marksmanship, mindset, and gun handling includes not only knowing how to operate and maintain your firearms safely and efficiently but also knowledge of just how all parts of the "system" work. While a shottist doesn't need to have a degree in the subject, knowing what goes on when you press the trigger contributes to better performance on your part. This page and its related pages, while not a complete course on the subject, are designed to present a good basic foundation in the subject, generate some questions, and thus hopefully improve your shooting. If you find them useful or informative please drop me a line by clicking here and let me know.

NOTE: I previously used some special characters from the Wingdings and Symbols font sets. However, most standards compliant browsers no longer support these fonts. I have attempted to remove them and replace them with the appropriate text. If you find an odd character in the text (most likely the letter "U" (formerly a small triangle), or an odd ± where it shouldn't be, or any other odd character please email me by clicking here and let me know the page and location on the page.

If you are a new reader, I suggest you read this entire page first before continuing.

The science of projectiles in motion is called "ballistics," and the science of ballistics as related to firearms is really divided into three separate but inter-related fields:

Terminal Ballistics - The study of what happens when the projectile strikes the target.

Before we start, a brief (but informative) commercial....
(or click here to jump to the menu--but the info below will be of great interest too)

Ballistics Software
There are lots of "ballistics" programs on the market ranging from outright junk to fairly decent and with prices ranging from free to $150 or more. With a few notable exceptions you pretty much get what you pay for. The "gold standard" for a long time has been Gun Controller, from RSI, and its successor Shooting Lab

Jim Ristow at RSI has just released Shooting Lab 4 and it is available for a 30 day free evaluation download. This successor to his famous and highly acclaimed Shooting Lab 3.6 software, it is available for Windows 98SE/2000/ ME/XP/Vista). The older version 3.6.9 Mac version will continue to be available.

Shooting Lab is a very powerful and full featured package. It uses modern drag function modeling techniques developed by the U.S. Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory in Aberdeen, MD, instead of the 100 year old Ingalls/Mayevski formula that do not accurately describe the characteristics of modern pointed bullets. (See a discussion of this later on in these pages.) As would be expected it allows you to do trajectory analysis, including the effects of shooting at uphill or downhill angles and the effect of canting the rifle (using the proper rotation around the line of sight and not around the center of the bore).

No other commercial shooting software has comparable exterior ballistics modeling capabilities... and exterior ballistics is less than 10% of the program!

If you reload, it will help analyze components and keep you organized. If you hunt, it will help select calibers, ammo and set gun sights. If you compete, it will help analyze and improve your shooting It's target analysis function is especially nifty. After calibrating your computer's monitor you can simply place your target on the monitor and using a sizeable bullet hole cursor through the holes in the target analyze group size and other relevant data.

Information only needs to be entered one time to be accessed throughout the program with a simple mouse click. And, it's design is flexible, so you can customize the program for your own personal shooting needs.

Locations within the Shooting Lab program can be opened from a navigation palette, menu or keyboard commands. Data is linked between the various segments to reduce entry effort and allow quick retrieval via customizable pop-up menus. There are also general utilities that may be accessed from a "Main Lab Menu" anywhere in the program.

User Interface

Features

Non-modular, fully integrated design
Improved interface graphics
Multiple color resizable windows
Floating navigation palettes
Customizable pop-up menus
Entry error detection with warning sounds
Password protection and locking records
Keyboard shortcuts to ease data entry
On-line documentation and user tips
Win 98SE, ME, NT, 2000, XP, and Vista Compatible
Drag & Drop Support
Simple installation

Analyze chronograph data & post results to load records
Compute trajectory and BC information using multiple drag models (G1, G5, G6, G7, GS (Round ball), GL, RA, Ingals, and custom
Generate custom drag models based upon the actual bullet you are using
Wind drift, moving target leads, and up/down hill, maximum point blank range, and cant computations
Select powders based upon appropriate load density
Print blank targets for use at the range
Cadence timer for shooting practice
Convert data to metric or English measures plus MOA and Mils
Access cartridge info. and diagrams for most calibers
Export or import data for use with other programs
SQL database format
IPSC power factor calculator
Case weight vs. charge weight changes
Calculate distance to lightning
Support for the CED Millennium Chronograph
Shotgun trajectory, shot size and target lead information
Load cost calculator
Listing of commercial and military bullet BCs
Customizable notes section.

As with any full featured piece of software there is a learning curve, but it is not difficult, and the effort is well worth it in my opinion. The licensed version of this package is priced at $99.95 plus shipping or as low as $59.95 if you buy a CED Millennium Chronograph or PressureTrace at the same time. I served as a beta tester and consultant for this version and it is VERY VERY good. Shooting Lab replaced all of my other ballistics and shooting related software some time ago, with the exception of some custom stuff that I wrote myself for special purposes. If you are serious about shooting and investigating ballistics this is the package you want. Jim is very conscientious about fixing any bugs that are reported, and upgrades are free. The current version is 4.2.3 - 2008-09-05

Chronographs
The best chronograph on the market in in my opinion has been the CED Millennium and now its new version, the CED Millennium 2, carries on that status. It is a very accurate and consistent unit that far surpass other consumer chronographs. It sells for $199.00. It is extremely accurate and stable, and can be fitted with infra-red sensors which will "see" bullets under conditions (including total darkness) that would fail on other chronographs. It has a large, easy to read display, non volatile memory (saves all data even when you shut it off or the battery is removed so you can take the unit home and still have the data), and it interfaces with Shooting Lab on your PC or laptop via a USB cable so you can accurately develop ballistics tables. While the CED is available from several sources, if you order it from RSI you will always get the latest model along with the USB computer cable and some extras. The CED Millenium is used by US Secret Service, Canadian Special Ops units, USMC, California Bureau of Prisons, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and many others. It is also the official chronograph of IPSC/USPSA.

User Interface

Features

The 1.75" high digit LCD display shows all relative information at a single glance. It's big enough to read through a scope at 100 Yards!
Large, easy to use key pad controls all functions. You can recall string summaries and previous strings stored in memory. No need to toggle through data.
Ability to download data to your computer,
Voice chip verbal "readout" of velocity
USB port
Directly interfaces with RSI Shooting lab software on your laptop for truly accurate ballistics calculations
Keypad function selection

CED2
Tripod not included

$199.00 ready to go, less tripod
Power source: 9V NEDA 1604 battery
Compact and light weight
Designed & tooled from scratch to take advantage of latest technologies and integrated circuitry. Uses surface mount component ASIC construction
Everything except a tripod is included - dual lens skyscreens, 20 ft. shielded cable and mounting bracket
Very insensitive to electrical interference
50 f/s to 7000 f/s velocity range
Folding Mounting Bracket - 2 ft. bracket folds in half for compact storage. No bulky piece of pipe needed
Wider Screens - larger sensing area than most is possible due to "Dual Lens" sensor technology
Advanced Error Warning - so you can detect problems early
Easy assembly - sensors slip on ends of a square mounting bracket, no screws or bolts
Buffered sensors for faster screen reset (will read individual machinegun shots)
Improved sensor sensitivity allows shooting under poor lighting conditions
Voice Chip Technology - 11/2 seconds after each shot a voice tells you the velocity
Permanent Non-Volatile Memory - Holds data even if the battery is removed. Stores up to 500 strings or 2000 shots for editing & analysis at a later time
USB port - shoot all day then dump data to your computer for further analysis (PC cable & download software included)
Auto-Shut Down Mode - to save battery life without affecting data in memory
All The Functions You Need - high, low and average velocity, high average, extreme spread, standard deviation, edit and omit functions, 10X mode records velocity in decimeters, multiple skyscreen distance selection, meters or feet, IPSC Power Factor calculation, and calculator.
Infrared (IR) Sensor Upgrade
2 Year Warrantee against manufacturing defects.
Millennium Accessories
A full range of accessories and replacement parts are available for the CED Millennium. IR screens, longer brackets, table mounts, etc. as well as replacement parts are available.

The IR Upgrade kit includes replacement side leg supports, diffusers and a power converter for 110/230 v. AC. An NiMH battery pack with 8 hour rating and charger is available for total portability, but many users simply utilize a "gel-cell" 12 v battery commonly used on off-road vehicles. The IR sensors look nearly the same as the standard screens. Two of the four side supports have wire leads, contacts and power jacks molded into the plastic. The replacement diffusers have a row of IR emitters that shine downward and two LED's indicating battery condition or power status. Using the IR option the Millennium will work under any lighting condition, and I've chrongraphed in complete darkness to test them and every shot was properly recorded.. Unlike "visible" light systems, the IR illumination emitted from the new CED IR option is not visible to the human eye so it will not alter your sight picture when shooting indoors

Any camera tripod will work with the Millennium. However; inexpensive tripods with plastic heads wobble from big bore muzzle blast which can contribute to errors. Use a quality tripod with a metal head, an elevation crank and quick detachable camera block. The Velabon model 450 or 550 is such a tripod and should be available at most good camera shops for about $75. You may also find a good new and used and sturdy tripod for as little as $30 if you hunt around. Users of any brand chronograph (including CED) can click here for information on solutions for various chronographing problems.

With the included PC USB cable and CEDM Data Collector Utility you can download velocities directly to your personal computer. Simply plug the chronograph directly into a USB port, turn the Millennium on, click the Data Collector's download button, then the "PR/PC" key on the Millennium. In a few seconds the velocities stored in the Millennium's memory have been downloaded so you can store, print or edit the information or import it into ShootingLab

By the way RSI will provide full support for CED units purchased from other sources, including support for the serial computer interface port.

If you do a little careful research on performance and features you will find that the CED Millennium chronographs are by far the best units out there. But you may have to search hard as there is little real information on most manufacturer's sites. This chronograph gets (5 Flippers) from Fr. Frog!

Pressure Measurement
RSI also sells a new tool for pressure measurement. Called PressureTrace ^TM it will allow you to capture the changes to pressure inside your rifle chamber in real time and display a pressure curve in psi on your computer, via an included USB cable and software, after each shot. Because of the device's high sampling rate things are visible that are not detectable by other units and what you learn may surprise you. It can be used on any firearm where the area over the chamber is accessible and the operating system won't hit the sensor. For the details go to http://www.shootingsoftware.com/pressure.htm.

I have worked with RSI on this unit and personally use it and it is VERY neat. Unlike the old Oehler M43 Ballistics Lab pressure unit which attempts to equate the pressures obtained in your gun to what would be obtained by firing that load in a SAAMI specification pressure barrel, PressureTrace gives the actual psi readings generated in your gun--a much more useful measurement. The Oehler readings are higher in most cases than the actual pressures generated in the gun. Oehler apparently included this quirk because their idea was to sell the units to commercial users who could then develop loading data traceable to SAAMI data for liability reasons. This unit gets (5 Flippers) from Fr. Frog!

If you want further information on any of these products you can contact Jim Ristow at:

Please tell him Fr. Frog referred you, especially if you order anything from him.

Mr. Lewis Kenner has created a nifty ballistics program he calls Baltraj that he is sharing with the shooting community as "freeware." It is based on the G1 drag model used by commercial bullet manufacturers and it has a built-in and updateable/editable listing of current commercial rifle bullets and a nice interface. While it is only a "G1" program it compares very well with many of the expensive conventional commercial G1 programs and should do just fine for the basic needs of most folks new to exploring ballistics and who have the required Windows OS and the Microsoft Access database program.

You must have MS Access 97 or MS Access 2000/2002 which are part of Office 97 Pro or Office 2000/2002 Pro to use this program.

Originally, Baltraj which was developed using Access 97 would not run under Access 2000 due to differences in the required protocols. However, thanks to Dave Schullery and Matt Diley, Baltraj97 was modified to run under Access 2000. The latest version, version C-2002, supplied by Mr. Kenner now runs on Access 2000 & 2002. It also contains some new code that matches the trajectories of the M193, M855, SS109, M80, and M118 GI bullets to actual data from Aberdeen Proving Ground. The older Access97 version does not have the new BRL matching code.

If you you are currently running Windows 95 or 98 AND have Microsoft Access 97 installed on your PC, you can download this version of the Baltraj program for Access 97 in zipped format (208k zip file), click here.

If you you are currently running Windows 95 or 98 (should also work with 2000 & XP) AND have Microsoft Access 2000/2002 installed on your PC, you can download the latest update of Version C of the Baltraj2002 program for Access 2000/2002 in zipped format (434k zip file), click here.

Note: If you downloaded Baltraj 2002 prior to 2004-02-01 please redownload the program as there was a minor bug it the earlier version.

For a really good source of additional information on various shooting related subjects point your browser to Jim Ristow's technical information site at:

There is a wealth of information on all kinds of shooting related subjects on his pages. Among the article on his site are:

Forensics, or the study of firearms markings and residues is a subject that is of interest to many who study ballistics. If you have an interest in the field of forensics check these out.

The following pages will help to give you a basic education in the subject of ballistics.

There is a lot of information on these pages so take your time and browse them all, or print them out. (Landscape orientation works best.) Select the area you would like to learn more about. I strongly suggest reading them in order.

Internal Ballistics	External Ballistics	Zeroing	Range Estimation
What happens inside the firearm	The bullet's flight	Setting things up to hit where you aim and to do it efficiently	Figuring out just how far away things really are
Terminal Ballistics	Rifle Power	Load Development	Making Ballistic Gelatin
The bullet's impact Warning This page contains 12 large images and may take a while to load with a slow connection.	Some thoughts on the subject of the "power" of the rifle	A short discourse on the best way to develop a load for your firearm.	The proper procedures for making and using 10% ballistic gelatin blocks for testing bullets and developing wound profiles
Ballistic Coefficient Tables	Advanced Reading	Misc. Questions and Answers
A fairly up-to-date (8/06) collection of published BCs from various sources in Excel spreadsheet form	These references may be of interest to you, but beware, heavy on the math.	Random topics related to shooting in Q&A format. Check these out. You may find the answer to that nagging question.

An Introduction to Ballistics