What Ballistic Software ?

[Dirk Williams]

Ive been searching for a portable Ballistic Calculator for a few months now. I use a blackberry phone and had hoped to be able to apply a program to it for work. No luck.

Im getting older and my eyes are not what they used to be. In my travels I discovered a system that will work with my 4500 Kesterl and is under a pound in weight.

It's called MOBALL The system comes on a Texas Instruments Voyager 200 Graphic Caculator. I chose it because it's "stand alone, dedicated", links to weather, has a bigger screen, and larger buttons for easier application, RE My eye sight.

I don't know much other than what I ve read about it. Bryan Lutz created the program Ive read good stuff about him and his books. The whole gig cost 300.00 with up dates available in the future.

Hope this might help some who are looking for a stand alone mission specific gear that can be carry in the field.


D Williams

[Dirk Williams]

MOBALL package arrived today. Easy set up, easy input. After maybe thirty to forty inputs" Practicing" with 308 338 and 300 data the insturment simply locked up. Won't confirm the solution or deny it is what the screen says?.

Not a very good start. Email in to Lutz for solution. Have to believe it's something I did or didn't do. Anyway the data I plugged in matched my dedicated range cards out to 1000y.

Anybody have experience with this program or this fella who built it.
Dirk

[.30kal]

The Knight's iPhone app is great, get either the top of the line (military version) or the one directly below that.

[Dirk Williams]

Well I sent back the MOBALL, Ballistic Calculator. Several emails to the group with no response. Can't support a company who dosen't stand behinfd it's product.

Opted to go with the Knight Ballistic's as suggested. I ordered a ITouch with 16 Gig Or MB somethng or other, and the military program. Thank you for your sugestion after researching the set up Im impressed.

I spoke with Kevin Boland who was also very helpful regarding the ballistic calculator. Thanks.

Dirk

[91Bravo]

Let us know how the Knight's product works out. The only one I have experience with id Dr. Z's Ballistic and it's excellent but we are always looking for something better.

[Dirk Williams]

Well I ve had a chance to work with my itouch and the BulletFlight Military, by Knight Arms. it's been an interesting learning curve.

The truth is I really don't have alot of experience with this kind of ballistic calculator. What Im about to write is from a laymans point of view. I always wanted to do it the old fashion way like our fore fathers.

The more I shoot my sniper guns "which is alot", the more I want to know why and how. My distance's are growing and I can hold my own with other local shooters. What I lack in shooting distance based knowledge, I make up for in determination, it's very important to me and I want to get it right.

It seems logical to me that most distance shooters go through these growing pains of just shooting, then wanting to know why x does y. That is where Im at.
,
First off I ordered the itouch, it arrived and is chrome in color, obviously not ideal for sneaking and peaking. Not to worry the glass is half full. I will leave my military signaling mirror home and just use this if I have to.

I loaded bullet flight via the istore for 30.00 and have played with the program for a few days now. I like it alot. The program has G1 thru G7 funtion, it does everything. I can access a bullet company data station for bullet mass and G funtion.

I did manage to erase the 308 168 data , thinking I was simply storing it. No worries my 308 has a very long barrel and my data is closer to 2700 FPS then 2600 FPS so I custom loaded that data. It's right on.

I have a Kestrel 4500 that makes loading climite conditions a snap. I'd say it's taking me 20 seconds to load and determine my come ups. When I send it I'm getting outstanding results via the data. i'd also say by this summer ill cut that 20 seconds in half with stored data.

There are two calculation funtions one is in depth, and requires multiple condition inputs, the other is called "calculate simple". it's a simple roller bar similar to a slot machine in which you role in distance, then wind speed, then wind direction and the come up appears on the botton for up/down, left/right.

Im an MOA guy shooting over S& B 5x25x56 PMII's and not into milrad or mildot stuff. That is also a funtion and can be converted to work on that system aswell.

So far i've only shot between 100 to 150 rounds out of my 308 using this set up and maybe 40 rounds out of my 338.LM, nothing out of my 300WM yet.

Im impressed with the ease of which even a non techo guy like me can get around on the data base. the itouch is a touch screen " I need an otterbox cuz this phone is danty and will not take alot of abuse".

1 to 10, I will say this program is an 8 with the only limits being my abilities and unwillingness to move ahead in the tech world.

In closing at this point I wold recommend the bullet flight program. I also like the itouch but have to wait to see if it survives this next summer.

Hope this helps some out there who want to get it right with the first shot. In our business close is never good enough.

Respectfully.
Dirk

[TANGO2072]

Dirk,
good write up there. Got me more interested in the KAC BF and an itouch.

[M4Guru]

I have tried Nightforce's software, Bulletflight from KAC, and Atrag from Horus. I find Atrag to be the most accurate and consistent. My old unit bought this one as well after testing every software under the sun. Dealing with Horus can be a PITA, so be ready, but it's worth it for good field ballistic software. I run mine on a little Dell PDA. We have Trimbles at work but they cost way too much for me to buy my own.

[JoshNC]

Does one ballistics program shine above the others when using mils? I just picked up a 4-16x S&B PMII (Thanks to D. Pennington!) and would like to pick up a ballistics program.

Thanks for all the input guys. Great thread!

[03humpalot]

I run Cheytacs old school CABC version 1.97 on a panasonic Cf-P1 PDA, i punch muzle velocity/wind speed at the gun/distance to target/und uncorrected barometric air pressure off a kestrel and its never been more than 1.5 MOA off at distances to 2350 yards.

Its stupid expensive but Dave Durham at Cheytac mentioned they are working on new versions that work on newer operating systems and it should be inexpensive.