Free Ballistic Software

[billt]

http://www.jbmballistics.com/ballistics/calculators/calculators.shtml

For those that don't know about it, this website is fantastic for doing such things as drop tables, calculating wind drift at given distances and MPH. And it's so easy to use even I can use it without getting pissed! The best thing is the price....FREE!

[Hazcat]

Thanks for the resource!

[Solus]

I verified something I found on another calculator with this one.

With a .45ACP 230gr bullet with a .188 ballistic coefficient doing 850fps and the sight .65" above the bore and the zero range at 30yds, the bullet will hit no more than +/- 2.1 inches from 5 yards to 50 yards...

For self defense, that is center of mass targeting all the way out to 50 yds..

[Timothy]

I don't know Solus!

Each and every calculator I've seen puts the .45 ACP, 230 gr @ 850 at near 17" of drop at 100 yards.  I suspect that this one needs more input than those provided by Hornady, Remington and others I've used.  I can attest to about 5-7" drop at 50 yard but not much farther in real shooting because I've done it on occasion.  There's no way that big lumbering bullet is not going to fall dramatically at range.

[Solus]

I don't know Solus!

Each and every calculator I've seen puts the .45 ACP, 230 gr @ 850 at near 17" of drop at 100 yards.  I suspect that this one needs more input than those provided by Hornady, Remington and others I've used.  I can attest to about 5-7" drop at 50 yard but not much farther in real shooting because I've done it on occasion.  There's no way that big lumbering bullet is not going to fall dramatically at range.

when it dropped 7" at 50yds, did you have it zeroed at 30 yards?

Zero makes a difference.  If you zero at 100 yds, there will be no drop at that range

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

when it dropped 7" at 50yds, did you have it zeroed at 30 yards?

25

[Solus]

25

Here is what this calculator shows for a 25yd zero with all the other parameters the same.  The settings are included....if they display correctly when cut and pasted.   It shows a 2.7 inch drop at 50yds


Trajectory
 Input Data
Ballistic Coefficient:    0.188 G1    Caliber:    0.450 in
Bullet Weight:    230.0 gr       

 Muzzle Velocity:    850.0 ft/s    Distance to Chronograph:    10.0 ft

 Sight Height:    0.65 in    Sight Offset:    0.00 in
 Zero Height:    0.00 in    Zero Offset:    0.00 in
 Windage:    0.000 MOA    Elevation:    0.000 MOA
 Line Of Sight Angle:    0.0 deg    Cant Angle:    0.0 deg

 Wind Speed:    0.0 mph    Wind Angle:    0.0 deg
 Target Speed:    0.0 mph    Target Angle:    0.0 deg
 Target Height:    12.0 in      

 Temperature:    59.0 °F    Pressure:    29.92 in Hg
 Humidity:    0 %    Altitude:    0.0 ft

 Vital Zone Radius:    5.0 in      

 Std. Atmosphere at Altitude:    No    Pressure is Corrected:    Yes
 Zero at Max. Point Blank Range:    No    Target Relative Drops:    Yes
 Mark Sound Barrier Crossing:    No    Include Extra Rows:    No
 Column 1 Units:    1.00 in    Column 2 Units:    1.00 MOA
 Round Output to Whole Numbers:    No      
 Output Data
 Elevation:    8.269 MOA    Windage:    0.000 MOA

 Atmospheric Density:    0.07647 lb/ft³    Speed of Sound:    1116.4 ft/s

 Maximum PBR:    108 yd    Maximum PBR Zero:    91 yd
 Range of Maximum Height:    47 yd    Energy at Maximum PBR:    315.3 ft•lbs

 Sectional Density:    0.162 lb/in²      
Calculated Table
Range   Drop   Drop   Windage   Windage   Velocity   Mach   Energy   Time   Lead   Lead
(yd)   (in)   (MOA)   (in)   (MOA)   (ft/s)   (none)   (ft•lbs)   (s)   (in)   (MOA)
5   -0.3   -5.3   0.0   0.0   848.9   0.760   368.0   0.018   0.0   0.0
10   -0.0   -0.2   0.0   0.0   845.6   0.757   365.1   0.035   0.0   0.0
15   0.1   0.7   0.0   0.0   842.3   0.754   362.3   0.053   0.0   0.0
20   0.1   0.5   0.0   0.0   839.0   0.752   359.5   0.071   0.0   0.0
25   -0.0   -0.0   0.0   0.0   835.8   0.749   356.7   0.089   0.0   0.0
30   -0.2   -0.8   0.0   0.0   832.6   0.746   354.0   0.107   0.0   0.0
35   -0.6   -1.6   0.0   0.0   829.4   0.743   351.3   0.125   0.0   0.0
40   -1.1   -2.6   0.0   0.0   826.3   0.740   348.6   0.143   0.0   0.0
45   -1.7   -3.6   0.0   0.0   823.2   0.737   346.0   0.161   0.0   0.0
50   -2.5   -4.7   0.0   0.0   820.1   0.735   343.4   0.179   0.0   0.0
55   -3.3   -5.8   0.0   0.0   817.0   0.732   340.8   0.198   0.0   0.0
60   -4.3   -6.9   0.0   0.0   814.0   0.729   338.3   0.216   0.0   0.0
65   -5.5   -8.0   0.0   0.0   810.9   0.726   335.8   0.235   0.0   0.0
70   -6.7   -9.2   0.0   0.0   807.9   0.724   333.3   0.253   0.0   0.0
75   -8.1   -10.4   0.0   0.0   805.0   0.721   330.9   0.272   0.0   0.0
80   -9.7   -11.6   0.0   0.0   802.0   0.718   328.4   0.290   0.0   0.0
85   -11.4   -12.8   0.0   0.0   799.1   0.716   326.0   0.309   0.0   0.0
90   -13.2   -14.0   0.0   0.0   796.2   0.713   323.7   0.328   0.0   0.0
95   -15.1   -15.2   0.0   0.0   793.3   0.711   321.3   0.347   0.0   0.0
100   -17.2   -16.4   0.0   0.0   790.4   0.708   319.0   0.366   0.0   0.0

[Timothy]

Sorry, you're talking 50 yards.  I see that now...

[Timothy]

Also, where on the planet other than Death Valley is there zero humidity?

 

It's about 200% here right now!

 

[kmitch200]

Also, where on the planet other than Death Valley is there zero humidity?
 
It's about 200% here right now!

Phoenix is pretty close.  If it gets above 8% its "muggy".

I use JBM's ballistic calculator a lot. I also use this one:  http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx
It's free too.