Tested: 4 Best Apps For Long-Range Shooting

October 26, 2017 By Keith Wood

These ballistic apps will help put your shot right on the money.

Ballistic apps and laser rangefinders have taken the guesswork out of long-range shots. You can't buy skill, but you can buy the correct data. And the latest technology can be accessed in seconds using smartphone apps. You can find a pile of these shooting apps on the market. These are the four that I have used in the real world that make long-range shots a lot easier.

APPLIED BALLISTICS MOBILE

Brian Litz, the founder of Applied Ballistics LLC, is considered the dean of long-range shooting. Applied Ballistics software is considered the industry gold standard and is used in numerous military and civilian products. This is the most advanced and capable app that I evaluated — and the priciest. However, if you want to get into the weeds of long-range ballistics and want the best environmental software out there, this is for you. If you are a hunter or shooter just looking to build a range card for normal hunting use, this is probably overkill.

Operating System: Ios & Android

Pros: Most Capable App On The Market

Cons: Expensive For Casual Users

$30; appliedballisticsllc.com

JBM BALLISTICS CALCULATOR

This app can be used very simply in the Heads-Up Display mode, but it also can get as nerdy as the user desires. Shooters can enter their own projectile and load information or choose from a long list of factory bullets and cartridges. There's even a function that allows you to range a target of known size using your reticle. Once you input your data, the app builds a range card, shows you a trajectory graph, and provides simple come-ups for windage and elevation. A "standard" version is also available for $2 less.

Operating System: Ios

Pros: Great Data

This is the most basic and least-expensive version of the KAC Bullet Flight line of apps. This was the first ballistic app I ever used, and I still rely on it regularly due to its simplicity. Users can choose from a list of common (mostly military) cartridges or build a custom load from the app's database of projectiles. There are three modes: calculate ballistics, calculate simple, and range card. The "simple" mode allows for fast-and-easy bullet drop and wind drift calculations and is my favorite feature of the app. For 90 percent of hunting, I'd stick to this app.

Operating System: Ios & Android

Pros: Simple, Effective, Inexpensive

Cons: Limited Capability

$4; knightarmco.com

ISNIPE

This app has been around a few years but it still works well. iSnipe uses their exclusive Direkon Ballistics Library and has a catalog of 2,600 factory ammunition profiles for over 150 rifle and pistol cartridges. Handloaders can choose from nearly 1,500 bullet selections to build a profile for their particular load. It also has a visual sight picture with rangefinder. This app is simple to use, and I have personally found its data to be accurate out to at least 1,000 yards. At its price point, however, I'd prefer to use the JBM Ballistics Calculator.

Operating System: Ios & Android

Pros: Simple, Effective

Cons: Priced High Relative To Its Capability

$15; isnipe.ca

Keith Wood

Keith Wood is a New York Times bestselling writer, and Co-Author of UNAFRAID: Starting Down Terror as a Navy SEAL and Single Dad. Keith is an avid shooter, handloader, gun collector, and custom gunmaker and has been hunting big game and upland birds for three decades. Keith has been an outdoor writer since 2007 and has penned hundreds of articles for various publications. He is the Field Editor of Guns & Ammo and a regular contributor to Hunting, Rifleshooter, and Handguns. He's also an attorney and government affairs professional. He holds a BA in Political Science from Stetson University and a JD from The Florida State University College of Law. A native of Florida, he and his family reside in Alabama.

Full Bio + | See more articles from Keith Wood