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.
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.
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Operating System: Ios & Android
Pros: Most Capable App On The Market
Cons: Expensive For Casual Users
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$30; appliedballisticsllc.com
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
Cons: A Bit Complicated
$15; ballisticapp.com
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
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
