Ballistic change between different places?

[lancetkenyon]

So how do you pick your altitude? Say I hunt 6,000, but I also work my way up to 8,000, would I pick a chart designed for 7,000?

I understand taking a median range.

So you print a list for a median range of possible temperature during the hunt, and the elevation. How do you determine what elevation to print? If you hunt 6,000, but will be up to 8,000 within the same hunt, how do you determine what altitude to use?

I usually have a pretty good idea of where I will be hunting in the units I draw and scout. Also, I hunt units that I have been in before, usually.
So I have some historic knowledge of game movement and locations at different times of the year.
I watch the weather like a hawk prior to hunts to determine projected temps and pressure systems. I usually print my drop charts up no more than a week in advance before a hunt.
Taking this into account, I use both the Shooter app and JBM Ballistics to build a drop chart for the conditions I am most likely to be hunting in. 500' of elevation difference and 20° is not going to make a big difference in drops out to 600. But if you use the same rifle for low desert mule deer hunts in December @ 20° and early season elk hunts @ 9000' in September when it is 75°, you will see big differences in drops as Dog Rocket pointed out. So a single drop chart or custom turret won't cover all your possible scenarios @ 600 yards. Unless you hunt the same area and temos/time of year for everything that rifle will be used for.
We had a pronghorn hunt @ 6500' & 105° in August, and a late season mule deer hunt late Nov @ 7600' & 10°. Drops were only about .5" difference @ 500 yards. The difference in thinner air at 2100' greater elevation made up the difference in air density losing 95°F. Yet, final.sight in verification @ 2500' & 65° made a 2.2" difference @ 500 yards.
Dog Rocket is correct about big jumps in elevation and temps can have quite a bit of effect when you go to extremes on both ends of the scale. Low and cold vs. High and warm make the biggest differences. But low and warm vs. High and cold, you will see much less variation.

Completely agree with you. May I ask what your method is for determining your drop data for each, specific environment you hunt?

 

[Brydawg512]

Yes. Use a kestrel, or a gps, a method of finding temp and the chart I put i attached in the post.

More tools and info.

http://www.arcanamavens.com/LBSFiles/Shooting/Downloads/ManualDA/

So, I just took a look at the Kestrel 5700 (not the Elite model). Would the Kestrel 5700 do all of this for me? Where I only establish zero and then it will change environmentals for where I need to shoot? All I would have to do is input the range and it should put out the correct drop, correct?

 

[dfanonymous]

So, I just took a look at the Kestrel 5700 (not the Elite model). Would the Kestrel 5700 do all of this for me? Where I only establish zero and then it will change environmentals for where I need to shoot? All I would have to do is input the range and it should put out the correct drop, correct?

If it's not the elite then it's a sportsman model with ab or 4dof. This is a much better, efficient and accurate way of conducting business. It does everything for you.
Building range cards was the old way of doing things. It was possible to have a thick dope book after 10 years. Peoples laziness and ignorance can allows them to rely on gear and technology sometimes a little to hard. It's only hurts more when that crutch is kicked out from under them.
So there's that too.

 

[Brydawg512]

If it's not the elite then it's a sportsman model with ab or 4dof. This is a much better, efficient and accurate way of conducting business. It does everything for you.
Building range cards was the old way of doing things. It was possible to have a thick dope book after 10 years. Peoples laziness and ignorance can allows them to rely on gear and technology sometimes a little to hard. It's only hurts more when that crutch is kicked out from under them.
So there's that too.

https://kestrelmeters.com/products/kestrel-5700-ballistics-weather-meter-with-link

So, that's the one I looked at. It doesn't like it has applied ballistics or 4dof, just some other system. Is what's on this model an adequate ballistics software?

 

[dfanonymous]

https://kestrelmeters.com/products/kestrel-5700-ballistics-weather-meter-with-link

So, that's the one I looked at. It doesn't like it has applied ballistics or 4dof, just some other system. Is what's on this model an adequate ballistics software?

Never messed with it so I can comment on it.

 

[DavidleeCole]

If you don't have a ballistic app then use JBM (online free calculator) and punch your numbers in and see for yourself. I still use it to print drop charts on occasion. I do something similar with turret labels, except make my own with blue scotch painters tape and a sharpie. You can change it to whatever your environmentals are. I will use this out to about the ranges you speak, and leave the turret markings (moa or mil) exposed to dial in longer ranges.

I like this idea and will use it if you dont care

 

[Bravo 4]

I learned it somewhere and just passing it on. It isn't pretty, but I don't concern myself so much with that. A more appealing method is to order the turret tapes I keep seeing advertised at the bottom of these pages.
I will admit to taking the easy route for the past year or so, using my Sig Kilo 2400ABS. However I do not trust electronic gadgetry 100% and always have at least an alternate means. As dfanonymous said, we can easily become dependent on such trinkets and lose basic fundamentals.