New ballistics program for Android phones

[BryanLitz]

I'd like to make everyone aware of a new ballistics program that's available for download on the Android phone. The program is called 'Shooter' and can be found in the Google market place by searching for 'Ballistics'.

This program does it all. Here is a list of features:
* G1 and G7 BC capability, with the option to input 'velocity banded' BCs.
* Bullet Library which includes my measured BC's.
* Rifle and ammo profiles that let you store information about your guns and loads for quick and easy recall.
* Atmosphere effects (pressure, temp, and humidity). This program has the most intuitive input scheme for entering pressure/altitude, it's very hard to get it wrong.
* Spin drift (requires bullet length and twist rate inputs)
* Coriolis effect (the phone can use it's GPS to find your location for this feature)
* You can use the phone's built-in inclinometer to measure your 'look-angle' to the target.
* Outputs are available as a single shot solution or as a table.

I was heavily involved in the development of this program and can vouch for the accuracy of the solution. The actual solver is very similar to the one used in my programs and in JBM. Shooter's calculations match mine and JBM within round-off error (0.1" at 1000 yards).

Here are some screenshots of the inputs:

And here is the single shot output, then the table output:

I became interested in this program when I got my Android phone. The phone is awesome, and the program is easy to install and run. There is a 'lite' version of Shooter that you can download for free, and the 'full' version is $9.99. The images above are from the full version.

There are several good programs out there for iPhone, and for PDA's. Shooter is the first program I know of for Android, and in my opinion, it won't be topped by anything else. If you have an Android, I highly recommend checking out this application.

Here's a link to more info:
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/tools/shooter-ballistics_fqyd.html?related

-Bryan

 

[joshua99ta]

I downloaded it the first day I bought my htc hero! I like it... havent had time to use it yet but it looks like a decent program

 

[hinkraka]

A slight question.

I've got a Samsung Galaxy Spica, with Android 2.1

I tried to download this program, but since I am in Sweden, and we can't access pay-apps on the market, is there any way I can access this app? I can't even get to the light version, apparently. And I would like to try it.

 

[BryanLitz]

Sorry,

Until Google decides to allow pay apps to be purchased in Sweden there's nothing anyone can do.

-Bryan

 

[MN Hunter]

I'll have my droid x in about a week. I can't wait to download that app.

 

[hinkraka]

Bryan: your inbox is full! =)

 

[BryanLitz]

Sorry,

You can reach me at:

[email protected]

 

[CRNA]

Looks like a great app. If it is accurate it would be very well worth the money. I am looking at getting a Droid, but I now have an iPod touch. What is the best app to download for the iPhone/iPod touch?

 

[nheninge]

Nice app! In some of the screenshots posted by bryan they show colorful green and blue arrows for windage and elevation. I have not seen these colors on the ballistic table either. Handy for quick reference. Am I missing a setting? Older version?

 

[Broz]

My son has this on his Mortorola Android X phone. We were just in Wy. on an Antelope and Muley hunt. He was letting the GPS input the field conditions (as long as he had service) and the come ups were spot on with my Exbal program. All he had to do was enter the distance. This looks like a great program and will bluetooth up with the proper Kestrel model and automatically enter field conditions where no cell service is available. Or you can choose to enter them manually from your Kestrel. The program seems to be very easy to operate and is 10 ~ 20 times faster than LB3.0 on my PDA. I think I am going to give it a try.... looks good to me and FAST!!. Time for a new phone...

Jeff gun)gun)

 

[bigngreen]

When my phone re ups I'm going to give it a try, I really want to link something to the Bluetooth Kestrel, I see setting the Kestrel out in the wind just ahead of you on one of the wind vanes, you can watch wind direction and do a last minute update when it's go time, at least that is what I have envisioned.
Just so happens my favorite elk hunting spots are so high that the cell service is great, drop 50yrd of the ridge and you have nothing but where I would need it I would have it.

 

[mo]

I have shooter, and really like how it works. Come ups were the same as Exbal, but like Exbal I had to adjust my velocity, because my gun shoot flatter then both programs say it does. Shooter also has a nice feature that gives you the correct moa for shooting up or down hill.

 

[trebark]

I have shooter, and really like how it works. Come ups were the same as Exbal, but like Exbal I had to adjust my velocity, because my gun shoot flatter then both programs say it does. Shooter also has a nice feature that gives you the correct moa for shooting up or down hill.

So how to you make adjustments for trajectory validation in 'Shooter'?

I just completed the trajectory validation for two of my rifles in exbal. one rifle shoots a bit higher than the 'ideal' and the other shoot a little lower. Exbal trajectory validation is easy.

 

[BryanLitz]

So how to you make adjustments for trajectory validation in 'Shooter'?

I just completed the trajectory validation for two of my rifles in exbal. one rifle shoots a bit higher than the 'ideal' and the other shoot a little lower. Exbal trajectory validation is easy.

Trajectory validation as it's commonly thought of usually involves adjusting MV or BC to get the predicted trajectory to match actual. Sometimes MV and BC might be the correct variables to alter, but in my experience, often times the culprit is scope adjustment.

Example; A program predicts 30 MOA of drop. You dial it, hit high, and go about modifying MV or BC in the program until predicted matches observed. But did you ever check to verify that your scope is moving as you think? Correcting a trajectory based on MV or BC when the real problem is scope adjustment gives you the illusion that you're solving the problem, but what you end up with is a solution that's really only correct for a single range. If you address the real problem, you'll have a solution that's more accurate for all ranges.

Shooter has a variable called correction factor, which is a multiplier you can apply to your sight adjustment so that the program accounts for the error between expected and actual reticule movement.

-Bryan