Applied Ballistics Glossary of Terms
Quick Edit Fields
- DIR
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The direction from which the wind is coming. For example, a 9:00 wind blows from your left to your right. Input field.
- DOF
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The direction of fire, with north at 0 degrees and east at 90 degrees. Input field.
- Elevation
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The vertical portion of the aiming solution, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).
- RNG
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The distance to the target, displayed in yards or meters. Input field.
- W 1
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The wind speed used in the shooting solution, displayed in miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (km/h), or meters per second (m/s). Input field.
- W 2
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An optional, additional wind speed used in the shooting solution, displayed in miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (km/h), or meters per second (m/s). Input field.
TIP: You can use two wind speeds to calculate a windage solution that contains a high and low value. The actual windage to apply for the shot should fall in this range. Using both wind speed 1 and wind speed 2 is not an effective way to account for different wind speeds at different distances between you and the target. - Windage 1
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The horizontal portion of the aiming solution based on the wind speed 1 and wind direction, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).
- Windage 2
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The horizontal portion of the aiming solution based on the wind speed 2 and wind direction, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).
Range Card Fields
- Bullet Drop
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The total drop the bullet experiences along its flight path, displayed in inches or centimeters.
- Elevation
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The vertical portion of the aiming solution, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).
- H. Cor. Effect
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The horizontal Coriolis effect. The horizontal Coriolis effect is the amount of the windage solution attributed to the Coriolis effect. This is always calculated by the device, although the impact may be minimal if you are not shooting at extended range.
- Lead
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The horizontal correction needed to hit a target moving left or right at a given speed.
TIP: When you enter the speed of your target, the device factors the necessary windage required into the total windage value. - Remaining Energy
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The remaining energy of the bullet at target impact, displayed in foot-pounds of force (ft. lbf) or joules (J).
- Spin Drift
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The amount of the windage solution attributed to the spin drift (gyroscopic drift). For example, in the northern hemisphere, a bullet shot out of a right-hand twist barrel will always deflect slightly to the right as it travels.
- Time of Flight
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The time of flight, which indicates the time required for a bullet to reach its target at a given range.
- V. Cor. Effect
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The vertical Coriolis effect. The vertical Coriolis effect is the amount of the elevation solution attributed to the Coriolis effect. This is always calculated by the device, although the impact may be minimal if you are not shooting at extended range.
- Velocity
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The estimated velocity of the bullet when it impacts the target.
- Velocity Mach
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The estimated velocity of the bullet when it impacts the target, displayed as a factor of mach speed.
- Windage 1
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The horizontal portion of the aiming solution based on the wind speed 1 and wind direction, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).
- Windage 2
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The horizontal portion of the aiming solution based on the wind speed 2 and wind direction, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).
Target Card Fields
- Direction of Fire
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The direction of fire, with north at 0 degrees and east at 90 degrees. Input field.
TIP: You can use the compass to set this value by pointing the top of the device toward the direction of fire. The current compass value appears in the DOF field. You can pressto use this value.
- Inclination
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The angle of inclination of the shot. A negative value indicates a downhill shot. A positive values indicates an uphill shot. The shooting solution multiplies the vertical portion of the solution by the cosine of the inclination angle to calculate the adjusted solution for an uphill or downhill shot. Input field.
- Range
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The distance to the target, displayed in yards or meters. Input field.
- Speed
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The speed of a moving target, displayed in miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (km/h), or meters per second (m/s). A negative value indicates a target moving left. A positive value indicates a target moving right. Input field.
Environment Fields
- Direction
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The direction from which the wind is coming. For example, a 9:00 wind blows from your left to your right. Input field.
- Humidity
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The percentage of moisture in the air. Input field.
- Latitude
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The horizontal location on the Earth's surface. Negative values are below the equator. Positive values are above the equator. This value is used to calculate the vertical and horizontal Coriolis drift. Input field.
TIP: You can select the Use Current Position option to use the GPS coordinates from your device.NOTE: The Latitude is used only for calculating the Coriolis effect. If you are shooting at a target less than 1,000 yards away, this input field is optional. - Pressure
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The ambient (station) pressure. Ambient pressure is not adjusted to represent sea level (barometric) pressure. Ambient pressure is required for the ballistics shooting solution. Input field.
TIP: You can manually enter this value, or you can select the Use Current Pressure option to use the pressure value from the internal sensor in the device. - Temperature
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The temperature at your current location, displayed in Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C). Input field.
TIP: You can manually enter the temperature reading from a connected tempe™ sensor or other temperature source. This field does not automatically update when connected to a tempe sensor. - Wind Direction Mode
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Sets the wind direction setting (Direction) relative to your direction of fire (Relative to DOF) or relative to true north (True Wind Dir).
NOTE: When you are engaging multiple targets at different DOFs, the True Wind Dir option is useful because you only have to adjust your DOF, and your wind direction remains the same. - Wind Speed 1
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The wind speed used in the shooting solution, displayed in miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (km/h), or meters per second (m/s). Input field.
- Wind Speed 2
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An optional, additional wind speed used in the shooting solution, displayed in miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (km/h), or meters per second (m/s). Input field.
TIP: You can use two wind speeds to calculate a windage solution that contains a high and low value. The actual windage to apply for the shot should fall in this range.
Profile Fields - Bullet Data
- Ballistic Coefficient
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The manufacturer's ballistic coefficient for your bullet. Input field.
- Diameter
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The bullet diameter, displayed in inches or centimeters. Input field.
NOTE: The diameter of the bullet may vary from the common name of the round. For example, a 300 Win Mag is actually .308 inches in diameter. - Length
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The length of the bullet, displayed in inches or centimeters. Input field.
- Model
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The G1 or G7 standard projectile models for drag curve. Input field.
NOTE: Most long range rifle bullets are closer to the G7 standard. - Weight
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The bullet weight, displayed in grains (gr) or grams (g). Input field.
Profile Fields - Gun Data
- Muzzle Velocity
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The speed of the bullet as it leaves the muzzle, displayed in feet per second (f/s) or meters per second (m/s). Input field.
NOTE: This field is required for accurate calculations by the shooting solution. If you calibrate the muzzle velocity, this field may be updated automatically for a more accurate firing solution. - Sight Height
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The distance from the center axis of the rifle barrel to the center axis of the scope, displayed in inches or centimeters. Input field.
TIP: You can easily determine this value by measuring from the top of the bolt to the center of the windage turret, and adding half of the diameter of the bolt. - Twist Direction
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The direction that the rifling of your barrel spirals. Most rifles have a right-handed twist. Input field.
- Twist Rate
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The distance it takes for the rifling of your barrel to make one full rotation, displayed in inches or centimeters. Rifle twist is often provided by the gun or barrel manufacturer. Input field.
- Zero Range
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The range at which the rifle was zeroed, displayed in yards or meters. Input field.
Profile Fields - Scope
- Scope Units
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The units of measure for your scope, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA). Input field.
- Sight in Condition
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The environmental conditions while sighting in your gun. These are optional modifications recommended when sighting in your gun 300 yards and beyond. Toggle field.
- SSF Elevation
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A linear multiplier that accounts for vertical scaling. Not all rifle scopes track perfectly, so the ballistics solution requires a correction to scale according to a particular rifle scope. For example, if a turret is moved 10 mil but the impact is 9 mil, the sight scale is 0.9. Input field.
- SSF Windage
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A linear multiplier that accounts for horizontal scaling. Not all rifle scopes track perfectly, so the ballistics solution requires a correction to scale according to a particular rifle scope. For example, if a turret is moved 10 mil but the impact is 9 mil, the sight scale is 0.9. Input field.
- Zero Height
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An optional modification to impact elevation at zero range. This is often used when adding a suppressor or using a subsonic load. For example, if you add a suppressor and your bullet impacts the target 1 inch higher than expected, your Zero Height is 1 inch. You must set this to zero when you remove the suppressor. Input field.
- Zero Humidity
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The humidity while sighting in your gun. This is an optional modification recommended when sighting in your gun at 300 yards and beyond. Input field.
- Zero Offset
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An optional modification to impact windage at zero range. This is often used when adding a suppressor or using a subsonic load. For example, if you add a suppressor and your bullet impacts the target 1 inch to the left of the expected impact, your Zero Offset is -1 inch. You must set this to zero when you remove the suppressor. Input field.
- Zero Pressure
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The ambient pressure while sighting in your gun. This is an optional modification recommended when sighting in your gun at 300 yards and beyond. Input field.
- Zero Temperature
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The temperature while sighting in your gun. This is an optional modification recommended when sighting in your gun at 300 yards and beyond. Input field.
Profile Fields - Calibrate Muzzle Velocity
- Range
-
The distance from the muzzle to the target, displayed in yards or meters. Input field.
TIP: You should enter a value as close as possible to the range suggested in the shooting solution. This is the range where the bullet slows to Mach 1.2 and begins to enter the transonic range. - True Drop
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The actual distance the bullet falls while in flight to the target, displayed in milliradians (mrad/mil) or minute of angle (MOA). Input field.
Profile Fields - Calibrate Custom Drag Factor
- Range
-
The range from which you are shooting. Input field.
TIP: In most cases, the calibrated custom drag factor should not exceed a 10% correction. - True Drop
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The actual distance the bullet falls when fired at a specific range, displayed in milliradians (mrad/mil) or minute of angle (MOA). Input field.
Profile Fields - Calibrate Drop Scale Factor
- Range
-
The range from which you are shooting. Input field.
TIP: This range should be within 90% of the recommended range suggested in the shooting solution. Values that are less than 80% of the recommended range will not provide a valid adjustment. - True Drop
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The actual distance the bullet falls when fired at a specific range, displayed in milliradians (mrad/mil) or minute of angle (MOA). Input field.
Profile Data Screen Fields
- Aero. Jump. Effect
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The amount of the elevation solution attributed to aerodynamic jump. Aerodynamic jump is the vertical deflection of the bullet due to a crosswind. Aerodynamic jump is calculated based on the wind speed 1 value. If there is no crosswind component or wind value, this value is zero.
- Bullet Drop
-
The total drop the bullet experiences along its flight path.
- Cos. Incl. Ang.
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The cosine of the inclination angle to the target.
- Elevation
-
The vertical portion of the aiming solution, displayed in milliradians (mrad/mil) or minute of angle (MOA).
- H. Cor. Effect
-
The horizontal Coriolis effect. The horizontal Coriolis effect is the amount of the windage solution attributed to the Coriolis effect. This is always calculated by the device, although the impact may be minimal if you are not shooting at extended range.
- Lead
-
The horizontal correction needed to hit a target moving left or right at a given speed.
TIP: When you enter the speed of your target, the device factors the necessary windage required into the total windage value. - Max. Ord.
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The maximum ordinance, displayed in inches or centimeters. The maximum ordinance is the maximum height above the axis of the barrel that a bullet will reach along its flight path.
- Max. Ord. Range
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The range at which the bullet will reach its maximum ordinance, displayed in yards or meters.
- Remaining Energy
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The remaining energy of the bullet at target impact, displayed in foot-pounds of force (ft. lbf) or joules (J).
- Spin Drift
-
The amount of the windage solution attributed to the spin drift (gyroscopic drift). For example, in the northern hemisphere, a bullet shot out of a right-hand twist barrel will always deflect slightly to the right as it travels.
- Time of Flight
-
The time of flight, which indicates the time required for a bullet to reach its target at a given range.
- V. Cor. Effect
-
The vertical Coriolis effect. The vertical Coriolis effect is the amount of the elevation solution attributed to the Coriolis effect. This is always calculated by the device, although the impact may be minimal if you are not shooting at extended range.
- Velocity
-
The estimated velocity of the bullet when it impacts the target, displayed in feet per second (f/s) or meters per second (m/s).
- Velocity Mach
-
The estimated velocity of the bullet when it impacts the target, displayed as a factor of mach speed.
- Windage 1
-
The horizontal portion of the aiming solution based on the wind speed 1 and wind direction, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).
- Windage 2
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The horizontal portion of the aiming solution based on the wind speed 2 and wind direction, displayed in inches, milliradians (mrad/mil), or minute of angle (MOA).