Best Ballistic Calculator App

Ballistic Trajectory Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate bullet drop, wind drift, and other ballistic data for your shooting scenario. Input your bullet and environmental data to get an approximate trajectory solution.

Bullet & Firearm Data

Bullet Weight (grains):
Ballistic Coefficient (G1):
Muzzle Velocity (fps):
Sight Height (inches):
Zero Range (yards):

Environmental Data

Target Range (yards):
Wind Speed (mph):
Wind Angle (degrees from shooter, 0=headwind, 90=crosswind):
Temperature (°F):
Barometric Pressure (inHg):
Humidity (%):
Altitude (feet):

Trajectory Results

Time of Flight: seconds

Bullet Drop: inches ( MOA / MILs)

Wind Drift: inches ( MOA / MILs)

Velocity at Target: fps

Energy at Target: ft-lbs

Understanding Ballistic Calculators

A ballistic calculator is an essential tool for precision shooters, hunters, and long-range enthusiasts. It predicts the trajectory of a bullet, accounting for various factors that influence its flight path. While complex ballistic solvers use advanced mathematical models and drag tables (like G1 or G7), a basic calculator can provide valuable approximations for common shooting scenarios.

Key Inputs Explained:

Bullet Weight (grains): The mass of the bullet. Heavier bullets generally retain energy better but have a slower muzzle velocity for a given powder charge.
Ballistic Coefficient (BC): A measure of a bullet's ability to overcome air resistance. A higher BC indicates less drag and a flatter trajectory. G1 is a common standard, but G7 is often used for modern, low-drag bullets. For this calculator, we use G1.
Muzzle Velocity (fps): The speed of the bullet as it leaves the barrel. This is a critical factor in determining time of flight and energy.
Sight Height (inches): The vertical distance from the center of the bore to the center of your scope's reticle. This affects the initial angle needed to zero the rifle.
Zero Range (yards): The distance at which your bullet's trajectory crosses your line of sight, typically set at 100 or 200 yards.
Target Range (yards): The distance to your target.
Wind Speed (mph) & Wind Angle (degrees): Wind is a major factor in long-range shooting. The angle is measured from the shooter's perspective (0° for a headwind/tailwind, 90° for a full crosswind).
Temperature (°F), Barometric Pressure (inHg), Humidity (%), Altitude (feet): These environmental factors influence air density, which in turn affects bullet drag. Denser air creates more drag.

Key Outputs Explained:

Time of Flight (TOF): The time it takes for the bullet to travel from the muzzle to the target.
Bullet Drop (inches): The vertical distance the bullet falls below the line of sight at the target range, adjusted for your zero.
Wind Drift (inches): The horizontal distance the bullet is pushed by the wind at the target range.
Velocity at Target (fps): The speed of the bullet when it reaches the target.
Energy at Target (ft-lbs): The kinetic energy of the bullet upon impact, indicating its potential for damage or penetration.
MOA / MILs: Angular adjustments (Minutes of Angle or Milliradians) needed on your scope to compensate for drop and wind drift.

How it Works (Simplified Model):

This calculator uses a simplified ballistic model to estimate trajectory. It approximates the time of flight by considering muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient, then calculates bullet drop due to gravity over that time. Wind drift is estimated based on wind speed, angle, and the bullet's ability to resist wind (BC). While not as precise as advanced software that uses complex drag functions and atmospheric models, this tool provides a good understanding of how different variables affect bullet trajectory.

Example Calculation:

Let's consider a common scenario with the default values in the calculator:

Bullet Weight: 140 grains
Ballistic Coefficient (G1): 0.585
Muzzle Velocity: 2700 fps
Sight Height: 1.5 inches
Zero Range: 100 yards
Target Range: 500 yards
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind Angle: 90 degrees (full crosswind)
Temperature: 59°F
Barometric Pressure: 29.92 inHg
Humidity: 0%
Altitude: 0 feet

With these inputs, this ballistic calculator would predict results similar to:

Time of Flight: Approximately 0.78 seconds
Bullet Drop: Around 49.5 inches (approx. 9.9 MOA / 2.9 MILs)
Wind Drift: Around 12.5 inches (approx. 2.5 MOA / 0.7 MILs)
Velocity at Target: Approximately 2100 fps
Energy at Target: Approximately 1370 ft-lbs

(Note: The exact numbers will vary slightly based on the specific simplified formulas used in the calculator.)

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Check inputs."; return; } // — Calculate Time of Flight (TOF) — // This is a highly simplified TOF calculation that attempts to incorporate BC. // A true ballistic solver uses iterative methods or drag tables. // This formula is an approximation to demonstrate the concept. var tof = (targetRange * yards_to_feet) / muzzleVelocity; // Initial guess without drag var dragEffectFactor = (targetRange / 1000) / (adjustedBC * 0.001); // Simplified drag effect, 0.001 is a scaling constant tof = tof * (1 + dragEffectFactor); // Adjust TOF for drag // — Calculate Bullet Drop — // 1. Calculate drop from bore line at target range var drop_from_bore_target = 0.5 * g_inches_per_sec_sq * tof * tof; // 2. Calculate TOF to zero range var zero_tof = (zeroRange * yards_to_feet) / muzzleVelocity; var zero_dragEffectFactor = (zeroRange / 1000) / (adjustedBC * 0.001); zero_tof = zero_tof * (1 + zero_dragEffectFactor); // 3. Calculate drop from bore line at zero range var drop_from_bore_zero = 0.5 * g_inches_per_sec_sq * zero_tof * zero_tof; // 4. Calculate the initial angle compensation needed to hit zero // This is the angle (in inches per inch of range) that the bullet needs to be launched upwards // to compensate for sight height and drop at zero range. var initial_angle_compensation = (drop_from_bore_zero + sightHeight) / (zeroRange * yards_to_inches); // 5. Calculate the final bullet drop relative to the line of sight at target range var bulletDrop = drop_from_bore_target – (initial_angle_compensation * targetRange * yards_to_inches); // — Calculate Wind Drift — // Simplified wind drift calculation. // Wind effect is proportional to wind speed, TOF, and inversely proportional to BC. var effectiveWindSpeed_fps = windSpeed * mph_to_fps * Math.sin(windAngle_radians); var windDrift = (0.5 * effectiveWindSpeed_fps * tof * tof) / (adjustedBC * 0.001); // Simplified, 0.001 is a scaling constant // — Calculate Velocity at Target — // Simplified velocity decay model. var velocityAtTarget = muzzleVelocity – (muzzleVelocity * (targetRange / 1000) / (adjustedBC * 0.001)); if (velocityAtTarget < 0) velocityAtTarget = 0; // Bullet stopped before target // — Calculate Energy at Target — var energyAtTarget = (bulletWeight * velocityAtTarget * velocityAtTarget) / 450240; // Standard kinetic energy formula (grains to ft-lbs) // — Calculate MOA / MILs Adjustments — // MOA = (inches of adjustment / range in yards) * 100 // MILs = (inches of adjustment / range in yards) * 0.2909 * 100 (approx 1 MIL = 3.6 inches at 100 yards, so 1 MOA = 0.2909 MILs) var moaDrop = bulletDrop / (targetRange / 100); var milsDrop = moaDrop * 0.2909; var moaWind = windDrift / (targetRange / 100); var milsWind = moaWind * 0.2909; // Display results document.getElementById("tofResult").innerText = tof.toFixed(3); document.getElementById("dropResult").innerText = bulletDrop.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("moaDropResult").innerText = moaDrop.toFixed(1); document.getElementById("milDropResult").innerText = milsDrop.toFixed(1); document.getElementById("driftResult").innerText = windDrift.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("moaWindResult").innerText = moaWind.toFixed(1); document.getElementById("milWindResult").innerText = milsWind.toFixed(1); document.getElementById("velocityResult").innerText = velocityAtTarget.toFixed(0); document.getElementById("energyResult").innerText = energyAtTarget.toFixed(0); } // Run calculation on page load with default values window.onload = calculateBallistics;