How do you range respecting elevation + ballistics?

[goodgorilla]

If you range something say something out 1000 meters away, but is 30 meters up or down from your current elevation. How do you compensate for that using ballistic software? If you use a standard range finder when you read something that is below you or above you it will just increase the distance, but does the distance account for the bullet drop?

 

[6xcKY]

NightForce Angle Degree Indicator FREE S&H A121, A120, A119, A163, A122. NightForce Riflescope Accessories.

 

[6xcKY]

There are several range finders on the market that do the work for you, but your going to spend the extra coin on one VS your basic range finder.

New Bushnell RangeFinder with Angle Range Compensation « Daily Bulletin

gseven - G7 BR2

 

[RobertB]

Slope doper or a gun mounted angle indicator. Some LRFs will do it and you can do it with a mildot master too. Its more about finding the distance and then angle of the shot than how high I/it is compared. Anything under 15deg is not too much to worry about. Its really simple when you get it figured out. Laser or mil the distance, if it is at an angle check angle with whatever you got, refer to a cosine chart to find your true gravity distance, use the drop for that distance and then use the wind for the original distance. YOu got it then. NOt ad at all when your ready for it.

 

[goodgorilla]

There are several range finders on the market that do the work for you, but your going to spend the extra coin on one VS your basic range finder.

New Bushnell RangeFinder with Angle Range Compensation « Daily Bulletin

gseven - G7 BR2

I like the G7, but I am working with mils.

Right now I am thinking about getting a luica 1600 b, but I read that you have to chose from different bullet curves which are used for ballistic ranging. I've read several people saying that none of their bullet curves match any of the given ones to choose from, and that they are only reliable for about 600 yards. So I am in a stalemate about buying that. I'm a little worried about the elevation indicator of the rail mount because I imagine being off 1 degree over 1000 meters would be bad, and the scope mount doesn't look that precise as a digital measurement.

Edit: For the Luica 1600b I am also worried about the distance it gives you. I've read that the distance is a corrected distance with the environmental stuff included, but I plan on using a Kestrel/Applied ballistic calculator which would use the distance and then re-calculate the environmental stuff into the firing solution (at least as I interpret, which means the environmental stuff included in the luica would be used twice).

 

[Pinecone]

Leica gives you a choice of using their internal ballistics curves or not.

If you choose to not use them, the unit just tells you the range, the angle, the temperature, and the baro pressure. You can then input that into whatever ballistics program you use.

 

[goodgorilla]

Leica gives you a choice of using their internal ballistics curves or not.

If you choose to not use them, the unit just tells you the range, the angle, the temperature, and the baro pressure. You can then input that into whatever ballistics program you use.

Thank you, I will be getting one of these. Another cool fact about the Leica 1600B is that it has the best laser in it's price range.

 

[mcmillanman5]

I'm a little worried about the elevation indicator of the rail mount because I imagine being off 1 degree over 1000 meters would be bad, and the scope mount doesn't look that precise as a digital measurement.

While the rail indicator may not be the ultimate digital precision device it will work just fine as will mildot master and such. 1 degree error at 1000 meters is not that critical of a mistake considering the other factors involved in making a shot that distance.

For example if you estimate an 11* angle when in fact it is a 10* angle at 1000 yard target, the difference in corrected horizontal distance is only 3 yards (982 vs 985). Granted this is a fairly shallow angle, and the steeper the angle the greater the difference will be. Here is another example at 1000 yards:
30*=866 yds
31*=857 yds

I am not saying its insignificant but they are great tools and I would still rather have one than not if you are shooting at high angles in your given terrain. Also here is the formula to calculate corrected distance for those interested.

Measured distance to target X cosine of firing angle = Horizontal distance to target

 

[Aeon1]

Thank you, I will be getting one of these. Another cool fact about the Leica 1600B is that it has the best laser in it's price range.

I believe the Leica only gives an angle corrected range to 875 yards. I have one and do not use the ballistics features. I originally played with using them but turned it off. I can very often range beyond 1600 yds in the field and have been regularly succesful ranging to 1800 yds depending on the target.

If you range something say something out 1000 meters away, but is 30 meters up or down from your current elevation. How do you compensate for that using ballistic software? If you use a standard range finder when you read something that is below you or above you it will just increase the distance, but does the distance account for the bullet drop?

In this example you would probably not compensate at all. A 30 meter elevation difference between you and your target at 1K meters equates to a 1.7° angle and that amounts to about a .44 meter difference. As to your question, the difference between the actual range and the corrected range will not fully compensate for the bullet drop. You might get away with it at small angles and shorter distances. Software will use an entered angle or an aquired angle and will do the corrected calculation. The basic calculation for effective hold distance is the cosine of the angle multiplied by your ranged distance. Get a calculator out and run some numbers. You'll learn a whole bunch real fast about what matters and what doesn't.

 

[goodgorilla]

Thanks for the info, but for taking the cosign of angle X measured distance is when you are not using a range finder that does it for you? The Luica does it automatically? Since I will be using a Luica, if I am ranging a target past 875 at an angle, can you disable the corrected distance?

 

[Aeon1]

Thanks for the info, but for taking the cosign of angle X measured distance is when you are not using a range finder that does it for you? The Luica does it automatically? Since I will be using a Luica, if I am ranging a target past 875 at an angle, can you disable the corrected distance?

Leica 1600B will not calculate corrected distance beyond 875 yds, it automatically disables corrected distance by default. You need to be aware of that because it will not give you an indication that you have exceeded its limits.

 

[goodgorilla]

Leica 1600B will not calculate corrected distance beyond 875 yds, it automatically disables corrected distance by default. You need to be aware of that because it will not give you an indication that you have exceeded its limits.

That is interesting. Can you disable it manually to be sure? Probably a stupid question, but I don't have my hands on the manual yet. Also, if it does not give you the corrected distance does that mean the elevation only works out to 875?

 

[Aeon1]

That is interesting. Can you disable it manually to be sure? Probably a stupid question, but I don't have my hands on the manual yet.

Yes you can turn the ballistic feature on and off at will through the menu with the buttons on top of the unit. You will have to scroll through the menu so it's not as simple as hitting one button to turn it off or on. It clearly states on page 36 in the manual "for safety reasons, ballistic output values are only specified up to a range of 800m/875yds.".

 

[goodgorilla]

Yes you can turn the ballistic feature on and off at will through the menu with the buttons on top of the unit. You will have to scroll through the menu so it's not as simple as hitting one button to turn it off or on. It clearly states on page 36 in the manual "for safety reasons, ballistic output values are only specified up to a range of 800m/875yds.".

Ok, but after disabling the ballistic calculator, can you still get the angle past 875?

 

[Aeon1]

Ok, but after disabling the ballistic calculator, can you still get the angle past 875?

Yes, if you hit the front button it will display (automatically one at a time in succession) angle, temp and pressure. It will display these values regardless of whether the ballistic features are turned on or off.

 

[goodgorilla]

Yes, if you hit the front button it will display (automatically one at a time in succession) angle, temp and pressure. It will display these values regardless of whether the ballistic features are turned on or off.

Awesome, I can't wait to get my hands on the rangefinder. Is the ballistic calculator any good? I hear it's decent to about 500 meters.

 

[Aeon1]

I only played with it on two applications and yes for those two it would have been easlily close enough out to at least 500m.

 

[Otero51]

the bushnell lrf doesn't provide "corrected distance" compensation per se either (at least not in a generic way). It does the cosine calculation if you're in bow mode, which only goes to like 200yds calculation or something if I remember correctly. In rifle mode what it gives you is a hold-over value based on some predefined ballistics (has internal memory with certain types of bullet types, caliber, etc) but not actual "corrected distance". It does provide your angle, which you can then use to manually do the cosine calculation.

 

[Pinecone]

The Leica ballistic calculator has something like 8 curves. If your gun and ammo fits those curves, it will work for you. None fint my .308 load well, so I never even turned it on.

IIRC, the manual is available online if you want to read it.