• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Rule of Thumb for Altitude / Temp Changes

rlsmith1

Legalize Freedom
Full Member
Minuteman
  • May 1, 2019
    2,013
    1,855
    Midwest
    Is there a rule of thumb for correction with altitude and / or temp changes for ballistic solutions?

    I'm wanting to put together a reference table for a rifle out to 900 yards or so. If my table is for say 1,000 ft of elevation at standard pressure / temp, is there a way to correct if temps are at 90F or 15F and be reasonably close? Also, would shooting at 90F be similar to shooting at standard atmospherics of 1,500 or 2,000 ft?

    I only ask because I'm thinking I will print a couple columns for elevation to account for different external factors and want to make it as useable as possible. Of course the ideal solution is a Kestrel or similar but I'd love to hear any tricks you guys use on the fly to correct for atmospherics. Will not be hunting, mostly shooting steel. In a perfect world I would have every weekend free to sling lead as long as I'd like and just learn through experience but I'm not there yet.
     
    Is there a rule of thumb for correction with altitude and / or temp changes for ballistic solutions?

    I'm wanting to put together a reference table for a rifle out to 900 yards or so. If my table is for say 1,000 ft of elevation at standard pressure / temp, is there a way to correct if temps are at 90F or 15F and be reasonably close? Also, would shooting at 90F be similar to shooting at standard atmospherics of 1,500 or 2,000 ft?

    I only ask because I'm thinking I will print a couple columns for elevation to account for different external factors and want to make it as useable as possible. Of course the ideal solution is a Kestrel or similar but I'd love to hear any tricks you guys use on the fly to correct for atmospherics. Will not be hunting, mostly shooting steel. In a perfect world I would have every weekend free to sling lead as long as I'd like and just learn through experience but I'm not there yet.
    Pressure decreases 1” of hg per 1k feet of elevation gain. standard adiabatic lapse rate is 2 Celsius per 1k feet or roughly 3.5 Fahrenheit. Density altitude increases or decreases 1k feet per 15 Fahrenheit approximately from standard at that elevation. For example, standard temp at sea level is 59 F, if the temp is 74, your DA is approximately 1000’.