Is a Data Book Necessary?

[Yondering]

I’ve seen more than a few shooters who’s phone has went down during a match. Broke, battery died, extreme cold weather. Then they have to deal with the pain in the ass of asking a friend to inout all their info into friends ballistic app to try and stay on track. Ma’am’s thing for a hunt. Dope books are free, and they’re easy. Don’t need to make it over complicated but they’re great for going over previous scenarios and situations as well has having hard data written down.

Yeah, phone batteries die, but books get lost, torn, wet, etc too. Personally I'll stick to having dope cards attached to my rifle instead of needing to consult a separate book. Lots of ways to do that, and if the card is missing, the rifle probably is too so the dope doesn't matter.

I've seen some guys keep a set of 4-5 laminated dope cards hanging on the rifle for 2K ft (or whatever) DA changes, but personally I prefer to have just one chart taped/glued directly to the stock or scope. In a couple cases I've just written directly on the gun with sharpie.

To each their own of course and some guys love digging through a book and writing notes after each shot (or were just taught to do that). I don't, and prefer to just record things like max distance to lands, suppressor POI change, cold bore impact, etc but don't track every shot and the book doesn't usually come out until after the shooting's done. Not saying I'm anyone's expert either though, that's just how I do it.

 

[sinansuman82]

Yeah, phone batteries die, but books get lost, torn, wet, etc too. Personally I'll stick to having dope cards attached to my rifle instead of needing to consult a separate book. Lots of ways to do that, and if the card is missing, the rifle probably is too so the dope doesn't matter.

I've seen some guys keep a set of 4-5 laminated dope cards hanging on the rifle for 2K ft (or whatever) DA changes, but personally I prefer to have just one chart taped/glued directly to the stock or scope. In a couple cases I've just written directly on the gun with sharpie.

To each their own of course and some guys love digging through a book and writing notes after each shot (or were just taught to do that). I don't, and prefer to just record things like max distance to lands, suppressor POI change, cold bore impact, etc but don't track every shot and the book doesn't usually come out until after the shooting's done. Not saying I'm anyone's expert either though, that's just how I do it.

I totally agree. Recently, I just used one method that helped me in learning. I found http://essaypapers.reviews/ for this. Too bad it didn't happen when I was in school. Maybe my studies would be easier.

 

[Wallace Watson]

It's about more than the junk the programs offer. Some of which you'll wanna put in the book.

I started doing it in SDM school and we taught that from day one. You want a book for each weapon. It was the single most effective and inexpensive way to efficiently improve shooting AND to learn specifics about how a particular system works in any given environment. Ie, it helps you learn the weapon (helped us track what they were learning and fix problems). Not a single shot is wasted this way and you get the most out of each shot. I also use it to keep a shot record in the field that I can translate back to the shot record in the shop (that way I don't have to tote around the shot record or risk losing it, which I've done).

Besides keeping track of things like weather and ammo details, you wanna call your shot and make an x for that. Then put a dot where the actual shot went. Or use different colors or whatever. Ideally they'll overlap, and the more you practice (in general and with the particular weapon) the more you'll see that happen.

It lets you track any changes, to the weapon or yourself, ammo, parts, position, whatever, whether they're making it better or worse.

You can buy 'em or you can make 'em. We made ours based on NM score cards I think (I recommend printing them on that green waterproof paper and getting a pen that'll work in the rain, "rite in rain" I think?). We had different pages for 100-600m in 100m increments with the particular target drawn out already, so F, E, A or B. Boxes for things like temp, wind speed and direction at different distances, etc. Without FF barrels, using slings made a difference on the groups and it was nice to know those groups shifted approx. 6MOA left. Writing has always been challenging for me, but I'm constantly amazed by how modern technology can assist in this regard. However, anything related to this still presents a daunting task for me, particularly when it comes to nursing paper. Thankfully, this source has proven to be real help with writing nursing paper. It's reassuring to know that there are reliable services available to turn to during difficult times.

When you keep good records it'll let you know EXACTLY what to expect from a weapon and allow you to track your own progress and eliminate bad habits or other issues along the way.

Totally agree

 

[Keith E.]

Just curious, I’ve never kept a data book to record my long range shots. I primarily rely on applied ballistics after I have accurately reverse calibrated my velocity at distance within the program. I understand the benefit of a data book in which you can accurately record adjustments necessary for impacts in certain conditions, however I don’t see myself flipping through the pages of a data book to find my dope for the current atmospherics I’m shooting in. Especially not when hunting, where sometimes only a few seconds are available to dial the scope and send the shot. What are opinions here?

Naw, just walk'em in.

Keith

 

[CBDR]

Totally agree

Agree 100%. Works well for those longs periods of it sitting in the safe.

 

[chevy_man]

I prefer to use my ballistics calulator and really understand it. I stick to my iPhone (because I don't care about wind speed at my location). I have tested my calculator for several years in various temps etc and only hunt 2 guns (that shoot the same bullet) and have tuned my bc over time for the speeds and have confidence in it up to the 800 yards I constantly shoot. Paper gets wet and lost, but phones also get lost and require power so they both have downsides. I think getting a system you really know and being confident in it is crucial but paper absolutely not required.

Write in the rain notebook...

 

[tex68w]

I still use mine when I am initially setting up a new rifle/optic or changing to a new load, but mostly I just use it to draw "bobs and vagene".

 

[912173]

Write in the rain notebook...

I tried purpose built data books for years but always ended up just using the blank pages. I can get waterproof spiral notebooks for cheap and I can draw whatever I need as far as targets or terrain. I usually only care to record kestrel dope vs final, environmental factors, or anything that seems odd or not lining up with the kestrel predictions.

I have also started copying some dope over to my reloading and round count notebooks just for reference vs chronograph numbers to confirm my reloading and cleaning practices.

 

[kthomas]

I like the idea of data books, I just hate how they are generally formatted.

I find most of the pages of data books are fairly useless for my needs, IMO. A lot of "filler" pages.

I just use a regular notebook for my range purposes.

 

[diggler1833]

"Two is one, one is none."

That not only applies to the number of firearms in a fight, but also sources of ballistic data for that lifetime trophy hunt you're on.

Should your primary electronic source of data become compromised (wet, fall etc...), that stupid little DOPE card you keep in your stock pack (wherever) or custom ballistic turret dial is going to be worth whatever you paid to go on that outing.

*****

Then there is the self-evaluation part of keeping a good data book. I taught that class for a while as a PMI, and will attest that short of taking the time to watch someone physically mount and fire a weapon...there was no better diagnostic tool for correcting consistency issues. Wonder why you shoot ~ .1mil/quarter-MOA high going from prone to supported offhand, or from grass to concrete off a bipod? Record it and prevent it from surprising you again when you least want it.

*****

Load development from one atmospheric condition to the next? How much velocity did you gain/lose with that 30* temperature swing? Today's ballistic calculators are amazing...but the results they display are unproven until you shoot and record it for yourself.

As much as I'm for data books, I generally record my data on my test targets (temp, wind etc... included). I keep a write in the rain page filled out with all of my drop and drift data attached to my hunting rifles that might see use past 150 yards. The KISS method I have found to work better under stress of trying to retrieve data when your target buck is strolling at the far edge of a field and not stopping.

YMMV. I'm still going to record everything.

 

[Rob01]

You can customize your Impact Data Books book with the pages you want so nothing you can’t use.

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

I carry a notebook and pen with me in my pack at all times. I write down everything. Holds (successful or not), call order, predator approach vector/origin, den locations, weather/pressure, or just what I'm thinking. I make sketches of some of the yotes I've only caught glimpses of, or the smart ones that know not to approach calls. I draw scenery, and write down the distances of certain objects within it. My notes are comprehensive data of my entire experiences hunting, shooting, hiking, and living.

 

[Lunar95]

When i was first starting out i didn't think a logbook would of been very helpful. I wouldn't have know how to best keep one or what data to collect, I wanted to get my fundamentals down before starting a detailed logbook. So far that has worked out okayish however at a minimum I wish I would have kept a log of total round count and periodic checks of things like muzzle velocity and maybe even first shot impacts at various ranges every once in a while. I think keeping a logbook of every shoot fired from when I first started would have caused some sort of paralysis by analysis to new me as I would have worried about chasing data vs working on fundamentals.

 

[kthomas]

When i was first starting out i didn't think a logbook would of been very helpful. I wouldn't have know how to best keep one or what data to collect, I wanted to get my fundamentals down before starting a detailed logbook. So far that has worked out okayish however at a minimum I wish I would have kept a log of total round count and periodic checks of things like muzzle velocity and maybe even first shot impacts at various ranges every once in a while. I think keeping a logbook of every shoot fired from when I first started would have caused some sort of paralysis by analysis to new me as I would have worried about chasing data vs working on fundamentals.

I think data books can be good for keeping count of round counts - though I use a spreadsheet I created to do that.

You just have to figure out what sort of data works for you.

My opinion is that most pre-made databooks are full of pages intended for data collection that don't really drive any decisions going forward. And that can definitely lead to analysis paralysis. A lot of it is holdovers from the military, which personally I don't find useful. However, others may.

A lot of data that I collect is in regards to load development, and the results of my many tests/experiments. Documenting specific recipes, the atmospheric conditions, and how each load performed on any given range outing, from muzzle velocity and SD's to general precision. I do this in a basic notebook however.

I think every individual needs to work out what sort of data collection works for them - what specific kinds of data is relevant to you, that you can act on going forward to improve? What information or knowledge do you wish that you had captured, to help you now and in the future?

Data collection is an iteration and evolution, and every shooters journey with it should be somewhat unique to their own circumstances and needs.