06-25-2014, 05:34 AM
LR55,
With all due respect, I would submit that ballistic calculators have their place, and I believe they are more common than you seem to be giving them credit. While I acknowledge that military snipers are trained to use their basic skills to range and dope, it is my understanding the modern long range shooters in the various branches are utilizing these devices, along with LRFs for greater first round hit probabilities. Somebody please correct me if I am in error on this.
As far as one's life depending on a calculator, I think it is reasonable to state that in the daily experiences of the vast majority of the shooters on this forum, we are not talking about battlefield types of engagement, and lives are not typically at stake.
My shooting involves targets that are typically much smaller than the 24" wide, 40" tall silhouettes and, consequently, the margin of error is more critical. One of my past-times is varminting, and when cleaning out a prairie dog town at 700 - 900+ yards, I rarely get second shots on the same target at the same range. Further, it has been my direct experience that at those distances, inches do count and dope cards rarely have it just right on a given day. Yes, as my experience builds, I am getting more comfortable "calling an audible" from time to time but for my purposes, I still find BAE invaluable.
Do I sound a tad OC? I am certain that to some, I do. That is my nature, and I enjoy the satisfaction of using fewer rounds to accomplish my objectives. Using a ballistics app is one of the tools that helps me to reduce the number of variables that can cause errant shots. Yes, there are a myriad of factors which can cause a miss, but why not take advantage of a tool with such obvious utility? I don't for one second espouse the idea that a ballistic app will guarantee a first round hit, but I can say without reservation that my first round hits are far more frequent since I started using it.
Lastly, while I don't think anyone here truly considers the Grendel's effective range to be greater than 500-600 yards as it relates to either medium game or man-sized targets, that does not negate or rule out its appeal for shooting at much greater distances. Recreational shooting obviously has many facets, and long range happens to be one I enjoy exploring - with this weapon and others with greater potential.
In short, different strokes...
With all due respect, I would submit that ballistic calculators have their place, and I believe they are more common than you seem to be giving them credit. While I acknowledge that military snipers are trained to use their basic skills to range and dope, it is my understanding the modern long range shooters in the various branches are utilizing these devices, along with LRFs for greater first round hit probabilities. Somebody please correct me if I am in error on this.
As far as one's life depending on a calculator, I think it is reasonable to state that in the daily experiences of the vast majority of the shooters on this forum, we are not talking about battlefield types of engagement, and lives are not typically at stake.
My shooting involves targets that are typically much smaller than the 24" wide, 40" tall silhouettes and, consequently, the margin of error is more critical. One of my past-times is varminting, and when cleaning out a prairie dog town at 700 - 900+ yards, I rarely get second shots on the same target at the same range. Further, it has been my direct experience that at those distances, inches do count and dope cards rarely have it just right on a given day. Yes, as my experience builds, I am getting more comfortable "calling an audible" from time to time but for my purposes, I still find BAE invaluable.
Do I sound a tad OC? I am certain that to some, I do. That is my nature, and I enjoy the satisfaction of using fewer rounds to accomplish my objectives. Using a ballistics app is one of the tools that helps me to reduce the number of variables that can cause errant shots. Yes, there are a myriad of factors which can cause a miss, but why not take advantage of a tool with such obvious utility? I don't for one second espouse the idea that a ballistic app will guarantee a first round hit, but I can say without reservation that my first round hits are far more frequent since I started using it.
Lastly, while I don't think anyone here truly considers the Grendel's effective range to be greater than 500-600 yards as it relates to either medium game or man-sized targets, that does not negate or rule out its appeal for shooting at much greater distances. Recreational shooting obviously has many facets, and long range happens to be one I enjoy exploring - with this weapon and others with greater potential.
In short, different strokes...