Round-ball Ballistic Calculator

[rollingb]

Rb ballistics

[RobD]

that is a really cool little bit of software!  thanx for sharing rondo!

like i've said before .... "round ball"?  that's like saying "cold ice".  :rotf  

[Muley]

I stop using calculators for a round ball. The energy retention at distance is depressing.

However, we all know the round ball has magic powers and performs way above what ballistics tell us.  

[RobD]

i totally agree, pete.  it's cool stuff to mess with, but software is always trumped by field experience.

[amm1851]

that is a really cool little bit of software!  thanx for sharing rondo!

like i've said before .... "round ball"?  that's like saying "cold ice".  :rotf  

The term "round ball " is an offshoot of military nomenclature,  when certain types of jacketed projectiles were referred to as "ball type ammunition " even though they weren't round.

[Muley]

When I was young my dad gave me a book for Christmas. It was called The Still Hunter by Theodore Van Dyke. It was part of his teaching me to still hunt. The book was written in 1882. I wore out that book reading it 50 times.

Anyway, he always referred to the bullet as a ball. Even though he was shooting a 44-40.

[amm1851]

I recently got that book and have already read it twice. Good stuff.

[RobD]

it all stems back to the muzzleloader's ball ... that includes calling a cartridge a "round", which is vernacular slang and acceptable.  but to say "round ball" is a useless double positive adjective that assumes a ball isn't round.  or that ice isn't cold (cold ice).  or that wind doesn't blow (a blowing wind), etc.

[Muley]

John.........Good deal. I love to here others who are interesting in still hunting. I got the book in 1952 and have only still hunted since. I find it the most rewarding way to hunt. It's the only way my dad hunted and if I ever talked about another method he'd knock me out.

Others may hate still hunting and that's fine. Do whatever you love most.

[Muley]

One of the problems with calculators is you have to know what the velocity is.

What do you guys think the velocity of this load is?

32" barrel
.54 220gr ball
80gr Goex 3F
altitude 9000ft
60 degrees

[RobD]

not a clue pete.  like i said b4, don't much matter as long as you know how the load works in a specific gun at all usable target distances.

[Muley]

not a clue pete.  like i said b4, don't much matter as long as you know how the load works in a specific gun at all usable target distances.

I agree, but it's fun to see how weak the ballistics makes it, but we know it still works.

[Muley]

I took a guess at 1700fps at muzzle. That gives me 850fpe at 50yds. The experts will say that's ok for deer, but not close to enough for elk. Yet, I know it kills elk at 50yds. Even 80yds.

[sse]

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/rbballistics/web_apps/rb_ballistics.html

Interesting.  Shows more of a drop at 200 then some other references I've seen.  Could be the muzzle velocity is responsible for that.