CONVERTING RIFLE TRAJECTORY TABLES:

You don't need a computer or a degree n p!"# c# to compute "our o$n ta%&e#' Learn !o$ !ere' B" (a)' Jo!n L' *&a#ter+ ,SAR -Ret'.+ Ad)unct In#tructor

Think of how many times you've examined a cartridge manufacturer's tables and found the trajectories calculated only for, say, a 100-yard zero, but because you intend to hunt out est, all this data is irrelevant - your hunting needs demand trajectory information for a !00-yard zero" hat can you do# $es%ite the existence of com%uter %rograms that calculate such trajectories, &which ''m not at all o%%osed to(, there's an easy way to convert trajectory which, when it suddenly occurred to me earlier this year, almost caused me to run naked through the streets shouting, )*ureka+- 'nstead ' ,uietly sat down and wrote it u%, then tested it against %ublished tables and found, indeed this new techni,ue was accurate to within one-,uarter of a -inute of .ngle - which is one click of elevation on ,uality rifle sco%es so it fits the needs of even the most discerning shooters" The beauty of this techni,ue is that it at last gives all my fellow rifle shooters the means to calculate trajectory changes without the need for a com%uter or s%ecial software %rograms - and certainly this data will hel% them be more %recise shooters and better hunters" The key is understanding MOA. 'f you can gras% what a -inute of .ngle is, you will master this techni,ue before the end of this article" e describe shot grou%s in -inutes of .ngle because this thin angular width almost exactly e,uals one inch at 100 yards, then widens so nicely that it becomes two inches at !00 yards, three inches at /00, and so on, resulting in a ten-inch width at 1000 yards" hen you say your rifle is shooting a oneinch grou% at ' 00 yards, you could just as well say it's a one -inute of .ngle &-0.( rifle, and by ex%ressing it this way you would see instantly that this same grou% would be two inches at !00 yards, four inches at 100, etc" .nd what about when your rifle generates a two-inch grou% at 100 yards# 2im%le, the ratios are all the same" 3ou are just starting with a wider grou%" This two-inch rifle would, therefore, yield a four-inch grou% at !00 yards &twice as wide, get it#(4 then a ten-inch grou% at 500 yards since that is five times the distance as your 100-yard, two-inch grou%" 6y ex%ressing your grou%s in -inutes of .ngle, you'll enable yourself to understand how your rifle will %erform at any distance" .nd with study, it will allow very %recise adjustments of sights or sco%e" 2o that this relationshi% between distance and -0.s is clear, ' am %lotting it on Table One" 'f later you get confused, come back and check it" .nd now we are ready for the sim%le techni,ue for converting trajectories" How to convert a trajectory without a computer. The difficulty with converting a bullet's trajectory is that when you switch from one zero distance to another - say, from 100 yards u% to !00 yards - the trajectory changes are a little different at each distance" 6ecause a bullet starts flat and straight, then it slows and %lunges, your trajectory will shift modestly at short-range but dramatically at long-range

whenever you change your sco%e or sight setting" 3ou cannot conclude, )' am now going to shift four inches high, so there will be a four-inch change at all other ranges") - 7o way" This raising of sights will cause little changes at close ranges, and great big changes at longer distances4 at each 100-yard increment, the effect will be different" The key is %redicting 80 -9:8 it will change and - get ready to shout )*ureka+) - how much it changes is %ure and sim%le, an '$*7T':.; .-097T .T *.:8 $'2T.7:*, when ex%ressed as a -inute of .ngle" -y techni,ue uses a sim%le, two-ste% %rocess" STE O!E" ;earn how much change is needed for the new zero, and restate it as -inutes of .ngle for that distance4 then, STE T#O" .%%ly these same -inutes of .ngle changes at each distance, for a com%letely new trajectory table" That's all" e'll demonstrate this for the <ederal 2u%reme /0"0=, 1=5 grain, 6oattail 2oft >oint, using )book) data from .rt 6latt's *xtended 6allistics for the .dvanced ?ifleman" &0f course, you can use manufacturer's ballistic tables, too"( ;ook at the chart we've labeled, )STE O!E") @ust to make sure that you kee% the -0. measurements correct at each distance, ' suggest that you )write this) above the res%ective yard ranges" TABLE ONE Relationship Between One MOA and Distances $istance % MOA E&uals 100 yds 1A !00 yds !) /00 yds /) 100 yds 1) 500 yds 5)

Step One" ;earn how much -0. to convert by noting you will have to raise sights 5"1 inches to zero at !00 yards" 2ince one -0. e,uals !) at !00 yards, that 5"1 inches at !00 yards e,uals !"B -0. which is exactly what we will a%%ly in 2te% Two to all other distances" 7ow, since we're converting from a 100 -yard zero trajectory to a !00-yard zero trajectory, we begin by looking at how much we must adjust to rezero to the new distance" 'n this case, our )book) data says this round im%acts 5"1 inches low at !00 yards when a rifle's zeroed for 100 yards, so to hit deadon &and be zeroed at !00 yards(, just raise your sight 5"1 inches" That should be sim%le and obvious" .nd here's where the -0. comes into %lan" 2ince one -0. e,uals two inches at !00 yards, this 5"1 inches e,uates to !"B -0., a figure we'll use in STE T#O" ?eady# This is really very, very easy" 9se that same !"B -0. in STE T#O to com%ute the neccssary changes at all the other distances, too" <or exam%le, at 100 yards, where one -0. e,uals one inch, itCs exactly !"B inches4 since that was the old zero distance, the trajectory will now be !"B inches high" STE* ONE: Converting Federal Premium 30.06, 165 Grain BTSP from 100 yards to 00 yards #rite this" 'ook $ata %(( )ds *esult +or ,(( )ds -0.D1A 100 yds Eero -0.D!) !00 yds -5"1) Eero -0.D/) /00 yds -1="F -0.D1) 100 yds -/5"0) -0.D5) 500 yds -=1"1)

Step Two" .%%ly this !"B -0. at all distances, then add or subtract to yield the new trajectory data" .nd at 100 yards, !"B -0. e,uates to 10"F inches of change - !"B -0. x 1 D 10"F, right# e subtract this from the old figure to yield the new trajectory, which is !/"! inches" .nd so on" To test how accurate our com%utations are, took at Table Two, which com%ares )book) data to our resultsG ?ight on the mark, with only a minor deviation at 100 yards, but it's still within 1H1 -0." 6ut is there a danger this techni,ue could generate enough deviation from )book) that cumulative error may cause %roblems when shifting the zero to longer ranges# STE* T/O: #rite this" 'ook $ata %(( )ds -hanges .,./ MOA *esult +or ,(( )ds -0.D1A -0.D!) -0.D/) -0.D1) -0.D5) 100 yds Eero I!"B) I!"BA !00 yds -5"1) I5"1A Eero /00 yds -1="F -F"11A -F"B1A 100 yds -/5"0) -10"F) -!1"!) 500 yds -=1"1) -1/"5) -1B"J)

The only notable variance is at 100 yards - but even there we are within 1H1 -0." To test this, look at Tables Three and 0our, where we again use 6latt's data for this same <ederal 2u%reme round, this time converting the trajectory from a 100-yard zero to a 500-yard zero" TABLE T/O Com!aring t"e #esults of $ur Cal%ulations to 00 &ds 'Boo(' )ata 100 yds ,(( )d 1ero 2Our conversion3 ,(( )d 1ero I!"B) I!"B) !00 yds Eero Eero /00 yds -F"B) -F"=) 100 yds -!/"!) -!1"!) 500 yds 1B"J) -1B"J)

TABLE T0REE Converting Tra*e%tory of Federal Premium 30.06, 165+Grain BTSP to 500 &ards #rite this" %(( )d 1ero 2'ook $ata3 4(( )d 1ero -0.D1A 100 yds Eero -0.D!) !00 yds -5"1) -0.D/) /00 yds -1="F -0.D1) 100 yds -/5"0) -0.D5) 500 yds -=1"1) Eero

*ureka+ The only variance whatsoever from )book) data is 1H10th of one inch at /00 yds and 1H10ths at !00 yds, %roving accuracy and reliability of techni,ue" $es%ite this extreme lea% in elevation =1"1 inches or 1!"!F -0. - the resulting are amazingly on-the-mark, with only the tiniest of variations from )book) data" 'f there's any danger of cumulative error, this should have shown it"

The only caution ' would %ass along is to ensure the initial )book) data you convert from was calculated for a sight the same height above the bore as your own" -ost ammunition manufacturers now assume you will be using a sco%e, so they calculate trajectories for a sight 1"5 inches above the bore, although some sources may still use the old 0"J inches to reflect the height of an o%en metallic sight" .fter reading this article, sit down with the manufacturer's data for your favorite load and calculate all the trajectories for 100- through 500-yard zeroes, then kee% the resulting table in your rifle case so you will always have it with you" .nd don't dis%arage the com%uter, but neither underestimate the %ower of a stubby %encil when matched with common sense" TABLE FO,R ,!!lying 1 . - .$, C"anges to Convet Tra*e%tory for 500+&ard /ero 100 yds 'ook $ata %(( )ds -hanges .%,.,5 MOA *esult +or 4(( )ds 'ook $ata 4(( )ds Eero I1!"/A I1!"/) I1!"/) !00 yds -5"1) I!1"5) I1J"5) I1J"1A /00 yds -1="F I/="F) I!0"0) I!0"1) 100 yds -/5"0) I1J"1A I11"1A I11"1) 500 yds -=1"1) -=1"1) Eero Eero

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