forces at play
Understanding the factors that influence accuracy and how to apply adjustments
Calibration variables
Gravity
Gravity exerts a downward force on a projectile as soon as it leaves the barrel. If the line of sight is upwards, gravity retards any upward component of velocity until the trajectory reaches a peak, and then it imparts an increasing downward velocity. If the line of sight is downward, gravity imparts an increasing downward velocity that is added to the initial downward motion caused by the orientation of the barrel. Many existing solvers treat uphill and downhill scenarios exactly alike. Blue Steel Pro is one of the few solvers that discriminate between these two very different scenarios.
WINd
Wind imparts a lateral force on the projectile, causing it to drift to the left or right of its intended target. The angular correction required to correct for this drift keeps increasing as the projectile travels downrange. The user can view this as a deflection expressed in terms of units of distance or as a correction expressed in terms of units of angle. Wind is often the largest source of error in the practice of marksmanship and Blue Steel Pro gives you an edge in managing this challenge both on the range and in the field.
drag
Drag is the backward force on a projectile that resists its motion through the air. It is 100 times more powerful than the force of gravity. Drag causes the projectile to begin slowing down immediately after leaving the barrel. Gravity takes hold at the muzzle and as the bullet begins to fall, it develops a vertical component of velocity. Drag occurs in this vertical dimension of travel and in the cross-path dimension of travel (windage) as well as along the axial dimension of travel. Some solvers completely ignore these two additional components of drag. The three components of these drag forces are interconnected and the fact that they can’t be separated requires another level of sophistication in Blue Steel Pro’s algorithms.
Spindrift
Spinning objects carry angular momentum. Trying to change the axis of rotation of a projectile causes a new force to appear when predicting its motion. When a flying projectile follows the arc of a normal projectile, its axis of rotation is forced to change and it drifts off to the right or left of its intended target. Most barrels have a right-handed twist, and this causes a right-handed deflection called “spindrift.” Blue Steel Pro includes this effect as it calculates your trajectory and accounts for it when computing your firing solution. (If your barrel has a left-handed twist, simply enter the twist value as a negative number.
Coriolis Force
Ballistics is complicated by the fact that a rifleman and his equipment are sitting on the surface of a globe that is spinning around its axis. This creates distortions to the trajectory that would otherwise occur in a fixed frame of reference. Blue Steel Pro computes the extra added corrections to take this effect into account. This calculation requires the input of the user’s latitude. If the user doesn’t know this current latitude, or doesn’t want to consider this effect, this calculation can be turned off.
Ballistic inputs
With many variables to consider, our technology accounts for nearly all conditions so you can focus on what really matters: the target.
