Manual ballistics: methods

Manual Ballistics can quickly paint itself as a complicated topic when presented with all components of a ballistic solution and all options to achieve them. Care should be taken to remember that marksmanship is a goal-oriented practice - in other words; effects on target are the metric by which our task is measured, not the method used to achieve them.

Whatever method is used to solve for the needed components of a ballistic solution, it is critical that that the method provides thorough, reliable and repeatable effects. Throughout this field manual group, we will be offering three methods to achieve the same goal, each with advantages, and each more attractive to a different audience.

Range card

Where sniper teams have existing data available to work off of (such as with a range card), this information can be used to make quick adjustments within the bounds of the data provided.. This method saves the need for more involved calculations and the time required for assembling custom D.O.P.E. - making for an easily accessible option.

It should be noted that although use of the provided range card is an attractive option, it cannot by itself accommodate for all aspects of a flight path, requiring use of D.O.P.E. or calculations to compliment the provided data where necessary. More critically, the data provided on the base range card is not accurate in all scenarios - maps with very high base invalidating all information provided entirely. As a final note, although range card use as a primary means where practical will avoid long commitments with preparation time or in-game calculation, it comes in no lead of its own - being neither the fastest option in operation, or the least cumbersome in preparation.

Calculation

Almost all variables in a bullets' flight path can indeed be accounted for with the use of formulas and calculations, many of which are far more simple than one would anticipate. Using calculations to assemble a ballistics solution is without comparison the most universal method available - there will never be a situation in which a ballistics solution can't be assembled with great reliability. This method is also the most repeatable, with no uncertainty in any component.

With great advantages in hand, it should be noted that calculation is frequently the slowest option available to spotters, most components of a flight path requiring an individual calculation. Although many of the formulas are surprisingly simple, some also turn away from the method before exploring the topic.

D.O.P.E.

Data On Previous Engagements, or D.O.P.E., provides the most hands-on option for individuals not inclined towards calculations. Gathering and recording targeted information on bullet impact provides a tremendously accurate picture of how a bullet will behave under different conditions and at varying distances. This method eliminates the need to account for (most) individual variables in a flight path, allowing spotters to record end products and repeat them with the greatest speed possible… under identical conditions.

D.O.P.E. as a method offers the most strength in precision and speed, however this method also comes with considerable preparation time, requiring spotters to shoot and record a complete set of information under the same atmospheric conditions anticipated in operation. Should these atmospheric parameters change, such as with another operation in a colder climate, the assembled D.O.P.E. can no longer be called upon for reliable and repeatable effects.