By Darrell Holland

Campfire stories abound during hunting season regarding hold-over, wind drift and elevation changes affecting the bullets flight. Very few Ballistician's attend these informal chat sessions and most of the information shared is flawed. Most hunters are of the “fire for effect” club and rarely take the time to educated themselves on ballistic information.

Classes are not offered at the local community college, gun clubs seldom host individuals qualified to talk on the subject. What is the hunter who is thirsty for knowledge to do?

The simple solution is to purchase a ballistic program for your PC. They are simple to use and can provide the hunter/shooter with a wealth of accurate information based on Scientific Fact rather than bar stool experience. The student will have a better understanding of gravity, wind deflection, elevation changes, point blank zero's, MOA correction, time of flight and more!

Most importantly it can be done in the privacy of his home without tuition fee's and surprise exams. Problems solved and myths debunked are just a few key strokes away. For less than a $100.00 he can have a personal tutor and create his or her own data cards to perfection.

The buck that “Big Al” killed last year at 600 yds with a top of the back hold and a 100 yard zero is now classified as BS. The wind drift at 400 yards in a 15 mph wind can be calculated exactly and the hold-off compensated for precisely. With the simple addition of a couple of programs he has taken the guess work out of his shooting and can be looked upon by his peers as an encyclopedia of ballistic knowledge. No matter how you look at it, it's a win win situation! Knowledge does have it's benefits...

Sierra Infinity 5.1 and 6.0 are some of the best and easiest to use ballistic programs on the market. Installation is a snap, and with 30 minutes of practice you are navigating smoothly thru the program. Range, velocity, energy foot pounds, drop, drift, time of flight are all at your finger tips. What's the best range to zero your rifle at? Simple enough, adjust the zero and see. What effect will a 10,000 foot change in elevation have on my Colorado hunt? Punch in the numbers and you'll know exactly.

Another great program that is compatible with Sierra Infinity, is Holland's Ultimate Data Card Software. This software program works with both versions 5.1 and 6.0 and allows the user to create

The Ultimate Data Card. I'm a hard copy kinda guy, data cards don't require batteries, they are quicker than PDA's and easier to carry. This data card provides the following information to the shooter.

Starting with the far left column, we have Mil-radian subtension, great info. when the laser rangefinder fails and we must use the scopes reticle to determine range to the target, they are graduated to the nearest 1/100th mil. The next column is actual range in yards, followed by Drop in MOA and Drift in MOA. Now for the exciting part. The next four columns are uphill/downhill angles ( your choice of any 4 angles) auto-calculated based on time of flight and gravity of YOUR specific round. These corrections are based in corrected MOA. That's right, no mental gymnastics, read and shoot to the numbers, it's that easy! All card formats are for ANY zero you desire and are in 25 yard increments from 25-1000 yards. You can print the card in 3 different sizes according to your needs and vision requirements. No other data card software provides you with the versatility and accuracy of our system. The shooter has all the information he or she needs at their fingertips in one handy laminated card.

With hunting season just around the corner, take the time to educate yourself and be a more knowledgeable hunter this fall. Gain the respect of your peers as you out shoot them on windy days at distant targets. You'll never regret your investment in ballistic knowledge...

Until next time....

Respectfully,

Darrell Holland