My analog ballistics calculator has arrived and it's awesome. This is called a Mildot Master and requires no batteries to operate. It can help calculate a range up to 2000 yards or meters along with angle of fire calculations and it also calculates bullet drop & converts from either mildots or minutes of angle reticles in scopes so there's definitely no wasted real estate on this tool:
It's like an old school slide rule for calculating a firing solution for a sniper. The first thing I noticed is that it's laser etched laminated plastic which means it will last. I've got an old laminated trucker's atlas here that's made from the same materials and I've really abused it over the years including dropping it in the mud and it's still usable and readable to this day 14 years later after I bought it. So I personally know that this beast will last:
I've attached my string and weight to it for calculating the angle which only requires gravity to use. Here's how you use this feature. Let's say your target is 1000 yards or meters away and you are shooting at a 20 degree angle. If you dialed your rifle in at the exact distance you will miss:
So what you do is line the target range at 1000 yards or meters and look at the numbers on the right and just below the target range and you will see what you need to dial your rifle in on the left at the appropriate angle. So if you look at the 20 degree hash mark below the target range and look to the left you will see that you will need to dial your rifle in at 950 yards or meters instead. Pretty slick isn't it? This slide rule does the math for you when you need a fast calculation and don't have the time to pull out a calculator and your smart phone ballistics calculator is dead and needs charging:
Your instruction book will have more details on how to use it along with tips & tricks to be more effective so please keep this around. In fact it can't hurt to put it in a Ziploc bag or some kind of water resistant sleeve or book if you need to until you get use to using it:
So please keep the instruction book. Another sweet tool that's found on the right side is the M.O.A. or Minutes Of Angle conversion. So you can covert the mildots into minutes of angle reticles or vise versa so this is probably one of the best if not the best tools you can get in long range precision shooting along with a few others which I plan to get. The only bad thing is that you have to know the size of the target and you can't use small target sizes to calculate either. If you are in a hostile situation and can't use any electronic device this will be helpful in that regard.
