Competitive shooters and hunters alike rely on detailed ballistic information to make great shots. Shooting Apps now deliver that information on site and at the range.

Apps for smartphones give you the convenience of worldwide services, assistance and entertainment at the touch of a screen. You can forecast weather, locate fine restaurants, organize trip itineraries, convert business documents, play games, and there’s an even an app to organize apps. The amount of help is infinite if you can afford the fees to participate with your iPhone or Android device. Rifle-shooters needn’t worry. The world of apps hasn’t passed them by, and although some apps may be a waste of download time and money, a few have merit. Skip the apps that are simply games. For dedicated rifle-shooters, hunter or range-focused, a handful of apps are worth the time to research for potential downloading. Most are less than $10 and worth the money for increased accuracy. Better Ballistics Rising to the top of the list is the Shooter app available for Android and iPhone operating systems and portable devices. Law enforcement, military and competitive shooters have used this app for applications worldwide.

Using the latest databases for bullets, this computer program combines ballistic solutions and delivers them for all atmospheric conditions. The app uses your GPS position to secure the weather information from the nearest weather reporting station, plus it supports the free Bluetooth Kestrel Weather Meter plugin. You can also calculate Coriolis effect and spin drift calculations with GPS latitude data. Graphs help you compare bullet trajectory and see wind effects.

To save time, the app stores your input data so you can quickly retrieve and use past bullet information. It also allows you to store data online for backup and management from other locations. For night shooting, the app includes a dark theme. A myriad of other aids come with the app, but it’s worth the research effort. For iPhone operating system aficionados, consider the Ballistics app for your shooting computations. This app calculates trajectory, windage, velocity, energy and bullet flight time for any range so your bullet lands on target. Its success revolves around a library of 4,000 bullets and factory ammunition options, but it goes beyond that by including atmospheric considerations. Temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, altitude and even air density are considered in the program. Other bonuses with the app include full-size charts, a reloading companion, a target log and, best of all, the app works even with no cellular coverage because of its downloadable platform. Like the Shooter app, this one has too many options to list here, so check it out online for a full rundown, including the Advanced Edition/Field Tactical version.