                                                            1



                        BALLISTIX II

                              












 A FULL FEATURED BALLISTICS PROGRAM FOR THE HUNTER, TARGET
                   SHOOTER AND RE-LOADER.
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                 MILE 300 COMPUTER SERVICES
                  Author: John R. Saunders
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 Mile 300 Computer
Services. All rights reserved.

                                                            2



                     TABLE OF CONTENTS

                              

Welcome to BALLISTIX II                           pg 3
Starting BALLISTIX II                             pg 4
The Environmental Variables Screen                pg 5
The Load Variables Screen                         pg 6
The Ballistics Table Screen                       pg 7
The Main Menu                                     pg 8
The Parameters Screen                             pg 9
Sending the Ballistics Table to a printer         pg 10
Sending the Ballistics Table to an ASCII file     pg 10
Free Recoil                                       pg 10
Bullet Terminal Performance                       pg 10
The Load Database                                 pg 11
The Database Menu                                 pg 12
Using the Load Database                           pg 13
The Group Statistics Calculator                   pg 14
The Zero Change Calculator                        pg 15
Maximum Point-blank Range                         pg 17
Charge Calculator                                 pg 18
Ballistic Coefficient Calculator                  pg 20
Graphs                                            pg 21
Target Lead Calculator                            pg 21
Compare Two Loads                                 pg 22
Shell out to DOS                                  pg 22
The Rifle Database                                pg 22
Quitting BALLISTIX II                             pg 22


                                                            3



                  WELCOME TO BALLISTIX II

                              
The magic is gone from external ballistics calculations for-
ever thanks  to BALLISTIX  II an  easy and intuitive program
for IBM  PC/XT/AT and  compatible computers. No more sitting
at a  desk with  a calculator  and a  re-loading  manual  to
determine where  your bullet  is going  and what it is doing
when  it  gets  there.  BALLISTIX  II  will  make  ballistic
calculations so  quick and  easy that you will learn more in
less time and may even become a better shooter to boot.

Ballistics calculations  are no  stranger to  computers. The
first computers  built in the United States were put to work
for the  defense department  to generate shooting tables for
the navy's  big guns.  That same power is now brought to the
Personal Computer in the form of BALLISTIX II.

BALLISTIX  II   has  taken   approximately  400   hours   of
programming and  debugging to  reach  this  point,  and  has
migrated from  a simple  ballistics table generation utility
that I used in my hobby, to a full featured tool for serious
hunters, re-loaders,  and target shooters. There is not much
more that  I could put into the program, and I hope that you
will find it useful.

Use and  enjoy. Though BALLISTIX II is being distributed via
the "shareware"  route, it  is not in the public domain. All
rights are  reserved by  Mile 300 Computer Services. You may
copy and  transfer the  program as  you wish as long as this
manual and  all other  files on  the distribution  disk  are
included. You  may not  disassemble, decompile  or alter the
code without  consent of  Mile 300  Computer  Services.  The
source code  and an extended licence are available from Mile
300 Computer Services should you wish to experiment with the
code. Any  changes in the code must not remove the copyright
and authorship acknowledgements.

                                                            4



                   STARTING BALLISTIX II



The files that are included in the ZIPped file that you have
decompressed are as follows:

BALLIST2.EXE        The program itself.
BALLIST2.DOC        This manual.
BALLIST.DTA         A sample load database file.
RIFLE.DBR           A sample rifle database file.
START.UP            The start up data needed.

To start  BALLISTIX II,  just type  BALLIST2 <ENTER> and the
program will  run. Ensure that all of the other files are in
the same directory as the program.

BALLISTIX II can be started with one of three command line
switches:

BALLIST -D          Starts BALLISTIX II and places you      
                    immediately into the load database.
BALLIST -T          Starts BALLISTIX II and skips the       
                    variable input screens.
BALLIST -P          Starts BALLISTIX II and immediately     
                    shows you the initial and calculated    
                    parameters used by the program.

If you  don't enter  any switch,  BALLISTIX II will show you
several screens  on  start  up  where  you  may  enter  load
information. All  of the  screens are described later in the
text.

That is  about all  you need  to know  to start  into  doing
serious  ballistics  calculations  with  BALLISTIX  II.  I'm
sorry, but it's just not that complicated anymore. I suggest
you start  BALLISTIX II  now, and  actually use  the program
while thumbing  through the manual. After that, you probably
won't  need   this  manual   again.  The  progam  is  fairly
intuitive.


















                                                            5



              THE ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES SCREEN


BALLISTIX II requires certain values to be entered by you in
order to  model the  atmosphere the  the projectile  will be
moving through.  This enables  the program  to  generate  an
extremely accurate ballistics table.

The atmosphere  is critical  when any  ballistics tables are
generated, as  the movement  of the air mass along with it's
density dictate  the position  in space  and velocity  of  a
projectile at  any time.  In order  to make  BALLISTIX II as
accurate as  possible without  becoming mired  in  miniscule
atmospheric modeling,  several general variables are used to
create the needed atmospheric model. These are:

ALTITUDE - enter this value in feet above sea-level.
AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE - degrees Fahrenheit.
AIR PRESSURE - inches of mercury.
WIND SPEED - in miles per hour.
WIND ANGLE TO LINE OF BORE -  at 0 the wind is blowing down
     the barrel, at 180 it is blowing from the rear, 90 is
     from the right, and 270 is from the left.
ELEVATION ANGLE - in degrees, the angle that the barrel is  
     above/below horizontal.
TABLE STEP - the range increment (in yards) that BALLISTIX  
     II will use in the ballistics table.

The value  that is  being edited is highlighted, and you can
use the  up/down arrow  keys to  move between  variables. To
accept a  variable  use  an  arrow  key  to  select  another
variable or  strike <ENTER>.  When you  are finished  strike
<ESC> to move the the next screen.

























                                                            6



                 THE LOAD VARIABLES SCREEN


BALLISTIX II  requires that you enter information concerning
the load  in order  to  properly  calculate  the  ballistics
table. In  the Load  Variables  screen  you  are  given  the
opportunity to enter the required information. Moving around
the screen  and accepting  an edited  values is  exactly the
same as in the Environment screen described previously.

The values that BALLISTIX II requires are these:

MUZZLE VELOCITY - the speed, in feet/second that the   
     projectile is traveling at the instant that it leaves  
     the barrel. You can obtain this from a reloading manual
     or, preferably, from a chronograph or ballistic        
     pendulum.
BULLET DIAMETER - in inches.
BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT - this is the ratio of the calculated
     drag of the projectile to a "standard bullet".
     Generally flat and round nose bullets have lower BC's  
     than long, pointed bullets. The higher the ballistic   
     coeficient, the easier the bullet moves through the    
     air, the higher the retained velocity. You can obtain  
     the BC from a loading manual for that make of bullet,  
     or you can let BALLISTIX II calculate one for you.     
     <<see the section on the Ballistic Coefficient         
     Calculator>>

BULLET WEIGHT - in grains.
BARREL LENGTH - the length of the barrel from the beginning
     of the chamber to the muzzle. You can generally measure
     from the muzzle to the receiver ring and add about 3/4
     of an inch.
BARREL LENGTH FROM MANUAL - if you are using a reloading    
     manual as  the source of your muzzle velocity, you must
     enter the barrel length that the manufacturer used in  
     obtaining that muzzle velocity. If you used a          
     chronograph or ballistic pendulum, make both barrel    
     lengths identical.
SIGHT HEIGHT - the distance between the center of the scope
     or the plane of the iron sights and the center of the  
     bore in inches.
ZERO RANGE - the distance that the rifle is to be zeroed at
     in yards.
CARTRIDGE NAME - a name that is to be used to identify the  
     load.











                                                            7



                THE BALLISTICS TABLE SCREEN


BALLISTIX II generates a comprehensive ballistics table that
is displayed  after all  the required  variables  have  been
entered  in  the  Environment  and  Load  Variable  screens.
BALLISTIX II  uses these  variables to  model the atmosphere
that the  bullet will be traveling in, and the bullet itself
to provide the most accurate information available to you.

At the  top of  the Ballistics  Table screen the name of the
current load and it's bullet weight are displayed. These are
the values  that BALLISTIX  II uses  in all of the remaining
program screens to identify the current load.

In the Ballistics Table screen, several different parameters
are displayed  in table  format with the range down the left
side, from  0 yards to 10 times the value that you chose for
STEP TABLE in the Environment Variable screen. Normally this
value will  be 500  yards, but can be altered by you to give
more usefull data on lower powered cartridges.

Across the  top from  left to  right are the parameters that
are displayed in the Ballistics Table screen. These are:

VELOCITY - the velocity remaining at each range increment.
ENERGY   - the terminal energy at each range increment.
TOF      - the time of flight to that range.
DROP     - how far gravity has pulled the load.
PATH     - the position of the bullet above/below the line- 
           of-sight
DRIFT    - the position of the bullet left/right of the     
           line-of-sight due to wind drift

The velocity  and energy  values are  rounded to the nearest
foot/second and foot/pound respectively as a display to 1 or
2 decimal  places would  be space  consuming and  would  not
enhance the  accuracy. The  time of  flight is  rounded to 3
decimal places,  and the  remainder of  the  parameters  are
shown to  2 decimal  places. This  give optimal  performance
withoug getting caught up in needless accuracy.

At the  bottom of  the Ballistics  Table screen  is  a  menu
containing several  choices. The  Ballistics Table screen is
the main  screen of  BALLISTIX II, and all other segments of
the program  are entered  via the  Ballistics Table  screen.
The selections have been given names short enough to fit the
menu box,  but you  can get  an expanded  explanation of the
selections by  striking F1.  This shows  a help  screen that
gives the  menu selections  and an  explanation of what each
segment of the program does.







                                                            8



                       THE MAIN MENU


As described previously, the main menu displayed at the
bottom of the Ballistics Table Screen. In order to select
from the menu, simply strike the key that coresponds with
the highlighted letter in the selection name in the menu
box. The selections are:

E    Environment    Edit/view the environment variables.
L    LOAD           Edit/view the load variables.
P    Parameters     View the initial/calculated load        
                    parameters.
P    Print          Send a ballistics table to the printer.
F    File           Send a ballistics table to an ASCII     
                    file.
O    Recoil         Calculate the free recoil of the        
                    rifle/load and display bullet terminal  
                    performance information.
D    Database       Use the load database.
H    Charge         Calculate an initial load of IMR powder.
U    Groups         Use the group statistics calculator.
Z    Zero           Calculate the number of scope clicks    
                    needed to change zero for your          
                    rifle/load.
B    PBR            Calculate maximum point-blank-range.
C    Coef           Calculate a ballistic coefficient.
G    Graph          Display a graph of path, drop and wind- 
                    drift.
A    Lead           Calculate how much to lead a moving     
                    target.
M    Compare        Compare the ballistics of two loads.
S    System         Shell out to DOS.
I    Rifle          Create/display rifle information        
                    attached to the current load.
Q    Quit           Exit to DOS.

Each segment of the program will be described in detail
later in the manual.



















                                                            9



                   THE PARAMETERS SCREEN


In order to display the Parameters screen, strike P when in
                       the main menu.

BALLISTIX II calculates changes to two of the variables that
have been  entered in the Load screen according to the model
of the atmosphere that has been described in the Environment
screen. The  two variables  that are affected are the muzzle
velocity and  the ballistic  coefficient. Muzzle velocity is
directly affected  by differences  in barrel  length between
the barrel being used and the one used in a reloading manual
to obtain  a velocity.  Also,  muzzle  velocity  is  altered
according to the headwind component of the wind.

The  ballistic  coefficient  is  affected  by  air  density.
Altitude, ambient  air  temperature  and  air  pressure  all
affect the  density of  the atmosphere  and  therefore,  the
ballistic coefficient.

The Parameters  screen shows  some of  the calculated values
that BALLISTIX  II uses  along with what was entered so that
you can see the changes.

To re-display  the Ballistics  Table, hit  any key  when the
Parameters screen  is in  view, or  to print the parameters,
set up  your printer  and strike  P. If  your printer is not
ready, or if BALLISTIX cannot communicate with your printer,
you will  receive an  error message. Correct the problem and
hit any key, or <ESC> to exit the Parameters screen.



























                                                            10



       SENDING THE BALLISTICS TABLE TO A LINE PRINTER


If you  should want  a printout  of the ballistics table all
that you  need to do is set up your printer and strike the R
when in  the Ballistics Table screen. If your printer is not
ready or  if BALLISTIX  cannot communicate with you printer,
you will  receive an  error message. Correct the problem and
hit any  key to continue, or <ESC> to exit to the Ballistics
Table screen.


       SENDING THE BALLISTICS TABLE TO AN ASCII FILE


You can  store the ballistics table to an ASCII file on disk
by striking  the F  key when in the Ballistics Table screen.
You will  be prompted  for a  filename. Type in the name you
wish and  hit <ENTER>. The ballistics table will be store in
a pure  ASCII file with the extension of .LOG in the current
directory. You  may retrieve  this with a word processor, or
print it through DOS services at a later date if you wish.


                  CALCULATING FREE RECOIL


  To enter the Free Recoil calculator strike O when in the
                     Ballistics Table.

Free recoil of any weapon system is a function of the weight
of the  system, the  weight of  everything that comes out of
the  barrel,  and  the  velocity  of  the  projectile.  When
entering this  segment of the program, you are  prompted for
the weight  of the powder charge in grains and the weight of
the rifle  in pounds.  BALLISTIX II  then calculates a value
for free recoil in foot/pounds and displays this on screen.

BULLET TERMINAL PERFORMANCE

When the  Free Recoil  Calculator is  entered  BALLISTIX  II
calculates and displays two bullet performance values. These
are Momentum  and Optimum  Game Weight.  Neither of these is
one of the standard values that a shooter looks at normally,
but both  have their  merits. The momentum value is a direct
indication of  the penetration  power of the bullet, and the
Optimum Game  Weight value  is good  for comparison and is a
value of  how large  an animal  should be considered maximum
for any  load. Of  the two  the momentum  number is the most
useful. The OGW value is given for comparison only.








                                                            11



                     THE LOAD DATABASE


To enter the Load Database, strike D when in the Ballistics
                       Table screen.

The load  database contained  in BALLISTIX II is designed to
provide the program with all of the necessary information to
generate  the  ballistics  tables.  Therefore,  all  of  the
information that  is entered  in the  Environment  and  Load
variable screens  is contained  for each  load in  the  Load
Database.

When the  database is  first entered,  you are  prompted  to
enter the  name of  the database  file that you wish to use.
The  available  database  files  that  are  in  the  current
directory are  listed at  the bottom  of the  screen in  the
DATABASE FILES AVAILABLE section. All you need to do is type
in the  filename of  the file  that you  wish to use and hit
<ENTER>.  All   database  files   have  the  extension  .DTA
therefore the extension need not be entered.

Once the  filename has  been given to the program, BALLISTIX
II enters the main database screen and displays the names of
the loads  in the  database along with the bullet weights on
screen 10  at a  time. AT  the bottom  is the  name  of  the
current file  (the file  being used) and the total number of
records in  that file. Above this is the DATABASE MENU which
offers you several functions.

MOVING AROUND IN THE DATABASE

The database  is broken  down into pages and records. A page
is comprised  of 10  records. When  the  database  is  first
entered Page 1 is shown. To see the next page you can either
hit PgDn,  the DnArrow,  or hit  N for  NEXT.  To  view  the
previous page  hit PgUp,  the UpArrow or hit P for Previous.
To move  to the  last page  hit End and to move to the first
page hit Home.



















                                                            12



                     THE DATABASE MENU


At the  bottom of  the  database  screen  is  displayed  the
Database Menu.  This is used in the same fashion as the main
menu of  the program. In order to select a database function
strike the  key corresponding  to the  highlighted letter in
the menu selection. Here is a brief synopsis of the database
functions:

N    Next           Move to the next page in the database.
P    Previous       Move to the previous page in the        
                    database.
S    Select         Transfer a load from the database to the
                    main program to work with.
D    Delete         Delete a load from the database.
A    Add New        Create a new load to add to the
                    database.
C    Add Current    Add the load that was displayed in the  
                    Ballistics Table screen to the database.
V    View           View the stored information for a load.
X    Exit           Return to the Ballistics Table screen.

(A list of the command keys and their function can be gotten
while the Database menu is on screen by hitting the F1 key.)

To keep  things as  simple as  possible while  keeping  some
utility to  the database,  higher functions  such as sorting
etc. have  not been  included. The function of this database
is such  that a  shooter can  keep track of any of his loads
easily.

Should  the   user  wish  to  store  his  reloading  manuals
electronically, all that needs doing is to set up a database
file named  HORNADY.DTA (or  whatever the company) and enter
one representative load for each caliber. The information is
then  in   the  computer   available  to  BALLISTIX  II  for
comparison or  use in  the  future.  The  author  keeps  the
Hornady, Sierra,  Speer and  Nosler  loads  stored  in  this
fashion and finds that it makes some things easier.


















                                                            13



                  USING THE LOAD DATABASE


SELECTING, DELETING OR VIEWING A LOAD

All of  the above  functions of the database are accessed in
exactly the  same fashion.  We will use load selection as an
example.

To select  a load, when the page containing the desired load
is on  screen strike the S key for select. A box will appear
asking for  the number  of the load. You will notice that in
any page,  all the loads are numbered from 1 to 10 (if there
are 10 loads on that page). All that is needed is for you to
type in the number of the load that you wishe to use and hit
<ENTER>. The  load is  retreived and  the program returns to
the Ballistics Table screen for further work.

Deleting or  Viewing a  load is  the same. If the you choose
delete you  will be   prompted  for the  number of the load.
That load  is then  deleted from the database. If you choose
to view  a load,  the stored  information for  that load  is
displayed on screen.

ADDING THE CURRENT LOAD

If you  wish to  store the load that you are working with in
the database you must first enter the database by striking D
when  in  the  Ballistics  Table  screen  then  provide  the
filename of  the database  file that  you wishe to store the
load in.  When the  database menu  appears,  you  need  only
strike the C key. The load is stored. Now strike X to return
to the Ballistics Table screen.

CREATING A NEW LOAD TO ADD TO THE DATABASE

If you  are in the database and wish to create a new load to
be added  to the  database, strike  A. You will be shown the
Environment  and   Load  variable   screens   for   entering
information to  be stored.  When you  are done  you will  be
returned to the database.

EXITING THE DATABASE

To exit the database, you need only strike X when the
Database Menu is visible.












                                                            14



              THE GROUP STATISTICS CALCULATOR


 To enter the Group Statistics Calculator, strike U when in
                   the Ballistics Table.

The group  statistics calculator  has been  designed so that
you can  determine the  exact center  of groups, and see how
the center  changes as  the barrel heats up etc. This can be
useful to  both the  hunter and  target shooter  though most
hunters will  not shoot  enough to  cause the barrel to heat
much. Hunters  can though  see if  a group has migrated from
season to  season which  may mean  that there is some uneven
pressure on the barrel from the stock.

When you first enter the statistics calculator you are asked
how many  shots there  are in the group. The calculator will
accept up to 10 shots in a group. Should you decide that you
do not wish to continue, type in '99' and <ENTER>. This will
take you back to the Ballistics Table screen.

If you have entered a number of shots for the load the next
thing that you will see is the Shot Information Entry
screen. In this section you will enter the position of each
shot. For the statistics calculator to be usefull other than
to determine the final center of the group, you must have
kept track of each shot in the group and enter them in order
from shot 1 to shot n. The position of each shot is entered
as a value either left (-) or right (+) of center and either
below (-) or above (+) center. This is the format that
BALLISTIX II will use to display the position of the center
of the group.

When you  are done, BALLISTIX II displays a group summary to
you containing  the position  of the center of the group and
the group's  size. You  are then  prompted as to whether you
wish a detailed display. If you desire to see a shot by shot
history of  the group  strike D.  The detailed history shows
you the position of each shot, the position of the center of
the group  and the  size of  the group,  shot by  shot. Also
displayed is  the variation  and standard  deviation of  the
group for you statistics nuts.

Now that  you have the detailed group history on screen, you
can send  this to  your printer  by striking  P. Hitting any
other key returns you to the Ballistics Table screen.












                                                            15



                 THE ZERO CHANGE CALCULATOR


 To enter the Zero Change calculator, strike Z when in the
                     Ballistics Table.
                              
The Change Zero module of the program is designed with those
of you  who have  access to  a short range, but wish to zero
your rifles  at a  distance  not  supported  by  your  range
facilities. This  is much  easier than  trying to  zero your
rifle "3.65  inches high at 100 yards". The program lets you
zero at 100 yards, then calculate the number of scope clicks
you need to move to change the zero to another range.

When the  module is  invoked, you  will be shown the current
zero range  you have set, and you will be asked to enter the
zero range you require, and the number of clicks required to
change your  scope 1 inch at 100 yards. When these have been
entered, you  will be  told how  many clicks  up or  down to
adjust your  scope, and what Minute-of-Angle the change will
be.





































                                                            16



                 MAXIMUM POINT-BLANK RANGE


To enter the Point-blank Range calculator, strike B when in
                   the Ballistics Table.


The Point-blank  range calculator  module of  the program is
designed to  allow you to calculate at what range you should
zero your  rifle to  meet certain  bullet path restrictions.
Perhaps a  short explanation  of  point-blank  range  is  in
order.

Most people  think that  point-blank range  means that  your
target is  extremely close  and that aiming is not required.
This is  almost true  in one  of those  aspects. Point-blank
means that  range estimation  and hold-over are not required
in order  to strike  the target  in a  certain zone. Maximum
point-blank range  is the  furthest range that you can shoot
without correcting for distance. You just aim at your target
and shoot.  The bullet  will strike  within a specific zone.
For big  game shooters,  that zone (in BALLISTIX II) is a 10
inch circle,  roughly the  "killing zone"  of  a  deer.  For
varmint shooters, the zone has been shrunk to 5 inches.

Let's take  the case  of the  big game  shooter. He has a 10
inch killing  zone that  he has  to hit. This means that the
bullet cannot  climb above 5 inches above the target or drop
to more  than 5  inches below the target in order to hit the
10 inch  zone. Therefore  the point-blank  range will be the
farthest range  that he  could shoot  not letting the bullet
climb above or drop below the killing zone.

BALLISTIX II calculates the maximum point-blank range of the
load that  you are  using, and returns several parameters to
you. What it tells you in the calculations are:

ZERO RANGE - The range to zero your rifle at to achieve     
     maximum point-blank range.
MAXIMUM BULLET PATH ABOVE LINE OF SIGHT - This should be 5  
     inches for Big Game or 2.5 inches for Varmint.
RANGE AT HIGHEST POINT - The range at which maximum bullet  
     path is reached.
BULLET PATH AT 100 YARDS - This can be used to check your   
     zero on a 100 yard range.
MAXIMUM POINT-BLANK RANGE - The actual maximum distance you
     can shoot that rifle/load without holding over to hit  
     the killing zone.










                                                            17



The calculations  needed to  determine these  variables  are
long and  tedious (even  for a computer). If you are running
anything less  than a  386 with  a math  co-processor, don't
hold your  breath. The  program WILL  eventually deliver the
goods, but  it will take time. (On a 486/33 the calculations
take less than a second).

What the  program does  in the calculations is to start with
an arbitrary  zero range  close in. As the maximum height of
the bullet  path is  pre-ordained by your choice of Big game
or Varmint,  BALLISTIX II  runs an  algorithm  to  determine
bullet path  out until  the path  at any  point downrange is
less than  the previous path. This means that the bullet has
reached it's maximum point. If that maximum is less than the
pre-ordained 5  or 2.5  inches, BALLISTIX  II increments the
zero range  and tries again. Once the program finds a bullet
path that is equal to 5 (or 2.5) then the incrementing stops
and the  program runs  the algorithm from the now known zero
range to  a point  where the  bullet path  is -5  (or  -2.5)
inches. This delivers the required information.

As you can see, the computer is working hard so that you
will not have to.



































                                                            18



                   THE CHARGE CALCULATOR

                              
To use the 'Powley' Charge Calculator, strike H when in the
                  Ballistics Table screen.
                              
Many re-loaders are faced with finding a starting point with
a new  or non-standard  (wildcat) load in the way of powder.
If you  can't find  any information in the reloading manuals
that you  have handy  on the load you wish to work with, you
can use  this module  to get a starting load of IMR (Dupont)
powders.

The loads  that this  module calculates  are not  maximum or
even near  maximum, but  remember, to  be safe, ALWAYS START
10% LOW  AND WORK UP. Watch for pressure signs at all times,
and NEVER  SWITCH POWDERS.  As  mentioned  previously,  this
gives starting  loads for  IMR  powders  only.  Even  though
another manufacturer  may give one of their powders the same
number as  an IMR powder, THEY AREN'T THE SAME. Be smart, be
safe.

HAVING SAID  THAT, MILE  300 COMPUTER  SERVICES,  HAVING  NO
CONTROL OVER  THE USE  OF THE  INFORMATION PROVIDED  IN THIS
MANUAL OR  THE PROGRAM  ITSELF, CANNOT  AND  DO  NOT  ACCEPT
LIABILITY, EITHER  EXPRESSED  OR  IMPLIED,  FOR  RESULTS  OF
DAMAGE, OR  FOR ANY  LOSS OF  LIFE, LIMB, PROPERTY OR PROFIT
ARISING FROM,  OR ALLEGED TO HAVE ARISEN FROM THE USE OF THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL OR THE PROGRAM.

When you enter the Charge Calculator, you are shown a menu
which gives one of several choices:

P   PRINT FORMS - As there are many variables that must be  
     entered in this module, there is a form which can be   
     printed where you can write the information. This      
     choice allows you to print multiple forms out for      
     future use.
I  INPUT INFORMATION - Skip printing out a form, enter      
     directly into the information input screen.
O  ONE FORM THEN INPUT - Print out one form, then go to the
     input screen to calculate a charge.
X  EXIT THE CHARGE MODULE















                                                            19



The information that you will need to aquire in order to use
the Charge Calculator module is listed following:


WEIGHT OF EMPTY CASE  The weight of a fired case (with      
     primer left in).
WEIGHT OF WATER FILLED CASE  The weight of the same case    
     filled to the top of the neck with water. This gives an
     indication of case capacity.
BULLET LENGTH      The length of the bullet in inches from  
     the base to the tip.
BULLET DIAMETER    The diameter of the bullet, in inches.
BULLET WEIGHT      The bullet weight in grains
LENGTH OF EMPTY CASE   The length of the case in inches.
LENGTH OF CARTRIDGE OVERALL  The overall length of a loaded
     cartridge, in inches.
BARREL LENGTH      The length of the barrel in inches.
HEIGHT OF BOAT-TAIL   The distance from the base of the     
     bullet to where the boat-tail of the bullet joins the  
     wide part of the bullet.
DIAMETER OF BOAT-TAIL  The diameter of the narrowest part of
     the boat-tail at the base.

These final two values are needed in order to calculate more
accurately the actual case capacity when a bullet is loaded.

BALLISTIX  II,  when  all  of  these  variable  are  entered
calculates a charge of Dupont IMR powder that you can use to
start working  up a  load and displays this at the bottom of
the screen.  Should you wish any further information, strike
D in  order to  get detailed  information on  the calculated
load. This information includes expected muzzle velocity and
a calculation of chamber pressure in copper units (c.u.p.).

























                                                            20



            THE BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT CALCULATOR


To enter the Ballistic Coefficient Calculator, strike C when
                  in the Ballistic Table.

The ballistic  coefficient of a projectile is a mathematical
description of  the drag  of the projectile as compared to a
"standard  bullet".  The  ballistic  coefficients  of  rifle
bullets generally  run in  the range  of .150  for flat nose
bullets, to  the upper .600-.700 range for pointed boat-tail
bullets. The  higher the  ballistic  coefficient,  the  less
velocity that a bullet looses over the range of it's flight.

Most of  the time,  you can obtain the ballistic coefficient
of your  bullets from  a reloading  manual published  by the
manufacturer  of  the  bullet,  but  if  you  don't  have  a
reloading  manual,   the  Ballistic  Coefficient  calculator
module of BALLISTIX II can help.

The first  thing that you should know is what type of bullet
you are  using. BALLISTIX  II, on entry of the BC Calculator
module gives you a choice of several bullets. As a matter of
fact, all  you need  to enter  is  the  bullet  choice.  The
program gets  the remainder of the information required from
previous modules.  Just strike the number of your choice for
bullet type, and the program will do the rest. Once you have
chosen, you  are asked  if you  wish to  have the calculated
ballistic coefficient returned to the program for use in the
Ballistics Tables  and other  modules. Strike  'Y' to accept
the calculated BC or any other key to ignore it.



























                                                            21



                      THE GRAPH SCREEN


To display a graph of the path, drop and wind-drift; strike
              G when in the Ballistics Table.
                              
This module  displays a  small graph showing the bullet path
versus the  bullet drop,  and the wind drift across the line
of sight. Other information shown is the zero range, and the
distance that  the bullet crosses 5 inches below the line of
sight (see Maximum point-blank range);



                 THE TARGET LEAD CALCULATOR


  To use the Target Lead Calculator, strike A when in the
                  Ballistics Table screen.

It is always useful to know just how much you have to lead a
moving target  when that  trophy buck is running across your
line of  sight at 250 yards (not that I advocate shooting at
a running  buck at  long  distances).  The  lead  calculator
module is  included to  give you  some indication of how far
out in front of your target you have to hold in order to hit
it as it goes by.

Given are some representative speeds of animals at the walk,
trot and  run. These aren't carved in stone, but from what I
have seen  and read, they are in the ball park. All you have
to do to use the screen is enter a target speed in miles per
hour,  BALLISTIX  II  does  the  rest  and  gives  you  lead
distances from 0 to 500 yards.
























                                                            22



                    COMPARING TWO LOADS


To compare two loads, strike M when in the Ballistics Table.
                              

At times  it is nice to be able to compare the ballistics of
two seperate loads. BALLISTIX II gives you the oportunity to
do this  in the  Compare module.  When you  have entered the
module,  the   first  screen   that  you  see  is  the  same
Environment Variable  entry screen  that you  were presented
with when  you first started BALLISTIX II. Only the title of
the screen  is different. The default variables are the same
as the  variables of  the main  load you  were working with.
Unless  you   wish   to   compare   loads   with   different
environmental variables,  just hit <ESC> to accept the shown
values, or  use the  arrow keys  to move  to a  variable and
enter a new value. When you are done, hit <ESC>.

The second  screen shown is the Load Variables entry screen,
again as  when you  started the  program.  Modify  these  to
reflect the  load you  wish to  compare to  the  main  load.
Change the values as described above, when you are done, hit
<ESC> to display the compare screen.

The compare  load screen  shows you  the two  loads side-by-
side, in  seperate colours.  The Velocity,  Energy, Drop and
Path  are   displayed.  This   allows  you  to  compare  the
performance of  the two  loads. At  the bottom of the screen
are the calculated ballistic coefficients of the two loads.




























                                                            23



                    SHELLING OUT TO DOS


At times it is nice to be able to make a system call. To
shell out to COMMAND.COM, when in the Ballistics Table,
strike S.


                     THE RIFLE DATABASE


To enter or view information in the Rifle database attached
to your current load, strike I when in the Ballistics Table.


BALLISTIX II  gives you  the opportunity  to attach  certain
rifle and  scope information  to the  load you  are  working
with. To  do this,  strike I  when in  the Ballistics  Table
screen. If  there is  any rifle  information attached to the
load you  are working  with, it will be displayed on screen,
if there  is not,  you are  asked if you would like to enter
any information. To do this, answer 'Y'.

The information  that can  be entered is general information
about the  rifle you  are using. Manufacturer, model, serial
number, barrel  length, scope  make, model and serial number
and a  sequence of  5 comment  lines where you can enter any
special  information  such  as  custom  features,  etc.  The
information in the file could be invaluable at a future date
for insurance  purposes, etc.  It also is nice to be able to
call up  pertinent features  of the  rifle which is shooting
the current load.

The information  is kept  in a special file called RIFLE.DBR
which is  created when  needed, and  stored in  the  working
directory where you keep the program.
                              

                   QUITTING BALLISTIX II


 To quit BALLISTIX II, strike either <ESC> or Q when in the
                  Ballistics Table screen.
                              

When you  quit BALLISTIX  II, all of the files that may have
been opened  are closed.  The current  load  information  is
stored  in   a  filed  called  START.UP  which  is  used  to
initialize the program when next it is started. Then you are
returned to the DOS prompt in the working directory.







