What is a ballistic calculator/App?
It is a software that is able to plot the supposed ballistic trajectory of your particular caliber based of certain inputs (bullet weight, velocity, cross-sectional density, ballistic coefficient, etc).
In the “long range” game of the CRPS, it allows the shooter to know how many “clicks” to dial into his/her scope for elevation and windage in order to transition from one target distance to another without having to do complex calculations that would eat up valuable stage time.
This software is only as accurate as it’s inputs and as accurate as the shooter’s setup. For and example, a shooters scope may have a slight tracking issue that would cause a deviation between the proposed trajectory from the calculator and the actual trajectory of the bullet. Also the wrong input like incorrect velocity may make another similar deviation.
These calculators are available on wind metering devices like some models of Kestrel and are also available a a free or premium (paid) phone app.
Enter Strelok
I decided to choose Strelok Pro + to review because I find it very easy to use and it has some nice handy features. There are tons of calculators out there some of which are put out by optics manufacturers such as Bushnell or Nikon. Some of these are very basic and some are quite feature rich.
Ease of Use
Strelok has a very simple layout and design very reminiscent of a 1990’s website. Dark background with neon text. Upon opening the app, you are taken straight to the main page where you can calculate your firing solution. You can input your target distance, wind values. From there you can hit the calculate button to get your “come-ups”. The solution spits it out in MOA, MRAD, inches and in clicks. Having all these options at your fingertips makes things very easy.
If “hold-overs” are your thing, Strelok has a wide variety of pre-programmed reticles to display your firing solution. This allows you to make faster distance transitions without the use in “dialing” your scope.
Navigation
All of the inputs in Strelok are only a 1-4 layers deep into the navigation. The more common inputs that shooters may adjust during a match are 1-2 layers deep. This reduces the needless waste of time digging for a place in input your variables.
Accuracy
I used Strelok Basic to calculate my firing solutions for the 2018 Valcartier CRPS event. I had used inputs gained from using a magnetospeed chronograph to get my true velocity. My ballistic co-efficient was taken from a website online. During the event, as long as I did my part, the solution seemed to be on point. There were a few times that I had to do a slight hold over, but that was most like due to me not “truing my data” by firing actual distances at a range prior to the event. Inconsistencies could be caused by inaccurate B/C or perhaps my scope tracking was off.
Conclusion
I think Strelok is a great option. The free version served me well during my event. However, the paid version of Strelok + (, StrelokPro ($15.99)offer more inputs and also a much larger library of reticles for people that like the speed of “hold overs”. Strelok Pro pairs up with various bluetooth enabled wind meters and GPS.
Strelok is available on both Apple and Android devices.