well this isn't exactly optics but it's related to the same subject...

I want to have a handy bullet drop calculator out with me in the field, but I don't want to have to carry around a laptop for that software that's being sold...I also don't want to buy that software, haha.

Anyway, I have one of those TI-83 graphing calculators and I want to program it so that I can just input the important factors, and then have it calculate bullet drop for a specific range.

I am good at programming, but I was wondering if there were some equations out there that someone could point me in the direction of, because I can't exactly make it without them

Just go here, and print out a version covering each of the different variables, such as bullet weight/zero distance/muzzle velocity, etc.

[url]http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/ballistics/traj_basic/traj_basic.html[/url]

thanks, but what I need is the equations :/

The rule of thumb taught in Basic Training is that the bullet strike of the 5.56mm is the same at 25m as it is at 250m.  Aim low center mass in between and high center mass beyond.  Shooting at the KD range will help yopu hone your skills.  It hasn't failed me in over 20 years!  The best BDC is between your ears.

Soory dude I've been to BASIC - got the T shirt (several brown ones in fact), I've got the TMs, and I shoot regularly.  There is never a case when the drop at 25m is the same at 250M not with M193 nor with M855.

We used to zero M16A1s at 25M using the 'L' aperture.  This produced a 25M/360M zero.  Then we flipped to the unmarked aperture and this gave us a 43M/250M zero.

I have my older Handspring Visor (an old Palm would work as well) and use PBX.  Its a ballistic calculator for the Palm OS platforms.  The free version is only good to 500y but that is fine for me (the 'pay' version hasn't been released yet).

You can download a copy of the free version from [url]http://www.md-ar15.com[/url] from the Documents section in the Palm OS Software folder.  You will need to sign up as a member to download the software (its free & easy).

This will calculate the bullet drop for any round, zero, weather coniditions etc.  You can even specify the interval for the data.

It can display drop in inches, MOA, or # of clicks (you'll have to set how many clicks per moa your scope has on one of the setup screen).