Anyone using this software?

I would be interested in your comments regarding strengths, weaknesses, etc.

Thank you.

~Holmes

Holmes: RSI Shooting Lab is the most sophisticated ballistics program ever designed for the Macintosh, and if the PC version works and looks like the Mac version it should be an outstanding program for it, too.

It is not cheap, but the upgrades, usually one or two per year, are free. The following features are listed in the menu:
Analyze targets
Exterior ballistics
Interior ballistics
Shooting log
Reload records
Shotgun data
Analyze chrono. data
IPSC Power Factor
Cartridge information
Print blank targets
Quadrant analysis
Overlay targets
Change impact
Quick zero
Recoil calculations

The program is bases on US Infantry trajectory calculations (I believe most other programs use the "Ingals??" method which is very old).

At least with the Mac version (the one I use) I can print high to low resolution, and official targets (NRA, police, military, pictures of varmints, ground hogs, air rifle targets, pistol targets, competition targets, etc.) It will print tables and data you have entered the same way it shows on the screen, it will create shooting-log forms you can use at the range, and it contains a very long list of cartridge data. Any cartridge data that is not included can be entered with the keyboard. Bullet trajectory can be viewed in yards (metric), feet, etc., in any increment you want (25 yard, 50 yards, etc.) out to infinity.

It will print a table that shows the trajectory of any bullet, but you can also view it or print it as a picture that shows the trajectory as a line leaving the muzzle out as far as you want. I enjoy this feature, since it is shown as a picture with background colors. It has a ""drag" button one can use to show the bullet path from the rifle to the point the bullet hits the ground. As I drag the button across the screen, the bullet trajectory changes, and bullet drop changes are shown in numbers (inches, etc.).

I bought the program a couple of years ago, and I have upgraded it free at least three times already. It was created by Jim Ristow.

www.shootingsoftware.com

Holmes,

I have been dealing with Jim Ristow and using his software for some years. I first used his previous Gun Controller product, but I use the RSI Shooting Lab on my Mac now.

Jim is a good guy, and I expect you will like his stuff. If you don't call him up. He is very appraochable...jim dodd

If you're a PC user, AccuLoad will do everything that RSI does and more. It's less expensive, too. There are fewer targets and no pictures of groundhogs for your targets, but there are over 400 cartridges in AccuLoad's database, about 3,000 bullets to choose from, lots of powders and primers and, instead of prairie dog pictures, they have photographs of the case headstamp markings and photos of a lot of the bullets. The load calculation product, CalcuLoader, comes free with AccuLoad. www.aement.com.

RSI Shooting Lab has two versions of the program, one for the PC, and the other for the Mac. According to Jim Ristow, he sells most Shooting Lab programs to PC users instead of Mac users.

I don't know how many cartridges are included with the program, but they start with .25 APC all the way up to the .460 Weatherby. It also contains shotgun reloading data. The program itself performs all the calculations, and these are the same used by the US military. As with other programs, it contains powder, cartridge, and bullet information for reloading. After one has selected or entered all the information, it can be printed exactly the way it shows on the screen. Text manipulation including "dragable text" is also possible with this program.

The targets are not only color photos of varmints and such, but also all official targets used for competitions and general shooting at different ranges. Target files can be downloaded free from the Web, as well as other files and upgrades. The targets can be printed in high resolution or in low resolution (color, or BW), and include a "footer" so one can enter shooting information such as caliber used, altitude, temp., wind velocity and direction, etc.

The program costs $100.00, but all the upgrades are free. Please understand that I have no connections of any kind with Jim Ristow, nor with his company. I am just a happy customer.

[ 06-23-2002, 22:42: Message edited by: Ray, Alaska ]