DOPE Card Builder
DOPE - Data On Previous Engagements - is the drop chart you tape to your stock so you know your come-ups cold. Pick a load or enter your own numbers and this builds one: bullet drop in inches, MOA and MIL, plus retained velocity, energy and wind drift, computed with a real G1 ballistic solver. It is a calculated starting point to take to the range, not a replacement for confirming on paper.
| Yds | Dropin | MOA | MIL | Velfps | Energyft·lb | Windin |
|---|
How to read and use this
- Drop (in) is how far below your line of sight the bullet hits at that range - the negative number is how much you must hold or dial up.
- MOA and MIL are that same come-up in the units on your scope turrets. 1 MOA ≈ 1.047 in at 100 yd; 1 MIL = 3.6 in at 100 yd. Dial the value at your range and hold center.
- Energy is a guide to whether the load is still adequate for your game at that range - compare it against the thresholds in the cartridge & energy guide.
- Wind is the sideways drift for the crosswind you entered, at a full 90°. Past 300 yd wind usually moves the bullet more than a ranging error moves your drop - it is the harder variable, and the reason to keep shots inside proven range.
How this works
- The trajectory is stepped through in small time slices with the standard G1 drag model: speed loss from the bullet's G1 ballistic coefficient, gravity 32.174 ft/s², sea-level standard air. The launch angle is solved so the bullet crosses your line of sight at the zero you pick.
- Every preset is a named Hornady factory load: the muzzle velocity is the one on Hornady's page, and the G1 BC is set so this solver reproduces Hornady's own published table - every row within 0.1 in and 1 fps. Pick «Custom» to enter the numbers from your own box or chronograph.
- Come-ups: MOA = drop ÷ (1.047 in × hundreds of yards), mil = drop ÷ (3.6 in × hundreds of yards). Wind drift is for a full-value crosswind; energy = weight (gr) × speed² ÷ 450,436.
What it leaves out:altitude, temperature and humidity, spin drift, shooting uphill or downhill, and a barrel shorter than Hornady's 24-26 in test barrel (which usually means less speed). Confirm every number on paper at distance before you hunt with it.
Sources: Hornady, 308 Win 150 gr SST Superformance · Hornady, 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter · Hornady, 300 Win Mag 178 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter · Hornady, Precision Hunter and Superformance product pages (one per preset)
These are calculated numbers at standard atmosphere - not your rifle's truth. Real velocity varies from advertised, ballistic coefficients are nominal, and altitude, temperature and your exact barrel all move the point of impact. Treat this card as a starting point: shoot it at 100, 200 and 300 yards, write down the real come-ups, and hunt only within the range where you can place every shot in the vitals. Ballistics do not make a shot ethical - shot placement and range limits do.
Part of the Advanced Whitetail Track. See also the cartridge comparison, the quick holdover estimator and shot placement guide.
Data-card gear
A DOPE card lives on the rifle; these keep it accurate and readable in the field.
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