Hornady Announces Patent Pending 4DOF Ballistic Calculator

by
posted on August 18, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
hornady_ballistic_calc_logo_f.jpg

Hornady has announced the launch of its new, patent pending Hornady 4DOF (Four Degrees of Freedom) Ballistic Calculator.

The 4DOF calculator provides trajectory solutions based on projectile drag coefficient (rather than ballistic coefficient) along with the exact physical modeling of the projectile and its mass and aerodynamic properties. It will be the first publicly available program that will correctly calculate the vertical shift a bullet experiences as it encounters a crosswind, referred to as aerodynamic jump.

"Current ballistic calculators provide three degrees of freedom in their approach; windage, elevation and range, but treat the projectile as an inanimate lump flying through the air," said Dave Emary, Hornady Chief Ballistician. "This program incorporates the projectile's movement in the standard 3 degrees but also adds its movement about its center of gravity and subsequent angle relative to its line of flight, which is the fourth degree of freedom."

Using Doppler radar, Hornady engineers have calculated exact drag versus velocity curves for each bullet in the 4DOF calculator library.

"This calculator doesn't utilize BC's (Ballistic Coefficients) like other calculators," added Jayden Quinlan, Hornady Ballistics Engineer. "Why compare the flight of your bullet to a standard G1 or G7 projectile when you can use your own projectile as the standard?"

The 4DOF Ballistic Calculator is available for free. It can be found here.

For more information, go to Hornady.com.

Latest

44 Mag HST LEDE
44 Mag HST LEDE

New for 2025: Federal’s Personal Defense HST .44 Rem. Mag.

Federal Ammunition has recently added a new HST .44 Remington Magnum “Light Magnum” load featuring a specially designed hollow-point bullet, ideal for those seeking HST performance for self-defense with magnum revolvers.

Utah Wildlife Board Updates

The Utah Wildlife Board approved a few new and updated rules, some of which are necessary after recent legislative changes—including the wildlife management area license requirement for certain counties and the new process for regulating hunting guides and outfitters—along with a few other proposals during a public meeting Thursday.

Member's Hunt: A Tale of Two Moose

This month's Member's Hunt comes from John R. Bean of Tucson, Ariz.

Breeding Duck Numbers Decline Again in ND

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 78th-annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.66-million birds, down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023.

2025-26 Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird Seasons Set

Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 migratory game bird seasons have been set. There are two significant changes to waterfowl seasons. The regular season daily bag limit for Canada geese in the Atlantic Population Zone has decreased from three to one, and for northern pintail, there will be a flat daily bag limit of three.

New for 2025: Christensen Arms Evoke in 450 Bushmaster

Christensen Arms has announced the release of the Evoke rifle chambered in powerful 450 Bushmaster.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.