Using the Simulator

The Simulator tab has the things which vary while you look thru the sights, and the "Head-Up Display".

softwareSelect a Target


There is a drop down list of target images to use. The images are stored in the \targetw\ directory. If you save a .bmp, .gif or .jpg into this directory, you can use it as a target.
You can set the height and width of the target, the computer will scale it based on range and Zoom.
If you right click on the target, it will center itself on where you clicked. If you hold down the right mouse button you can drag the target around.
  • Transparent targets
    You can make part of the target transparent, the same as transparent sights. It just to make it look nicer, it doesn't have any practical value.
    With a full color graphic, just make the transparent part white in MS Paint, and save it in the /sightw/ subdirectory.
    White has to be pure White, or (Red:255, Green:255, Blue:255).
    You can switch transparency off on the "Simulator Controls" tab, since a lot of paper targets are supposed to be white, not transparent.
    » See also: Reticle Graphic

softwareRange, Zoom, Wind and Target Speed


Hopefully the sliders are self-explanatory. They override the settings on the "Input" tab.
The Movement Angle has a circular angle display to show you what the angle looks like. You type in the angle or change it with the slider. Usually left or right (270° or 90°), but you can have something moving uphill (0°) or downhill(180°). If you are shooting downhill at a target that is running away from you, it will seem to move upwards in your sight picture, for example.

softwareGroup Circle and Point of Aim


The group circle is important. Check this box and a circle appears, showing where your bullets will go, based on wind, movement, range, weather and the ammunition you are using. This a bit like a fire control computer on a tank. You can move the sliders and the angle knob and watch the circle move around. This uses the same ballistics model as the graphs and text tables. The "Group Size" setting on the Simulator Controls determines your group size. You can see at what range the group gets bigger than the target, for example.
The ammunition you are using is the ammunition on the "Input" tab. The temperature, pressure and altitude come from the"Input" tab too.
The sliders override the "Input" tab settings for the simulator.
You can look at the graphs and tables for a while and go back to the simulator. So you see how the theory works in practice.
The Point of Aim is the opposite of the group circle. The Point of Aim crosshairs show the spot you need to aim at to hit where the crosshairs are.
You can use the Group Circle and/or the Point of Aim, or use neither to test your skill.
» See also: Group Size

softwareFiring


Click the fire button if you are happy with the position of the sights in the display. Bullet holes will appear until you run ot of ammo. Press reset to reload on and the bullet holes are cleared. If you move the target the bullet holes will move with it. The bullet holes don't get saved, so you always have a fresh target when you start the program.
Instead of using the sights picture, you can left click on the display using the mouse pointer as your sight.


Some targets have red and blue areas.
» See also: Scoring

softwareSession and Scenarios


When you save on the Input, Table or Graph screens you save the load information. When you save on one of the two Simulator tabs you save the current Simulator "Session". That includes all the Simulator Controls, plus the Target and Sights you used.
A "Scenario" is just a series of Sessions. If you call your first session "Deer1", another session "Deer2", and another session "Deer3" you can use the arrows to move from one session to the next. So you can simulate a course of fire in a competition, or have a bear charge at you from 200 yards. Sniping in Stalingrad, Hostage Rescue, Dinosaur hunting, or use pictures from you hunting grounds for a virtual hunt. The program keeps an overall score for the scenario, as well as the score for the current session.
If you create an interesting scenario you may be able to upload it to the forum, that would be fun.

Free Ballistic Simulator Software updated Sunday August 01 2010 at 11:43am. Email Frank Clarke About Frank Clarke