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How to Calculate the Slope on an Old Rifle

The slope of a rifle is the drop of the bullet along its trajectory. Calculating the trajectory of bullets that are fired from a rifle requires using many variables. These typically include current air temperature, barrel height and distance to the target. Use an online calculator available from Handloads and JBM Ballistics to accurately determine the slope of a rifle.

Instructions

Handloads
- 1
  Go to the Ballistic Calculator at the Handloads website.
- 2
  Enter the required data into the text boxes. Change only the variables that you know, such as weight of the bullet, sight range of the rifle, muzzle elevation, wind speed and wind direction.
- 3
  Click the "Calculate" button to view the results. The slope of the rifle is found in the "Drop" column.
JBM Ballistics
- 4
  Go to the Trajectory Web page for JBM Ballistics.
- 5
  Enter the required data into the text boxes. Enter only the variables that you know, including the bullet weight, caliber of the rifle, zero height wind speed, target height and temperature.
- 6
  Click the "Calculate" button to view the results. Find the drop of the bullet from the distance or range from the target.

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