EBV4.2 - Exterior Ballistics Software 
for the PC

• What is EB?
• How does EB calculate a trajectory?
• Who uses EB?
• Comparison with other ballistics software
• Hardware requirements
• How can I get EB?
• Summary of EB features

• Order Form
• Download this document
• Download EBV4.10Test
• EB History
• FAQs
• Installation Guide
• Important customer information
• How do bullets fly?

• The Vacuum Ballistics Model (VBM) introduced into physics by Galileo Galilei, which assumes the presence of the force of gravity only.
• The Point Mass Model (PMM), which assumes the presence of two forces: the aerodynamic drag and the force of gravity.
• The Modified Point Mass Model (MPMM), which additionally considers effects of spin, e.g. the spin-dependent side drift.

In most practical cases, the PMM will be adequate for bullets fired from small arms. When using the PMM, bullet side deviations are exclusively caused by cross wind.
Normally negligible influences of other forces - at least for "stable" bullets - (Coriolis force, Magnus force, Pitch damping force,...) remain unconsidered. However, when applying the MPMM, EB is capable to determine bullet stability (static and dynamic) from an estimate of the aerodynamic coefficients.

The calculation of bullet drag - which is generally the major force - is based on drag functions, giving the drag coefficient c_D as a function of the Mach number Ma. The software package already contains drag functions of numerous hand gun bullets, either determined and published by ballistic research institutes or resulting from measurements of the author. Of course, the user may add his own drag functions. When using the advanced MPMM, the other necessary aerodynamic coefficients are estimated by empirical formulas from projectile geometry and the instantaneous velocity.

Any parameter influencing a bullet's trajectory within the chosen physical model, can be adjusted freely by the user (weather conditions - even as a function of the altitude, terrain profile, initial conditions, firearm line of sight parameters,....). There is no limitation for the value of the departure angle (flat or high-angle shooting).

As an improvement with respect to previous versions, EBV4 is capable of running simulations, considering ballistic perturbations and errors of the shooter, resulting in bullet dispersion at the target, similar to the dispersion, which must be expected in a real shooting situation.

The software package contains multiple drag functions for small arms bullets and a library with more than 1800 ballistic coefficients.

Thus EBV4 may be used (and is used) by ammunition manufacturers, manufacturers of handguns and manufacturers of handgun accessories. EB is also well suited to satisfy the needs of interested hunters or sportsmen. However, it must be pointed out that EBV4 is a professional tool and requires some knowledge concerning exterior ballistics.

EBV4 has been especially designed for the necessities of forensic ballistics and indeed, almost 80% of EB users are members of forensic (police) laboratories in Germany, Europe, USA and all over the world. Forensic Ballistics is also the author's background. A bullet's trajectory can be reconstructed from a measurement of the impact angle at the crime scene. Calculations can be embedded into a real life situation and a ballistic reconstruction of a shooting incident can be created.

Any person having a basic knowledge of ballistics and of working with PCs will be able to work successfully with EBV4. By means of very fast graphic presentations, the user has excellent control over the results of the computations.

EBV4 is fast, accurate and "state-of-the-art". Calculation times for trajectories are considerably smaller than the real flight time of the bullet under consideration. In many computations, experiments and comparisons with other sources, EBV4 has proven to yield accurate results.

EBV4 has mainly been developed for the professional user in the field of small arms ballistics and for the forensic ballistician. EBV4 is a professional tool for the professional user and goes far beyond the capabilities of exterior ballistics programs offered by various ammunition manufacturers.

As far as the author knows, EBV4 is the only exterior ballistics program on the market, which is capable of reconstructing a trajectory from findings at the impact point (backward calculations) and the only exterior ballistics program capable of running simulations.

The operator of EB can model specific complex conditions including:

• a user defined terrain profile, where shooting occurs,
• a user defined atmosphere - even as a function of the altitude -, including wind,
• user defined initial conditions at the point of departure or the point of impact,
• a user defined line of sight of a firearm,
• a user defined target silhouette.

EB will run under DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, Vista and WINDOWS 7 (with support of DOSBOX). 

Graphics on paper (as a screen dump) is only possible, if the printer is compatible with one of the following printer types (most printers are at least compatible with one of the printers listed below).

• IBM Graphics Printer,
• HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet,
• HP Think Jet,
• Epson Printer (9 pins or 24 pins)

special rates are available for multiple licenses or a network installation. For further information on pricing and payment regulations please refer to the the chapter with the order form.
If you are interested in EBV4 or need further information, send an email to the author.
A test version of EB, containing only a few basic features of the software is now available. If you want to download this test version, please click here.
If you are convinced that EBV4 will be a valid working tool for your work, fill out an order form and send it by eMail.

Handling

• Completely menu driven (language: English)
• Very user friendly
• Mouse support
• Context sensitive help at keystroke (F1, F11 - keys) on screen (in English!)
• Help on errors, warnings and other messages
• Configuration file selection at program start, allowing 'personal' configuration settings
• Four user types (hunter/sportsman, advanced, ballistician, forensic scientist)
• Storage and retrieval of calculations on (hard) disk
• Storage and retrieval of parameters on (hard) disk
• Importation of ASCII text files to a table
• Exportation of ASCII text files with user adjustable column separator
• File deletion
• Viewing of parameter and configuration files

Data Entry

• Arbitrary measures (European and Anglo - American units) for parameter entry
• Arbitrary projectiles (objects, point mass bullets, fragments, spin-stabilized projectiles)
• Specific drag functions for selected bullets
• Standard drag functions (e.G. G1 function, drag coefficients for spheres,. . .)
• Supports the concept of ballistic coefficients (bc):
• Estimation of the bc from velocity vs range tables,
• Library with more than 1800 coefficients,
• User entry of bc
• Standardized or user defined terrain
• Standardized or user defined atmosphere conditions (up to 90 km altitude)
• User defined troposphere (lowest layer of atmosphere)
• Standardized or user defined line of sight of firearm
• Standardized or user defined target silhouette

An example of a data entry screen (entry of initial conditions) is show in the figure

Output

• Arbitrary measures for printing and plotting
• Printing and plotting of results
• on screen,
• on an external printer at any port,
• printing to an ASCII text file
• Printing of a trajectory in various coordinate systems
• Selection of print sets for trajectory printing and ballistic table printing
• User defined print size
• Trajectory printing with space or time increments
• Multiple graph menus (MPMM only)
• Fast and universal graphic presentation of results
• Manipulations of graphs:
• Examination of graphs with a graphic cross cursor
• Zooming of graphs
• Screen dump of graphs on a graphics printer
• Inclusion of lines and graphs in a plot:
• Line of sight,
• Impact line,
• Terrain profile,
• Point of aim and reference point,
• Target silhouette,
• Bullet impact points on a target,
• Stability triangle (MPMM only)

An example of a graphics screen (a simple trajectory) is shown in the figure 

Environment

• Hardware independent
• Requires less than 1 MB hard disk space
• DOS application,
  
• Can be run as a DOS Application under all known WINDOWS operating systems (DOSBOX is required to run EB under VISTA and WINDOWS 7)
  
• Can be run in a network (network license required!)
• Special program parameters available (e.g. for monochrome monitor, EMM use,...)

Calculation

• Three physical models: vacuum ballistics, point mass model (PMM) and modified point mass model (MPMM)
• Optimized fast and accurate Runge - Kutta integration
• Five calculation type groups:
• Zeroing a gun,
• SFC - from the point of departure (PoD) to the point of impact (PoI), single trajectory,
• TFC - from PoD to PoI, ballistic table,
• SBC - from PoI to PoD, single trajectory,
• TBC - from PoI to PoD, ballistic table
• Zeroing a gun:
• by entry of the zero range,
• by entry of the maximum summit height,
• from the evaluation of a ballistic target group,
• from the entry of the line of sight parameters
• Calculation of single trajectories, forward:
• by entry of the departure angle (deterministic or probabilistic),
• correction of the sights,
• by entry of an aiming point (deterministic or probabilistic)
• Calculation of ballistic tables, forward
• by a variation of the departure angle (deterministic),
• from the entry of an angle of departure (probabilistic; regarding ballistic perturbations and errors of the shooter),
• from the entry of the point of aim (probabilistic; regarding ballistic perturbations and errors of the shooter),
• Calculation of single trajectories, backward:
• by entry of the initial conditions at the PoI
• Calculation of ballistic tables, backward
• by a variation of the impact velocity
• iterative reconstruction of a trajectory
• Simulations (probabilistic view of exterior ballistics)
• Considers the following ballistic perturbations
• variations of the muzzle velocity,
• variations of the angle of departure and the azimuth (due to barrel vibrations),
• variations of the drag force,
• variations of wind speed and wind direction,
• variations of the lift force,
• bullet static and dynamic unbalances (MPMM only),
• in-bore yaw (MPMM only).
• Considers the following errors of the shooter
• aiming error and sighting error,
• canting of the gun.
• Determination of ballistic perturbations:
• from an evaluation of a ballistic target group
• Determination of the errors of a shooter:
• from an evaluation of a shooter' s target group
• Estimation of gyroscopic and dynamic bullet stability (MPMM only)

Miscellaneous

• Completely revised user's manual (almost 300 pages in English) including step-by-step examples
• Documentation of available drag functions (as an appendix to the user's manual)
• Short version of user's manual in German (included in English manual)
• EB Version 4.21 now also available on CD, including the user's manual as a PDF file.
• Short courses for German users

Update: December 30th, 2009