{"id":138895,"date":"2021-01-17T15:08:07","date_gmt":"2021-01-17T20:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=138895"},"modified":"2021-01-17T15:08:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T04:58:26","slug":"a-tale-of-two-data-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/a-tale-of-two-data-books\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tale Of Two Data Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As there continues to be a steady progression of technology in long-range shooting, some things never really go out of style, like the rifle data book. I know a lot of people would consider them antiquated and unnecessary in today\u2019s world of accurate ballistic solvers. However, there\u2019s still a very real need to be able to record hard copy data from actually putting rounds down range, which can\u2019t be readily augmented by technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently I determined that a few of my rifles could benefit from having a data book but I couldn\u2019t really justify the cost for a full modular data book like I had for some of my other rifles. I looked for a simple solution that had a structured format for recording data but didn\u2019t break the bank either. I ended up finding a couple of options, one from Rite In The Rain and another from Storm Tactical, so I did the logical thing and bought both of them to check out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rite In The Rain DOPE Logbook<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Here you can see the relative size of the Rite In The Rain DOPE book compared to a TAB Gear rear bag.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The DOPE (Data On Previous Engagements) logbook is a new offering from Rite In The Rain but they are no strangers to the databook game. For decades they\u2019ve provided the waterproof paper that went into many of the commercial data books out on the market. This is their first in house data book though and I think they\u2019ve done a great job with it. The Rite In The Rain logbook is a simple 4\u201d X 6\u201d notepad with a layout that\u2019s useful and intuitive for collecting ballistic data. The thick plastic front and back covers have reference information on the inside that pertains to wind, range estimation, and conversion charts. Also on the inside covers are rulers for measuring group sizes in MOA and Mil at distances in both yards and meters, they are NOT inch and cm rulers. There are four tables on the first couple of pages with 52 rows in total to help you log your round counts. All of the other pages are \u201clogbook\u201d pages with an alternating array of shot data pages and blank \u201cUniversal\u201d pattern sheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Inside the covers is useful information for wind and range estimation. The “rulers” are for measuring group sizes.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This logbook was destined for my Ruger 10\/22 that I use for precision rimfire matches, which happened to show up just in time for the rimfire finale. My first excursion with the DOPE logbook was to the range so I could check my zero and confirm my drops to 300 yards. The sheets for recording shot data had the obligatory boxes for entering the date, location, and atmospheric info, which took up about a quarter of the page. The rest had four tables, each one with a box to write in the range, elevation, and wind hold, as well as some short notes. The backside of each shot data page was RITR\u2019s \u201cUniversal\u201d pattern, which has \u00bc\u201d spaced solid horizontal lines with dashed vertical lines spaced \u00bc\u201d to make a sort of grid system. What I liked about this layout was that it allowed me to easily draw in my own targets, enter any additional notes that I wanted, and leave out the info I didn\u2019t need.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This page is a perfect example of “everything you need, nothing you don’t.” <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The logbook was very useful at the range but it was also handy at the match to help log and track data from individual stages for review later. It helped me note some trends on the longer-range stages, record actual field dope at various ranges, and how certain shooting positions worked out for me. I completely filled out the front and back with little effort and based on the information I gathered I was able to create an accurate data chart from 50 to 318 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Universal grid pattern also made it really easy to draw in targets and plot hits.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To me, the RITR DOPE logbook is the perfect companion for my Ruger 10\/22 and I have no doubt that I\u2019ll be picking up another one or two. The utility of this little logbook can\u2019t be underestimated and it\u2019d be the perfect logbook for hunting and long-range rifles alike. The best part might be the price, just $8.95 plus shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information check out Rite In The Rain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storm Tactical Pocket Data Book (Rimfire Edition)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Storm Tactical has also been in the databook business for a long time but just recently I saw that they also make a rimfire version of their pocket data book. The pocket version is very compact at about 3\u201d X 5\u201d and approximately 1\u201d thick with heavy-duty paper inside. Although for an upcharge you can get it with waterproof Rite In The Rain paper. Now, this data book was developed with the NRL22 circuit in mind so the contents are formatted with those matches in mind. That\u2019s not to say this databook is useless if you\u2019re not shooting NRL22 matches, the targets they use are generic enough that it\u2019s easy to adapt it to other competitions and target types.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be perfectly honest, when I first cracked the book open I seriously thought it wasn\u2019t going to work out for me. The layout seemed a little weird compared to how most data books are and the number of pages for a given format just seemed off. Normally, reference pages are up front, pages for logging shots are in the middle, and the back has the round count log and\/or note pages. The Storm Tactical data book splits that up so that there is some reference information up front but a lot of it is in the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In some cases there are boxes for 5-yard increments, I’m not sure if this is an NRL thing but I would’ve preferred the chart to stick to 10-yard increments and give me some extra range.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The layout for the data book is like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n