Applied Ballistics (AB) has announced the deployment schedule for the Applied Ballistics Mobile Laboratory during the 2022 shooting season. The Applied Ballistics Crew will be driving the Mobile Lab Truck and Trailer to a number of important shooting events in 2022. At these events you can get a Personal Drag Model (PDM) for your rifle/load based on Doppler Radar testing. The first deployment will be at the Bomber Run match in Indiana on February 18, 2022, just two weeks away. Here is the overall 2022 schedule:

The Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab trailer carries a vast array of equipment including computers, sensors, and advanced Doppler Radar equipment. The Doppler Radar is employed to create custom ballistic profiles (aka “Personal Drag Models”) for shooters at major matches.

Personal Drag Models (PDMs) provide shooters with exact, precise ballistics data for their preferred ammo as fired in their match rifles. This is especially important for rimfire ammo which may start supersonic, then go transonic, and finish well subsonic during much of its flight. Bryan Litz explains: “The Doppler Radar system allows us to track the bullet’s velocity as it flies down-range. As the bullet’s velocity decays, that’s what tells you the ballistic coefficient, the drag, and [other factors].”

About the Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab

Q: What is the basic purpose of the Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab?

Mitchell Fitzpatrick: The Mobile Lab allows us to effectively carry out ballistics testing in the field and at events. It has most of the capabilities of our normal lab, but on wheels.

Q: What hardware and electronics are carried in the Mobile Lab? What are its capabilities?

Bryan Litz: The Mobile Lab will transport most everything that’s in the main lab including the Doppler radar. This rig is new and we haven’t fully outfitted it yet. The load-outs will be somewhat flexible depending on the venue we are supporting.

A major ELR match took place this past weekend in Wyoming, the Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge. A familiar name finished first — Applied Ballistics founder Bryan Litz. Bryan had a convincing victory over some 220 other shooters. Bryan earned praise from his colleague and past K02M winner Mitchell Fitzpatrick: “Congrats to Bryan Litz on winning the 2021 Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge! This match is tough, and winning it is no small feat… especially considering there were 221 competitors this year. Bryan and I were both shooting Barrett MRADs in .300 Norma with Nightforce 5-25 ATACR scopes, shooting Berger Bullets 245gr Elite Hunters pushed by VV N565. Absolutely killer combination.”

The match was held June 12-13 2021, at the Tillard 55 Ranch near Casper, Wyoming. This major ELR competition feature some amazing terrain, plus targets out to 2100 yards.

After the match, Bryan told us: “I learned a lot shooting this match last year. Came back with a better plan and more suitable equipment (stock Barrett MRAD in .300 Norma Magnum, Berger 245gr Hybrids, Vihtavuori N565). I also got a lot of great advice from my team-mates who are more experienced in this kind of competition. For ballistics I ran the Garmin Tactix with the Personal Drag Model (PDM) from Radar testing on Friday — it was SPOT ON.

Thanks to Scott Satterlee and his awesome crew of ROs. This match takes a lot of work to set up. Also thank Nick Setting and all the sponsors… especially title sponsor Nightforce. Looking forward to coming back next year!”

Here’s Bryan taping data to his rifle — a tip he got from Chase Stroud.

Personal Drag Models Set with Doppler Radar

Bryan Litz wasn’t just there to compete. Prior to the match Bryan and his Applied Ballistics Team helped competitors develop custom Long Range Ballistics curves for their loads and rifles. This was done with sophisticated Doppler Radar units. As Bryan noted: “Doesn’t get any better than a [ballistics] model built from a Radar track of YOUR bullets from YOUR rifle, the day before the match.”

During Personal Drag Model testing, participants would shot 10 rounds under the Radar. Once the PDM data was gathered, Bryan explained to the testers how to use the custom curve with Applied Ballistics software.

Match Was a Sell-Out with Huge Prize Table

Was this a popular event? Does this ELR stuff generate interest among commercial sponsors?

Absolutely. With 221 shooters, the event was a “sell-out”, with many folks who had to be turned away. The list of sponsors is staggering — over 60 companies — so the prize tables were over-flowing with gear. With great scenery and this treasure trove of prizes, we understand why the match is so popular.