Empirical Precision

About Us Firearms Load Data Targets Marking Analysis Components Misc DB Management

Welcome to Empirical Precision

This web application is a comprehensive tool designed for shooting enthusiasts, competitive marksmen, and handloaders. Our goal is to provide a single, powerful platform to manage every aspect of your shooting hobby, from the components on your reloading bench to the final analysis of your performance on the range.

Key Features:

  • Component Management: Keep a detailed inventory of your reloading components, including bullets, powders, primers, and brass.
  • Load Data Management: Develop, save, and manage your specific handload recipes and commercial ammunition.
  • Target Management: Upload images of your targets to create a digital library for analysis.
  • Impact Marking & Analysis: Digitize your targets by marking points of aim and impact, then instantly calculate critical statistics like Mean Radius and Standard Deviation.
  • Advanced Diagnostics: Automatically analyze shot dispersion to identify issues like vertical stringing and correlate it with muzzle velocity data to pinpoint the root cause.

Recommended Workflow:

For the best experience, we recommend following this workflow:

  1. Firearms Tab: Start by adding the firearms you'll be using.
  2. Load Data Tab: Create your load recipes, linking them to your components.
  3. Targets Tab: Upload images of the paper targets you've shot.
  4. Marking Tab: Select a firearm, load, and target. Then, mark your point-of-aim and impacts on the canvas to save a new session. Enter velocity data for each shot if you have it.
  5. Analysis Tab: Load your saved sessions to view detailed statistics, compare performance against other sessions, and use the diagnostic tools to understand your results.

A Note on Group Size & Statistical Significance

When evaluating the precision of a load, it's tempting to rely on small, 3 or 5-shot groups. They are quick to shoot and easy to measure. However, the results from such small sample sizes can often be misleading. A tight 3-shot group might be a statistical fluke rather than a true representation of your load's potential, just as a surprisingly wide group might be the result of a single random flyer.

The power of statistical analysis, and a core principle of this application, lies in using larger data sets. As you increase the number of shots in your sample—from 5 to 10, and ideally to 20 or 30—the calculated metrics like Mean Radius become far more reliable. These larger groups smooth out the randomness of individual shots, giving you a much clearer picture of the load's true capabilities.

This becomes critically important when comparing two different loads. Is your new handload really more precise than the old one? Comparing two 5-shot groups might not provide a definitive answer, as the difference you see could easily be due to chance. The more data you collect, the more confident you can be in your conclusions.

All your data is stored securely and privately in your local browser database. Nothing is uploaded to a server, ensuring you have full control over your information and can even use the application offline.

Manage Firearms

NicknameCartridgeBarrelTwistActions

Manage Load Data

Hand Load Commercial Ammo
Type Cartridge Details Charge COL / CBTO Actions

Manage Targets

Setup

Image Controls

Marking Tools

Session Info

Actions

Impact Data

Impact data will appear here once you mark points and set a scale.

Session Analysis

Analysis Results

Select one or more sessions and click analyze.

Calculation Details & Terminology

Group Statistics

Mean Radius: The average distance of all shots from the geometric center (mean point of impact) of the group. A smaller value indicates better precision. This is the primary metric used for ranking.

CI for Mean Radius (95%): This provides a likely range for the true Mean Radius of your load, calculated using bootstrapping. Because you are using a sample of shots, the measured Mean Radius has some uncertainty. The color-coded text indicates the level of confidence based on the width of this interval relative to the measured value. A narrow interval (High confidence) gives you high confidence that your measurement is close to the true value. A wide interval (Low confidence) indicates high uncertainty, usually due to a small number of shots.

Dispersion Statistics

SD (Horizontal/Vertical): The Standard Deviation of shot placement on each axis. Measures the consistency of shots along that axis.

Velocity & Dispersion Analysis

Velocity SD (Standard Deviation): A measure of the consistency of the muzzle velocity. A lower SD indicates more consistent ammunition.

Vertical Stringing: The analysis automatically checks if the vertical spread (SD) of the group is significantly larger than the horizontal spread (specifically, if Vertical SD is > 1.5x Horizontal SD). If detected, it suggests a potential issue, often related to inconsistent muzzle velocity.

Velocity Correlation (R²): If vertical stringing is detected and velocity data is available (for 3+ shots), an R-squared (R²) value is calculated. This value, from 0% to 100%, indicates how much of the vertical shot placement can be explained by changes in velocity. A high R² value (e.g., > 40%) strongly suggests that inconsistent muzzle velocity is a primary cause of the vertical spread.

Bullets Powder Primers Brass

Manage Bullets

NameManufacturerDiameterWeightLengthActions

Manage Powders

NameManufacturerActions

Manage Primers

NameManufacturerActions

Manage Brass

CartridgeManufacturerPocketHoleActions
Manufacturers Diameters Cartridges

Manage Manufacturers

NameTypesActions

Manage Diameters

ImperialMetricActions

Manage Cartridges

NameDiameterOALActions

Global Database Actions

Table Specific Actions

Table Contents:

Select a table to view its contents.