History of Ballistic Explorer™

Copyright 1988 to 2022
by
Dexadine, Inc.

Ballistic Explorer was developed as a DOS program in cooperation with Oehler Research, Inc. and was first released in 1988 and shown at the 1989 SHOT show in Dallas, Texas.

Version 3.00 added a graphical ammo library and was released in 1990.

Version 4.00 was a complete redevelopment of the program, which added a window look to the text interface, a graphical bullet library, and new ballistic models. Version 4.00 was released in 1992.

Version 5.00 was the first version designed for Windows®, and was a complete redevelopment of the program. Version 5.00 was released in January, 1997.

Version 5.5.0 made a number of improvements and was released in January, 1998.

Version 5.5.1 was the first 32-bit version and was released in January, 2000.

Version 5.5.1b includes a calculator under the tools menu and was also released in January, 2000.

Version 5.5.1c fixed the problem of having to re-enter the S/N and access code when running on Windows 2000. Version 5.5.1c was released in February, 2000.

Version 5.5.2 displayed energy values under 100 foot-pounds to 1 DP for those using the program for air guns, made some fixes and incremental improvements and was released in January, 2002.

Version 5.5.2a adds the ability to display loads in the Ammo Library for which there are no case dimensions. Version 5.5.2a was released in December, 2002.

Version 5.5.3 added the Web Update and Wind Drift in MOA features and introduced a higher security "Key" system to replace the dated Access Code system. Version 5.5.3 was released in October, 2003.

Version 5.5.3a added many new calibers and Swift bullets. Version 5.5.3a was released in March, 2004.

Version 5.5.4 added 185 new loads and 150 new bullets and the Trace Catalog feature. Version 5.5.4 was released in January, 2005.

Version 5.5.5 added just 8 new loads, but fixed a bug in the Trace Catalog feature. Also, all of the missing caliber drawings were added. Version 5.5.5 was released in January, 2006.

Version 6.0.0 is the first non-Oehler version and combines the demo and full versions of the program into one. Versions 6.0.0. was also released in January, 2006.

Version 6.0.1 and 6.0.2 were bug fixes released in the spring and summer of 2006.

Version 6.1.0 added the Explore display, and removed non-color, MAS model, and the old trace catalog option. Version 6.1.0 also added the ability to import trace data from version 6.x.x and 5.x.x trace files into the current trace file. Version 6.1.0 was released in September of 2006.

Version 6.2.0 fixed some bugs in the Explore display and greatly improved the helps as well as making them compatible with Windows® Vista. Redeveloped and expanded the tutorials. Added Ken Oehler's equal TOF method of BC conversion. Version 6.2.0 was released in November 2007.

Version 6.2.1 added 320 bullets to the bullet database and was released in November 2008.

Version 6.2.2 added 136 loads to the ammo database. Added loads for five calibers; 325 Win short mag, 327 Federal mag, 370 Sako mag, 460 S&W mag, and 7.62x25 Tokarev. Changed the way the demo works so that users can view all the bullets in the database. Version 6.2.2 was released in January 2009.

Version 6.3.0 changed the range increments so that 1, 5, and 10 yard or meters are available at all scale settings. Printing was changed to support multiple page printouts along with an improved print preview. Version 6.3.0 was released in March 2009.

Version 6.3.1 fixed user reported bug that caused incorrect readings to be displayed when Find was set to MPBR and Scale was set to the range just higher than the MPBR. Also, the MPBR value was not displaying on the Report printout. These bugs were an artifact of the changes made for version 6.3.0 and do not apply to earlier versions. Version 6.3.1 was released in March 2009.

Version 6.4.0 improved the Graph display by making it sizable, adding the Zero Adjustment graph type, adding tabs for selecting the graph type, doubling the number of points plotted to produce smother graphs, and enabling the up, down, left and right arrow keys to position the crosshair. Changed calculation error messages so the user can now select to ignore them during a session. Version 6.4.0 was released in April 2009.

Version 6.4.1 fixed one user reported bug that prevented the Explorer display from being properly restored when the Auto restore desktop option is selected. Fixed a bug found in house that caused a small hook on the plotted bullet path line on the Target display. Added Remington bullets for the first time; 66 in total. There's now 1709 bullets in the database. Version 6.4.1 was released in September 2009.

Version 6.4.2 some Windows 7 and Vista users reported that the registration codes needed to be entered every time they ran the program. This may be because Microsoft has virtualized the Registry to make it more secure, but in doing so they have made it unreliable for applications needing to save data. An alternative method is now used on the second attempt to register the product. A many years old bug caused the incorrect BC value to be calculated from two velocities and a distance if the user selected to have the scale menu setting of range in meters rather than yards. Added MagTech ammo and bullets. There are now 1910 loads and 1752 bullets. Version 6.4.2 was released in May 2010.

Version 6.4.3 added the Sight adjust units option whereby the user can select from various units such as MOA, IPHY and MRad. Improved the drag table conversion feature to allow conversion of a multiple velocity range BC value to a single BC value of the same or different drag function. Added 20 calibers and 133 loads to the database, which now has 2043 loads and 1752 bullets. Version 6.4.3 was released in November 2010.

Version 6.4.4 added the ability to save printouts to PDF files from the Print Preview window. Also adds the ability to export Chart, Examine and Report data to Excel files. Version 6.4.4 was released in May 2011.

Version 6.4.5 added G7 BC values to the Bullet library, the ability to view CDFC, Drop, and Path in MOA (or other sight adjustment units), the ability for users to create up to 10 custom sight adjustment units, and improved the transfer of BC values from trace to trace. Added 9 calibers, 161 loads and 76 bullets to the database, which now has 2204 loads and 1828 bullets. Version 6.4.5 was released in September 2011.

Version 6.4.6 fixed a number of bugs found in-house, most of which were cosmetic in nature. No incorrect data was ever produced due to these bugs. Added 4 calibers, 154 loads and 136 bullets to the database, which now has 2358 loads and 1964 bullets. Version 6.4.6 was released in April 2012.

Version 6.4.7 fixed a bug in the calculate BC with TOF code that would lock up with certain inputs. Improved the range of inputs for that same code. Also improved the equal TOF BC conversion code. No incorrect data was ever produced due to these bugs. Added 6 calibers, 85 loads and 103 bullets to the database, which now has 2443 loads and 2067 bullets. Version 6.4.7 was released in October 2014.

Version 6.5.0 Updated Trace windows to add Spin Drift and Coriolis effect. Added Bullet Length Estimator, and Bullet Stability and Twist Rate Calculator dialogs, which can be opened from the Trace windows. Added bullet length data to the Ammo/Bullet database. Added 3 calibers, 119 loads and 335 bullets to the database, which now has 2562 loads and 2402 bullets. Version 6.5.0 was released in April 2015.

Version 6.5.1 Fixed a number of bugs found in-house that were cosmetic in nature. Added 3 calibers, 42 loads and 77 bullets to the database, which now has 2604 loads and 2479 bullets. Version 6.5.1 was released in January 2016.

Version 6.6.0 Added the Drag Analyzer, which is another unique tool. Added support for Laupa custom drag functions, which can now be visually compared to standard drag function with the Drag Analyzer. Added 1 caliber, 39 loads, and 25 bullets to the database, which now has 2643 loads and 2504 bullets. Version 6.6.0 was released in January 2017.

Version 6.7.0 Added the Project feature, which allows the entire set of trace data and views to be saved and loaded to and from files of the user's own naming. Added the Laser Boresight Target tool. Added 13 calibers, 673 loads, and 114 bullets to the database, which now has 3316 loads and 2618 bullets. Version 6.7.0 was released in January 2018.

Version 6.8.0 Added new Graph Traces display featuring a single control for both range position and span. The new Graph Traces display also adds a data grid showing the exact values of all downrange data at the range clicked on in the graph. The prior Graph Traces display is renamed to Graph Traces (classic) and both displays can be used at the same time. Added aerodynamic jump to downrange calculations when the Spin Drift parameter is ON. Extended the maximum scale out to 6,000 yards/meters to enable exploration of extreme long range shooting. Version 6.8.0 was released in June 2018.

Version 6.8.1 Added 2 calibers, 104 loads, and 22 bullets to the database, which now has 3420 loads and 2640 bullets. Some bullet manufacturers made corrections to published BC and bullet length values, which were corrected in the bullet library. The caliber selection list for the Ammo and Bullet libraries has been improved. The GA and GAx custom drag functions are now included with the program. Version 6.8.1 was released in January 2019.

Version 6.8.2 Added 1 caliber, 88 loads, and 106 bullets to the database, which now has 3508 loads and 2746 bullets. Added the option to import data from Oehler System 89 Data Export (ExcelŽ report) files. Version 6.8.2 was released in January 2021.

Version 6.8.3 Added 2 calibers, 105 loads, and 71 bullets to the database, which now has 3613 loads and 2817 bullets. Fixed bugs reported by users, and changed code that triggered alerts from some security software. Tested on Windows® 11 and found no issues. Version 6.8.3 was released in January 2022.