For years, the long-range shooting world has been dominated by a few “gold standard” ballistic solvers. We’ve had Applied Ballistics (AB), which powers everything from Kestrels to Garmin watches, and Hornady 4DOF, which changed the game by moving away from BC-based math in favor of Doppler-verified drag curves.
Now, two more titans are entering the ring. Sierra Bullets and Barnes Bullets have officially announced the launch of TrueData™ Ballistics, a comprehensive mobile app designed to provide ultra-precise, Doppler-verified shooting solutions.
What is TrueData™?
TrueData isn’t just another G1/G7 calculator. The core of the system is its Doppler-Verified Ballistic Library. Sierra and Barnes have spent massive amounts of time on the radar to create specific drag models for over 80 projectiles (with more coming).
Rather than relying on a static Ballistic Coefficient (BC) that changes depending on velocity, TrueData uses actual measured drag curves. This accounts for how a specific bullet behaves as it transitions through different Mach numbers—the same philosophy that made Hornady 4DOF so successful.
Key Features Include:
-
Custom Drag Models: Moves beyond G1/G7 for supported Sierra and Barnes bullets.
-
Ammunition Library: Pre-loaded profiles for Barnes factory loads (Vor-Tx, Precision Match, etc.).
-
Atmospheric Integration: Bluetooth connectivity for WeatherFlow and Skywatch meters to pull real-time wind and air density.
-
Truing Tools: Built-in velocity and BC truing to match your real-world impacts to the computer’s predictions.
-
Zero Cost: Currently available for free on iOS and Android.
The Comparison: TrueData vs. Applied Ballistics vs. 4DOF
The big question is: Where does this fit in your pocket?
-
Applied Ballistics (AB): AB remains the king of “Interoperability.” It is everywhere—in your Kestrel, your Sig Sauer rangefinder, and your Leica binos. It is a paid ecosystem, but its strength is that your data lives on your hardware, not just your phone.
-
Hornady 4DOF: 4DOF is incredibly accurate because it treats the bullet as a physical object with four degrees of freedom. However, it is primarily optimized for Hornady projectiles. If you shoot ELD-Ms, 4DOF is hard to beat.
-
TrueData: This is Sierra and Barnes’ direct answer to 4DOF. If you are a dedicated Sierra MatchKing (SMK) or Barnes Tipped TSX shooter, this app will likely provide the most accurate firing solution available because the data comes directly from the manufacturer’s own radar testing.
What Will It Take for Industry Adoption?
While the app is a great tool for the range bag, the real test for TrueData will be hardware integration. For a ballistic solver to achieve “Industry Standard” status, it needs to leave the smartphone and enter the optics. We want to see TrueData integrated into:
-
Laser Rangefinders: Will we see a “TrueData Edition” of a Revic or Sig rangefinder?
-
Smart Optics: Can Leupold or Burris bake these drag curves into their digital reticles?
-
Third-Party Hardware: Will Kestrel add TrueData as an alternative solver to AB?
Until TrueData is integrated into the devices we use in the field, it remains a “companion app”—albeit a very powerful one. The “Standard” will be won by whoever makes the shooter’s workflow the fastest. If Sierra and Barnes open their API to hardware manufacturers, they could seriously disrupt the current AB monopoly.
Looking Ahead to SHOT Show 2026
We are headed to Las Vegas for SHOT Show 2026 in just a few weeks, and this will be at the top of our list of questions for the Sierra and Barnes teams. We want to see if there are any “silent partners” in the optics industry ready to announce hardware that runs the TrueData solver.
If you’re a fan of the 175gr SMK or the Barnes LRX, you should download the app today and start building your rifle profiles.
Are you sticking with Applied Ballistics, or are you ready to give TrueData a shot? Let us know in the comments!
Comment here