Swarovski PBC (personal ballistic cam)

Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) is the posh term for mechanical hold over on scopes. The idea is simple, the elevation turret is designed to be easily dialled being generally bigger/taller. You know the scope’s click values and ballistics of your cartridge, which any good programme will put into your particular notation. So you see the target, range it, wind in the required holdover, aim and shoot. Simples!

With the introduction of their Z6i series of 6 x zoom scopes Swarovski offered the BT (ballistic turret) option on their higher spec models. It uses three, adjustable, colour- coded ballistic rings, which are positioned around the BDC turret to known distances, giving four, pre-set ranges; including zero.

PBC

A clever idea, as apart from the four pre-sets you could count the clicks for ranges between them, given you known values. I have a Z6i 2.5-15x 56 P BT and it works well. All you do is remove the top turret and rings etc., and zero using the internal drum. Once set, a stop is wound back to give a zero stop position. You then work out what distances you want and add a ring at a time as you do it.

Swarovski now offers their Personalized Ballistic Cam (PBC) for the Z6i/BT models. This pre-engraved drum replaces the separate rings of their BT system to offer a seamless BDC turret pre-set to your individual calibre requirement. PBC is also available for their Z3 and Z5 models, which first need the BT turret fitting as neither range offers this facility as standard. This can be done for an added cost of £207, plus the price of the PBC (£105). In either case the customer orders the PBC via the Swarovski web site and takes the order to their dealer who orders it with Swarovski UK in the usual way. When complete it’s delivered to your dealer.

The dedicated and more precise approach that PBC offers differs from its competition in that they tend to use data and features that try to cover a broad spectrum of loads and calibres. With these I always recommend you get out on the ground and shoot the distances, as factors like barrel length and actual ballistics will have a variable affect on real time ability and performance!

JUST A CLICK AWAY…

Swarovski already has a ballistic resource where you can factor in ammunition parameters for use with their ranging-type reticules and BT turreted scopes. In this manner PBC is just a click away on ballisticprograms.swarovskioptik.com . On the top menu you will see BALLISTIC PROGRAMME and next to it PBC, just click onto the latter and you’re in.

Here you can register, log in and get a password, or just look as you can ‘continue without login’ only thing is you can’t order anything. Next you choose your base setting either metric or imperial notation and also your language. Press START and you get a brief explanation of PBC plus the option of a video, select CONFIGURE, and you’re in the system.

This screen is where you input your cartridge data with a choice of factory loadings from a massive library of calibres (Database) or your own pet loads (Handloads). I decided to use my 6.5 Grendel as its more curved trajectory would allow me to see how well the PBC works, plus I have a good amount of Hornady 123-grain A-MAX ammo. Swarovski shows this loading; however, they quote velocity of 799 mps for a 24” barrel, my gun is 22”which is 29 mps/95 fps shy of that figure, significant enough to make a difference to any calculations.

MY WAY

I entered the data as a Handload as my rifle is shooting at 770 mps/2526 fps. As you can see from the screens shot you also need to input the Swarovski scope model, bullet weight, velocity, ballistic coefficient (BC), altitude and zero range. I opted for metric as I can zero @ 100 m and my scope is in 1cm clicks. Once set you can save this information as a favourite.

Moving to the right hand screen click CALCULATE and the data is turned into a ballistic solution out to 500m in this case. You now have the choice of exterior turret markings; clicking ENGRAVING OPTIONS gives you three:

* 50 and 100m increments with a line for 50s and a triangle for 100s

* As above with short line marks at 25 and 75m increments starting at 300m

* Same as 1 but with individual, 1cm click lines

I choose 3 as it would also allow me to easily factor in any distance out to 500m with the drop data stored in my rear lens cap. With that done the final choice is CHOOSE INNER LABLING, here the inside of the turret is marked with anything you want such as calibre and some load data.

COMFORTING

The PBC arrives with its own top cap and tool. All you do is remove the BT rings and top cap and zero the rifle/ammo at your chosen distance then when you are happy put on the PBC and align the zero mark to the stadia on the plate at the base of the turret.

Field and ballistic programme testing/ comparison showed that the PBC does exactly as advertised. With the only variable being the shooter’s ability to aim straight and hold the rifle steady. The Grendel with the 123 A-MAX load shoots sub-1/2” @ 100m, though for most work I do with it 300m would be maximum range on quarry. But the ability to wind in range corrections knowing that your drop is 100% on is most comforting. Bear in mind that these scopes have 2nd focal plane reticules so PBC values will only be exact at the highest magnification!

At £105 You might think the PBC is expensive and too dedicated, as you cannot on the surface of it swap scopes from rifle to rifle. Well not true, certainly with the turret markings I selected as you could do it all on 1 cm-clicks @ 100m or the secondary .36” @ 100 yards and use the Grendel marks as a guide for other calibres/ranges. Having used both the BT and the PBC I do not think I would go back to the former.

“With the introduction of their Z6i series of 6 x zoom scopes Swarovski offered the BT (ballistic turret) option”

NAME: Swarovski Personalized Ballistic Cam

PRICE:£105 BT conversion for Z3 & Z5 scopes £207

CONTACT: Swarovski U.K. Ltd, 0044-1737-856812 WWW.SWAROVSKIOPTIK.COM
Ballistic resource ballisticprograms.swarovskioptik.com
Hornady ammunition – Edgar Brothers Ltd, 01625 613177 www.hornady.com

FOR: Quick, accurate and easy BDC system Also for Z3 & Z5 scopes (with modification)
AGAINST: Get your figures 100% correct before sending Factory ballistic data might differ; always check it first
VERDICT: Neater and easier than the old BT system Can also be used with other, non-marked calibres easily enough