Phone Apps

Shooting, Hunting, CCW, Ballistics — It’s Right On Your Phone

Smart phones have changed our lives — for good and bad. Ask a question and if nobody knows the answer, they’re either looking it up on their phone or wondering why you’re not. When I started looking into apps providing useful information for we gun people I was amazed at what I found. Here’s a rundown on some you may find useful. All the ones listed are available for iPhones and/or Android phones so just find ’em on your favorite platform’s application website. Keep in mind the various ammo/reloading/powder companies all have extensive data on their websites and often a related app too. We’re only scratching the surface here, so if you have a specific info need, chances are good you can find it at your favorite App store!

LandGlide by Real Estate Portal USA, LLC allows you to explore maps of the U.S. with overlaid parcel boundaries and attributes of over 146 million properties covering over 97 percent of the population. Hover over a property to instantly discover details, including the owner and address of the property. Tap on the description to display additional info such as acreage, market value and land use code where available. Search by owner or address. Track your location related to the property using location services. View in map, satellite or hybrid modes. I love this app — it’s habit-forming. ($9.99 per month or $99.99 per year)

OnX Hunt GPS Hunting Map by OnXmaps, Inc. may be just the ticket if you’re a serious hunter. In addition to ownership and property boundaries, it has location-specific game laws for public and privately owned hunting lands. It also adds wind and weather data, plus GPS tracking. You can add your own information to the maps, and you can elect to have maps available offline should you get out of cell phone range. The app can be used as a standalone, but it also integrates with HUNT memberships, including state memberships with Montana, Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. ($29.99 to $99.99 depending on membership purchased)

Concealed Carry Laws by Reese Firearms appears to be sponsored by U.S. Law Shield. It has an Interactive Reciprocity Map, Laws related to Vehicle Carry, Open Carry, Must Notify, Constitutional Carry, Carry in State Parks, Carry in Restaurants, No Gun Signs Enforced, Schools K–12, Colleges and Universities, Places Off Limits, Reciprocity Lists and Permit Requirements. ($.99)

Concealed Carry Reference by Motomatic LLC has a Reciprocity Map and Lists, Transport Laws, Prohibited Areas, Duty to Inform, Preemption Rules, Signage Laws, Permit Info, AG and Police Contact, Open Carry Information, Parking Lot Storage, Permit Recognition Laws, Magazine and Tactical Rifle Limits, Use of Force and Duty to Retreat, Indian Nation Laws, Federal Transport Laws, Federal Prohibited Locations and LEO/Retired LEO Permit. Places allowed and not allowed appear in a small list and there are links to the detailed laws. ($1.99)

CCW Laws by Sparknet Interactive distinguishes between regular and enhanced permits when showing reciprocity and the gun laws for each state. It also provides an option for storing front and back images of your license(s) in the app. ($3.99)

Legal Heat is a 50 State Guide to Firearm Law by National Training Solutions, Inc., keeping current firearms laws for each of the 50 states, with quick reference for Concealed Carry Laws, Open Carry Laws and Transport Rules. The select list for each state has a rating from 1 to 5 as to the friendliness of that state’s laws to gun owners. The app is updated any time a change is made to a state’s gun laws, and the information provided is easy to navigate to find what you need to stay legal as you travel. ($1.99)

Carry Alerts by Ben Harrell is unique in that it’s the only app I’ve seen alerting you to nearby so-called Gun Free Zones as you move about. (Free)

MyArmsCache by Drea Creative LLC helps you keep up with your gun, ammo and accessory inventory. If you’re not keeping up with your gun inventory and on-hand ammo anywhere else, this app will facilitate that, especially if you’re tracking costs related to your shooting, or the purchase and sale of guns. Be prepared for some tedious setup to make the most of it, i.e., entering your gun inventory and ammo inventory. You can add manufacturers, models and other information as needed. This one is free but will prompt you for in-app purchases.

Range Finder for Deer Hunting by Phairin Chailert allows you to use your smart phone for a range finder. It’s not for long distances, but it can be done up to 40-60 yards. This range finder can be used at the range, or in the field for deer, hogs, coyotes, etc. Simply point the crosshairs at the base of the object you want to find the range for and the range will show up on your screen, along with size estimates for your target. You can even save the photo for before and after images! ($4.99)

Game Calls USA And Canada by Grant Nicholson has a simple and intuitive interface for 100+ calls in one app to call in your favorite game. Also includes a topographical map based on GPS location. ($1.99)

Ballistic Advanced Edition is chock full of goodies. Lots of shooting interactive set-ups, caliber/trajectory comparisons, pretty much a you-name-it-and-it’s-there feature list. Hold over advice, ballistic calculators and it’s evidently a go-to source for long distance shooting. ($9.99)

ree Shot Timer is just that and it allows you to use your phone to time your training, splits, you name it. It actually works. We have found, though, phone-based timers are not as reliable or sophisticated as dedicated digital shot timers. (Free)

Purchase A PDF Download Of The American Handgunner July/August 2019 Issue Now!