How does Loadscope decide your best powder charge and seating depth?
No single number tells you a load is good — a tight group that wanders in velocity will betray you at distance, and a flat velocity string over a wide group won't hold either. So Loadscope doesn't pick your best powder charge or seating depth on one stat. It scores every charge and every seating depth you tested across four things that actually show up on target.
Those four: velocity flat-spot (how little your average velocity moves across the charge window), velocity SD (shot-to-shot consistency), mean radius (true group center, not one flier — falls back to group size when only that's available), and vertical SD (vertical dispersion — what costs you elevation at distance).
Each metric is put on the same 0-to-1 scale (lower is better) so they're comparable, then blended into one composite score. Lowest composite wins — Loadscope tags it 🥇 and writes the winning charge or CBTO to the top of the tab. Every candidate also earns a "Best in:" tag for any single metric it topped, even if it didn't win overall.
The four aren't weighted equally, and the mix changes with the test. Defaults — Powder Charge Log: 30% / 20% / 20% / 30% and Seating Depth Log: 15% / 25% / 25% / 35% (velocity flat-spot / velocity SD / mean radius / vertical SD). They're tuned from real load-development work — weighted toward what holds up at distance, not a flat average — and every weight is yours. In the app's Charts tab you set them as decimals that add to 1.0 (30% = 0.30); that keeps the final score on the same 0-to-1 scale as the four metrics. Edit the blue weight cells or click Reset Composite Weights to restore the defaults.
How do I get my code, and how does buying work?
Click Get Loadscope, check out for $59, and your access code is emailed to you right away — it unlocks both the download and the app itself. One purchase covers up to two computers. Questions? support@loadscope.app.
Is Loadscope a subscription?
No. Loadscope is a one-time purchase — $59 at launch (going to $79 at full release). Pay once and it's yours, with free updates, not a yearly subscription. It runs fully offline with no account and no cloud. The iPhone & iPad companion is a free download.
How many computers can I run one license on?
Up to two — for example your bench PC and your range laptop. Both keep working offline once activated. If you move to a new computer and need to free a slot, email support@loadscope.app and we'll reset it.
How accurate is the predicted DOPE?
Loadscope uses a G7/G1 point-mass ballistic solver — the same model class as Strelok, GeoBallistics and the free Hornady/Berger calculators — validated against the industry-standard JBM solver (within ~0.07 mil with good inputs). Measured-drag solvers like Applied Ballistics and Hornady 4DOF pull ahead deep in the transonic. Predicted values are an estimate, not a measurement — always confirm by live fire at known distances before relying on them for a shot that matters.
What's "predicted" vs "confirmed"?
Grey italic numbers are predicted by the solver from your bullet, muzzle velocity and conditions. At the range you type what you actually dialed — that row turns solid white = confirmed. Click Save DOPE and Loadscope writes both to your workbook: predicted rows stay grey italic, confirmed rows print solid. Predictions never overwrite confirmed data (only the reverse), and your printed Pocket Card carries a "verify at the range" banner until every row is confirmed.
Do I have to enter a ballistic coefficient?
The most popular match bullets have their BCs built in. For any other bullet, type its BC off the box or the maker's site once. It's not a source of published load data — you still cross-reference charges against current reloading manuals. The bullet database grows over time with no app update needed.
What chronographs and target apps does it read?
Chronographs: Garmin Xero (ShotView CSVs) and LabRadar. Target apps: BallisticX, OnTarget (PC/TDS), Silver Mountain (SMT) and ShotMarker. The parser system is pluggable, so a new chronograph or target app is quick to add — send a sample export to support@loadscope.app and we'll fold it in.
Do I need a target app to measure my groups?
No. Loadscope has built-in group measurement — photograph your target, set the scale off a known reference, tap your shots, and it works out group size, mean radius and vertical for you, then scores it. Shoot a whole powder ladder — or a seating-depth ladder — on one target sheet and measure every bull in one pass; you tell it which bull is which. Or measure on the iPhone in the field and pull the target groups into the load over Wi-Fi. Already run a target app? Import its CSV instead — your call. How measuring from a photo works →
Is my data going to the cloud?
No. Loadscope writes to a regular .xlsx file on your computer. No account, no sync, no telemetry. Your loads stay on your machine.
Do I need Microsoft Excel?
No. Loadscope does the work itself — your scored results, best load, predicted DOPE, and printable Load & Pocket Cards all appear right inside the app, no Excel required. Excel only matters if you want to open the underlying workbook and poke around the formulas yourself. Even then, the file is a standard .xlsx that opens just as well in Numbers (free on every Mac), Google Sheets, or LibreOffice. Excel is recommended for the full spreadsheet experience, but it's not required to use Loadscope.
Is Loadscope code-signed?
Mac: yes. Signed with a Developer ID Application certificate and notarized by Apple. macOS opens it without security warnings on the first launch — the same as any commercial app.
Windows: yes. Signed by Loadscope LLC with a Certum code-signing certificate and timestamped. Because the certificate is new, Windows SmartScreen may still show a one-time More info → Run anyway prompt until it builds reputation — the publisher reads “Loadscope LLC”.
What hardware does Loadscope run on?
Mac: macOS 10.13 or newer. Runs natively on Intel Macs and via Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon (M-series).
Windows: Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. No GPU required. Loadscope is a small app — runs fine on modest hardware.
Is there an iPhone app?
Loadscope Ballistics is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad — a field companion, not a phone port of load development. It carries your confirmed load to the range: a DOPE dial that re-solves live as conditions change, real crosswind math, your recipe at the bench, and round counts that sync back to the desktop. It's free to download — desktop owners unlock everything, and anyone else can unlock phone-side load entry for a one-time $9.99. The desktop stays Mac & Windows for the actual load-dev work.
