# Hornady Reloading Guide vs Element Ballistics

The clearest difference is rating: Hornady Reloading Guide at 4.6 against Element Ballistics's 3.6. Hornady Reloading Guide also leads on ratings volume (17K vs 32). Element Ballistics's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hornady Reloading Guide sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Element Ballistics asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hornady Reloading Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hornady Reloading Guide has 17K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Hornady Reloading Guide's written reviews are positive against 25% of Element Ballistics's.

Hornady Reloading Guide ships an update every 2 months, Element Ballistics every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hornady Reloading Guide | Element Ballistics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hornady-reloading-guide/id1451643677/reviews)** | [3.6 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-ballistics/id6449587845/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | **31.7% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 71 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hornady](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254568421) | [Element Optics](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689726263) |

## What reviewers say

### Hornady Reloading Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hornady-reloading-guide/id1451643677)

Access comprehensive reloading data for hundreds of cartridges and bullets, based on extensive testing. Purchase individual data sets, the entire current edition, or subscribe for continuous updates and full access to all data on your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Reloading data for 200+ cartridges, Data for 300+ bullets, Safe data based on controlled testing, Purchase individual cartridge data, Purchase full handbook edition, Subscription for all data and updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reloading Guide Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Hornady Point | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 Hornady Points | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive reloading data
- 📱 Convenient mobile access
- 👍 Helpful range log and notes features
- 🔍 Ability to purchase individual cartridges

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 💰 Paywall for accessing data
- 🔒 Account and login issues
- 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI

**Reported bugs**

- Purchased data disappearing or inaccessible
- Unable to log in or access account
- Blank screens and unknown errors
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Offline access to data
- Improved range log with more details
- Seamless integration with in-app purchases
- Support for more powder and bullet options


### Element Ballistics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-ballistics/id6449587845)

This app offers precise firing solutions with a user-friendly interface. Create custom rifle profiles, select from a vast bullet database, and calibrate ballistics for accuracy. It also provides weather reports and integrates with smart devices.

**Highlights:** Create ballistic profiles for rifles, Extensive bullet database with drag profiles, Calibrate ballistics (BC, Muzzle Velocity), View ballistic data graphs and tables, Predicted point of impact in reticle view, Obtain local weather reports, Connect with smart devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hornady Reloading Guide free?

Hornady Reloading Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Element Ballistics free?

Element Ballistics is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hornady Reloading Guide or Element Ballistics?

Hornady Reloading Guide is rated higher. Hornady Reloading Guide averages 4.6 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Element Ballistics averages 3.6 from 32 ratings.

### Do Hornady Reloading Guide or Element Ballistics have ads?

Neither Hornady Reloading Guide nor Element Ballistics shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hornady Reloading Guide or Element Ballistics?

Hornady Reloading Guide ships an update every 2 months, and Element Ballistics every 9 days. Most recently, Hornady Reloading Guide was updated on October 17, 2026 and Element Ballistics on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*