Comparison

Shadow Book vs LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shadow Book

This digital data book helps responsible shooters track and maintain valuable information for various firearm types. It's designed for both professionals and sportsmen, offering essential features and more for managing round counts, maintenance, and range sessions.

Highlights
  • Track round count
  • Log maintenance history
  • Record range sessions
  • Supports rifles, shotguns, pistols, bows
  • Digital data book for shooters
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Shadow Book. Shadow Book is a digital Data Book for the responsible shooting community. This app was built and designed for professionals and the sportsman alike. As you navigate Shadow Book you will find that it offers all the basic necessities along with a few surprises all at your fingertips.  No matter the system from rifles, shotguns, pistols, bows etc. you'll be able to track and maintain valuable data such as round count, maintenance, and each range session. Note that this app has big update plans as it grows with the community and provides the best usage possible. So please enjoy and stay tuned for more.

About

LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading

This app is a comprehensive tool for shooters, offering ballistics solving, reloading management, and range day assistance. It caters to beginners and experienced users with guided lessons, load development tools, and data tracking. Features include group plotting, custom DOPE cards, and data import/export options.

Highlights
  • G1/G7 ballistics solver
  • Reloading workspace with load development methods
  • Range day group plotting and statistics
  • Beginner Mode with guided lessons
  • Data import (photo, CSV, Excel) and export
  • Wearable device companion apps
  • Optional AI features for data import and search
Features
Read full description

LoadOut takes you from the bench to the target. It is a ballistics solver, a reloading workspace, and a range day companion in one app, built for three kinds of shooters: the one picking up a rifle for the first time, the reloader chasing single digit SDs, and the competitor who wants a better score next month than last. DIAL A SOLUTION YOU CAN TRUST A free G1/G7 ballistics solver on industry standard exterior ballistics math, with spin drift, aerodynamic jump, and Coriolis when you want them. Measured drag curves (CDM/DSF) ship free for hundreds of factory bullets and apply the moment you pick a factory load. Get your holds in MOA, mils, or clicks, build a DOPE card, and read your holdovers straight off your own reticle in the Scope View, with 55 reticles in the library. LEARN IT PROPERLY New to precision shooting, or to reloading? Beginner Mode hides the advanced fields and walks you through the process. Learn has step by step lessons, guided walk-throughs on the real screens, a searchable reloading glossary, and plain language guides to every tool in the app. Nobody is assumed to know what CBTO means on day one. WORK UP A LOAD LIKE A PRO Five load development methods, including OCW, ladder, and velocity node tests, with per charge statistics that tell you what your chronograph string actually means. Track velocity over time and see which load earned its place in your match ammo. (Pro) RANGE DAY AND MATCH DAY Plot your groups on the target, get group statistics, and keep every session tied to the rifle and the load. On match day, stage cards carry your holds per target, and the Apple Watch, Wear OS, and Garmin companions put them on your wrist. BRING YOUR DATA WITH YOU Import a notebook page by photo (the on device reader does the work, and no image leaves your phone), spreadsheets by CSV or Excel, chronograph sessions from a Garmin Xero, and share a load with a friend by QR code. Reference catalogs for cartridges, powders, bullets, primers, brass, and firearms ship in the app and update over the air. VOICE AND AI, ON YOUR TERMS Ask Siri for your next hold with the phone in your bag. iPhone and Apple Watch read your firing solution out loud, in a Standard voice you can download and that runs on your device. AI Smart Import cleans up a messy photo import and semantic search finds a load by what you mean, not the exact words (Pro). Every AI feature is off until you turn it on. In 15 languages. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS Everything lives on your device. No LoadOut server ever sees your reloading data, we don't sell it, and we don't train on it. Sign in is optional. Cloud backup and sync (Pro) go to your own iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or OneDrive, encrypted on your device with a passphrase LoadOut never sees. SAFETY LoadOut's ballistics and pressure predictions are estimates, not load data. Always work up from a current published load manual and verify against your own rifle. No calculator — ours included — can tell you what is safe in your chamber. PRO Free covers the tracker and the whole base ballistics workflow: the solver, measured drag curves, the Scope View, cartridge dimension diagrams, Match Day, spoken firing solutions, and every import path. Pro adds live weather, hit probability and full analytics, Garmin chronograph import, the pressure and velocity predictor, structured load development, AI Smart Import, encrypted cloud backup and sync, photorealistic scope backdrops, connected weather meters and shot timers, and no limit on rifles and profiles. 14 day free trial, then a subscription or a one time lifetime purchase. The LoadOut team support@johnsondigitalsystems.com Terms of Use: https://loadout-precision-reloading.web.app/legal/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://loadout-precision-reloading.web.app/legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

Shadow Book4 screens
LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading at 100% against Shadow Book's 33%. LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading also leads on price (Free vs $14.99) and rating (5.0 vs 3.3). Shadow Book's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading is free to download; Shadow Book costs $14.99 up front. LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Shadow Book asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Shadow Book's written reviews are positive against 100% of LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadow Book ships an update every 15 months, LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Shadow Book versus LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadow BookLoadOut Ballistics & Reloading
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating3.3 (6 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings68 — better
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB217 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperShadow Hog Tactical and ConsultingJohnson Digital Systems LLC

Customer experience

Shadow Book

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shadow Book

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading

Subscriptions2
  • LoadOut Pro – Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • LoadOut Pro – Yearly14 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time2
  • LoadOut Pro – Lifetime Founder$89.99
  • LoadOut Pro – Lifetime$119.99

Questions

Is Shadow Book free?
Shadow Book costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading free?
LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shadow Book or LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading?
LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading is rated higher. Shadow Book averages 3.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Shadow Book or LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading have ads?
Neither Shadow Book nor LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadow Book or LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading?
Shadow Book ships an update every 15 months, and LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading every 2 days. Most recently, Shadow Book was updated on October 24, 2026 and LoadOut Ballistics & Reloading on October 24, 2026.

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