What altitude is primarily used for most ballistic tables?

Ballistic tables are primarily used to make calculations and predictions about the behavior of projectiles, including factors like trajectory, range, and drop. The standard altitude for these tables is often set at sea level. This is because atmospheric conditions, such as air density and pressure, significantly impact ballistic performance.

At sea level, the air density is at its maximum, which provides a consistent baseline for calculations. This allows users to predict how a projectile will behave under typical conditions. While conditions can vary with altitude, training and testing often utilize sea level as a reference to ensure that data is applicable in a wide range of scenarios, since adjustments can be made for different altitudes based on known variances in performance.

Other altitudes like 1000 feet, 500 feet, and 2000 feet involve different atmospheric densities and pressures that could lead to discrepancies in projectile behavior compared to sea level. Therefore, using sea level as the standard ensures a more uniform and reliable framework for ballistic calculations.