Realistic Ballistics - Advanced Projectile Simulation

[center][font=Georgia][size=6][b][color=#E8E1D4]REALISTIC BALLISTICS[/color][/b][/size]
[size=4][i][color=#C9954A]Advanced Projectile Simulation[/color][/i][/size]

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[font=Arial][b][color=#E8E1D4]Realistic Ballistics replaces Red Dead Redemption 2’s instantaneous firearm hits with fully simulated physical projectiles.

Every projectile carries its velocity, energy, stability, deformation state and complete physical history through the world.[/color][/b][/font][/font][/center]
[center][font=Georgia][font=Arial][b][color=#E8E1D4]Its trajectory and terminal behaviour are continuously resolved by a high-fidelity ballistic simulation modelling gravity, aerodynamic drag, atmospheric density, temperature, humidity, altitude, precipitation, wind, velocity decay, yaw and stability loss. Every impact is then processed by a custom material solver that reconstructs the ballistic properties, thickness and local geometry of the struck surface to analytically resolve penetration, deflection, ricochet, deformation, retained mass and residual energy, while a data-driven anatomical reconstruction system calculates the projectile’s exact path through biological bodies, continuously integrates the resistance and energy deposition encountered along that path, and determines retained velocity, evolving deformation, exit behaviour, secondary penetration and resulting terminal effects in real time,[/color][/b][/font][/font][/center]
[center][b][font=Arial][color=#E8E1D4]with absolutely ZERO NOTICEABLE PERFORMANCE IMPACT during normal gameplay.[/color][/font][/b][/center]
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[b][color=#B43A32]CURRENT VERSION[/color][/b]
[color=#C9954A][b]1.3.0, August 14th, 2026[/b][/color]
[color=#B9B0A3]Major Terminal Ballistics & Sight Zeroing Update: substantially rebuilt penetration and terminal projectile physics,[/color][/font][/center]
[center][color=#b9b0a3][font=Georgia]mechanical sight zeroing and Field Estimate, expanded Last Shot reconstruction,[/font][/color][/center]
[center][color=#b9b0a3][font=Georgia]new trajectory, recoil and aiming configuration, plus extensive performance, stability and compatibility work
FIND THE DETAILED CHANGELOG FURTHER DOWN[/font][/color][/center]

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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]BUILT TO BELONG IN RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Realistic Ballistics follows RDR2’s existing naming and presentation. Weapons and ammunition keep familiar names such as [b]Semi Auto Pistol[/b], [b]Mauser Pistol[/b], [b]Regular[/b] and [b]High Velocity[/b] instead of being replaced with exact historical designations.

Each firearm is still modelled after its original historical counterpart. The Cattleman follows the Colt Single Action Army, the Lancaster follows the Winchester Model 1866 and the Mauser Pistol follows the Mauser C96.

Not every historical counterpart has equally complete or consistent ballistic documentation. Where surviving records are incomplete, I use the most plausible values I can establish from period cartridge specifications, projectile designs, powder charges, barrel lengths and documented performance, then apply only very light tuning where necessary to keep the complete arsenal coherent in gameplay.

The Navy Revolver is a good example. Period .36 Navy ammunition used both an approximately 80 grain round ball and a documented 140 grain conical projectile over the same nominal 20 grain powder charge. Realistic Ballistics uses the heavier conical projectile as its Regular baseline because it gives the weapon the momentum, penetration and retained performance expected from that ammunition without turning it into a full cartridge revolver. Its exact period muzzle velocity is not consistently documented, so the mod uses a conservative, carefully researched estimate of 225 m/s (738 ft/s) for the Navy Revolver.[/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]THE CORE SIMULATION[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[center][font=Arial][b][color=#E8E1D4]THE PHYSICAL MODEL AT A GLANCE[/color][/b][/font]
[font=Arial][size=2][color=#B9B0A3][i]The complete physical model resolved by Realistic Ballistics, from ignition to the final resting state of the projectile and spent case.[/i][/color][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial][size=2][color=#B9B0A3]
[b][color=#C9954A]PROJECTILE STATE:[/color][/b] mass • diameter • length • shape • muzzle velocity • momentum • kinetic energy • time of flight • physical attitude • angle of attack • axial spin • spin decay • gyroscopic stability • yaw • yaw of repose • spin drift • transonic disturbance • stability loss • deformation • retained mass • structural integrity • nose integrity • fragmentation state

[b][color=#C9954A]FLIGHT & ATMOSPHERE:[/color][/b] gravity • quadratic aerodynamic drag • orientation dependent projected area • axial versus broadside drag • aerodynamic normal force • wind relative airspeed • inherited shooter, horse and vehicle velocity • altitude dependent air density • temperature • humidity • local weather • rain • snow • speed of sound • Mach regime • supersonic, transonic and subsonic behaviour

[b][color=#C9954A]IMPACTS & MATERIALS:[/color][/b] impact velocity • impact energy • impact attitude • surface angle • normal and tangential energy • local surface reconstruction • back-face geometry • physical thickness • obliquity and effective thickness • material resistance • material moisture • material temperature • freezing and thawing • target work • projectile deformation and fracture energy • physical embed depth • penetration • residual velocity • deflection • ricochet • retained mass loss • yaw growth • structural damage • fragmentation • secondary penetration

[b][color=#C9954A]BIOLOGICAL BALLISTICS:[/color][/b] live pose aware anatomical geometry • clothing and surface cover • sectional density • entry geometry • ordered internal path • tissue path length • tissue resistance • harder anatomical structures • continuous wound track energy deposition • internal deflection • yaw dependent energy transfer • projectile stopping • through and through penetration • genuine internal air gaps • exit geometry • retained projectile condition • secondary target penetration

[b][color=#C9954A]WATER:[/color][/b] surface impact angle • water skipping • water entry • entry deflection • quadratic hydrodynamic drag • underwater travel • stability loss • underwater energy decay • water exit

[b][color=#C9954A]FIREARM & AMMUNITION:[/color][/b] historical projectile profiles • barrel length effects • rifling and stabilization • weapon condition • cartridge variation • exact physical muzzle origin • muzzle obstruction • projectile momentum • propellant gas momentum • loaded ammunition mass • firearm mass and dimensions • barrel configuration • stance • support • action type • movement • horseback instability • physically derived recoil • biomechanical recoil return

[b][color=#C9954A]MULTI PROJECTILE PHYSICS:[/color][/b] independent buckshot pellets • physical birdshot distribution • individual pellet flight and terminal behaviour • bullet, pellet, birdshot and fragment collisions in flight • relative collision energy • collision angle • deflection • projectile destruction • secondary fragmentation

[b][color=#C9954A]MECHANICAL EJECTION:[/color][/b] weapon specific extraction timing • extraction mechanism • physical ejection position • bore relative ejection direction • inherited firearm motion • ejection impulse • gravity • rigid body collision • casing tumble • dynamic surface support • settling • persistent spent cases[/color][/size][/font]


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[b][color=#C9954A]◆ TRUE PROJECTILE FLIGHT[/color][/b]
Projectiles inherit the velocity of Arthur, an NPC, a horse, a wagon or another firing platform. Gravity, aerodynamic drag, wind, altitude, temperature, humidity, rain and snow influence their trajectory. Supersonic, transonic and subsonic flight do not behave identically.

Slow cartridges show visible travel time and increasingly curved trajectories. Fast rifle rounds fly flatter, retain velocity better and give moving targets less time to escape the shot.

Version 1.2 extends the exterior model with geometry aware aerodynamics. Projectile length, shape, attitude and angle of attack now change the area presented to the relative airflow, so a stable nose first projectile and a yawing or tumbling projectile do not experience identical drag or normal force. The same physical geometry is carried into water, material and biological interaction and is shared by the prediction systems. Version 1.3 also hardens kilometre-scale terrain collision against intermittent distant-world streaming so long shots retain coherent ground interaction.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ ONE CONTINUOUS PHYSICAL HISTORY[/color][/b]
Mass, velocity, energy, spin, yaw, deformation, retained mass, structural integrity and stability persist after every collision. A damaged projectile can become unstable, deform or fracture, generate more drag and reach its next target in a genuinely different physical condition.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ MATERIALS, DEPTH AND PENETRATION[/color][/b]
Wood, glass, cloth, vegetation, metal, stone, terrain, vehicles and water do not behave as interchangeable surfaces.

Version 1.3 substantially rebuilds terminal material interaction around one persistent projectile state and a unified energy ledger. Local surface and back-face geometry, impact angle, effective thickness and layered structures are reconstructed around the actual contact, while projectile construction, sectional density, velocity, deformation, retained mass, yaw and structural condition determine whether the core perforates, ricochets, fragments or stops.

Every successful contact can spend energy on the target itself, projectile deformation or fracture and any generated fragments before the surviving core is solved. Ambiguous world geometry is classified from coherent local shape where possible, including tree-like structures that do not expose a useful Rockstar material label.

When a normal back face cannot be resolved, an energy-bounded fallback searches only as far as the projectile can physically reach. If an opposite surface exists inside that depth it can still be recovered; otherwise the projectile lodges at its calculated stopping depth. Surviving terminal cores can remain embedded or settle physically in the world.

Bottles, glass, ropes, locks and supported breakable vehicle elements respond to the actual projectile path.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ LIVE ANATOMICAL COLLISION[/color][/b]
Humans and animals are resolved through a data based, live pose aware anatomical geometry system.

Version 1.1 substantially rebuilds human hit registration. The head, face, chest, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, pelvis, legs and feet now follow a much more detailed reconstruction of the current pose. Overlapping anatomical volumes are resolved as one physical body, reducing false gaps, false contacts and duplicated resistance.

The exact path through clothing, flesh and harder anatomy determines the ordered internal regions crossed, distance travelled, energy lost, possible deflection and whether the bullet stops or exits. Genuine air gaps can create a new entry and exit pair, while transitions inside one continuous body path remain part of the same wound.

Biological impact energy is resolved in the struck target or platform reference frame. A target moving into the projectile therefore has a higher relative impact speed than one moving away from it. When a projectile exits, that result is transformed back into world velocity so its continued flight remains physically coherent.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ PENETRATION IS NOT DAMAGE[/color][/b]
Penetration describes whether the projectile can continue. Damage depends on how much energy it deposits along the wound path.

A fast penetrator may pass completely through a target while retaining much of its energy. A slower expanding or unstable projectile may penetrate less deeply while transferring more energy into the first target. Target work, projectile deformation, fracture and fragment energy are resolved separately before the remaining energy of the surviving core is carried forward.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ RICOCHETS, WATER AND FRAGMENTS[/color][/b]
Shallow impacts against hard materials can produce physical ricochets with retained velocity, altered spin and a new trajectory.

Water can be entered, skipped from, travelled through or exited again depending on angle, velocity, projectile construction and stability. Extreme impacts can produce a limited number of independently simulated fragments.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ PHYSICAL PROJECTILE COLLISIONS[/color][/b]
Bullets, shotgun pellets, birdshot carriers and fragments can collide during flight. Relative energy, direction and impact angle determine whether they deflect, fragment or destroy one another.

These collisions are extremely rare during normal play. Controlled slow motion scenarios are available through the dashboard.[/font]
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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]WEAPONS, AMMUNITION AND ECONOMY[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Revolvers, pistols, repeaters, rifles, sniper rifles, the Varmint Rifle, the Elephant Rifle, all shotguns, Gatling guns and Maxim guns are fully integrated.

Version 1.1 also adds three complete standalone firearms: the [b]Remington Model 8[/b], [b]M1918 BAR[/b] and [b]Tommy Gun[/b]. All three are installed by the main Realistic Ballistics package and require no separate download of the original weapon mods.

Version 1.2 also revisits several historical projectile baselines. The Springfield Rifle and Gatling Gun now use a .45-70-500 Government profile, the Rolling Block uses .44-90 Remington, the Varmint Rifle uses .22 WRF, and the Winchester Model 1887 style Repeating Shotgun now uses dedicated 10 gauge buckshot and slug profiles. These changes were suggested by [b]SpardaSon21[/b] and researched around period appropriate loadings.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ THREE NEW STANDALONE FIREARMS[/color][/b]
The Remington Model 8 uses a physical .35 Remington profile. The M1918 BAR uses .30-06 M1906 ballistics, a 20 round magazine and a 500 RPM automatic rifle profile. The Tommy Gun uses .45 ACP ballistics, a 50 round drum and an 800 RPM automatic profile.

Each weapon is integrated into the catalogue, gunsmith presentation, weapon wheel, ammunition system, economy, handling, recoil, dashboard and physical simulation. Selected eligible NPCs can also occasionally carry the Tommy Gun and use distance appropriate automatic fire.

The only separately required weapon asset is the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/3070]Tommy Gun Audio Overhaul[/url] by [b]Oakous[/b]. Full asset credits and links are listed near the bottom of the page.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]The goal is not to make every gun equally powerful.[/color][/b]

A Volcanic Pistol and a Carcano Rifle are not cosmetic variations of the same weapon. Their historical advantages and limitations remain visible in velocity, trajectory, recoil, cycle time, precision, energy and penetration.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ COMPONENTS HAVE PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES[/color][/b]
Barrel length changes muzzle velocity and handling. Rifling stabilises applicable projectiles. Improved sights affect precision and settlement. Scopes affect visibility rather than making a weapon perfectly accurate.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ CONDITION AND CARTRIDGE VARIATION[/color][/b]
Weapon condition affects consistency, settlement and a small amount of ballistic performance. Individual cartridges also carry subtle physical variation of approximately ±1% muzzle energy.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ A REBUILT ECONOMY[/color][/b]
Weapons and ammunition have been individually repriced around performance, construction, rarity and intended role.

Weapon capacities have been corrected where appropriate. Reserve ammunition limits and equipment upgrades have been rebalanced so the player cannot carry excessive amounts of ammunition.

Regular ammunition remains the cheapest and most plentiful option. Split Point can be purchased or crafted ten rounds at a time from ten Regular cartridges. Birdshot is sold by gunsmiths and general stores. Explosive ammunition remains a limited specialist load.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Every ammunition type is a physical tradeoff, not a simple damage upgrade.[/color][/b][/font]

[spoiler]
[center][font=Arial][b][color=#C9954A]REGULAR AMMUNITION BALLISTIC REFERENCE[/color][/b][/font][/center]

[center][font=Arial][size=2][color=#B9B0A3][i]Canonical 100%-condition projectile baselines using Regular ammunition, before component, cartridge-variation and global modifiers. Named variants with identical ballistic profiles are not listed separately.[/i][/color][/size][/font][/center]

[center][font=Arial][size=2][color=#B9B0A3][b]MUZZLE VELOCITY[/b]  •  [b]PROJECTILE WEIGHT[/b]  •  [b]MUZZLE ENERGY[/b][/color][/size][/font][/center]

[center][font=Georgia][size=3][b][color=#E8E1D4]REVOLVERS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b]Cattleman Revolver[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]260 m/s (853 ft/s)  •  16.52 g (255 gr)  •  558 J (412 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Double Action Revolver[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]225 m/s (738 ft/s)  •  9.72 g (150 gr)  •  246 J (181 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Schofield Revolver[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]230 m/s (755 ft/s)  •  16.20 g (250 gr)  •  428 J (316 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]LeMat Revolver[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]200 m/s (656 ft/s)  •  11.66 g (180 gr)  •  233 J (172 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Navy Revolver[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]225 m/s (738 ft/s)  •  9.07 g (140 gr)  •  230 J (169 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[/list]
[center][font=Georgia][size=3][b][color=#E8E1D4]PISTOLS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b]Volcanic Pistol[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]155 m/s (509 ft/s)  •  6.50 g (100 gr)  •  78 J (58 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]M1899 Pistol[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]290 m/s (951 ft/s)  •  4.60 g (71 gr)  •  193 J (143 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Semi Auto Pistol[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]390 m/s (1,280 ft/s)  •  5.50 g (85 gr)  •  418 J (309 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Mauser Pistol[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]441 m/s (1,447 ft/s)  •  5.50 g (85 gr)  •  535 J (394 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[/list]
[center][font=Georgia][size=3][b][color=#E8E1D4]REPEATERS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b]Carbine Repeater[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]360 m/s (1,181 ft/s)  •  22.68 g (350 gr)  •  1,470 J (1,084 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Lancaster Repeater[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]328 m/s (1,076 ft/s)  •  12.96 g (200 gr)  •  697 J (514 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Litchfield Repeater[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]343 m/s (1,125 ft/s)  •  12.96 g (200 gr)  •  762 J (562 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Evans Repeater[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]365 m/s (1,198 ft/s)  •  18.14 g (280 gr)  •  1,208 J (891 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[/list]
[center][font=Georgia][size=3][b][color=#E8E1D4]RIFLES[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b]Springfield Rifle[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]401 m/s (1,316 ft/s)  •  32.40 g (500 gr)  •  2,605 J (1,921 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Bolt Action Rifle[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]610 m/s (2,001 ft/s)  •  14.26 g (220 gr)  •  2,653 J (1,957 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Remington Model 8[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]634 m/s (2,080 ft/s)  •  12.96 g (200 gr)  •  2,605 J (1,921 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]M1918 BAR[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]823 m/s (2,700 ft/s)  •  9.72 g (150 gr)  •  3,292 J (2,428 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Tommy Gun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]280 m/s (919 ft/s)  •  14.90 g (230 gr)  •  584 J (431 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Varmint Rifle[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]348 m/s (1,142 ft/s)  •  2.92 g (45 gr)  •  177 J (130 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Elephant Rifle[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]655 m/s (2,149 ft/s)  •  31.10 g (480 gr)  •  6,671 J (4,921 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Rolling Block Rifle[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]381 m/s (1,250 ft/s)  •  35.64 g (550 gr)  •  2,587 J (1,908 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Carcano Rifle[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]700 m/s (2,297 ft/s)  •  10.50 g (162 gr)  •  2,573 J (1,897 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[/list]
[center][font=Georgia][size=3][b][color=#E8E1D4]SHOTGUNS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b]LeMat Shotgun Barrel[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]190 m/s (623 ft/s)  •  1.35 g × 15 (20.8 gr × 15)  •  366 J (270 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Double Barrel Shotgun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]360 m/s (1,181 ft/s)  •  3.49 g × 9 (54 gr × 9)  •  2,035 J (1,501 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Sawed Off Shotgun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]330 m/s (1,083 ft/s)  •  3.49 g × 9 (54 gr × 9)  •  1,710 J (1,261 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Pump Action Shotgun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]365 m/s (1,198 ft/s)  •  3.49 g × 9 (54 gr × 9)  •  2,092 J (1,543 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Semi Auto Shotgun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]365 m/s (1,198 ft/s)  •  3.49 g × 9 (54 gr × 9)  •  2,092 J (1,543 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Repeating Shotgun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]345 m/s (1,132 ft/s)  •  3.49 g × 10 (54 gr × 10)  •  2,077 J (1,532 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[/list]
[center][font=Arial][size=2][color=#B9B0A3][i]Regular 12 gauge shotgun ammunition uses nine pellet 00 buckshot. The Repeating Shotgun uses a dedicated 10 gauge ten pellet 00 buckshot load, while the LeMat centre barrel uses a distinct 15 pellet load. Weight is shown per pellet and muzzle energy is shown for the complete load.[/i][/color][/size][/font][/center]

[center][font=Georgia][size=3][b][color=#E8E1D4]MOUNTED GUNS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b]Gatling Gun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]401 m/s (1,316 ft/s)  •  32.40 g (500 gr)  •  2,605 J (1,921 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b]Maxim Gun[/b]
[color=#B9B0A3]650 m/s (2,133 ft/s)  •  13.67 g (211 gr)  •  2,888 J (2,130 ft-lb)[/color][/font][/]
[/list]
[center][font=Arial][size=2][color=#B9B0A3][i]Mounted guns use dedicated fixed projectile profiles rather than the player’s selectable ammunition classes.[/i][/color][/size][/font][/center]
[/spoiler]

[spoiler]
[center][font=Arial][b][color=#C9954A]AMMUNITION PHYSICS REFERENCE[/color][/b][/font][/center]

[center][font=Arial][size=2][color=#B9B0A3][i]These profiles apply to revolvers, pistols, repeaters, rifles and sniper rifles. Shotguns use separate buckshot, birdshot, slug and explosive-shell profiles.[/i][/color][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
The percentages below are relative to each weapon’s Regular ammunition profile.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Regular[/color][/b]
Velocity: 100%
Projectile mass: 100%
Aerodynamic drag coefficient: 100%
Reference biological energy transfer: 56%
Material penetration efficiency: 100%

Balanced performance, the lowest price and the highest practical carrying capacity.

[b][color=#C9954A]Split Point[/color][/b]
Velocity: 98%
Projectile mass: 98%
Aerodynamic drag coefficient: 106%
Reference biological energy transfer: 88%
Material penetration efficiency: 60%

A manually modified expansion load designed for immediate energy transfer. Strong against the first exposed target, but less capable of deep continuation or cover penetration.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]High Velocity[/color][/b]
Velocity: 115%
Projectile mass: 90%
Aerodynamic drag coefficient: 96%
Reference biological energy transfer: 44%
Material penetration efficiency: 128%

The fastest and flattest conventional load. Excellent for distant or moving targets and material penetration, but designed to retain more energy instead of depositing it immediately.

[b][color=#C9954A]Express[/color][/b]
Velocity: 108%
Projectile mass: 96%
Aerodynamic drag coefficient: 102%
Reference biological energy transfer: 68%
Material penetration efficiency: 84%

An expensive premium load combining increased velocity with stronger biological transfer than Regular or High Velocity ammunition.

[b][color=#B43A32]Explosive[/color][/b]
Velocity: 90%
Projectile mass: 90%
Aerodynamic drag coefficient: 110%
Reference biological energy transfer: 98%
Material penetration efficiency: 25%

A destructive specialist load with direct physical impact followed by an explosion. It is not intended for ordinary penetration.

[color=#B9B0A3][i]Reference biological energy transfer is not a fixed damage percentage. Actual transfer changes with impact velocity, anatomy, wound length, deformation, yaw and the projectile’s physical condition at contact.[/i][/color][/font][/spoiler]


[center][font=Arial][color=#4A4239]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/color][/font]
[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]THE VANILLA WEAPON UI, REBUILT[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Realistic Ballistics replaces the abstract vanilla stat presentation with detailed custom panels designed to look native to RDR2.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ WEAPON WHEEL PANEL[/color][/b]
The highlighted firearm receives a compact live profile with physical ballistic and handling values. Ammunition, condition and installed components update immediately, while every bar remains comparable across the complete supported arsenal.

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9607/9607-1784923957-1394865187.jpg[/img]

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ CUSTOM CATALOGUE PANELS[/color][/b]
Catalogue gun entries receive custom panels showing the data for pristine stock firearms with Regular ammunition for direct comparison before purchase.[/font]
[center]
[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9607/9607-1784923609-853401137.jpg[/img][/center]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ GUNSMITH INSPECTION AND CUSTOMIZATION[/color][/b]
The individual gunsmith weapon view receives its own live physical profile. During customization, hovering barrel length, rifling, sight and scope options updates the panel immediately from the actual firearm displayed on the counter, allowing every component change to be evaluated before purchase.

Version 1.2 also corrects the custom weapon wheel presentation on ultrawide displays without changing the intended 16:9 layout. When two identical sidearms are owned, condition and profile data are now resolved by the physical primary or offhand weapon instance instead of being borrowed from the other copy.[/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#B43A32]DEAD EYE, REBUILT FOR PHYSICAL BULLETS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Vanilla Dead Eye assumes that a marked shot arrives immediately. Physical bullets do not, so Realistic Ballistics solves a live intercept for every marked discharge.

The calculation accounts for:[/font]
[list]
[][font=Arial]The exact marked anatomical region and real muzzle position[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]The selected weapon, ammunition and predicted flight time[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Gravity, aerodynamic drag and wind[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Arthur’s movement and inherited horse, wagon or vehicle velocity[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]The target’s current motion and movement state[/font][/]
[/list][font=Arial]Faster ammunition reaches the intercept sooner. Slower rounds require more lead and give the target more time to change direction.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Dead Eye predicts the shot. The projectile receives no guidance after leaving the muzzle and can still miss.[/color][/b]

Version 1.2 also keeps the selected aiming presentation consistent through Dead Eye. If the current configuration uses Rockstar’s crosshair it remains available; if Barrel Authority or an explicit override suppresses it, Dead Eye preserves the APS centre reference instead. Aiming UI Hidden remains fully hidden.[/font]

[center][youtube]itEMpalIzxE[/youtube][/center]


[center][font=Arial][color=#4A4239]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/color][/font]
[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]ACCURACY AND FIREARM HANDLING[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Realistic Ballistics separates firearm behaviour into [b][color=#E8E1D4]two independent systems[/color][/b]. [b]Aim Authority[/b] determines what defines the centre of the shot. [b]Shot Control[/b] determines how accuracy, instability and recoil act around that centre. One option is selected from each system, producing four complete combinations rather than one fixed aiming model.

The custom accuracy ring represents the physical cone in which the projectile can leave the muzzle. Accuracy continuously responds to the firearm, ammunition, stance, movement, recoil, camera motion, weapon condition, components, action type, dual wielding and horseback instability.

Lever, bolt, pump and hammer operation disturb the weapon and require time to settle again. Scoped rifles retain a small physical dispersion instead of becoming perfect mathematical lines.

Holding [b]T[/b] while aiming gradually enters [b]Precision Focus[/b], providing weapon and scope size specific magnification and slightly improved settlement. In first person Barrel Authority, the same input also acts as Hold Breath and progressively reduces natural bore sway without suppressing APS recoil.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ SYSTEM ONE: AIM AUTHORITY[/color][/b]
Aim Authority decides where the centre of the shot comes from.

[b]Camera Aim Authority[/b] keeps the familiar camera centred behaviour. The camera defines the intended centre of the shot.

[b]Barrel Aim Authority[/b] makes the firearm’s physical bore authoritative. Every projectile still begins at the real gun muzzle, while a dedicated physical aiming display shows the resolved bore direction, first meaningful contact and the path from the muzzle. The complete indicator turns red when live anatomy is the first resolved contact and also reveals close cover or another object obstructing the weapon.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ SYSTEM TWO: SHOT CONTROL[/color][/b]
Shot Control decides how deviation and recoil develop around the selected aim authority.

[b]Dispersion[/b] uses the physical accuracy cone, recoil bloom and reacquisition model.

[b]Physical Recoil[/b] is derived from the actual APS projectile payload and velocity, cartridge gas momentum, loaded round mass, historically modelled firearm mass and dimensions, barrel configuration, support, stance and action type. The resulting impulse is shaped by the firearm mechanism and committed into the player’s aim rather than acting as a random bloom value. Version 1.3 also adds a separate per weapon Physical Recoil multiplier beneath the global strength so individual firearms can be tuned from 0 to 200% without changing projectile energy or dispersion.

The system never tries to drag the camera back to a remembered pre shot screen position. A small support dependent biomechanical return can follow recoil that was actually expressed, but player look input immediately takes control. Standing ADS, crouched ADS, hip fire, first person, dual wielding, automatic fire and mounted support all behave differently.

This creates four valid behaviours: [b]Camera with Dispersion[/b], [b]Camera with Physical Recoil[/b], [b]Barrel with Dispersion[/b] and [b]Barrel with Physical Recoil[/b]. Barrel Authority with Physical Recoil is the most physically involved configuration. Camera Authority with Dispersion remains the closest to the original camera centred experience.

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ BORE TUNING AND CONVERGENCE[/color][/b]
The old binary Tuned Bore Stabilization setting is replaced by per weapon [b]Bore Tuning from 0 to 100%[/b] in 5% steps. 0% keeps the natural supported bore, 100% applies the complete calibrated correction, and intermediate values blend only the correction itself. The physical indicator and the projectile always use the same resulting axis.

A selectable [b]Bore Source[/b] determines how APS reads the physical weapon direction. [b]Model Bore[/b] is the default and follows the live longitudinal weapon-model geometry whenever a usable barrel-to-muzzle bone pair is available. [b]Legacy Entity Axis[/b] preserves the previous weapon-entity-forward method for users who prefer the older behaviour. The selected source is shared by projectile departure and the physical aiming presentation.

Transient Bore Filtering, First Person Bore Convergence and Dual Wield Bore Convergence remain independent controls. First Person Bore Convergence now reacts cleanly to first-person camera, zoom, scope and FOV transitions instead of carrying stale convergence across view changes. Transient Bore Filtering is optional and defaults to Off, while invalid or unusable bore states are still rejected automatically.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ AIMING PRESENTATION IS INDEPENDENT[/color][/b]
Vanilla Crosshair and Physical Bore Overlay can each be set to [b]Automatic[/b], [b]On[/b] or [b]Off[/b]. Automatic keeps the intended Camera equals vanilla crosshair and Barrel equals physical bore behaviour, while explicit overrides allow any presentation with either Aim Authority. Separate first person and third person Aiming UI master switches can hide the complete aiming presentation, including Rockstar’s centre reticle, without disabling hitmarkers or mechanical sight zeroing.

Individual aiming elements also have separate first person and third person visibility, scale, thickness, opacity and colour controls, with optional linking between perspectives. Version 1.3 also adds an optional independent Persistent Reticle with its own first and third person presentation controls.

The physical muzzle guide can be rendered through either the synchronized overlay or the depth-tested world renderer. [b]Synchronized is the clean-install default.[/b]

[b][color=#C9954A]◆ PHYSICAL HITMARKERS[/color][/b]
The hitmarker system confirms only contacts accepted by the physical solver. Marker colour can represent the target’s remaining health or the damage dealt by the shot. Confirmed lethal hits receive a distinct larger breakaway animation, while fatal or dying state outcomes receive strong visual confirmation without pretending that every severe hit was instantly lethal.

Hitmarkers support human and animal targets and work with both aim authority modes.[/font]

[center][youtube]s_aTjV5w2t8[/youtube][/center]


[center][font=Arial][color=#4A4239]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/color][/font]
[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]PHYSICAL CASINGS AND EXTRACTION[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Version 1.2 replaces short lived shell effects with [b][color=#E8E1D4]APS owned physical casing objects[/color][/b]. Cases are created at the live weapon ejection point, inherit platform motion, receive mechanism and port informed ejection impulses, tumble as rigid bodies, collide with the world and remain physically present after firing.

Extraction is tied to the firearm mechanism rather than simply to the instant a shot is fired. Semi automatic and automatic weapons eject immediately, while lever, bolt, pump, break action and revolver systems retain and release spent cases according to their actual cycling or reload phase. Cap and ball Navy and LeMat revolvers and the Volcanic Rocket Ball correctly produce no metallic case.

Different casing silhouettes are used for pistol, .22, revolver and repeater, rifle and shotgun families. Ejection direction and timing are individually calibrated across weapons including the Winchester and Evans repeaters, Krag and Carcano bolt actions, Springfield and Rolling Block, Auto 5, Model 8, BAR and Tommy Gun. Gatling and Maxim guns also produce persistent physical cases from their receiver or ejector areas.

Version 1.3 unifies persistent casings and coherent terminal projectile bodies under one strict bounded pool of up to 512 ballistic debris objects. Cases receive full physics while moving and can retire after sustained rest, while surviving projectile cores can remain embedded or settle physically after APS flight ends. Oldest objects are recycled as required so large firefights cannot create unlimited world debris.[/font]


[center][font=Arial][color=#4A4239]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/color][/font]
[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]SHOTGUNS AND HUNTING[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]Buckshot[/color][/b] fires independently simulated physical pellets. Conventional 12 gauge shotguns use nine pellet 00 buckshot, while the Winchester Model 1887 style Repeating Shotgun now uses a dedicated 10 gauge ten pellet 00 buckshot load. Every pellet has its own flight, collision, energy, wound path and terminal result.[/font]

[center][youtube]n3JB6k8bOCc[/youtube][/center]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]Birdshot[/color][/b] replaces the vanilla incendiary buckshot slot with a physical No. 4 birdshot load representing 135 pellets. It complements the Varmint Rifle when hunting birds and small animals.

A suitable pellet concentration can preserve carcass quality. Too few pellets may fail to produce a clean kill, while excessive pellet damage can ruin the animal. The Varmint Rifle remains the more precise option when careful placement matters.[/font]


[center][font=Arial][youtube]YkmTMU_E2G4[/youtube][/font][/center]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]Slugs[/color][/b] use one heavy physical projectile with dedicated velocity, recoil, drag and penetration. The Repeating Shotgun uses its own heavier 10 gauge slug profile.

[b][color=#B43A32]Explosive shells[/color][/b] use physical slug flight and direct impact before producing the explosion.

Shotgun spread is physical, visible through the accuracy system and different for every shotgun and barrel configuration.[/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#B43A32]THE SIMULATION IS NOT RESERVED FOR THE PLAYER[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
NPCs use the exact same projectile system as the player. 

Their shots are shaped by weapon type, personal skill, visibility, movement, recoil, settlement, suppression, darkness, fog, wind and imperfect target prediction.

They can miss naturally, lead moving targets imperfectly, fire from horseback, penetrate cover, ricochet and strike unintended scenery, animals or people. A missed shot does not disappear because it failed its original aim. It remains active until the projectile physically terminates.

Accidental discharges produced while NPCs fall, ragdoll or die are retained.[/font]

[center][youtube]dU3nqSJVtq4[/youtube][/center]
[font=Arial]
Gatling and Maxim guns are fully supported for player and NPC operators with physical cartridges, mechanical cadence and heat dependent dispersion.

A shady nighttime dealer west of Saint Denis also makes a player owned Maxim wagon available in free roam without cheats.[/font]

[center][youtube]Wpt_Gtqfee0[/youtube][/center]


[center][font=Arial][color=#4A4239]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/color][/font]
[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]LIVE DASHBOARD & BALLISTICS ASSISTANT[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
[color=#c9954a]Press [b]F8[/b] to open the dashboard.[/color] It displays current ballistic conditions and allows settings to be changed live without manually editing the INI. Changes remain temporary until [b]Save Current Settings to INI[/b] is explicitly selected.

The dashboard, Ballistics Reference and synchronized physical aiming HUD use a dedicated batched GPU renderer that draws directly to the active Vulkan or DX12 backbuffer. It is no longer limited by Rockstar’s frontend text-command budget, the old VSync-dependent disappearing-text issue is removed, typography is more readable and long descriptions or Last Shot histories use measured text wrapping instead of character-count truncation. Version 1.3 further stages renderer and font resource initialization to reduce startup stalls and improves public renderer health logging.

Version 1.2 substantially improves dashboard navigation. Home exposes the major tools directly, Search understands multi word queries and can jump to settings and tools such as Last Shot Inspector, Environment Details and Ballistics Reference, Recently Changed uses the same direct navigation path, and the selected result shows its breadcrumb so it is always clear where a setting belongs. Quick Selection prioritises the controls most likely to be used during play.[/font]
[font=Arial]
The dashboard also includes dedicated pages for Recoil and Handling, Aiming and HUD, Damage Multipliers, Projectile Visuals, Dashboard Settings and the complete per weapon 0 to 100% Bore Tuning table. Live previews render the actual selected aiming elements, first and third person presentation can be edited independently or linked, unsaved values are marked clearly, and Session Statistics is available directly from Home. Settings can be reset to the current INI baseline at any time or deliberately written back to the INI through Dashboard Settings. [/font]

[font=Arial][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9607/9607-1786706933-707410535.jpg[/img]

The [b][color=#E8E1D4]Ballistics Reference[/color][/b] remains a full screen searchable and filterable firearm database and is now directly available from Home. It enumerates every supported weapon, ammunition and component configuration and displays historical firearm and calibre context, projectile data, handling characteristics, velocity, energy, drop and wind drift.[/font]

[font=Arial][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9607/9607-1785755749-1417785096.jpg[/img]

Up to five configurations can be pinned, reordered and compared side by side. Detailed comparison pages include values at 50, 100 and 250 metres, or their imperial equivalents, under both standard conditions and the current in game atmosphere. Sorting is reversible, navigation supports held inputs and filtered or complete datasets can be exported to CSV.[/font]
[font=Arial]
The [b][color=#E8E1D4]Last Shot Inspector[/color][/b] records and reconstructs the complete physical history of the latest player shot, including ordered anatomical traversal, impacts, entry and exit events, penetration, deposited energy, deflection, travelled distance and the final reason the projectile stopped. Version 1.3 expands it into a detailed ballistic forensic view with physically ordered event selection, projectile condition and energy accounting, resolved material/embed depth, prominent damage reporting and a world-space spatial reconstruction of the shot through air, anatomy, water and structural materials. Selected contacts can expose the local surface normal, projectile velocity and body axis, while terminal native rigid-body motion can remain attached to the reconstructed path. Buckshot pellets and all 45 Birdshot carrier lineages can be reconstructed individually instead of collapsing the shell into one representative trajectory.[/font]

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9607/9607-1786706933-1996833423.jpg[/img]
[font=Arial]
Player and NPC trajectories can be visualised, while controlled projectile collision scenarios can be reproduced in slow motion.

An optional experimental [b][color=#E8E1D4]Bullet Camera[/color][/b] follows the exact physical projectile until it terminates. Press [b]Space[/b] to return to Arthur.
[b][color=#980000]Become the bullet.[/color][/b][/font]

[center][youtube]3JOqw6dBzyU[/youtube][/center]

[font=Arial][b][color=#c9954a]Press F2 to cycle the Ballistics Assistant between Off, Basic and Full.[/color][/b]
A brief top-centre confirmation is shown whenever F2 is pressed, regardless of whether Precision Focus is currently active.

The Assistant is available during [b]Precision Focus[/b] and during [b]first person ADS[/b], including scoped first person aiming. It displays range, predicted flight time, drop, wind drift, impact energy and dispersion.

There are two modes: Basic and Full. Basic provides the information needed to determine where to aim. Full mode also evaluates target motion and the predicted anatomical path of the current solution. It does not aim the weapon or fire for you, but shows where the projectile is currently predicted to pass relative to the target.[/font]

[center][youtube]jdWxekcQniI[/youtube][/center]

[font=Arial][b][color=#C9954A]◆ MECHANICAL SIGHT ZEROING[/color][/b]
Version 1.3 adds mechanical elevation zeroing and horizontal windage for scoped sights and proper first person ADS with improved iron sights. Elevation moves in 5 metre steps, each supported weapon and sight remembers its setting, and the adjustment changes the same sight-relative departure authority used by the physical projectile and Ballistics Assistant rather than merely shifting a HUD marker. The default controls are [b]T / Z[/b] for elevation and [b]G / H[/b] for windage. Sight information briefly presents clearly after an adjustment and then remains as a very dim reference. Zeroing remains functional even when the Aiming UI is hidden.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]◆ FIELD ESTIMATE[/color][/b]
Press [b]C[/b] while ADS with a firearm to request an intentionally approximate 12 second native RDR2 shot estimate. It reports approximate range, left or right crosswind relative to the current aim line, the current gun and ammunition flight time at that estimated range, and a simple drift rate calculated as [b]shown crosswind × 0.20[/b]. Flight time uses the same APS exterior physics and current projectile, weapon condition, ammunition, atmosphere and platform motion, then rounds to 0.1 seconds.

The remaining field calculation is deliberately simple: [b]drift rate × flight time ≈ hold distance opposite the wind[/b]. If the centre ray is genuinely passing through a human or animal, biological ranging uses that entity’s location instead of allowing the world trace to continue to a distant surface behind it. There is no cooldown; pressing C again replaces the current estimate and restarts the 12 second display. Imperial mode uses yards, mph and ft/s with the same rate × seconds logic.

The intention of these tools is to provide the information needed to learn and use a system in which consistent hits are significantly more demanding than in vanilla RDR2, especially over distance.[/font]

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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]CONFIGURATION[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Realistic Ballistics works immediately with carefully calibrated defaults. Configuration is optional.

Dashboard changes are live session overrides until [b]Save Current Settings to INI[/b] is explicitly selected. The first dashboard save of a session creates a safety backup and the saved values immediately become the new reset baseline. Existing INI files remain authoritative and are never silently overwritten.[/font]

[spoiler]
[center][font=Arial][b][color=#C9954A]PUBLIC 1.3 INI REFERENCE[/color][/b][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
The generated INI is fully commented and created only when no existing configuration is found. Version 1.3 recognises supported historical defaults and migration cases in memory where required without overwriting user customisations.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]General[/color][/b]
Master mod switch
NPC physical ballistics

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Compatibility[/color][/b]
Automatic standalone Tommy Gun or legacy Springfield replacement detection
Optional Springfield replacement override
Tommy Gun cyclic rate used for automatic fire validation and interface timing

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Controls[/color][/b]
Dashboard key
Ballistics Assistant key
Sight zero down and up keys
Sight windage left and right keys
Field Estimate key
Common key names, VK names, mouse buttons and hexadecimal virtual key codes
OFF can disable supported bindings

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Sight Zeroing[/color][/b]
Mechanical zeroing master switch
Automatic, Always or Off adjustment readout
Short, medium and long scope default zero distances
Per weapon and sight zero memory
5 metre elevation clicks and manual horizontal windage
Independent from Aiming UI master visibility

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Field Estimate[/color][/b]
Master switch
Default key C
Available only while ADS with a supported firearm
Approximate biological-aware range, aim-relative crosswind, current gun and ammunition flight time, and crosswind × 0.20 drift rate
12 second native RDR2 readout with no cooldown

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Ballistics[/color][/b]
Global muzzle velocity multiplier
Wind toggle and strength multiplier
Gravity multiplier
Air resistance multiplier
Ricochet toggle
Penetration toggle
Water ballistics toggle
Rotational ballistics toggle

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Damage[/color][/b]
Global damage multiplier
Damage received by the player
Player damage against human NPCs
NPC, neutral and ownerless damage against human NPCs
Damage against animals
Damage against the player’s horse
All six values can also be overridden temporarily through the dashboard

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Accuracy and Recoil[/color][/b]
Camera or Barrel Aim Authority
Dispersion or Physical Recoil Shot Control
All four Aim Authority and Shot Control combinations
Separate Dispersion Recoil and global Physical Recoil strength multipliers
Per weapon Physical Recoil multipliers from 0 to 200% in 5% steps
Bore Source: Model Bore or Legacy Entity Axis
Transient Bore Filtering
First Person Bore Convergence
Dual Wield Bore Convergence
Live anatomical target colouring for the physical indicator
Physical muzzle to contact guide
Global accuracy multiplier
Movement penalty multiplier
Mounted penalty multiplier
Precision Focus sensitivity reduction
NPC dispersion multiplier
Controller ballistic aim assistance: Off, Standard or Full

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Weapon Bore Tuning[/color][/b]
Per weapon steady state Bore Tuning from 0 to 100% in 5% steps
0% preserves the natural supported bore and 100% applies the complete calibrated correction
The indicator and projectile always use the same resulting axis
Legacy On or Off values from older INIs remain accepted

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Aiming UI[/color][/b]
Custom, Default, Minimal, Full Simulation and Hidden presentation presets
Separate first person and third person Aiming UI master switches including Rockstar’s centre reticle
Synchronized or Depth Tested guide rendering, with Synchronized as the default
Vanilla Crosshair: Automatic, On or Off
Physical Bore Overlay: Automatic, On or Off
Independent first person and third person controls for the accuracy ring, centre reference, bore marker, first contact marker, muzzle guide, Ballistics Assistant marker and readout, hitmarkers and optional Persistent Reticle
Per element visibility, scale, thickness, opacity and colours
Optional linking between first person and third person values

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Visuals[/color][/b]
Physical projectile models
Projectile glow master toggle
Glow size and brightness multipliers
Separate glow filters for shotgun pellets, Birdshot and fragments
Projectile aura master toggle
Aura range, intensity and draw distance
Accuracy ring fallback
Physical muzzle indicator fallback
Projectile collision effects
Spent terminal physical projectiles

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Hitmarkers[/color][/b]
Custom APS hitmarker system toggle
Global hitmarker visibility
Colour metric: Remaining Health or Damage Dealt
Resolution aware size multiplier
Low severity, high severity and outline colours
Remaining health threshold for full severity
Damage threshold for full severity
Distinct confirmed lethal presentation

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Trajectory Display[/color][/b]
Master toggle
Player projectiles
NPC projectiles
Shotgun pellets
Birdshot carriers
Fragments
Optional physical rigid-body handoff path
Line lifetime
Line width
Opacity
Geometric detail
Maximum retained line segments

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Persistent Ballistic Debris[/color][/b]
Persistent coherent terminal projectile bodies
Shared casing and projectile-body object budget
Maximum objects from 64 to 512, with 512 as the default

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Dashboard Presentation[/color][/b]
Automatic or text only background
Top left, top right, bottom left or bottom right anchor
Horizontal and vertical pixel offsets
Explicit Save Current Settings to INI
Reset all settings to the current INI baseline

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Experimental[/color][/b]
Default Bullet Camera state
Homing projectile strength
Experimental features remain disabled by default

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Projectile Physical Profiles[/color][/b]
Version 1.2 adds an advanced physical profile for every supported firearm and dedicated shotgun or mounted gun load
Player facing label
Regular ammunition muzzle velocity
Projectile mass
Projectile diameter
Projectile length
Axial drag coefficient
Projectile class
Nose shape
Base shape
Slug shape where applicable

These values feed the actual physical solver. Projectile length, diameter, class and shape now influence orientation dependent aerodynamic area as well as relevant water, material and biological interaction. The supplied historical defaults are intended for normal play; this section mainly exists for users who want to research and reproduce alternate loadings.

Dedicated profiles are included for ordinary 12 gauge buckshot, Birdshot and slugs, LeMat buckshot, the Repeating Shotgun’s 10 gauge buckshot and slug loads, Gatling ammunition and Maxim ammunition.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Legacy Weapon Muzzle Velocity[/color][/b]
The old per weapon velocity keys remain as backward compatible fallbacks when a matching current projectile profile does not define its own muzzle velocity
Named weapon variants inherit from their base firearm

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Logging[/color][/b]
Off
Basic startup, warning and major event logging
Advanced public shot, Ballistics Assistant and Bullet Camera diagnostics
Startup validation and health reporting for support
Private developer telemetry is not exposed through the public INI[/font][/spoiler]


[center][font=Arial][color=#4A4239]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/color][/font]
[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]REQUIREMENTS AND OPTIONAL ASSETS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]Required[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/1472]ScriptHookRDR2[/url][/b][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.rdr2mods.com/downloads/rdr2/tools/76-lennys-mod-loader-rdr/]Lenny’s Mod Loader[/url][/b][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/3070]Tommy Gun Audio Overhaul[/url][/b] by [b]Oakous[/b][/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]
The main Realistic Ballistics package already installs the complete standalone Tommy Gun. Only the audio file by Oakous must be downloaded separately.[/font]

[font=Arial][b][color=#C9954A]Graphics API[/color][/b]
The mod includes a dedicated Vulkan/DX12 renderer for the dashboard and critical aiming UI. [b]VSync is not required for dashboard text to render correctly.[/b] Version 1.3 further stages renderer initialization to reduce startup stalls. Vulkan remains recommended if DX12 causes problems on your system.[/font]

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Optional additional weapons[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/5304]LITE Multiplayer Asset Enabler[/url][/b][/font][/]
[/list][font=Arial]
LITE is only required for access to the Navy Revolver, LeMat Revolver, Elephant Rifle and custom revolvers that use multiplayer assets. They are all supported.[/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]INSTALLATION[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list=1]
[][font=Arial]Install ScriptHookRDR2 and Lenny’s Mod Loader.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Download the required Tommy Gun Audio Overhaul by Oakous.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Download and unzip the current Realistic Ballistics main file.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Move the supplied Realistic Ballistics files into the RDR2 game folder while preserving the complete folder structure.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Install the separately downloaded Tommy Gun audio file according to the folder instructions supplied with the release.[/font][/]
[/list][font=Arial]
The configuration and log files are created automatically when the game launches.

The Remington Model 8, M1918 BAR and Tommy Gun are already included in the main package. Do not install their original replacement versions on top of Realistic Ballistics.

[b][color=#C9954A]Updating from an earlier version[/color][/b]

Remove the previous Realistic Ballistics LML folder before copying version 1.3 so outdated YMT, catalogue or interface files cannot remain active. Replace the ASI with the new version as well.

Existing INIs remain supported and user edited values stay authoritative. If you are updating from 1.2.1, no INI reset is required. Keeping a backup and allowing the mod to generate a fresh 1.3 INI is recommended only if you want the newest explanations, controls and clean-install defaults. Supported historical defaults and temporary development bindings can be migrated in memory without overwriting customised values.

[b][color=#C9954A]Uninstalling[/color][/b]

Remove the Realistic Ballistics ASI and its corresponding Lenny’s Mod Loader folder. The generated INI and log can also be removed.[/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]COMPATIBILITY[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]Story Mode and missions[/color][/b]

[b][color=#B43A32]Story Mode only. Red Dead Online and RedM are not supported.[/color][/b]

Realistic Ballistics is designed for Story Mode and remains active during free roam and missions. Version 1.2 fixes the fishing rod softlock that could occur during [b]A Fisher of Men[/b]. Version 1.3 also fixes the FULL package catalogue issue that could break the Trapper menu. No confirmed mission-specific incompatibilities are currently known.[/font]
[font=Arial]If any are found I will do my best to fix them as fast as humanly possible.[/font]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]PDO Reloaded[/color][/b]

PDO Reloaded is strongly recommended, but its default firearm damage multipliers are not calibrated for Realistic Ballistics and can reduce the final damage calculated by the physical wound solver.

Use the supplied Realistic Ballistics PDO compatibility INI, which restores supported firearms and all Realistic Ballistics proxy weapon entries to 100% damage delivery.[/font]


[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]Integrated additional firearms[/color][/b]

The Remington Model 8, M1918 BAR and Tommy Gun are supplied as standalone weapons by Realistic Ballistics. Their original replacement mods are not required and should not be installed over the included files.[/font]

[font=Arial][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9607/9607-1785755754-1414355568.jpg[/img]

The separately required Tommy Gun Audio Overhaul by Oakous is the exception. It supplies the external audio asset without replacing the standalone weapon integration.

Legacy Springfield replacement detection remains available for older Tommy Gun setups, but the included standalone weapon is the supported current configuration.[/font]

[center][youtube]ku3jE824f4I[/youtube][/center]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#B43A32]Weapon YMT replacements[/color][/b]

Any mod that replaces one or more of the following files is incompatible:[/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]weapon_pistol_m1899.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_repeater_evans.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_revolver_doubleaction_gambler.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_revolver_lemat.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_revolver_navy.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_rifle_elephant.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_rifle_remington.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_rifle_bar.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapon_rifle_tommy.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]weapons.ymt[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]catalog_sp.ymt[/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]Realistic Ballistics depends on heavily modified versions of these files. Compatibility requires a deliberate merge built around the Realistic Ballistics versions; ordinary load order cannot combine two replacements.

[b][color=#B43A32]Load order does not make two replacements compatible.[/color][/b] Whichever file loads last simply replaces the other one.

Visual, audio, clothing, world and unrelated script mods are generally compatible.[/font]
[font=Arial]

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Left under the vanilla system[/color][/b]

Bows, thrown weapons, melee weapons, tools, lassos, cannons, detached weapon fire and unsupported custom firearms remain vanilla.[/font]

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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]HOW THIS COMPARES[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
Other firearm overhauls pursue different goals. [b]1899 Firearms[/b] focuses on historical weapon identities, exact cartridges and altered inventory rules. [b]Munitions[/b] builds a much larger arsenal through an extensive collection of additional mandatory weapon mods. [b]1899 Ballistics[/b] also introduces physical projectile flight, but with a considerably smaller and more experimental simulation.

[b][color=#C9954A]Realistic Ballistics operates at a fundamentally greater level of technical depth.[/color][/b] It continuously simulates every projectile through external ballistics, materials, water, live anatomical geometry, penetration, energy transfer, ricochets, deformation, fragmentation and subsequent impacts. The same unified system supports the player, NPCs, shotguns, Dead Eye and mounted weapons.

This depth does not come at the cost of accessibility. The complete gameplay package installs as one cohesive mod, requires only ScriptHookRDR2, Lenny’s Mod Loader and the separately downloaded Tommy Gun audio asset, and preserves RDR2’s familiar weapon names, ammunition structure, interface and overall design.

The alternatives have also seen limited recent development. At the time of release, 1899 Firearms has not been updated since April 2023, 1899 Ballistics since March 2025 and Munitions since July 2025.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]So this mod offers: Much more advanced simulation. Minimal prerequisites. Native integration. Deeper gunplay.[/color][/b][/font]

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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]RECOMMENDED MODS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/6635]PDO Reloaded[/url][/b] [color=#B9B0A3]Dying states, injury reactions, bleeding and a much deeper combat aftermath.[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/7289]Banks of the West[/url][/b] [color=#B9B0A3]My other mod. Functional banks, complete bank robberies and a broader money consequence system.[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/2827]Smoking Complete[/url][/b] [color=#B9B0A3]One of the best additions for grounded everyday immersion.[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/1857?tab=description]Disable Horse Holstering[/url][/b] [color=#B9B0A3]Keeps weapon management from fighting the player during mounted travel.[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/1546]LAW[/url][/b] [color=#B9B0A3]A stronger and more believable law response alongside the deadlier firearm system.[/color][/font][/]
[][font=Arial][b][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/822]Ambient Gang[/url][/b] [color=#B9B0A3]More armed encounters and activity across the world.[/color][/font][/]
[/list]

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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#B43A32]TROUBLESHOOTING AND BUG REPORTS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]Before reporting a problem[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Confirm that ScriptHookRDR2 and Lenny’s Mod Loader are current.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Confirm that no other mod replaces the listed weapon or catalogue YMT files.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Use the supplied files without renaming or flattening their folder structure.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Test with the default INI when the issue may be configuration related.[/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]How to report a bug properly[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Set logging to Basic or Advanced and reproduce the issue. Current builds also print startup validation, renderer health and initialization information that can identify missing, conflicting or failed components.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Attach the complete Realistic Ballistics log file.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]State the weapon, ammunition, components, shooter and target.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Describe the approximate range, surface, location or mission and what happened immediately before the issue.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]List other combat, weapon, ammunition and YMT mods.[/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]Include the complete log and reliable reproduction steps. Reports without either are usually impossible to investigate.[/color][/b][/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#B43A32]KNOWN ISSUES[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
No major reproducible gameplay issue is currently known to affect the complete public version 1.3 package. Newly confirmed issues will be listed here.

A short one time hitch can occur shortly after entering the game world. Nonessential weapon and interface initialization is distributed over a staged startup period to reduce the hitch, but the mod still has to initialise several required systems once per session. That work has to happen at some point and cannot be removed completely without leaving required functionality uninitialised.

The three additional firearms use their supplied standalone configurations. Installing the original replacement versions or another mod that overwrites their weapon, catalogue or interface files can break the integration and is not supported.[/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]DETAILED CHANGELOG[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[spoiler]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]1.3.0, August 14th, 2026[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Substantially rebuilt material penetration and terminal projectile physics around one persistent projectile state. Deformation, retained mass, transient yaw, structural and nose integrity and fragmentation now survive successive contacts, while target work, projectile deformation or fracture and fragment energy are resolved explicitly before the surviving core continues.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Expanded local material geometry reconstruction with validated back-face recovery, layered surface handling and physically solved embed depth. When ordinary thickness remains unresolved, an energy-bounded fallback searches only as far as the projectile can physically reach and either recovers a real exit or lodges the projectile at the calculated depth.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added conservative intrinsic shape classification for ambiguous static-world geometry, including high-confidence tree-like structures that do not expose a useful Rockstar material label. Complete physical perforation is now also separated from analytical continuation so resolved exits occur at the real back face.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added persistent coherent terminal projectile bodies. Surviving cores can remain at their solved embed depth or hand off to bounded Rockstar rigid-body motion after low-energy exits and hard stops. Projectile bodies and casings share one strict 512-object FIFO budget.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Greatly expanded the Last Shot Inspector with physically ordered event selection, projectile condition and energy accounting, resolved material and embed depth, prominent damage reporting and world-space reconstruction through air, biological tissue, water and structural materials. Buckshot pellets and all 45 Birdshot carrier lineages can be reconstructed individually.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added mechanical sight zeroing for scoped sights and proper first-person improved iron sights. Elevation adjusts in 5 metre clicks, horizontal windage is independently adjustable, each supported weapon and sight remembers its setting, and sight changes feed the same departure authority used by the physical projectile and Ballistics Assistant. Default controls are T/Z/G/H.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added the Field Estimate shot setup tool. Press C while ADS with a supported firearm for a 12 second native RDR2 estimate of approximate biological-aware range, left/right crosswind, current gun and ammunition flight time and a drift rate equal to shown crosswind × 0.20. There is no cooldown and a new estimate immediately replaces the old one.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added independent first-person and third-person Aiming UI master switches, kept hitmarkers and sight zeroing independent of those masters, added an optional configurable Persistent Reticle and completed a broad Aiming/HUD style and live-preview consistency pass.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added per weapon Physical Recoil multipliers from 0 to 200% beneath the global strength, restored Synchronized as the clean-install muzzle guide default and improved physical recoil input calibration. The Varmint Rifle now defaults to 100% Bore Tuning.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Reworked public trajectory presentation around continuous immutable world-space lines with configurable physical handoff path, lifetime, line width, opacity, geometric detail and segment budget. Last Shot and ambient reconstruction now preserve velocity-aware curves and native rigid-body terminal motion.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Substantially optimized buckshot and Birdshot support work without reducing pellet counts or simplifying trajectory, anatomy, material, water, penetration or ricochet authority.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved kilometre-scale terrain collision reliability across intermittent distant-world streaming and substantially reduced renderer startup stalls by staging Vulkan/DX12 resources and moving expensive font work off the ScriptHook fiber.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added stronger public renderer health diagnostics and fixed a ScriptHook fiber stack overflow that could terminate the gameplay script during startup while the independent renderer continued running.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed the FULL version catalogue issue that could break the Trapper menu.[/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]1.2.1, August 12th, 2026[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Replaced the dashboard, Ballistics Reference and synchronized physical aiming HUD’s critical text path with a dedicated batched GPU renderer that draws directly to the active Vulkan or DX12 backbuffer. The interface is no longer limited by Rockstar frontend text-command budgets and no longer requires VSync for dashboard text to remain visible.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Hardened the new renderer across VSync changes, swapchain recreation and shutdown while improving dashboard typography, low-resolution scaling and measured-width wrapping for descriptions and long Last Shot histories.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added selectable handheld Bore Source authority. Model Bore is now the default and follows usable longitudinal weapon-model bones, while Legacy Entity Axis preserves the previous weapon-entity-forward behaviour.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved First Person Bore Convergence so camera-mode, zoom, scope and FOV transitions immediately rebase the convergence model without carrying stale offsets between views. Transient Bore Filtering is now optional and defaults to Off.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Expanded the Ballistics Assistant to ordinary and scoped first person ADS in addition to Precision Focus. Pressing F2 now always shows a brief top-centre Off, Basic or Full confirmation even when Precision Focus is not active.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Changed the clean-install muzzle guide renderer default to Depth Tested. The synchronized overlay remains available as an option.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved the Last Shot Inspector with fixed bottom navigation and chronological non-contact flight-termination events containing terminal speed, remaining energy and straight-line versus actual travelled distance.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Made biological impact energy target-relative. Closing and retreating target or platform motion now affects the relative impact speed used through tissue, while successful exits are transformed back into correct world-space velocity for continued flight.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved Precision Focus recoil return consistency so its small support-dependent relaxation matches the ordinary ADS physical recoil response more closely without changing the underlying recoil impulse.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Removed unnecessary clearing of shared Rockstar ped damage-history state before APS wound delivery and tightened release-only diagnostic boundaries for cleaner compatibility with other combat and damage scripts.[/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]1.2.0, August 10th, 2026[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Rebuilt handheld Physical Recoil on a firearm and cartridge physics foundation. Recoil now derives from the actual APS projectile payload and velocity, cartridge gas momentum, loaded round mass, historically modelled firearm mass and dimensions, barrel configuration, shooting support, stance and action type.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Changed Physical Recoil into a committed one way player aim response instead of a system that can pull the camera back toward a remembered pre shot point. A restrained support dependent passive return yields immediately to real player look input.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved recoil and natural bore behaviour across first person, sidearms, supported ADS, sustained automatic fire and Precision Focus while preserving physically different weapon and cartridge impulses.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Replaced binary Tuned Bore Stabilization with per weapon Bore Tuning from 0 to 100% in 5% steps. Intermediate values blend only the calibrated steady state bore correction, while the physical indicator and projectile always use the same resulting axis.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Separated Transient Bore Filtering, First Person Bore Convergence and Dual Wield Bore Convergence into independent public controls.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Expanded the aiming UI so Vanilla Crosshair and Physical Bore Overlay can each be Automatic, forced On or forced Off independently of Aim Authority. The master Hidden state now suppresses the complete aiming presentation including Rockstar’s centre reticle.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added independent first person and third person visibility, sizing, thickness, opacity and colour controls for the major aiming UI elements, with optional perspective linking and live dashboard previews.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Made Dead Eye preserve the player’s configured centre reticle presentation instead of unconditionally restoring Rockstar’s dot.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Upgraded rotational ballistics to geometry aware aerodynamics. Projectile length, shape, physical attitude and angle of attack now change projected area, axial versus broadside drag and reduced normal force against the real relative airflow.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added advanced configurable physical projectile profiles for every supported firearm and dedicated shotgun or mounted gun load, including muzzle velocity, mass, diameter, length, drag coefficient, projectile class and shape information plus a display only custom label.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Updated historical default loadings following suggestions by SpardaSon21: Springfield Rifle and Gatling Gun now use .45-70-500, Rolling Block uses .44-90 Remington, Varmint Rifle uses .22 WRF and the Winchester Model 1887 style Repeating Shotgun uses dedicated 10 gauge loads.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added dedicated configurable 10 gauge Repeating Shotgun buckshot, slug and explosive slug physical profiles, including a ten pellet 00 buckshot load.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Replaced short lived shell effects with APS owned persistent physical casing objects using live ejection points, inherited platform motion, rigid body tumble, collision and mechanism informed ejection timing and direction.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Made casing extraction mechanically authoritative. Semi automatic and automatic weapons eject immediately, while lever, bolt, pump, break action and revolver systems retain and release spent cases according to the appropriate cycling or reload phase.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added family appropriate casing silhouettes and detailed per weapon ejection calibration. Gatling and Maxim guns now also emit persistent physical cases from their receiver or ejector areas.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Expanded the casing pool to a bounded 512 objects with moving case physics, sustained rest retirement and safeguards for cases resting on moving supports.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed repeaters losing or incorrectly ejecting the final spent case during per round reloads, prevented zero loaded attack spam from creating extraction, and corrected several bolt, pump, break action and reload phase edge cases.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved the physical muzzle to contact guide with a distance aware start offset so the presentation no longer begins directly at the muzzle while the actual physical contact endpoint remains unchanged.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Closed hitmarker coverage gaps for direct authoritative APS damage so accepted physical contacts receive consistent feedback across the supported damage delivery paths.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Rebuilt dashboard discoverability with multi word Search, direct tool results, breadcrumbs, improved Recently Changed navigation and a Quick Selection focused on commonly used gameplay controls.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Promoted Ballistics Reference and Session Statistics to first class Home destinations, restored useful session telemetry and improved the dashboard’s alignment, selection geometry, descriptions and right aligned value presentation.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added explicit dashboard persistence through Save Current Settings to INI, including a safety backup before the first save of a session, unsaved state markers and reset to the current INI baseline.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved first use renderer and interface readiness so the dashboard, weapon panels, physical aiming presentation and Ballistics Reference only consume fully initialised renderer resources.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed the printed catalogue individual weapon view falling back to the two page catalogue layout during item navigation and improved live counter weapon identity handling.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added a two phase public startup validation and health report with clearer support logging for missing, conflicting or failed initialization paths.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Reduced the one time hitch shortly after entering the game world by staging nonessential weapon UI, glyph, texture and renderer initialization. A small startup hitch can still occur because required systems must be initialised once per session.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved human wound delivery reliability when Rockstar reports zero health change for a physically proven APS hit. The system can now reconstruct the accepted entry and true exit wound presentation before reconciling any remaining damage shortfall, with safeguards against delayed double damage.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Integrated live Rockstar rope geometry into aiming and first contact resolution so the physical bore and camera intent can resolve actual rope segments before native rope breaking handles the final response.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed the custom weapon wheel geometry and glyph aspect on ultrawide displays while preserving the intended 16:9 presentation.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed identical dual sidearms sharing condition information in the weapon wheel. Primary and offhand copies are now resolved by physical weapon instance and attach identity instead of weapon hash alone.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed an issue that could cause Birdshot to remain incendiary.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed an issue that could softlock the fishing rod during [b]A Fisher of Men[/b].[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed the equipment set structure in catalog_sp.ymt by merging all custom firearm parts into the proper shared catalogue structure.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Streamlined and standardised the gun part configuration for all custom weapons added by the mod.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed Tommy Gun customization. The Tommy Gun now comes rifled by default and cannot be customised, matching its fixed in game model.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Applied the same fixed configuration to the M1918 BAR. It now comes rifled by default and is non customizable.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed missing firearm audio for Granger’s Revolver by restoring its intended Cattleman Revolver audio.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Prevented internal ballistic proxy weapons from being selected as regular NPC loadout weapons.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Prevented the Tommy Gun, BAR and Remington Model 8 from being assigned through generic NPC weapon category selection.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed cases where NPCs could spawn without a usable visible firearm and fall back to charging with a knife.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Fixed unintended random BAR assignments to NPCs.[/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]1.1.0, August 3rd, 2026[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Added the Remington Model 8, M1918 BAR and Tommy Gun as fully integrated standalone firearms included with the main package. All three receive dedicated ballistics, ammunition, handling, recoil, catalogue, gunsmith, weapon wheel and dashboard support.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added .35 Remington ballistics for the Model 8, .30-06 M1906 ballistics and a 20 round 500 RPM profile for the BAR, and .45 ACP ballistics with a 50 round 800 RPM profile for the Tommy Gun.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Selected eligible NPCs can now occasionally carry the Tommy Gun and use distance appropriate automatic or burst fire.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added independent Aim Authority and Recoil Model settings. Camera or Barrel authority can be combined with either Dispersion or Physical Recoil.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added the complete Barrel Aim presentation with physical bore direction, first contact indication, a depth tested muzzle guide, living target colour feedback, obstruction awareness and weapon readiness feedback.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added weapon and stance specific Physical Recoil for handheld firearms, Gatling guns and Maxim guns, with separate standing ADS, crouched ADS, hip fire and mounted behaviour.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added per weapon Tuned Bore Stabilization and a class grouped dashboard list for controlling it.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added a custom physical hitmarker system for humans and animals with configurable colour interpretation, size and distinct confirmed lethal presentation.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Substantially rebuilt human anatomical hit registration. Head, face, chest, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, pelvis, legs and feet now receive more detailed live pose coverage with fewer false gaps and false contacts.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved multiregion biological penetration so ordered anatomical traversal, genuine internal air gaps, entry and exit wounds, energy loss and regional severity remain physically consistent.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Completely rebuilt the Ballistics Reference into a searchable and filterable full screen database covering every weapon, ammunition and component configuration.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Expanded the Ballistics Reference to five managed pinned configurations, reversible sorting, detailed comparison pages, 50, 100 and 250 metre trajectory data, standard and current world conditions, automatic metric or imperial presentation and CSV export.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Expanded the dashboard with dedicated Aim and Recoil, Damage Multipliers and Visuals pages, visible session overrides and page or global reset to the original INI values.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Expanded public visual controls for projectile glow, aura, projectile class filters, the accuracy ring, muzzle indicator, collision effects and spent physical projectiles.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved the Last Shot Inspector with clearer entry and exit events, ordered biological paths, material breach presentation and straight line versus travelled distance information.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Corrected NPC Gatling and Maxim firing direction and expanded player mounted gun aiming and recoil support.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved Birdshot stability and balanced its effectiveness by animal size while preserving its intended role against birds and small game.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved material classification and physical response for open metal structures, foliage and bark, loose wood, coal, railings, paint cans and several shoot through helper materials.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Added optional experimental homing strength for ordinary projectiles, shotgun loads, fragments and player operated mounted guns. It remains disabled by default.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved catalogue, gunsmith and weapon wheel presentation, persistence and new weapon identity handling.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Improved fixed HUD scaling for wider aspect ratios, dashboard input ownership and general interface readability.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Reformatted and expanded the generated public INI with complete 1.1 explanations and cleaner grouping of related settings.[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Consolidated the Lenny’s Mod Loader package structure and completed broad stability and compatibility improvements.[/font][/]
[/list]
[font=Arial]
[b][color=#C9954A]1.0.0, July 26th, 2026[/color][/b][/font]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Initial public release.[/font][/]
[/list][/spoiler]


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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#E8E1D4]FUTURE PLANS[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[list]
[][font=Arial]Continued refinement, calibration and performance optimisation[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Bug fixes and compatibility improvements[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Additional language support based on community demand[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Community-requested features that fit the physical and vanilla-style direction of the mod[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Further optional experimental features that remain separate from the default realistic experience[/font][/]
[][font=Arial]Additional standalone firearm integrations where permissions, asset quality and compatibility allow them to meet the same standard as the Model 8, BAR and Tommy Gun[/font][/]
[/list]

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[font=Georgia][size=4][b][color=#C9954A]CREDITS, PERMISSIONS AND SUPPORT[/color][/b][/size][/font][/center]

[font=Arial]
[b][color=#E8E1D4]Development[/color][/b]
Created and maintained by [b]tripleXdemN[/b].

Thanks to everyone who helps test the project and reports bugs.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Historical research and suggestions[/color][/b]

[b]SpardaSon21[/b] for the historical cartridge suggestions that led to the version 1.2 Springfield, Rolling Block, Varmint, Gatling and Repeating Shotgun profile revisions.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Stability and compatibility[/color][/b]

[b]Syyyke[/b] for the [b]gameconfig.xml[/b] and [b]propscenarios.meta[/b] files from RDR2 Spawns Fix, included to improve stability and prevent FFFFF crashes with the expanded weapon package.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/5495][color=#C9954A]Check out Syyyke's RDR2 Spawns Fix[/color][/url]

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Additional weapon models and assets[/color][/b]

[b]LeBakou[/b] for the original Chicago Typewriter Tommy Gun model and weapon assets. Full credit for the visual foundation of the integrated standalone Tommy Gun.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/3069][color=#C9954A]Check out The Chicago Typewriter --- Tommygun[/color][/url]

[b]BigAssWipe[/b] for the Tommy Gun tweaks, inventory icon and catalogue and store presentation assets used by the integrated weapon.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/3503][color=#C9954A]Check out Tommy Gun Tweaks[/color][/url]

[b]MrSweedgaming2[/b] for the original Remington Model 8 model and weapon assets used by the integrated standalone rifle.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/4216][color=#C9954A]Check out Remington Model 8 Autoloading Rifle[/color][/url]

[b]John Tanner[/b] for the M1918 BAR model files.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Audio[/color][/b]

[b]PabloNachoRamirez[/b] for the Remington Model 8 audio used by the integrated rifle.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/4326][color=#C9954A]Check out Remington Autoloading Rifle Sounds[/color][/url]

[b]Oakous[/b] for the Tommy Gun Audio Overhaul. This file is required as a separate download and is not redistributed with Realistic Ballistics.
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/reddeadredemption2/mods/3070][color=#C9954A]Download Tommy Gun Audio Overhaul[/color][/url]

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Permissions[/color][/b]
Please follow the permissions shown on the Nexus Mods page. Do not reupload, redistribute, sell or include this mod in another package unless explicit permission has been given.

The additional weapon models, interface assets and audio remain the work of their respective authors. Their inclusion in or use alongside Realistic Ballistics does not transfer ownership or redistribution rights.

Compatibility patches and merged files must preserve the Realistic Ballistics requirements and should be discussed with me before public distribution.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Suggestions[/color][/b]
Suggestions are welcome when they fit the physical, historical and vanilla style direction of the mod. Leave a detailed comment or send me a message.

[b][color=#E8E1D4]Support my work[/color][/b]
If you enjoy Realistic Ballistics and would like to motivate me to spend many more hours researching, testing and expanding it, you can support my work [url=https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=EXFA62STLKSR2][b][i]here[/i][/b][/url] or through the [b][i]Donations[/i][/b] button at the top of the page.

This is not required in any way. It may help speed up future updates tho ;)[/font]


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[font=Georgia][size=5][b][color=#E8E1D4]EVERY SHOT IS PHYSICAL.[/color][/b][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][b][color=#C9954A]Thank you very much and enjoy the mod![/color][/b][/font]

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