Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder Review
Now that my two profiles were loaded onto the KILO 2400 I cycled through the features I mentioned above on the rangefinder to get to the Select Ballistic Profile screen and I selected PRO2. Now that a profile was selected, the rangefinder gave me several other features to select. They are listed in order here:
Notice that the choice of MOA or MIL is made on the KILO 2400 rather than on your phone when creating each profile. I personally use MOA for everything so my KILO 2400 will always remain in MOA mode. For those who use MOA for some applications and MIL for others, they will have to remember to check and/or change the MOA/MIL setting on the KILO 2400 when they change profiles.
After making the above selections my KILO 2400 was now fully programmed and ready to go. The only onboard features that I anticipate adjusting in the field are changing Target Mode and selecting a different Profile. I doubt I'll ever touch the others.
The concept for the ballistic calculation for a wind hold is the same as the G7 BR2. You save a standard wind direction and speed and when ranging a target the calculator tells you how much you would hold for that exact wind at the ranged distance. The wind hold is given in MOA or MIL.
From there you do some simple math in your head to adjust for the actual wind value. For example, I chose to set the KILO 2400 to 10 MPH and a 9:00 direction. When it's time to shoot, if I conclude that the real wind value is equivalent to a 5 MPH crosswind, then I would use half of the correction the KILO gives me.
Another way to handle your wind call if you have enough time and you have your phone with you is to enter an exact wind speed and direction into the app and sync it to the rangefinder. I'll get into that more later.
One feature that the G7 BR2 offers that the KILO 2400 does not is the option to have your ballistic solution given as the number you would dial to on a custom yardage turret (BDC) rather than MOA or MIL. For those who want to use a custom yardage turret with the KILO 2400 they would also need MOA or MIL numbers on the same turret. Or they could tape a chart to their stock or in their flip-up scope cap showing how the yards on their turret correspond to MOA or MIL. Then if the KILO 2400 said they needed to dial to 7 MOA they could look at that chart and see that 7 MOA corresponds to x yards on their turret.
To range a target and get a ballistic solution you simply push the RANGE button. The first number that appears in the rangefinder is line of sight distance followed 2 seconds later by your elevation holdover and 2 seconds later by your wind hold. The KILO 2400 will continue to cycle through the three numbers every 2 seconds for 30 seconds.
In addition to creating and editing ballistic profiles, the KILO 2400 ABS app has several other main functions which can be accessed within the following four main screens.
HUD - When synced to the KILO 2400 via Bluetooth, the Heads Up Display screen in the app displays real-time information from the rangefinder including the line of sight range, elevation holdover and wind hold. It also displays temperature, pressure, density altitude, energy at target and velocity at target. You can also enter a specific wind speed on this screen and quickly sync it to the KILO 2400.
One other cool feature on this screen is the opportunity to remotely fire the rangefinder. I played around with this a little bit when I had the KILO 2400 mounted on a tripod and I was trying to get the absolute farthest range I could. By firing the rangefinder remotely there was absolutely no wiggle from pressing the RANGE button on the rangefinder. I wasn't able to determine definitively if it helped, but I like the concept.
GUN PROFILES - As mentioned above, this is the screen where you create and manage your ballistic profiles. There are two additional functions here as well. You can calibrate your muzzle velocity so that it automatically adjusts based on temperature by entering measured data into a table. And you can "calibrate" your ballistics, which is similar to the concept of "trueing" your ballistics to match the actual drop data recorded in the real world.
There are enough variables that go into ballistic calculations that it is always recommended that you shoot at different ranges and record the actual drops in the real world, then go back and true or calibrate your ballistic program so that it matches what's really happening. Typically the muzzle velocity or BC is changed slightly until the ballistic solution matches as closely as possible to the recorded drops. Applied Ballistics uses a more complex system to calibrate. Here is how AB describes it:
Sometimes it's not possible to accurately determine all the variables required to calculate an exact ballistic solution. As a result, the Point Of Impact (POI) predicted by the program can be a little different from where the actual bullet hits in the real world. One of the more powerful features of the Sig Kilo 2400 Device is the Drop Scale Factor (DSF). A user can calibrate the program based on real world observed drop data at range by inputting pairs of observed range/drop data. This is also how you correct for scope turret errors. While it may seem simple, behind the scenes complex calculations are doing more than just adjusting muzzle velocity. The trajectory is being trued.
ENVIRONMENT - This is the screen where you can quickly enter a specific wind speed and direction and sync it to the KILO 2400 rather than relying on the standard wind speed and direction that you entered in the KILO 2400 when setting it up.
You can also plug the included WeatherFlow wind meter into your phone and the app will show the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. You can sync the app to the KILO 2400 and whenever a range measurement is taken the wind solution will be based on the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. The instructions mention that not all smartphones are compatible with the WeatherFlow. The iPhone 7, for example, has no audio jack to plug the WeatherFlow into.
TARGET - This screen is used to calculate a ballistic solution for moving targets.
Final Thoughts On KILO 2400 Ballistic Calculation, KILO 2400 ABS App, Features and Operation
The array of on-board sensors along with the built in Applied Ballistics solver mean that the KILO 2400 is capable of providing an instant and very accurate ballistic solution including wind hold with the push of a single button out to very long range. As a long range hunter this is exactly what I want. I have not had much time to compare the ballistic solution results from the KILO 2400 to my other systems which have already been verified in the real world but I expect the AB software to work perfectly for me. Like any system, I plan to verify the ballistics from the KILO and I know that I may have to do some slight trueing or calibrating to ensure that it matches up with my real world drops.
Cycling through the menu and making changes to the settings on the KILO 2400 rangefinder is fast, simple and intuitive. The options are easy to read and understand.
The ability to work right in an app on my phone for things like creating and editing ballistic profiles and for calibrating my dope is slick. I don't anticipate using the Heads Up Display or many of the other features in the app on my phone in the field much, but I'm sure some folks will find those feature very useful. I will probably always use the KILO 2400 as a single stand-alone unit when hunting with no need for my phone.
The only slight complaints I can think of are the fact that the profiles are named PRO1, PRO2, etc. on the KILO 2400 rather than having a more meaningful, recognizable name. I may have to have a small sticker on the rangefinder to remind me which profile goes with which gun. I also think that I'd prefer to adjust the KILO 2400's display sleep time right on the rangefinder rather than in the app. Some people will be disappointed that the KILO does not offer a BDC ballistic solution to match their custom yardage turret. This is not a big deal to me personally. Some would most likely prefer that the choice of MOA/MIL be made in the app rather than on the rangefinder. I do not care at all.
KILO 2400 Review - Optics, Laser and Field Review
I had just received the KILO 2400 earlier in the day and did not plan to start testing it until the next day. As I drove along the two lane highway through some light snow that had just begun falling, I thought to myself that I've had trouble ranging with many different rangefinders in similar light blowing snow. I quickly checked the forecast on my phone and noted that this snow was not going to last long, and the next few days would have clear skies.
If I wanted to see how the KILO 2400 would perform in light blowing snow it was now or never. I pulled over and ranged some trees in the distance with the KILO 2400 freehand out my window. The farthest tree I was able to range was 1193 yards. I happened to have my G7 BR2 with me also and I tried it on the same tree. It would not range. The farthest the G7 BR2 would range in the blowing snow was around 800 yards. I was impressed with the KILO 2400 so far. I was able to snap a picture with my phone (below).
The next day I headed to the White River Marsh Wildlife Area in central Wisconsin about 45 minutes from my home. I brought along the KILO 2400, my G7 BR2 rangefinder and a pair of Swarovski EL Range binoculars. The first place I stopped overlooked a large marsh and it was early afternoon. I stepped out of my truck and began ranging various trees and bushes with the KILO 2400.
The very first thing I noticed was how lightning quick the range displays on the KILO after pushing the RANGE button. It's pretty much instant, even at very long range. I also noticed that the scan mode is amazing. As I scanned around the marsh the range numbers changed extremely fast. I've used scan modes on shorter range rangefinders for archery hunting in the past, but have not used them much for long range work because of the slow nature of the scan on other long range rangefinders I've tried in the past, including the G7 BR2. The KILO's scan mode is so quick and sharp it is actually fun to use. It also made me feel very confident that I knew exactly what was being ranged. With a quick scan I immediately knew if I was picking up anything closer or farther away than my intended target.
The next thing I noticed was the KILO's reticle. I preferred to use the reticle consisting of the lone circle in the center. I do not personally have a use for the two options featuring MIL hash marks. The reticle is just the right thickness in my opinion. It is similar to the thickness of the EL Range's reticle but the KILO's reticle appears sharper and a deeper, richer color to my eye compared to the EL Range. The reticle on the G7 BR2 is rectangular and the lines are much thicker on the G7 BR2 than the KILO 2400, meaning that more of the target is obscured by the G7 BR2's reticle. Of the three units I tested that day, the reticle on the KILO 2400 was the best in my opinion.
I had been asked by several people to test how well the laser beam matches up with the circular reticle on the KILO 2400. I tested this by slowly scanning the reticle up to the side of trees and noting how close the edge of the circle was to the edge of the tree when the range displayed. I spent quite a bit of time on this on many different trees and the range always displayed just as the circle touched the edge of the tree.
I also picked a small gap in some tree branches about 150 yards in front of me and successfully ranged a tree in the distance at 523 yards. The gap that I was aiming through was just larger than the circular reticle. If the laser was any larger than the circle it would have picked up the close branches rather than the 523 yard tree. As far as I can tell the laser is perfectly matched to the circular reticle.
Next I wanted to compare how well the three rangefinders would pick up the big tree out in the middle of the marsh while being held freehand. It was quite bright out that day with only a few wispy clouds and a fair amount of snow on the ground. I knew from past experience that bright mid-day conditions like this can be some of the most challenging for rangefinders.
All three rangefinders ranged the tree easily at 995 yards but the KILO 2400 did something interesting. While aiming the KILO at the big tree I must have been slightly off target to the side when I first touched the RANGE button and I caught a glimpse of a much larger number than 995 yards before it settled on the 995 yard range.
Then I held down the RANGE button and scanned the tree line way behind the big tree. The KILO picked up a large evergreen in the tree line at 1547 yards. The evergreen was visible just to the left of the big tree's trunk. Some of the large tree's low branches obscured the evergreen.
I tried scanning across the evergreen several more times and the KILO picked it up every time. Then I tried hitting the evergreen with a single pulse aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches several times and was not able to get a reading. Next I rested the KILO on top of my open truck door and was able to range it with individual pulses aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches. The KILO would not range anything else in the tree line, but it did very well on the evergreen.
Next I tried the G7 BR2 and the EL Range to see how they would do on the tree line and the evergreen. I was never able to pick up anything, including the evergreen, with either rangefinder. I tried scan mode as well as individual pulses and I rested them on the truck door with no success. So far the KILO 2400 was the top performer.
Ranging the tree at 995 yards gave me a good opportunity to see how the ballistic holdover and wind solutions display in the KILO 2400. After hitting the RANGE button (or after letting go of the RANGE button while using the scan mode) the line of sight range is displayed for two seconds followed by the holdover for two seconds followed by the wind hold for two seconds. It continues to cycle through the three numbers for 30 seconds (unless the display timeout is set for a shorter duration). I was pleased with this configuration. I think it will work well for me in hunting situations.
I also took a look at how the KILO 2400 can sync to the ballistic app on my phone and display its reading on the Heads Up Display screen. It was pretty cool to fire the rangefinder and watch all the data instantly show up on my phone. If I had wanted to I could have entered a specific wind speed and/or direction right there on my phone, synced it to the rangefinder and gotten a specific wind hold instead of the standard hold based on my preset 10 mph, 9:00 wind.
- Wind Direction - Based on a clock face - 9:00 for example.
- Wind Speed Unit of Measure - Miles per Hour or Meters per Second.
- Wind Speed - From 1 to 40
- Holdover Unit of Measure - MOA or MIL
Notice that the choice of MOA or MIL is made on the KILO 2400 rather than on your phone when creating each profile. I personally use MOA for everything so my KILO 2400 will always remain in MOA mode. For those who use MOA for some applications and MIL for others, they will have to remember to check and/or change the MOA/MIL setting on the KILO 2400 when they change profiles.
After making the above selections my KILO 2400 was now fully programmed and ready to go. The only onboard features that I anticipate adjusting in the field are changing Target Mode and selecting a different Profile. I doubt I'll ever touch the others.
The concept for the ballistic calculation for a wind hold is the same as the G7 BR2. You save a standard wind direction and speed and when ranging a target the calculator tells you how much you would hold for that exact wind at the ranged distance. The wind hold is given in MOA or MIL.
From there you do some simple math in your head to adjust for the actual wind value. For example, I chose to set the KILO 2400 to 10 MPH and a 9:00 direction. When it's time to shoot, if I conclude that the real wind value is equivalent to a 5 MPH crosswind, then I would use half of the correction the KILO gives me.
Another way to handle your wind call if you have enough time and you have your phone with you is to enter an exact wind speed and direction into the app and sync it to the rangefinder. I'll get into that more later.
One feature that the G7 BR2 offers that the KILO 2400 does not is the option to have your ballistic solution given as the number you would dial to on a custom yardage turret (BDC) rather than MOA or MIL. For those who want to use a custom yardage turret with the KILO 2400 they would also need MOA or MIL numbers on the same turret. Or they could tape a chart to their stock or in their flip-up scope cap showing how the yards on their turret correspond to MOA or MIL. Then if the KILO 2400 said they needed to dial to 7 MOA they could look at that chart and see that 7 MOA corresponds to x yards on their turret.
To range a target and get a ballistic solution you simply push the RANGE button. The first number that appears in the rangefinder is line of sight distance followed 2 seconds later by your elevation holdover and 2 seconds later by your wind hold. The KILO 2400 will continue to cycle through the three numbers every 2 seconds for 30 seconds.
In addition to creating and editing ballistic profiles, the KILO 2400 ABS app has several other main functions which can be accessed within the following four main screens.
HUD - When synced to the KILO 2400 via Bluetooth, the Heads Up Display screen in the app displays real-time information from the rangefinder including the line of sight range, elevation holdover and wind hold. It also displays temperature, pressure, density altitude, energy at target and velocity at target. You can also enter a specific wind speed on this screen and quickly sync it to the KILO 2400.
One other cool feature on this screen is the opportunity to remotely fire the rangefinder. I played around with this a little bit when I had the KILO 2400 mounted on a tripod and I was trying to get the absolute farthest range I could. By firing the rangefinder remotely there was absolutely no wiggle from pressing the RANGE button on the rangefinder. I wasn't able to determine definitively if it helped, but I like the concept.
GUN PROFILES - As mentioned above, this is the screen where you create and manage your ballistic profiles. There are two additional functions here as well. You can calibrate your muzzle velocity so that it automatically adjusts based on temperature by entering measured data into a table. And you can "calibrate" your ballistics, which is similar to the concept of "trueing" your ballistics to match the actual drop data recorded in the real world.
There are enough variables that go into ballistic calculations that it is always recommended that you shoot at different ranges and record the actual drops in the real world, then go back and true or calibrate your ballistic program so that it matches what's really happening. Typically the muzzle velocity or BC is changed slightly until the ballistic solution matches as closely as possible to the recorded drops. Applied Ballistics uses a more complex system to calibrate. Here is how AB describes it:
Sometimes it's not possible to accurately determine all the variables required to calculate an exact ballistic solution. As a result, the Point Of Impact (POI) predicted by the program can be a little different from where the actual bullet hits in the real world. One of the more powerful features of the Sig Kilo 2400 Device is the Drop Scale Factor (DSF). A user can calibrate the program based on real world observed drop data at range by inputting pairs of observed range/drop data. This is also how you correct for scope turret errors. While it may seem simple, behind the scenes complex calculations are doing more than just adjusting muzzle velocity. The trajectory is being trued.
ENVIRONMENT - This is the screen where you can quickly enter a specific wind speed and direction and sync it to the KILO 2400 rather than relying on the standard wind speed and direction that you entered in the KILO 2400 when setting it up.
You can also plug the included WeatherFlow wind meter into your phone and the app will show the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. You can sync the app to the KILO 2400 and whenever a range measurement is taken the wind solution will be based on the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. The instructions mention that not all smartphones are compatible with the WeatherFlow. The iPhone 7, for example, has no audio jack to plug the WeatherFlow into.
TARGET - This screen is used to calculate a ballistic solution for moving targets.
Final Thoughts On KILO 2400 Ballistic Calculation, KILO 2400 ABS App, Features and Operation
The array of on-board sensors along with the built in Applied Ballistics solver mean that the KILO 2400 is capable of providing an instant and very accurate ballistic solution including wind hold with the push of a single button out to very long range. As a long range hunter this is exactly what I want. I have not had much time to compare the ballistic solution results from the KILO 2400 to my other systems which have already been verified in the real world but I expect the AB software to work perfectly for me. Like any system, I plan to verify the ballistics from the KILO and I know that I may have to do some slight trueing or calibrating to ensure that it matches up with my real world drops.
Cycling through the menu and making changes to the settings on the KILO 2400 rangefinder is fast, simple and intuitive. The options are easy to read and understand.
The ability to work right in an app on my phone for things like creating and editing ballistic profiles and for calibrating my dope is slick. I don't anticipate using the Heads Up Display or many of the other features in the app on my phone in the field much, but I'm sure some folks will find those feature very useful. I will probably always use the KILO 2400 as a single stand-alone unit when hunting with no need for my phone.
The only slight complaints I can think of are the fact that the profiles are named PRO1, PRO2, etc. on the KILO 2400 rather than having a more meaningful, recognizable name. I may have to have a small sticker on the rangefinder to remind me which profile goes with which gun. I also think that I'd prefer to adjust the KILO 2400's display sleep time right on the rangefinder rather than in the app. Some people will be disappointed that the KILO does not offer a BDC ballistic solution to match their custom yardage turret. This is not a big deal to me personally. Some would most likely prefer that the choice of MOA/MIL be made in the app rather than on the rangefinder. I do not care at all.
KILO 2400 Review - Optics, Laser and Field Review
I had just received the KILO 2400 earlier in the day and did not plan to start testing it until the next day. As I drove along the two lane highway through some light snow that had just begun falling, I thought to myself that I've had trouble ranging with many different rangefinders in similar light blowing snow. I quickly checked the forecast on my phone and noted that this snow was not going to last long, and the next few days would have clear skies.
If I wanted to see how the KILO 2400 would perform in light blowing snow it was now or never. I pulled over and ranged some trees in the distance with the KILO 2400 freehand out my window. The farthest tree I was able to range was 1193 yards. I happened to have my G7 BR2 with me also and I tried it on the same tree. It would not range. The farthest the G7 BR2 would range in the blowing snow was around 800 yards. I was impressed with the KILO 2400 so far. I was able to snap a picture with my phone (below).
The next day I headed to the White River Marsh Wildlife Area in central Wisconsin about 45 minutes from my home. I brought along the KILO 2400, my G7 BR2 rangefinder and a pair of Swarovski EL Range binoculars. The first place I stopped overlooked a large marsh and it was early afternoon. I stepped out of my truck and began ranging various trees and bushes with the KILO 2400.
The very first thing I noticed was how lightning quick the range displays on the KILO after pushing the RANGE button. It's pretty much instant, even at very long range. I also noticed that the scan mode is amazing. As I scanned around the marsh the range numbers changed extremely fast. I've used scan modes on shorter range rangefinders for archery hunting in the past, but have not used them much for long range work because of the slow nature of the scan on other long range rangefinders I've tried in the past, including the G7 BR2. The KILO's scan mode is so quick and sharp it is actually fun to use. It also made me feel very confident that I knew exactly what was being ranged. With a quick scan I immediately knew if I was picking up anything closer or farther away than my intended target.
The next thing I noticed was the KILO's reticle. I preferred to use the reticle consisting of the lone circle in the center. I do not personally have a use for the two options featuring MIL hash marks. The reticle is just the right thickness in my opinion. It is similar to the thickness of the EL Range's reticle but the KILO's reticle appears sharper and a deeper, richer color to my eye compared to the EL Range. The reticle on the G7 BR2 is rectangular and the lines are much thicker on the G7 BR2 than the KILO 2400, meaning that more of the target is obscured by the G7 BR2's reticle. Of the three units I tested that day, the reticle on the KILO 2400 was the best in my opinion.
I had been asked by several people to test how well the laser beam matches up with the circular reticle on the KILO 2400. I tested this by slowly scanning the reticle up to the side of trees and noting how close the edge of the circle was to the edge of the tree when the range displayed. I spent quite a bit of time on this on many different trees and the range always displayed just as the circle touched the edge of the tree.
I also picked a small gap in some tree branches about 150 yards in front of me and successfully ranged a tree in the distance at 523 yards. The gap that I was aiming through was just larger than the circular reticle. If the laser was any larger than the circle it would have picked up the close branches rather than the 523 yard tree. As far as I can tell the laser is perfectly matched to the circular reticle.
Next I wanted to compare how well the three rangefinders would pick up the big tree out in the middle of the marsh while being held freehand. It was quite bright out that day with only a few wispy clouds and a fair amount of snow on the ground. I knew from past experience that bright mid-day conditions like this can be some of the most challenging for rangefinders.
All three rangefinders ranged the tree easily at 995 yards but the KILO 2400 did something interesting. While aiming the KILO at the big tree I must have been slightly off target to the side when I first touched the RANGE button and I caught a glimpse of a much larger number than 995 yards before it settled on the 995 yard range.
Then I held down the RANGE button and scanned the tree line way behind the big tree. The KILO picked up a large evergreen in the tree line at 1547 yards. The evergreen was visible just to the left of the big tree's trunk. Some of the large tree's low branches obscured the evergreen.
I tried scanning across the evergreen several more times and the KILO picked it up every time. Then I tried hitting the evergreen with a single pulse aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches several times and was not able to get a reading. Next I rested the KILO on top of my open truck door and was able to range it with individual pulses aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches. The KILO would not range anything else in the tree line, but it did very well on the evergreen.
Next I tried the G7 BR2 and the EL Range to see how they would do on the tree line and the evergreen. I was never able to pick up anything, including the evergreen, with either rangefinder. I tried scan mode as well as individual pulses and I rested them on the truck door with no success. So far the KILO 2400 was the top performer.
Ranging the tree at 995 yards gave me a good opportunity to see how the ballistic holdover and wind solutions display in the KILO 2400. After hitting the RANGE button (or after letting go of the RANGE button while using the scan mode) the line of sight range is displayed for two seconds followed by the holdover for two seconds followed by the wind hold for two seconds. It continues to cycle through the three numbers for 30 seconds (unless the display timeout is set for a shorter duration). I was pleased with this configuration. I think it will work well for me in hunting situations.
I also took a look at how the KILO 2400 can sync to the ballistic app on my phone and display its reading on the Heads Up Display screen. It was pretty cool to fire the rangefinder and watch all the data instantly show up on my phone. If I had wanted to I could have entered a specific wind speed and/or direction right there on my phone, synced it to the rangefinder and gotten a specific wind hold instead of the standard hold based on my preset 10 mph, 9:00 wind.
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