Kestrel Advice

[PingGong3]

What range finders do you recommend that work in the snow? It can be rangefinders or bino rangefinders. Thank you

 

[nksmfamjp]

What I hate is there seems to be no good system for all this…..everybody kind of offers 3/4 solutions.

For range, I need a laser rangefinder. On the scope makes the rifle clunky, pip seems to hurt optical quality. In a bino is similar but better. Stand alone seems the best for now, but really needs to mount to a tripod for use over 1000 yards. Range is always a priority.

I need a ballistic calculator. It can fit on the scope, but adds weight and bulk. It can be in the phone which is nice, but you need a phone and often an internet connection to work. This is the actual solution, so it is important.

I need a wind meter. Cheap, accurate and light. In the end, I like to read wind off a meter, adjust for what is happening down the range…..So Bluetooth wind is not helpful. I need to manually adjust.

I would like a weather station. It is nice to not input weather…..it really doesn't need by the minute updates. I usually lock my Kestrel in at the start of a "walk…..maybe 2-3 times a day.

So, at this time, I feel a mil scale reticle and mil turret scope under 32oz. I carry a separate rangefinder, separate binos, and a Kestrel Sportsman. It all fits in my chest pack. Yea, it is a lot.

Someday, I can see the binos or some kind of HUD or other integrated system doing it all with quick wind inputs.

 

[Euler]

I'm looking to buy a kestrel and I'm trying to decide which to buy. I'm looking at the 5700 and 5700 elite. Is there a huge advantage to the kestrel elite over the regular 5700? Also, should I do hornady 4dof or applied ballistics?

Thanks

The range card, target card, and additional profiles in the Elite are definitely worth the extra money. And no, I would not get the 4DoF Kestrel. The AB CDMs have been spot on for many rifles in several cartridges.

 

[slambert008]

Buy a 5700 Elite w/ link and AB and don't look back. 30 rifle profiles and hundreds of bullet drag models to choose from makes it worth it.

 

[Shadow6arc]

At some point 4dof will probably make most ballistic calculators obsolete. They are basically shooting bullets and measuring their flight trajectory and velocity down to the inch. All you are doing is pulling out the part of the flight trajectory that matches your muzzle velocity for the starting point. I have been running some numbers in traditional calculators and 4dof to compare, interesting stuff.

 

[TX Punisher]

Thread is relevant to my interests.

I have an sig kilo but basic model. I've used 4dof on iPhone app but want another solution. May go kestrel elite.

 

[LRNut]

My opinion on Kestrels is get a rangefinder with the ballistics and find a Kestrel that does wind and Bluetooth only. You don't want the fancy Kestrel if your rangefinder/binocular does that stuff ballistics stuff already. You just want.wind and maybe Bluetooth so you don't have to manually put it into your device for your dope.

I have the Elite but you are right: a SIG Kilo 10K is way better than a Kestrel Elite. Spend your money on a good RF that has AB and buy the Kestrel wind only.

 

[VenatusDominus]

I have the Elite but you are right: a SIG Kilo 10K is way better than a Kestrel Elite. Spend your money on a good RF that has AB and buy the Kestrel wind only.

I agree, to an extent. I have the Vortex Fury HD 5000 AB and the Kestrel 5700 with AB. Having the redundancy with electronics that can, and do, fail gives me peace of mind. If my Kestrel goes down I can guestimate the wind for my RF and still be fairly close. If my RF goes down, I can use my scope reticle and known average size of the game to guestimate the range for my Kestrel and still be fairly close.

 

[LRNut]

I agree, to an extent. I have the Vortex Fury HD 5000 AB and the Kestrel 5700 with AB. Having the redundancy with electronics that can, and do, fail gives me peace of mind. If my Kestrel goes down I can guestimate the wind for my RF and still be fairly close. If my RF goes down, I can use my scope reticle and known average size of the game to guestimate the range for my Kestrel and still be fairly close.

Using your reticle to judge distance works to maybe 400, but after that, a one inch error in back to brisket on a 16 inch animal induces an error of just over 30 yards at 500, which will move just over half your bullets outside of a 10" vital area. The longest I ever killed an antelope was pre-LRF days - I had a custom reticle made by Precision Reticles and a customized Ranging 1000 monocular coincidence rangefinder. Estimated him at 460 (averaged the range with each), held for the wind, and put two shots in the lungs. Not sure it would have worked much farther, however.

These days every guide has a RF (typically not great) but even when I do have a guide, I carry both my SIG Kilo 10K and SIG 2400ABS.

 

[PingGong3]

How is the glass on the Sig bino rangefinders?

 

[bossisimo]

I'm looking to buy a kestrel and I'm trying to decide which to buy. I'm looking at the 5700 and 5700 elite. Is there a huge advantage to the kestrel elite over the regular 5700? Also, should I do hornady 4dof or applied ballistics?

Thanks

Following.

 

[Taylorbok]

How is the glass on the Sig bino rangefinders?

I'm very impressed with them but I'm also not a glass snob. They do have a bit of a blue tint but it doesn't bother me