Looking for some Kestrel tips

[milo-2]

I have a best of the west 7 mag but it is my hunting rifle and not enough scope to shoot that far, Im looking at getting a 375 cheytac or Enablr

If you decide on a cheytac based case, make sure you have a place to shoot it. Hitting your steel at 830 yards will only be fun around 2 times and you will be looking elsewhere.

 

[LennyITI]

If you decide on a cheytac based case, make sure you have a place to shoot it. Hitting your steel at 830 yards will only be fun around 2 times and you will be looking elsewhere.

I can get up to 2 miles from my target 1000 to 1500 is only what I can not get.

 

[sea2summit]

As others have said, that's a hell of a poke.

But on topic, check out YouTube Panhandle Precision. Sam does a wonderful job explaining the kestrel, I used his videos to make my purchase decision then again to figure out how to use it.

 

[dfanonymous]

Been shooting this set up for 6 years or so off and on. It is a 6.5 CM surgeon rifle with schmitt bender 5X20. 140 Berger at 2770 fps. Ive shot 1000 yards comfortably and 830 alot since that is as far as I can shoot at my place. This past week end I got with my nieghbor and now I can shoot 1 mile. It was windy 3-7 mph winds changing often,Iam shooting across 3 valleys. I only had 12 loads . 1 hit, 5 hit the trees off target to both sides. I was good on elevation but didnt hold correct for wind. Just learning the kestrel. I put in 326 degree but my dumb question is do you switch back to weather from ballistic when checking wind? I just ordered the wind vane kit. Gotta admit the wind kicked my butt pretty bad. I learned I only thought I was good.. LOL

I do not switch back because i leave it on ballistic and make educated guess based on duration of gust, max ordinate and wind gradient, terrain and zoning. Taking the kestrel data from the wind at my position to do so. The weather vane will just help give you the wind direction when you do a capture, you'll still need to have calibrated the compass correctly and understand wind behavior, especially at a mile and using a small cartridge like a 6.5.

 

[yobuck]

Realize that reality is that your simply talking about shooting at some type of target, and not a live target as in hunting. Especially in the east, the conditions for seeing clearly and shooting even to a mile is not very likely during the rifle hunting season in Pa.
As for balistic statistics, they sound good but reality is that they dont always look as good as they sound in the real world.
You have seen first hand what your cartridge can and cant do, at least well, and there is no better experience than actually seeing it and not just reading or hearing about it.
For decades, one of the most sought after cartridge among LR hunters in NC Pa was the then wildcat 30x378.
For about 25 years i used one on a large custom action sending 200 gr SMKs @ 3500 fps.
One day during the season Bruce showed up where we were hunting, and not long after that the hunting stopped and the shooting started. I found out just how good my gun was when compared to his 338 at even 1500 yards, and for accuracy especially.
The larger cartridges will make you into a better shooter at longer distances, that simple.
As for the initial question on the Kestrel, within a small area from our camp, there are lots of other camps who hunt long range. I personally know quite a few of them, some for a very long time, and frankly i dont know any to be using a Kestrel.
Now in fairness, very few people there hunt solo. Mostly in small groups from fixed locations, and always using large glasses on a tripod, which means spotters watching for hits.

 

[milo-2]

As for the initial question on the Kestrel, within a small area from our camp, there are lots of other camps who hunt long range. I personally know quite a few of them, some for a very long time, and frankly i dont know any to be using a Kestrel.
Now in fairness, very few people there hunt solo. Mostly in small groups from fixed locations, and always using large glasses on a tripod, which means spotters watching for hits.

If one shoots in the same location, say 25 mile radius, and have shot in all conditions, and have kept data, there would be no reason to own a Kestrel. We all have our favorite shooting locations, and most likely we shoot in the same direction all the time, again no need.
Where a Kestrel shines is if you travel to shoot, in differing elevations, directions, all weather patterns, etc...
If I were to poll the guys I shoot around and ask just what piece of gear or equipment has helped them become more adept shooters. It will not be a certain bipod, an fx120i scale, an MPA chassis, a Tangent Theta scope, or some style of rear bag. It will be a Kestrel. I am not talking skills that are acquired either.
It is no end all, but using one can make up to a half moa correction for you when you may be uncertain. You don't have to fire the one shot to determine if you will be hitting low or high for a certain period of the day. It is solving that equation as you go.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

Been shooting this set up for 6 years or so off and on. It is a 6.5 CM surgeon rifle with schmitt bender 5X20. 140 Berger at 2770 fps. Ive shot 1000 yards comfortably and 830 alot since that is as far as I can shoot at my place. This past week end I got with my nieghbor and now I can shoot 1 mile. It was windy 3-7 mph winds changing often,Iam shooting across 3 valleys. I only had 12 loads . 1 hit, 5 hit the trees off target to both sides. I was good on elevation but didnt hold correct for wind. Just learning the kestrel. I put in 326 degree but my dumb question is do you switch back to weather from ballistic when checking wind? I just ordered the wind vane kit. Gotta admit the wind kicked my butt pretty bad. I learned I only thought I was good.. LOL

go through all of Sams Kestrel vids he covers all most everything and makes it easy to understand

 

[yobuck]

Well to each his own, but with all due respect to Sam, i dont believe i saw a shot fired in that video.
As i look across that terrain i see multiple things that could affect a wind call taken from the shooting location and have influence on a shot. And not only can that all change from day to day, but also minit by minit.
Which explains why the top shooters at the 1000 yd benchrest clubs like say Williamsport, have taken to getting all 10 shots down range in less than 1 minit.
If were gathering ball park information to be confirmed by firing the first shot aka a sighter shot, then why not just fire the sighter to begin with?

 

[sea2summit]

Well to each his own, but with all due respect to Sam, i dont believe i saw a shot fired in that video.
As i look across that terrain i see multiple things that could affect a wind call taken from the shooting location and have influence on a shot. And not only can that all change from day to day, but also minit by minit.
Which explains why the top shooters at the 1000 yd benchrest clubs like say Williamsport, have taken to getting all 10 shots down range in less than 1 minit.
If were gathering ball park information to be confirmed by firing the first shot aka a sighter shot, then why not just fire the sighter to begin with?

It's instructional. I don't think he shots in any of the kestrel videos. There's plenty other vids of him shooting ELR if that's what you're looking for.

 

[LennyITI]

I have a best of the west 7 mag but it is my hunting rifle and not enough scope to shoot that far, Im looking at getting a 375 cheytac or Enablr

Got the 375 Cheytac on order