Terrapin X

[504TMS]

This is a short ramble with a question. I'm considering a Terrapin X laser rangefinder to use with a Cadex Defence build in 6.5 Creedmoor. i note that the Terr X bluetooth connects to some very good ballistic apps, like the Hornady 4DOF, which is free. The Terr X also connects to the Bluetooth-enabled Kestrels, which are not free. A Kestrel can also take windage at station but, of course, wind isn't constant from station to target a lot of the time. Many people learn to read wind and calculate holds in their head anyway.

My question is, if one owns a Terr X and one of the free apps they recommend to work with it, why buy a Kestrel? That is, does the Kestrel add something significant to the ballistic calculation other than wind at station?

 

[StatisticallySignificant]

Barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, DA, battery life.

When you collect wind speed with the Kestrel, there is an on-board compass that also collects wind direction. The Terrapin-X also has an onboard compass so when you laze targets, the blue-toothed information from the Terrapin-X combines with the constantly updating environmental information on the Kestrel and immediately outputs windage and elevation corrections on the Kestrel with the latest wind that you collected.

Obviously in variable wind conditions you're going to be fighting it, but you're always fighting it in variable wind conditions. Provided any semblance of consistency in wind direction and speed, the Terrapin-X + Kestrel combo allows for very accurate solutions to auto-populate basically as soon as you laze the target.

Without a Kestrel at all, you're guessing on baro pressure, humidity, and temp. With a non-bluetooth Kestrel you have the delay of manually updating the environmental data in the phone, and decreased phone battery life vs. Kestrel battery life. With bluetooth Kestrel + phone + Terrapin-X you have redundancy... or options. However you want to look at it.

 

[Orange Dust]

I have one paired to a Lecia 2800.com. Pretty wicked set up on flat ground. Gives you the solution in the RF right after the range, also displays the solution on the kestrel. Haven't tried it in the mountains where figurin' is much more difficult.

 

[504TMS]

Barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, DA, battery life.

When you collect wind speed with the Kestrel, there is an on-board compass that also collects wind direction. The Terrapin-X also has an onboard compass so when you laze targets, the blue-toothed information from the Terrapin-X combines with the constantly updating environmental information on the Kestrel and immediately outputs windage and elevation corrections on the Kestrel with the latest wind that you collected.

Obviously in variable wind conditions you're going to be fighting it, but you're always fighting it in variable wind conditions. Provided any semblance of consistency in wind direction and speed, the Terrapin-X + Kestrel combo allows for very accurate solutions to auto-populate basically as soon as you laze the target.

Without a Kestrel at all, you're guessing on baro pressure, humidity, and temp. With a non-bluetooth Kestrel you have the delay of manually updating the environmental data in the phone, and decreased phone battery life vs. Kestrel battery life. With bluetooth Kestrel + phone + Terrapin-X you have redundancy... or options. However you want to look at it.

Thank you. Well thought through. I'm not sure the K is worth the price tag given that these days mostly I'm shooting distance from a bench and don't mind inputting to a cell phone. Retirement time. But thanks!

 

[Orange Dust]

Thank you. Well thought through. I'm not sure the K is worth the price tag given that these days mostly I'm shooting distance from a bench and don't mind inputting to a cell phone. Retirement time. But thanks!

Get the sportsman from camera land. Then do the upgrade to the elite through kestrel. Save a couple hundred bucks. Thats what I and many others did.

 

[PK_IN_TX]

Gunwerks is coming out with a brand new rangefinder this Spring that is going to be similar to the G7 rangefinder but much better and at a lower price point. I like having everything in one box vs using a rangefinder and syncing it to a Kestrel. I have been told that they are buggy when paired to a Terrapin X and a Sig Kilo. The Terrapin X is the best if you are a longrange plinker though.

 

[504TMS]

Thank you PK ... i think that makes a lot of sense. I have nothing against a Kestrel but if a rangefinder could include a ballistic calculator that would be a killer application. Of the two products, speaking In general terms, I believe most people would benefit more from an excellent laser rangefinder than from a Kestrel-type product. Again, I'm less concerned with wind at station; not unconcerned, but a combination of 'reading wind' and wind info from the local weather station as shown on a cell phone, is good enough for me. I can totally get why this isn't right for someone else. The problem with rangefinders is that many of them have an effective reach often at half of what's advertised. But having a good to great rangefinder with BC integrated is a great step forward.

 

[Orange Dust]

The Lucia 2800.com will read further than anyone in their right mind will ever shoot at an animal. So will several others. Having it paired to a kestrel makes a lot of sense hunting. Shooting from a bench is a totally different thing. You can take all the time you want, and the only thing that suffers if you are "off a little" on the first shot is your ego. I say go for it if you want it.

 

[504TMS]

I assume you mean 'Leica' and yes, absolutely re range and prey. This is a great forum on many levels but some of us, old knees and less sure footing, take our hunter instincts to the bench and trade animal movement (re-positioning) for distance. I think the Kestrel is an amazing product but ....

 

[Orange Dust]

I assume you mean 'Leica' and yes, absolutely re range and prey. This is a great forum on many levels but some of us, old knees and less sure footing, take our hunter instincts to the bench and trade animal movement (re-positioning) for distance. I think the Kestrel is an amazing product but ....

Yes, my phone likes to respell stuff and I didn't catch it. Where I hunt it is on flat, open ground. "Beanfields", and about 900 is as far as I can shoot, which is a long poke for me, and a long shot on whitetails. The system works perfectly in these conditions. I don't get to hunt out West anymore. That ended when I broke my foot, and it never fully recovered.

 

[504TMS]

Yes, my phone likes to respell stuff and I didn't catch it. Where I hunt it is on flat, open ground. "Beanfields", and about 900 is as far as I can shoot, which is a long poke for me, and a long shot on whitetails. The system works perfectly in these conditions. I don't get to hunt out West anymore. That ended when I broke my foot, and it never fully recovered.

Yes. Sorry. I live in Northern California and so larger game hunting means heading to the mountains. Not awfully far but lots of vertical terrain and I am not as steady as in earlier years. I've got two target ranges fairly close one of which has easy access to a 300 yard berm, and with an appointment, a 1000 yard one.

I have a Vudoo competition 22LR build (MBA chassis) paired with a Nightforce 4-32 NX8 that is freakingly accurate with good 22 ammo (Lapua Csnter-X for instance). Quarter inch groups at 100. And then a Cadex Defense built Creedmoor with a Vortex 4.5-27 Gen II HD for the longer reaching using a nice 147 grain Hornady Match round.

We get old and have to adapt!