Who uses a kestrel?

[steviebby]

I hope you went with the less costly / upgradeable version. That's the way I went. Mine does everything I could ask of it. And, I've yet to need the plussed-up version with more than three profiles.

Yes that's exactly what I did , brought and paid for now so I figure you can upgrade if I need , but it looks like this will do what I want , glad I got all this info first thanks everyone!, will get out with the chrony as soon as it turns up and start putting in the data , can't wait

 

[huntinghuasna]

I do, they are very good and well worth the money if you can afford one. I have the 5700 elite w/ applied ballistics, I am very happy with it. Make sure whichever model you end up getting that you buy the 'LINK' model, it's $10 more IIRC, this allows Bluetooth connectivity to your phone and allows you to edit/upload gun profiles in …

X2

 

[waveslayer]

I guess I'm still back in the Stone age with my kit ...never touched a Kestrel.
I have killed lots of critters near and far ..1244 yards on Elk .
Yes I have the Shooter app. For my data .
And several Rangefinder's to get my range then dile my dope .

I still cant figure out how I hit 3027 yards with out the Kestrel...

I really must be missing something not having one ...hmm

Watching this thread for info .

Rum Man

how many shots did it take you to hit 3027? of course you don't need a Kestrel, but what it gives you is DATA. Data that can be turned into DOPE. for example, how does my loads react to 32 degrees versus the summer time when it's over 100 degrees? A Kestrel is like a nice little cherry on top, helps you track what your load or gun does during certain situations... Of course I can reverse and look over my shoulder or I can use my 360 degree back-up camera... It's just nice to have and helps you build out actual DOPE, not guestimated DOPE

 

[LRNut]

how many shots did it take you to hit 3027? of course you don't need a Kestrel, but what it gives you is DATA. Data that can be turned into DOPE. for example, how does my loads react to 32 degrees versus the summer time when it's over 100 degrees? A Kestrel is like a nice little cherry on top, helps you track what your load or gun does during certain situations... Of course I can reverse and look over my shoulder or I can use my 360 degree back-up camera... It's just nice to have and helps you build out actual DOPE, not guestimated DOPE

Even nicer to zap the range with a SIG 10K and have all of that information while you are glassing the animal.

Personally, unless Kestrel gets into the business of measuring wind beyond the shooter's position (eg, using doppler/LIDAR) their days are numbered. Kind of like Ranging just before the advent of the laser rangefinder.

 

[406ANGLER]

how many shots did it take you to hit 3027? of course you don't need a Kestrel, but what it gives you is DATA. Data that can be turned into DOPE. for example, how does my loads react to 32 degrees versus the summer time when it's over 100 degrees? A Kestrel is like a nice little cherry on top, helps you track what your load or gun does during certain situations... Of course I can reverse and look over my shoulder or I can use my 360 degree back-up camera... It's just nice to have and helps you build out actual DOPE, not guestimated DOPE

Could be a typo or dude could be a wizard with a rifle, who are we to judge? Either way a kestrel makes things easier.
I used to use the phone apps until I took a bad shot on a mule deer that was beyond the capability of the app, which I was naive to put faith in, and had to shoot several more times at a wounded animal. I felt pretty terrible afterwards and I spent the next year learning everything I could about external ballistics. I decided the kestrel was a necessary investment if I was going to keep shooting at those distances. The first thing I did was plug in all of the same shot info (elevation, temperature, velocity, BC, etc...) into the app I had used the year prior and the kestrel. The two yielded two vastly different solutions: the app said I had plenty of velocity and energy remaining, the kestrel did not. Lesson learned.

 

[Rum Man]

Cuz you lucked out and hit 3027 once doesn't mean much. Back in the day we had to read wind and distance by observing, but a rangefinder and Kestrel are way more precise, and consistently right. You still need the ability to read a mirage.
And a 1244 yard shot on a elk is sketchy even with a zero value wind. Seen guys on internet bragging about their 1200+ yard kills, and pics show most are multiple shots. One had 5 shots, with a 6.5 cm. That's unacceptable imo. Just because you've done it, doesn't make it right. Or ethical. You need to be able to make a moa shot at 1244 yards at worst, consistently. And without an exact wind call, you can't. So your just taking pop shots.

I guess you signed up for the wrong forum ...the 100 yard shooters are on a different one .

Actually you dont know a thing about me or my Shooting Ability. That's a long story just in its self .

I'm not the type of guy to start a battle so I'm going to let you have your 2 min.of Fame on this post .

Carry on ....

Rum Man

 

[ChrisInKY]

I would add another component: your rifle's accuracy.

... and how well those rounds match up to your rifle.

Under perfect conditions for each shot taken ... and when I don't do anything wrong ... I can drop rounds consistently inside of 3 inches @ 1000m ... when the gun's warm, when I've 'dialed my rounds in' ... all that stuff you can't do when there's a trophy down range. I do one thing wrong or there's a little wind here and a little wind there, and my round could very well land outside what most of us consider an ethical shot.

You are spot on!! I won't shoot at much (maybe a darned coyote or prairie dogs) beyond 500m for that very reason. 500m+ hunting is mostly a dream around here anyway.

 

[yobuck]

And at 1200 yards, even with a decent load ES of 15 fps there's vertical dispersion of 4.6 inches. That's with a .284 180 gr vld-h @2912 and 2927 fps at 7500 ft alt, 50% RH, 50°. Lower altitudes, lower bc bullets, would be worse. And most hunting bullets bc and factory ammo ES is not that good.
A prime example relating to what you said, is a 6.5 Grendel at 1000 yards. 2505 fps .510 g1 bc bullet. A 5 to 10 mph variable FV wind on a 18x30 silhouette plate. Even if you spilt the difference and hold for a 7.5 mph wind you will not hit every shot. The target is .5 mils wide, 5 mph is a 1.6 mil hold, 10 mph is a 3.1 mil hold. 7.5 mph is 2.3 mils. You can't cover the variance. But a 6.5 cm could. Knowing your limitations is key.
Load/rifle accuracy (vertical dispersion/moa), wind, distance, and their ability are all factors a hunter should consider on a given day before they pull the trigger.

Well the first thing they should actually consider is having enough gun.
And a 6.5 isnt, any 6.5.
And a 7 mm isnt much better, even the good ones.
Mind you they are all good cartridges, in their place, but their place isnt hunting at distances of 1200 or more.

 

[yobuck]

... and how well those rounds match up to your rifle.

Under perfect conditions for each shot taken ... and when I don't do anything wrong ... I can drop rounds consistently inside of 3 inches @ 1000m ... when the gun's warm, when I've 'dialed my rounds in' ... all that stuff you can't do when there's a trophy down range. I do one thing wrong or there's a little wind here and a little wind there, and my round could very well land outside what most of us consider an ethical shot.

You are spot on!! I won't shoot at much (maybe a darned coyote or prairie dogs) beyond 500m for that very reason. 500m+ hunting is mostly a dream around here anyway.

See, thats why the 1000 yd world record for heavy bench class is now well over 10 years old.
Its not that there arent shooters who can beat it, its just that the ones who can keep making the same mistakes. lol

 

[yobuck]

Even nicer to zap the range with a SIG 10K and have all of that information while you are glassing the animal.

Personally, unless Kestrel gets into the business of measuring wind beyond the shooter's position (eg, using doppler/LIDAR) their days are numbered. Kind of like Ranging just before the advent of the laser rangefinder.

Actually what the lazer rangefinders brought to the table from a hunters standpoint is portability.
But they did nothing to improve accuracy, and as for reliability,
there isnt any comparison when compared to an old military rangefinder in good condition. If you can see the target you will get a range, regardless of bright sun, or rain and snow.
And fact is that many of us hunt from a fixed location.
The same ones every year, and you know what?
Those rocks and certain trees, etc etc never move an inch from year to year.
Meaning of coarse you dont need the rangefinder, any rangefinder.

 

[yobuck]

Agree. I just wanted to point out that relying solely on the Kestrel for wind calls is a recipe for disaster on a game animal.

Have you ever watched a deer sniff the ground where your last shot hit?
Do you know what thats called?
A sighter shot.

 

[Rum Man]

how many shots did it take you to hit 3027? of course you don't need a Kestrel, but what it gives you is DATA. Data that can be turned into DOPE. for example, how does my loads react to 32 degrees versus the summer time when it's over 100 degrees? A Kestrel is like a nice little cherry on top, helps you track what your load or gun does during certain situations... Of course I can reverse and look over my shoulder or I can use my 360 degree back-up camera... It's just nice to have and helps you build out actual DOPE, not guestimated DOPE

It was either my 3 or 4th shot at that distance that I hit just under the bottom of my 36" x 36" steel target . Then I adjusted my dope . Shot a 26 3/4" ...3 shot group at the 3027 yards . I held 6 mil of wind also .
This was just after my Open Heart Surgery.
I used a gps , phone weather , my shooter app . And several wind flags .

This was on my list bucket list to hit 2 miles ..before anymore Heart trouble .
Once my Dr. cleared me I was out shooting my 338 Edge !!
Definitely a happy day for my buddy and myself .

Rum Man

 

[SSG Graybush]

Well the first thing they should actually consider is having enough gun.
And a 6.5 isnt, any 6.5.
And a 7 mm isnt much better, even the good ones.
Mind you they are all good cartridges, in their place, but their place isnt hunting at distances of 1200 or more.

Well we were talking knowing limitations. And the 6.5 reference was just an example that sometimes you need more gun. You might want to read that again, no where did I say that was a hunting scenario.
And as far as 7mm not being a 1200+ yard hunting caliber, I'd just say, as long as you have 1000#'s of energy on target your GTG. With any caliber. Attached is my 7mag ballistic data at 7500 ft alt(where I hunt in WY), 29.90 baro, 50°, 50% RH with a 180 gr vld-h. So I'd disagree that some 7mm aren't 1200+ yard capable. It's good to 1420 yards, but I'd limit myself to probably half that depending on conditions. IMO nobody should be taking shots over 1000 yards on game. So a 7mag is enough gun at altitude imo. I don't have one but a 6.5x300 wby mag or 6.5 Sherman mag would probably get r done at 1200+ as well I'd guess.

 

[LRNut]

Actually what the lazer rangefinders brought to the table from a hunters standpoint is portability.
But they did nothing to improve accuracy, and as for reliability,
there isnt any comparison when compared to an old military rangefinder in good condition. If you can see the target you will get a range, regardless of bright sun, or rain and snow.
And fact is that many of us hunt from a fixed location.
The same ones every year, and you know what?
Those rocks and certain trees, etc etc never move an inch from year to year.
Meaning of coarse you dont need the rangefinder, any rangefinder.

Yobuck: Optical coincidence rangefinders like the Barr & Stroud worked ok - but their accuracy diminishes with range. There is just no way they are going to match a laser unless the conditions are such that the laser doesn't work (fog, snow, etc).

There is a reason the US Army moved to a Yittrium Argon Gas laser from an optical coincidence rangefinder (used by the M60 tank) in the 80s when they fielded the M1 tank.