Kestrel ?

[Sak007]

After reading waaaay to many pages of posts on Kestrel meters over on the Hide I decided to ask here , where my questions are generally answered in a timely fashion and with less scorn .
I am looking on adding a rangefinder & a wind meter to my arsenal , my current set up is Kentucky windage .
The range I shoot at has a 500yd rifle range with steel every 50 , there is a 1000+ gong shot . Further down the road are old logging roads with some 2000yd + distances .
I live in the Olympic Rain Shadow ...link for out of staters http://www.olympicrainshadow.com/ and weather is how do I say bat shit crazy .
I currently run Shooter as my ballistics program and know that its compatible with Kestrel Bluetooth but do I really need all the extra features or is it worth the extra couple hundred ?
Also what range finders are compatible with the Kestrel ?

[schambers]

Bushnell just released a kestrel/ range finder combo that talk to each other. Kestral also updated their models for 2016 to have more wireless support with phone apps. They also have small monitors that I have been thinking about messing with, and those interface with the phone as well.

I would suggest looking at the 2016 line up from Kestrel, some SHOT show videos, etc. if you have not already.

Currently I'm using a NV4500 and I just manually transfer everything into the AB ballistics app on my phone. That's more for record keeping and DOPE development. Currently doing range estimations using the optic's reticle and that works well enough for the distances I'm shooting at now (500-1100).

I've never used the Shooter app before but AB's offering works pretty well.

I'm thinking about getting a Radius and putting it on top of a spotting scope, depending on how the reviews shake out.

*edit* I don't know of any range finders that can reliably return hits from 2K AND interface with the Kestrel's bluetooth.

[SINNER]

I've shot with a group that had a Vectronics Bluetooth rangefinder. It was rated to 4500 yards IIRC. pretty sure it was a 6-8k price tag on it.

[Sak007]

I checked out the new lineup , it looks like they dropped the 4000 line . But it doesn't look like the prices reflect that anywhere .

[Sak007]

I've shot with a group that had a Vectronics Bluetooth rangefinder. It was rated to 4500 yards IIRC. pretty sure it was a 6-8k price tag on it.

For that price you could buy a Rokon with gas forever and cruise out after each shot and look .

[alamo5000]

I don't know much about Kestrel but my opinion on that kind of setup is this...

Based around my experience it can be marginally helpful. It will be helpful, but I wouldn't put my money down for that kind of thing... depending of course on where and how you shoot. For instance I went out shooting long range (1000 yard) and I was all over the map. I couldn't figure out why so I took some surveyor's tape and tied it onto the targets leading up to the 1000 yard gong... 400 yards was dead calm...500 yards was fluttering to the left... 600 was straight out to the right... 700 yards was standing up on end...800 yards was to the left... and so on and so forth...

A Kestrel won't make a difference in that situation. I have found that a simple weather app on your phone works fine. You can know the range or even potential range of wind and gusts...and even their direction based on that. You can also know temperature which is a pretty big deal when you get way out there.

Unless there is something I don't know about Kestrel having a wind meter stationed at the position of the shooter won't help read wind down range, especially with varying terrain causing all sorts of issues.

[Sak007]

I had the same thoughts about the wind , I was thinking the Kestrel was only good for wind in it's exact location and nothing past that . Their is a huge variance in weather where I live so the temp and barometric make sense but not at $300+

[alamo5000]

I had the same thoughts about the wind , I was thinking the Kestrel was only good for wind in it's exact location and nothing past that . Their is a huge variance in weather where I live so the temp and barometric make sense but not at $300+

Exactly. Topography matters too. So does the tree line. So does a lot of things. Shooting from a safe windless spot out across a valley has a whole lot of variables that aren't solved by mere data.

It all depends on the distances you're talking about and how accurate you really want to hit your target.

But in any case you want to know or understand the variables as much as possible but wind is the most tricky for a whole slew of reasons.

I agree on your assessment that $300+ for a spot measurement isn't really the best allocation of funds.

[Sak007]

Iv'e literally had 20+ mph winds at the shooting line with rain , sun & snow within 500 yards .I'm talking about 4 micro climates on one range , the weather in the Olympic Rain Shadow is weird .

[Sak007]

I feel like this whole thread didn't justify spending money on a Kestrel.