kestrel 4500

[velvetant]

Starting my trek into true long range shooting, 1000 yards.
What do I need for a weather meter/calculator?
Is the kestrel 4500 with Applied Ballistics a good start or is there something better

[LongRange]

if i was you i would hold off on the kestrel and save or spend that money on something else...you can get a app on your phone that will tell you the weather and dopes if you have good info put into the app...best thing is to get out and shoot in different weather after you find an accurate 1000yd load.

[Berger.Fan222]

if i was you i would hold off on the kestrel and save or spend that money on something else...you can get a app on your phone that will tell you the weather and dopes if you have good info put into the app...best thing is to get out and shoot in different weather after you find an accurate 1000yd load.

I disagree.

Owning and using a Kestrel can teach you more about reading the wind than any app. Info from the internet will never be as timely and local as information from a good weather meter at the shooting location. Temp, pressure, and humidity vary slowly enough, but wind changes quickly. Also, internet weather resources report station pressure, which needs to be combined with elevation to estimate actual site pressure. The Kestrel reports accurate site pressure with impressive accuracy.

There are lots of good ballistics programs. Applied Ballistics is one of them. Most use the same computational engine and agree with each other to a high degree, so it comes down to the convenience of inputs, available platforms, and user preferences. Before worrying too much about which one to use, I'd recommend getting the Kestrel and a chronograph. If you don't chronograph your loads, you are missing most of the advantages of a good ballistic calculator.

[LoneWolf]

In my experience of long range competition for the last 2 years a kestrel is only good for atmospherics. After that it only tells you the wind at you location. I've done better by spending time studying what I'm seeing down range and learning to make a good estimation from what mother nature is telling me. Out to 300 maybe 500 yards the kestrel might be good if your in a relatively flat area, but beyond that wind may be going in a xompletly different direction then what's at your location.

Not sure where your located, but if you can go to your range or shooting location and spend some time studying what going on down range and takes some notes.

[Berger.Fan222]

In my experience of long range competition for the last 2 years a kestrel is only good for atmospherics. After that it only tells you the wind at you location. I've done better by spending time studying what I'm seeing down range and learning to make a good estimation from what mother nature is telling me. Out to 300 maybe 500 yards the kestrel might be good if your in a relatively flat area, but beyond that wind may be going in a xompletly different direction then what's at your location.

Not sure where your located, but if you can go to your range or shooting location and spend some time studying what going on down range and takes some notes.

Right. The bigger benefit of the Kestrel is using it to practice reading the wind. Take walks in places with the same kinds of trees and vegetation as the places you shoot and use the Kestrel to tell you how good you are doing estimating the wind from how it is moving the vegetation. It is a rare skill for someone to be able to accurately estimate wind speed to 1-2 MPH and direction to within a few degrees from observing vegetation. But having an instrument tell you when you are right and wrong is key to developping that skill.

[velvetant]

Thanks guys,
A little more info:
I would estimate 90% of my practice in the high desert, No cell signal.
Lots of sage brush, nice sturdy plant and takes a good wind to move it.
I have a Zeiss range finger but it doesn't calculate angle and the area I shoot isn't all that flat, But that's another issue to deal with later.

LoneWolf
I usually take my Jeep out by past Lockwood, It lets me get away from the normal shooters and I can get past 1000 if need be.
I very seldom see another person in all the years I've been going out there

[LoneWolf]

You may be able to get away with a Kestrel 2500 for the basic weather information and add a good ballistics app to your smart phone if you own one. I had good luck with strelok plus, but have since switched and really prefer the "shooter" app which is based on the Applied Ballistics system and information from Bryan Litz. When my velocity is correct it has matched up with my drops very accurately.

[yobuck]

I agree with Longrange and LoneWolf. If you have an accurate chart thats really all you need.
Yes it can vary depending on temps etc but the perfect system has yet to be created.
An iphone program is about as good as it gets for those serious about up to date data including angle.
Otherwise send a sighter shot and thats as up to date as it gets. But you will have to
lie about first round hits if thats important to you.
Ive been reading articles written by (experts) all my life on how to read the wind. With all the expert opinions,
one would think that issue would be solved by now. I mean we have cured t b and leukemia, but new experts continue writing about wind.
I actually know a guy who i admire very much regarding his opinions on guns and shooting who did buy a Kestral a couple years ago.
He was impressed that the dial matched the speedometer in his truck while holding it out the window.
Tell me im missing something here lol.

meant to say polio, obviously leukemia is still an issue.

[LongRange]

I disagree.

Owning and using a Kestrel can teach you more about reading the wind than any app. Info from the internet will never be as timely and local as information from a good weather meter at the shooting location. Temp, pressure, and humidity vary slowly enough, but wind changes quickly. Also, internet weather resources report station pressure, which needs to be combined with elevation to estimate actual site pressure. The Kestrel reports accurate site pressure with impressive accuracy.

There are lots of good ballistics programs. Applied Ballistics is one of them. Most use the same computational engine and agree with each other to a high degree, so it comes down to the convenience of inputs, available platforms, and user preferences. Before worrying too much about which one to use, I'd recommend getting the Kestrel and a chronograph. If you don't chronograph your loads, you are missing most of the advantages of a good ballistic calculator.

i never said dont buy one i just said hold off for now...i agree the kestrel is a great tool but is it really needed at first? no its not....ive been doing this awhile and still dont own one and can hold my own in the wind...i think LOL...the OP and i live in the same area and i can tell you the wind is a lot different here than any other place ive been...you can have a 15-20mph at the shooter and dead calm at the target plus the fact that your shooting across or through valleys and ridges so here wind is the biggest factor with shooting any type of distance.

[LongRange]

Thanks guys,
A little more info:
I would estimate 90% of my practice in the high desert, No cell signal.
Lots of sage brush, nice sturdy plant and takes a good wind to move it.
I have a Zeiss range finger but it doesn't calculate angle and the area I shoot isn't all that flat, But that's another issue to deal with later.

LoneWolf
I usually take my Jeep out by past Lockwood, It lets me get away from the normal shooters and I can get past 1000 if need be.
I very seldom see another person in all the years I've been going out there

This is when you dial up your scope and learn to watch what the mirage is doing in between you and your target....a wind meter will tell you whats happening where you are but whats more important is whats going on between you and the target...no app or meter is going to make up for triger time in the conditions you plan or expect to shoot in.

[sharpshooter]

Save your money for ammo. There's nothing like experience.

[short round]

Wind flags are handy. Once used a trash can chained to metal post, when I would hear a thump it meant wind let up enough for the can to hit the ground. Thump, bang,thump bang. Learn to shoot in the wind & it will be your friend.

[velvetant]

Well I got my Kestral a few days ago.
Shot out to 1237 yards on a windy day.
I'm very impressed with it.

[yobuck]

Shooting to those distances isnt really an issue with an accurate chart based on the load your using.
The wind however is a different subject. Id like to be a wittness sometime to someone using a wind meter
to solve just the wind issues on the very long shots on windy days. But i dont know anyone who owns one.
2 weeks ago a few friends and i were shooting at a reclaimed strip mine over near Ridgway. The property owner who was among us,
is planning on erecting steel targets you can shoot at from the same spot out to 2500 yds.
So far he has gotten them built from 8 to 1600 yds. He also wants to build a new 338 that will allow him to shoot that far better than what he now has.
We had 3 different 338s and started at 1300 yds and went from there right to 1600. All 3 guns were right on for elevation on the first
shot at both distances by just using paper charts based on the velocity etc. That particular day there was very little wind requiring just a small
holdover after seeing the first shot. Of coarse it could also be a whole nuther story if the wind decides to change somewhere along the way on the path the bullet is traveling.
In reality, with no hype or bs involved, i dont see how its possible to improve on the above by using a wind meter. But as stated, id like to watch someone do it.

[sixonetonoffun]

I have an old Kestral wind meter from when I did chemical spraying years ago. Its fun to use but really just gives a baseline for steady speeds and gusts

Could be useful to that extent. But don't see it going hunting with me anytime soon.