Rangefinder and Weather Meter for Long Range Hunting

[greyghostnw]

sig kilo 2000 paired with a kestrel elite 5700 with applied ballistics is the combo i use and have learned to trust. has been a great experience validating my hand loads out to 1660 yards so far. muzzle velocity varified by a lab radar i bought this winter to use in conjunction. its a fun time having cold bore hits with these tools, good luck.

 

[Jordan Smith]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I got a kestrel 2500 and a Sig Kilo 2200mr in the mail. We'll see how they do. Will try to report back here with results.

Maybe at some point I'll upgrade to a sportsman or elite if this ends up being a pain. However, I figure if I keep conditions in the app and update them as I hunt if things are substantially changing, then the firing solution will be a matter of ranging the target. No?

That's probably overkill for a day of hunting. I'd check and input the atmospherics once a day, unless weather systems were changing drastically, and then you should be GTG for the day. Just range, check dope, and engage. A physical dope card with your average hunting/shooting conditions is a very good idea. I tend to use the Kestrel and Ballistic:AE app more during practice than when I'm hunting. When time counts, having a good dope chart mounted somewhere visible from your shooting position, then simply ranging and consulting your chart, is a very streamlined approach. The Kestrel and the app definitely help develop good dope, as well.

 

[Rorschach]

Excellent. Definitely​ wouldn't be without a paper backup chart. Hearing you say that about hunting kind of affirms my decision to go with a kestrel 2500, i.e something that can still get me the atmospherics i need, and at the rate that I practically need them at - at least the most important ones.

 

[Rorschach]

Need to find a place to gather some real drops at before hunting season...

 

[wind gypsy]

Need to find a place to gather some real drops at before hunting season...

You and me both.. I'm stuck working in the SC low country after being in the west for a while. I can't find anywhere to shoot over 100 yards.

 

[Rorschach]

* fast = FLAT

 

[Rorschach]

Update: ended up going with a Sig Kilo 2200MR and was doing some informal testing of it at the beach this weekend. So far, I'm a little skeptical about how it is going to perform on deer in the 700-800yd range.

I was ranging mainly things like houses, water towers, water, grass hold, bushes, i.e, things that I would have thought would have given much better returns than furry animals the size of a deer.

I was able to get returns inconsistently out to maybe 1500yds on water towers and sometimes out to 900 on houses. Lighting conditions for this were in the mid to late afternoon.

One caveat is that it was super duper humid. I don't know if this adversely affects LRFs, nor if that was the issue with this one having such inconsistent performance, but that was always part of the environment I was ranging in. It was always right at 90-97% humidity, but never rained.

Allot of the readings from the sides and roofs of shingles houses simply read "----".

 

[Rorschach]

Got a new battery (Energizer lithiums) and am going to try some similar measurements to see if that improves results.

 

[338edge]

Ive been using the leica hdb super glass and the range ginder is super fast the ballistic data will only go to 1k but its been spot on tested against kestrel. I wish it gave readouts past that but really that covers 99 % of my hunting situations. Also it gives your boldover in clicks instead of moa readout. Thats really my only gripe but over all i really like them

I have a set of the Leica hd-b and they will give a readout in whole min out to a 1000 yards.

 

[Sako76]

A very experienced hunter suggested a Weather Hawk wind meter to me.

 

[Ghetto Guide]

Any updates with the new battery?. Im in the same rangefinder debate as you were.

Sent from my SM-G935R4 using Tapatalk

 

[FURMAN]

I know you threw the Sig 2400 out right away, I assume due to funds. I also know you already made your purchase but I am going to put this here for future readers. Long range hunting and being ethical is not cheap. I fully understand when it comes to making the shot you always have a choice to shoot or pass regardless of what has happened in the last few seconds. I am going to say when collecting data for a long range shot the less you have to mess with the better capable you will be to focus on making a good shot. In my opinion having all ballistics data on the ranging unit is easily a hundred times better than using two devices. With the G7BR2 and the sig 2400(maybe others) it takes most of, if not all, the important pieces into consideration. The only thing you really need to add to those two devices is wind and realistically a wind meter can not provide that data for a long range shot. Wind needs to be figured by considering what is happening along the way to the target which requires input from the shooter/spotter. Again I know that it is ultimately up to the shooter to decide if they have all the necessary data to make an ethical shot. I feel one unit will greatly aid in doing this more quickly. Obviously if you are looking at taking an animal that is, and has been stationary for awhile using multiple tools is not as big of an issue. I have no doubt the route you chose will help you accomplish the end goal. I started with a Leica 1200 and ballistic app before we had these awesome rangefinders and my setup worked. I did however miss many opportunities due to the time to come up with a ballistic solution. Please report back after using your setup this season.

 

[Rorschach]

Haven't really had much opportunity to try it out again, honestly. I haven't been in any areas that have had unobstructed views that long. That was at the beach where I was trying it last time.

I think I also realized that I'm not going to be taking any 1000yd shots. 700yd would be the absolute max, from what I'm seeing, looking around the areas I plan to hunt. It is NC we are talking about, after all. Ha! I think/hope the 2200 will be more than good enough for that.