Kestrel DSF and 22LR

[Near miss]

Hello everybody.

I have a Kestrel and I am thinking of upgrading it to benefit of drop scale factor, DSF.

Has anyone here configured it for a 22LR bullet and have good experiences? I mean like very accurate hit predictions from up close out to 200-300yds, preferably throughout different weather conditions. But any experience is very welcome!

The thing is I rarely go to ranges where my CF bullets would go to subsonic unless I shot WAY off the target.

I have set multi-BC in Strelok by shooting through chrono at different ranges and calculating using JBM but it is time-consuming.
And cellphones do not take range conditions (heat/cold) very well and with the short battery life it can be a struggle.

 

[billmeek]

I upgraded my Kestrel, not for the drop scale, but for the # of configurations it will store since each bullet (i.e. Wolf Match Extra vs SK Rifle Match) has a slightly different BC even in the same rifle. I used my LabRadar, Kestrel weather data, and JBM ballistics online calculator to calculate a BC per round and averaged the series to get the BC to use for a specific rifle/ammo combination. So far the calculations from the Kestrel for elevation have been pretty spot on out to 500 yards.

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I have my Kestrel 5700 Elite set up for Eley Force and it's pretty dead on from 20 yards to about 400, I trust it.

 

[Bantam1]

I used the DSF but changed it from their unknown value to G1 and trued it from 50-500 yards with confirmed hits at my local range. I'm happy with the results.

 

[usafa77]

i use the custom drag curve ( i think it's for Center X) I shoot SK standard and match with it with good results out to 200 . As I recall I trued it a little for muzzle velocity, never messed with the DSF.

 

[Dthomas3523]

I’ve used it several times for .22.

Have just used the box MV (they are usually pretty close with .22, but will be running them through labradar from now on), and then using the DSF function.

I do exactly what AB suggests for the .22 DSF truing and have gone as far as 350 yds without issue.

 

[Near miss]

Thank you very much for your replies.

It looks like it really works. I guess that means I will be heading for upgrade.
Those of you who maybe tested without DSF first and then configured with it, do you remember how much it improved the corrections?
As I said, I found impossible on Strelok to get everything to line up with the real trajectory without multi-BC. And DSF is pretty much just that, only more practical to set up.

At the moment I have also problems surviving with the 3 profiles and looking forward to unlocking more of them. To be honest, the first time I read about the Kestrel and its profile count I thought it was for GUNS. Not bullets.

 

[Near miss]

I upgraded my Kestrel, not for the drop scale, but for the # of configurations it will store since each bullet (i.e. Wolf Match Extra vs SK Rifle Match) has a slightly different BC even in the same rifle. I used my LabRadar, Kestrel weather data, and JBM ballistics online calculator to calculate a BC per round and averaged the series to get the BC to use for a specific rifle/ammo combination. So far the calculations from the Kestrel for elevation have been pretty spot on out to 500 yards.

The newest FW on Kestrel updated the SK Match to library. It says .122 but of course it is more or less gun-related.

Did you end up with roughly the same BC? Looks like all match bullet are between .120 to .130.

 

[billmeek]

Just looked in the Kestrel app and have been using 0.122 BC for SK Rifle Match in a Feddersen 16.25 inch stainless bull barrel. That was a calculated value using the Labradar, Kestrel weather, and JBM Ballistics online and averaging at minimum 50 values. I often use 100. I'll also remove any suspicious numbers from the Labradar data.

 

[Near miss]

I have my Kestrel 5700 Elite set up for Eley Force and it's pretty dead on from 20 yards to about 400, I trust it.

What BC are you using? Since Force is 42gr it should have a small advantage.

I am intrigued as the latest bullet additions to AB library are quite surprising.

Eley Tenex (not new) 0.126
Eley Edge 0.155!!!

SK Flatnose Match 0.125
SK Long Range Match 0.159!!!

That high BC numbers.. can they be true? I have learned enough about ballistics to know that I do not know much at all about it..

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I use a BC of .150 at a velocity of 1143 fps from an 18" barrel. Using that, my ballistic data with the Kestrel has been consistently accurate for me.

 

[Near miss]

Damn that is quite high of a BC for 22LR. Glad to hear that it really works.
Not sure how DSF works but does BC effect it at all? I think it does a little (at the least the wind drift) but could it be that DSF determines the drop rate completely?
Just thinking of how to go about on the first DSF attempt for a bullet not in library, does the BC need to be close for it to work? If I change BC afterwards, wilL DSF corrections change?

i use the custom drag curve ( i think it's for Center X)

I forgot that Elite users get the cd values to use also. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Damn that is quite high of a BC for 22LR. Glad to hear that it really works.
Not sure how DSF works but does BC effect it at all? I think it does a little (at the least the wind drift) but could it be that DSF determines the drop rate completely?
Just thinking of how to go about on the first DSF attempt for a bullet not in library, does the BC need to be close for it to work? If I change BC afterwards, wilL DSF corrections change?

I forgot that Elite users get the cd values to use also. Thanks for pointing it out.

If the bullet isn’t in the library, I will use info from another fairly trusted source line Strelok. And then will use the DSF function

 

[Clint E.]

Don't want to hijack, but which Kestrels can you use the DSF for with 22lr ammo? I have a 4500 AB and I cannot get it to work, as in it will only accept one entry.

 

[Near miss]

It should not exclude any bullets and DSF should take 6 inputs, I am interested in what advice you will get.

 

[Trx498r]

Don't want to hijack, but which Kestrels can you use the DSF for with 22lr ammo? I have a 4500 AB and I cannot get it to work, as in it will only accept one entry.

I also have the 4500 you can true the dsf at 100,200,300,400,500 is how I do mine

 

[Near miss]

I also have the 4500 you can true the dsf at 100,200,300,400,500 is how I do mine

I have understood the distance is not set but can be anything, as long as it is further than the previous DSF input.