Weather meter - need help!

[Jayjay1]

So guys,
I have my rifle, my round, my rangefinder - ready to go.

What I´m lacking of is the temperature, pressure, humidity, wind - thingy.

And I want to keep it simple - therefore I would prefer ONE item for that.
(Do have the Strelok Pro on my Iphone, but would be happy to NOT need it.
Already have to deal with rangefinder, rifle and the weather thingy, that must be enough.)

I see and understand, that Kestrel is the way to go, fine with me, but which one?!
There is so much information out there, it is very confusing to me.
Kestrel Ruger, Kestrel Elite, Kestrel Hornady, with or without link, Applied Ballistics and what not!
Saw a video about the 5700 Elite and it seems to me, that it holds a lot of not necessary information, nice and fancy, bells and whistles to play with of course, but finally I only want to know my elevation and windage, and that´s it.

Am I wrong there?

I want ONE device for getting that data, elevation and windage.
It of course should be sturdy and reliable.
Easy to use - KISS.
Driven by batteries which are usual all around, accu would be a plus.
For 3 rifles with one round each max.

Please tell me which one is the way to go.


Hopefully,
Jay

 

[b6graham]

kestrel 4dof would be my pick. especially at the pricepoint

 

[Secant]

The 5700 Elite can hold 30 profiles, and the other kestrel options can only hold 3. Although, if you have LiNK, you can easily move profiles back and form from the unit so that's a wash in my mind - plus you are only wanting 3 profiles.

All the kestrels with ballistics will run a G1/G7 solver, the Elite runs AB, and the Hornady runs 4DoF - so that's personal preference.

I find the range and target cards in the Elite to be very handy, so that's a plus to me. The Elite can store 10 targets and the others can only store 1.

Are you going to pair to LRF device? If so, just know that Elite works with AB protocols and Hornady works with their separate protocols - they don't mix n match to my knowledge.

I've only owned the 5700 Elite, but I think it is very easy to use. The 4Dof version wasn't out when I bought mine. I like the idea of saving a few bucks with the 4DoF, but I use the range & target cards so much, that I'd probably still go with the Elite.

 

[Jayjay1]

So, of course, I have to ask if there is a difference between those two calculators.

4DOF and AB, is one of them more precise?

@Secant:
What do you mean with the range and target cards?
Are there cards on the Kestrel???

Aaaand, is the 4DOF only for Hornady bullets (BCs)?

 

[LoneWolf_052713]

Budget option GeoBallistics App and the Weatherflow meter, 2 devices, but drop data is just as accurate as the kestrel. The kestrel is a little easier to get wind info from. I used a Kestrel for the first time over the weekend and it was very nice not to have to worry about getting my phone sync'd with the weather meter etc. Plus the live update function was very helpful with the swinging temps this time of year being 35* in the morning and up to 70* in the afternoon as the Temperature and DA rise throughout the day.

 

[Secant]

So, of course, I have to ask if there is a difference between those two calculators.

4DOF and AB, is one of them more precise?

@Secant:
What do you mean with the range and target cards?
Are there cards on the Kestrel???

Aaaand, is the 4DOF only for Hornady bullets (BCs)?

A lot of guys on here shoot much farther than I do. But, I use my 5700 Elite out to 1,400 yards regularly and it does just fine. I've spent most of my time with solutions from G7 calculator, so I haven't even needed/wanted the Custom Drag Models. I play around with the 4DoF app a little and think it's just as good. With any ballistic calculator, you just need to be diligent with your data-in and true it to the real world. So to answer your question, I don't think one is better or worse, at least not for what I'm doing.

The 'range card' is a function within the Elite. You present the range interval (10, 25, 50, 100 yards), and the display provides a column for range and corresponding elevation adjustment, and there's a third column to scroll through Wind 1, Wind 2, remaining velocity, remaining energy, etc....crappy photo attached

 

[longgunJR]

I'm glad someone asked this as I need a weather meter myself. I like using the applied ballistic app so most likely getting the 5700 Elite with AB.

 

[Tobyboy22]

I use the Weatherflow meter and BallisticsARC app on my phone. Works well and is much less expensive.

 

[Mk32784]

The all in one would be a 5700 elite.

Personally I use a Sig 3000BDX linked to a Garmin 701 and then I keep a weatherflow around if I want to check wind.

 

[clcustom1911]

Kestrel with AB. My 4500NV have been going strong for 5 years now. It's a badass piece of gear.

 

[Paul1262]

Kestrel 5700 Elite or Kestrel/Hornady 5700 4 DOF are both excellent units. You can't go wrong with either one. Just personal choice. I'm very happy with the Kestrel/Hornady 5700 4 DOF.

 

[4066.5]

I had a weatherflow for precision shooting and use it for about a year now. This last week I upgraded to a 5700 elite. If you asked me prior to this last week with the kestrel I would have said save your money and get the weatherflow, now I can confidently say get the kestrel. The learning curve sucks, but it's worth it. I'm just getting the hang of the kestrel so I'm sure I'm missing a lot but here's some highlights of the differences....

-Kestrel takes a few swings over the head to get the temp stable ( going from 70 degree house to ~20 degrees outside)... Weatherflow is about 15-20 minutes

- kestrel with AB factors in wind to your vertical solution weatherflow with stretlok pro wind will only affect your wind hold , for example if you blow into the meter and it's angled downward relative to your target it will tell you to come "up" more ( wind blowing bullet down, makes sense)

- range card and the ability to enter solutions as a stand alone unit .. you don't even need an app or cell phone or anything to adjust your elevation , bullet velocity, ECT. Everything can be changed through the kestrel without reception, all you need is one AA battery.

- weatherflow took a bunch of data gathering to get firing solutions accurate out to 1000 with my 6.5 and a mile with my 300wm. With the kestrel it was off by 2 clicks ... I would be hard pressed to say that wasn't my fuck up.


- westherflow is much more sleek , user friendly and easier to use then the kestrel.. that might change after time with the kestrel but I kinda compare it apple to Android or Mac to Windows .. either is easy with practice , and with practice android/ windows allows you more freedom but for somebody that wants zero learning curve and is ok with making "work arounds " the Mac ( or in this case the weatherflow ) is better.

- if you don't have a Chrono, streklok pro has a shit ton more bullet data for factory loads and a bunch more reticles. I still feel like the user gathered and the Doppler readings from the AB is more accurate though if you use advertised velocity.

- you finally look really fucking cool with a kestrel , I was measuring temp in all my tools and running and gunning every room I'm my house / outside finding firing solutions .

All and all I wouldn't do it differently.. if your a buy once cry once kind of guy , get the kestrel elite, if your down for upgrades and backups , get the weatherflow and keep it For a friend to borrow or as a backup .. I just tried linking my kestrel to stretlok and it seems to work fine , haven't played with it but it seems to lack the live feed feature. I can report back once I play with the stretlok/ kestrel combo more.

 

[Jayjay1]

Thank you a lot for all your infos and support!


I´m a bit low on my budget, just having bought another stock and some other stuff.

So, after reading your comments and searching around a bit:
What if I´m getting me a Kestrel 5700 for the moment, work with it, learn, and upgrade later if I can / want?

All 5700s can be upgraded later, right?

Which 5700 version would that be to start with?


Cheers guys,
Jay

 

[LawnMM]

Only the sportsman is upgradeable to my knowledge.

Get the Hornady Kestrel or AB Kestrel based on your bullet. Whichever has 4DOF/Custom Curves for your projectile is the one to get.

 

[Jayjay1]

So what is the difference in the results of the 5700 Ballistic (that´s the new Sportsman like their HP says) compared to the 4DOF or AB versions?

How much in % will that be?
I mean, who wants to buy a 5700 Ballistic, if the data is crap?

 

[NOMAD]

Another fan of 4dof

Kestrel 5700 Hornady 4 DOF Weather Meter

Kestrel 5700 Hornady 4 DOF Weather Meter

www.impactdatabooks.com

 

[IronmanDaremo]

I use the Weatherflow meter and BallisticsARC app on my phone. Works well and is much less expensive.

Another vote here. I'm new to the activity, so wanted to keep it simple and cheap (for now). If I told my wife I wanted yet another "tool" for my shooting, she'd probably lose her sh-t and I'd be on the couch for a while ....

 

[Tobyboy22]

Another vote here. I'm new to the activity, so wanted to keep it simple and cheap (for now). If I told my wife I wanted yet another "tool" for my shooting, she'd probably lose her sh-t and I'd be on the couch for a while ....

I hear you. I’ve shot a lot of matches using that combo and never felt handicapped by not having a Kestrel.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

So guys,
I have my rifle, my round, my rangefinder - ready to go.

What I´m lacking of is the temperature, pressure, humidity, wind - thingy.

And I want to keep it simple - therefore I would prefer ONE item for that.
(Do have the Strelok Pro on my Iphone, but would be happy to NOT need it.
Already have to deal with rangefinder, rifle and the weather thingy, that must be enough.)

I see and understand, that Kestrel is the way to go, fine with me, but which one?!
There is so much information out there, it is very confusing to me.
Kestrel Ruger, Kestrel Elite, Kestrel Hornady, with or without link, Applied Ballistics and what not!
Saw a video about the 5700 Elite and it seems to me, that it holds a lot of not necessary information, nice and fancy, bells and whistles to play with of course, but finally I only want to know my elevation and windage, and that´s it.

Am I wrong there?

I want ONE device for getting that data, elevation and windage.
It of course should be sturdy and reliable.
Easy to use - KISS.
Driven by batteries which are usual all around, accu would be a plus.
For 3 rifles with one round each max.

Please tell me which one is the way to go.


Hopefully,
Jay

For a one an done, I use the cob method, an it has never failed me to date.

 

[Near miss]

Thank you a lot for all your infos and support!


I´m a bit low on my budget, just having bought another stock and some other stuff.

So, after reading your comments and searching around a bit:
What if I´m getting me a Kestrel 5700 for the moment, work with it, learn, and upgrade later if I can / want?

All 5700s can be upgraded later, right?

Which 5700 version would that be to start with?


Cheers guys,
Jay

You should be able to upgrade all 5700 models to Elite. According to Kestrel all the hardware is same, just different software.
In fact here in Finland it is cheaper to upgrade than buying the Elite version.

But mine looks like a warranty case so I have not been able to upgrade it if I end up switching it to another 5700 at the store. (Elite license is tied to device serial number)

But take the Link version and 5700. You can upgrade it later and so you will do.

 

[Secant]

So what is the difference in the results of the 5700 Ballistic (that´s the new Sportsman like their HP says) compared to the 4DOF or AB versions?

How much in % will that be?
I mean, who wants to buy a 5700 Ballistic, if the data is crap?

I don't want to talk you into or out-of anything, but if the Sportsman is what fits your budget, go for it. A solver based on a G7 model can provide accurate results to 1,000+ yards for the majority of centerfire cartridges at 'normal' velocities.

 

[seansmd]

If you are comparing the 4dof vs the elite and using a bullet that has 4dof data compared to a bullet that has AB custom curve data, the 4dof should be more accurate it has more data points in the curve that are measured. That said there are significantly less bullets with 4dof data, but the 4dof device is significantly cheaper, and missing some other minor features.

If you are comparing g7 to g7 or g1 to g1 the should be equivalent assuming similar input.

 

[sam4886]

I'm no expert on all the models, but it looks like you can get a 5700 sportsman with link and applied ballistics for $500 on amazon. They're discontinued but have the option to upgrade software later.

Isn't this essentially the same as the newer 5700 elite AP for $700?

I'm also seeing other sportsman's for $350 or so on eBay, but don't know if they've got bluetooth or AP. Midway has a 5500 sportsman for $300 that you should be able to upgrade for $190, pretty sure that lacks BT though...

 

[rob.sfo]

I plan to upgrade to a Kestrel at some point, but I use the WeatherFlow meter for now. I would guess that using a Kestrel is faster, as it doesn’t require establishing a Bluetooth connection (which can sometimes be finicky), loading an app and getting to the right screen, etc.

I keep trying to use StrelokPro but find myself using BallisticArc most often. It’s simple and effective, I like how quickly you can get what you need, save range cards, and the map ranging tool is really cool. Ive used that hunting and it works great.

 

[LawnMM]

If you are comparing the 4dof vs the elite and using a bullet that has 4dof data compared to a bullet that has AB custom curve data, the 4dof should be more accurate it has more data points in the curve that are measured. That said there are significantly less bullets with 4dof data, but the 4dof device is significantly cheaper, and missing some other minor features.

If you are comparing g7 to g7 or g1 to g1 the should be equivalent assuming similar input.

I don't believe that's accurate as AB is doing their own Doppler now and updating curves.

I think any difference between 4dof and CDM, if you could even see it, would be minute at this point.

The difference in the libraries is much more stark at the moment. To be honest, an acoustic CDM is still better than a g1/g7 in my opinion.

Not necessarily in accuracy, but in work required for accurate solutions. G1/G7 often need to be trued up for accuracy. CDM/4dof is about as close to plug n play as you get.

 

[seansmd]

Just going by other threads that have mentioned the more different ranges Hornady is running dopler on their curves vs what the AB model uses for ther CDM with their doppler. I know I couldn't see the difference for sure either way.

Would love to see an independant and current view of both models, and supporting data models that support them.

 

[Jayjay1]

Yeah, a comparison of those two would be great.

To all:
I emailed Kestrel and only the Standard 5700 can be upgraded to the Elite, not the Hornady and not the Ruger, because they are both using a different software (not Applied Ballistic).

 

[Jayjay1]

That said there are significantly less bullets with 4dof data ...

Well, but if you have a BC for a specific bullet you can put that data in, any bullet with any BC, can´t you?

And if so, can you save that data in both, Hornady 4DOF and Elite, for later use?

 

[seansmd]

Well, but if you have a BC for a specific bullet you can put that data in, any bullet with any BC, can´t you?

And if so, can you save that data in both, Hornady 4DOF and Elite, for later use?

Yes you can, but then you are down to using the G7 which should be the same on both. The uniqueness of the 4DOF is is a more complex coefficient that create a more accurate curve, measured with actual Doppler. AB custom curves are similar in that they are supported by Doppler. Some on these pages have said that the 4DOF is more accurate with more measured data points for the bullets in their database. If you plan on using G1/G7 there are lots of ways to get accurate data, the Kestrels only added benefit is a device in the field that integrates environmental and the G1/G7 ballistics curve vs using a phone app and environmental data from elsewhere.

If you plan on using Hornady ammo you are good to go, and they are adding more bullets with each release I believe. The Hornady version does not have some features the Elite has on the AB, more gun profiles, and the range card I believe.

 

[Ravenworks]

I use the Weatherflow meter and BallisticsARC app on my phone. Works well and is much less expensive.

Camera land has some pretty smoking deals going on right now.