AAR: PNTC Kestrel Class

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • hogarth

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 13, 2009
    2,504
    Interesting read, but so far outside my wheelhouse and general interest areas. Read it just because you always write good articles.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,500
    God's Country
    It’s been on my to-do list for a while. I’ve had the elite for a few years now and it’s an amazing tool for long range shooters. I’m sure there are tricks and techniques that I’m not familiar with yet. Considering the time you get on the back Mountian range it’s a great deal in my opinion.

    I had tried a number of ballistic phone apps and various other means but now I just rely on the Kestrel. My first competition using it at PNTC long range competition I has 13 first round hits. The thing was dead on once I dialed in my ammo.
     

    Speed3

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 19, 2011
    7,816
    MD
    Nice write up.

    I've always thought about getting a kestrel but I'm cheap lol. They really work that good? In my head, I've always called a 5 mph wind by feel and would be nice to have a kestrel to verify. Sounds like they do much more.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,500
    God's Country
    Nice write up.

    I've always thought about getting a kestrel but I'm cheap lol. They really work that good? In my head, I've always called a 5 mph wind by feel and would be nice to have a kestrel to verify. Sounds like they do much more.


    The thing is that I never really use the wind speed meter. I probably rely most on the density altitude or station pressure reading.

    The real usefulness of the kestrel 5700 elite is the ability to store target ranges and bearing into the memory and very quickly change from target to target. The device will update the windage and elevation adjustments needed automatically. So if you start a match with 30.04 pressure at 36° then 90min later the pressure is 30.61 and 48° you can have your ballistic calculations practically instantly. I usually gauge the wind and say the average wind speed is 7mph with gust of 15mph. I’ll key in those two speeds into the memory. Then when you switch to a different preset range you’ll see the windage adjustments for the average and gust. When I’m ready to shoot I’ll just take my best guess if the wind at that moment is near the average or closer to gust and do my best to correct my holdover.

    It’s just one less thing to worry about at the firing line and I’m surprised at how useful and accurate it’s been.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    I mean, if you're awesome at reading wind, yeah, manually enter it. I'm not, so it's nice to have a backup at my location. The HUD really does change the game a bit in what you can do with wind capture, in the sense that you can mount the Kestrel on a proper tripod with weather vane and get real time environment updates piped straight to the HUD. That's an expensive solution, but on the other hand, it's usable on every rifle/load you own.

    Interesting read, but so far outside my wheelhouse and general interest areas. Read it just because you always write good articles.
    If you have a rifle that can do 1 MOA and a decent 20-30x on it, I'd say it's worth doing once. If nothing else, it'll open your eyes to the real challenges of shooting ELR, and give you some good fodder to eyeroll at Internet commandoes who tell you of the ease of making hits at 1000+. It's easy to do it once, it's hard to do it consistently and on the first round without some real prep work.
     

    Speed3

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 19, 2011
    7,816
    MD
    If nothing else, it'll open your eyes to the real challenges of shooting ELR, and give you some good fodder to eyeroll at Internet commandoes who tell you of the ease of making hits at 1000+. It's easy to do it once, it's hard to do it consistently and on the first round without some real prep work.

    LOL I 100% agree with this. Everyone says they can hit a plate at 1k yards because they have done it a few times. Walking the bullets into the plate is easy(until conditions change). Getting first round hits on 90% of your targets is an entire different game and takes some skill.

    I have people all the time tell me that holding 1 MOA is easy so fclass should be easy. I invite them to a 100 yard range and ask them to shoot just 60 rounds at 100 yards and see if they can keep all of them in an inch...then add changing wind into the equation and they start to get it.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,500
    God's Country
    LOL I 100% agree with this. Everyone says they can hit a plate at 1k yards because they have done it a few times. Walking the bullets into the plate is easy(until conditions change). Getting first round hits on 90% of your targets is an entire different game and takes some skill.


    I think this is where the kestrel shines in a competition like the Long Range Challenge or maybe PRS where you have SOME of the information available to you before you shoot and then at the firing line you have to use your experience to fill in and finesse the blanks.

    My first LRC at PNTS I was using the kestrel. my first 13 targets were first round hits. I might have come in 1st place that day but I had forgotten to change my elevation when moving from a target at around 600yds to 800 yds. My first shot was so low that the spotter called no data. When the second shot was also way low I only then checked my elevation and realized my mistake. I dialed in and took the 3rd shot. I was flustered and rushed and just missed slightly. I scored a zero on that target and dropped me from first place to 12th.

    I’ve never shot F-class so I dont know how well the Kestrel fits within that type of competition.
     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,410
    Glen Burnie
    Funny. I asked my high speed sniper SEAL buddy which model Kestrel he has. He says " I dunno. It's at work". lol
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,500
    God's Country
    Funny. I asked my high speed sniper SEAL buddy which model Kestrel he has. He says " I dunno. It's at work". lol


    That is funny. I guess when you’re a sniper for a living you look for other things to do on the weekend.

    Just curious are there “Regular Speed Snipers”. How about Ludicrous Speed?
     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,410
    Glen Burnie
    That is funny. I guess when you’re a sniper for a living you look for other things to do on the weekend.

    Just curious are there “Regular Speed Snipers”. How about Ludicrous Speed?

    Not sure :). I do think he is high speed, since he hits moving targets at 1,000 consistently.

    I tell ya, I have visited him at both his Teams 5 and 2. The amount of pre packed load outs of equipment in their war cages is quite impressive. I can't even fathom the cost of all equipment in just 1 cage, let alone for a whole platoon or squadron.
    For him it's just "work equipment". For us, it's a hobbyists dream. lol
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,538
    Columbia
    I think this is where the kestrel shines in a competition like the Long Range Challenge or maybe PRS where you have SOME of the information available to you before you shoot and then at the firing line you have to use your experience to fill in and finesse the blanks.

    My first LRC at PNTS I was using the kestrel. my first 13 targets were first round hits. I might have come in 1st place that day but I had forgotten to change my elevation when moving from a target at around 600yds to 800 yds. My first shot was so low that the spotter called no data. When the second shot was also way low I only then checked my elevation and realized my mistake. I dialed in and took the 3rd shot. I was flustered and rushed and just missed slightly. I scored a zero on that target and dropped me from first place to 12th.

    I’ve never shot F-class so I dont know how well the Kestrel fits within that type of competition.


    Still relatively new at long range but I’ve shot 3 LRC’s so far and took a class with Ed Shell a few years ago.
    Is a Kestrel really worth it? It’s only giving you wind value where you are, not at the target. You still need to be able to read the wind and make an educated guess from there.
    Just wondering if it’s worth the cost.
    Reading the wind isn’t easy but I’m still trying to learn every time I shoot.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    hogarth

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 13, 2009
    2,504
    I mean, if you're awesome at reading wind, yeah, manually enter it. I'm not, so it's nice to have a backup at my location. The HUD really does change the game a bit in what you can do with wind capture, in the sense that you can mount the Kestrel on a proper tripod with weather vane and get real time environment updates piped straight to the HUD. That's an expensive solution, but on the other hand, it's usable on every rifle/load you own.


    If you have a rifle that can do 1 MOA and a decent 20-30x on it, I'd say it's worth doing once. If nothing else, it'll open your eyes to the real challenges of shooting ELR, and give you some good fodder to eyeroll at Internet commandoes who tell you of the ease of making hits at 1000+. It's easy to do it once, it's hard to do it consistently and on the first round without some real prep work.

    Like I said, no interest. No 20-30x scope, no Kestrel, no 1 MOA gun. I have tremendous respect and envy for people who excel at the PR stuff. But I'm not a hunter, sniper, or assassin, so that is a rabbit hole I'll never go down.
     

    Speed3

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 19, 2011
    7,816
    MD
    Still relatively new at long range but I’ve shot 3 LRC’s so far and took a class with Ed Shell a few years ago.
    Is a Kestrel really worth it? It’s only giving you wind value where you are, not at the target. You still need to be able to read the wind and make an educated guess from there.
    Just wondering if it’s worth the cost.
    Reading the wind isn’t easy but I’m still trying to learn every time I shoot.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Seems they help with atmospheric elements that are ever changing, takes bullet spin drift, elevation, etc. It can certainly help from that aspect. I can tell you I shoot the same couple of ranges often, my elevation is always slightly different. Not a big deal for me as I get sighter shots, but if I was going for first round hits, it would be helpful.

    Reading wind down range it won't help a ton, if it's a constant wind at 90 degrees, it will give you the wind call. But when you get a quartering headwind you better know your values. When the wind switches directions and varies in speed, you better be in your A game. Or just want the average 7 minutes for the wind cycle to come back around if possible.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    Is a Kestrel really worth it? It’s only giving you wind value where you are, not at the target. You still need to be able to read the wind and make an educated guess from there.
    The wind where you are shooting is the wind that makes the most impact on your shot. Bryan Litz did the math. It's not the only wind that matters, but getting it right is a big deal.

    Just wondering if it’s worth the cost.
    Reading the wind isn’t easy but I’m still trying to learn every time I shoot.
    It does a lot more than just measure the wind. That's the point I tried to make in the post about the ballistics side of it.
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,930
    Messages
    7,259,465
    Members
    33,350
    Latest member
    Rotorboater

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom