What would you buy first.. Garmin chrono or Kestrel Applied balistics?

[martin_b]

So I can afford one of the above..  If I was starting from scratch I'd go for the Garmin.. However I have dope on all my rifles from 100 to 1200 yards.. and have what seems to accurate speeds calculated from Sterlok, so maybe I should get a Kestrel? But then again a reasonable anemometer can be had for under £50, and Sterlok has served me well so is AB that much better? Maybe I should just put the money aside for a rainy day?

[Scotch_egg]

Sounds like you are sorted with your dope to be honest. I would keep using strelok and get the Garmin. Knowing the speed of every bullet down range is invaluable IMPO. I changed a batch of powder and picked up 40fps with no other changes. I’ve also seen pressure spikes from a carbon ring. 

[martin_b]

Thanks, i am leaning that way.

[Charlts]

I’d go Kestrel 5700, as it’s much easier to borrow a chrono than a kestrel. The kestrel will also account for a lot more than Strelok can and provides better input on the biggest variables when it comes to making first round hits.

[martin_b]

and now I'm leaning the other way.. 🙂  

Do I care what speed the bullets are moving? The bottom line is I have 500 made up rounds for each of my calibres that shoot well, ( I'm retired so what else do you do when you can't fish?) therefore I dont plan to tinker with my loads.

So plan B is  buy the android version of the AB app, I assume its similar to the Kestrel  version, and see how I get on with that. 

[tubby10]

AB without real knowledge of bullet velocities is a bit of a fudge, and your truing all the time whilst guessing one of the most important factors velocity.

chairgun or strelok will easily get you to the transition to subsonic and have a far better/quicker user interface than the kestrel. Was very interesting at the MRAD introduction at Gardners starting at 1147 yards and getting more miserable thereafter. 

pick up a weatherflow that synchs to strelok and your getting best of both But do go for the garmin first. 

 

[tubby10]

Or if you want to save some cash you'd do well with a magnetospeed but it's a bit of a faff taking on and off.

[JCalleja91]

I'd 100% go with the Kestrel.

Much easier to find someone willing to lend you a Chrono to input data into your Kestrel and then you're set until something changes.

Infact I'm sure there was someone on here that was going to do a Garmin on a rental basis.

[ashcroft]

If you won't be tinkering with loads much, borrow, rent or buy a cheaper chrono to get you speed data 

The data is invaluable for using the ballistic tools effectively and also validating the ES/SD of your loads

[Ronin]

If you shoot on known distance ranges and have your dope sorted 

 

do you need either 

[Popsbengo]

15 minutes ago, Ronin said:

If you shoot on known distance ranges and have your dope sorted 

 

do you need either 

This ^^

[JCalleja91]

@martin_b get both...

 

[martin_b]

Thanks for all the replies guys,  I think the first thing to do is to borrow a garmin, ( I'm local to Bisley) and try tthat to see how the number compare with my calculated ones.

[martin_b]

8 hours ago, Ronin said:

If you shoot on known distance ranges and have your dope sorted 

 

do you need either 

I guess I need neither, but want both!  

cheers

[Artiglio]

If you’ve never really used a chrono and just want it for occasional use, pick up a used labradar with a recoil trigger, they work perfectly well that way.

Then get the kestrel as well, you can never have enough gadgets

[CameronWilson]

I'm not a fan of the Kestrels TBH.

I've bought a Kestrel 5700 Elite Ballistics twice now, and sold them both fairly quickly. I find trying to drive the Kestrel via what is essentially the interface from a 1980's pager, to be extremely frustrating.

I much prefer something like a SIG Saucer KILO 3000BDX binocular, which has an Applied Ballistics solver built-in. It's a bit like a Kestrel that you can look through, and SIG's app is superb.

My Garmin chrono however, is one of the best pieces of kit that I've ever bought!

YMMV.

[Scotch_egg]

The kestrel can feel clunky. However when using it on something other than a square range I find the wind calls really help me with first round hit probability. These skills are also learnt and there are various methods. It just does it for you in one package. It also means you don’t have to have your phone out on the firing line. 

[KatoomDownUnder]

Go the Kestrel first. Linking it to the Kestrel app will make loading profiles so much easier. Even if only using one gun but multiple projectiles/loads you can let the software do the hard yards for you.