Applied Ballistics iPhone App V Kestrel

[Ralpharama]

Whilst I have a Kestrel, I find it very clunky and difficult to use unlike Strelok. When shooting at really long distance, when projectiles are going transonic, the G7 curves really aren't up to the job so AB curves are essential.

I hear very little about AB's app for the iPhone, but wondered if any of you guys have used it. I am also painfully aware that me iPhone is getting long in the tooth and at some point will need to be upgraded, meaning Strelok will no longer be available to me without a PHD in hacking. 

The AB app is only about £36, but I understand that is not where the expenditure stops. Anyone on here tried it?

[OSOK]

If you put the same info in most apps there is very little difference out to 1500 yards ... I have just put my Strelok Pro onto the new Iphone 16 from an Iphone 11 using Imazing ...

OSOK

[Ralpharama]

I found Strelok Pro pretty good until I went out to a mile and then the cracks showed. However fiddly the AB curves on the Kestrel were more accurate. 

[Popsbengo]

I use 'Shooter' on my iPhone.  It's always worked perfectly acceptably for me out to 2000yds with .338LM using both Hornady 285 and Berger 300 bullets.  Out to 1200yds with 6.5 & .308 also no problems.

[OSOK]

1 hour ago, Ralpharama said:

I found Strelok Pro pretty good until I went out to a mile and then the cracks showed. However fiddly the AB curves on the Kestrel were more accurate. 

Ralph , Don't over think it ... I found a note i made quite some time back on the difference in basic apps .. It was a 2,000 yard distance with a 7/270 wsm field rifle i use .. This is going subsonic at this range so on the edge as far as trusting the info , However the apps were quite consistant

Applied Ballistics              95.30 moa

Shooter                             95.30 moa

Strelok Pro                        96.20 moa

Ballistic AE                        97.50 moa

Be aware that a lot of apps don't take into account the wind direction when giving you the drops ... I feel any of the above apps are decent and work well but you won't beat a Kestrel if you've entered the right info into it .... Otherwise it's shite in and shite out i'm afraid !

Greg

[Simonc65]

There is a YouTube  video linked to at the strelok website that walks you through getting the app on to a new phone for free using imazing.

If you are anywhere near Bath or go to Bisley I’d be more than happy to help you do it when the time comes. 

[Ralpharama]

Thanks Simon

I'm not far from Bath

I'll bare that in mind when the time comes, as it surely will!   

[Ralpharama]

Hi Greg

I found Strelok was about a milrad lower than AB at a mile and the guy at Bunkies gave me a hard time about my poor dope, so I had to fight the Kestrel to get a more accurate elevation, which did get me there. I just find the menu system on the Kestrel very hard to work with and wondered if the AB iPhone app would be more intuitive.

 

[Richiew]

StrelokPro is still working on the old phone and now I’ve updated to a iPhone 15 I was looking at chairgun elite as a very close copy to the old strelok. 
isnipe also looks good. 
there’s a lot of comments that don’t give AB a very good review in that it’s a complicated set up . 
Might just keep the old phone charged and ready for the weekend s . 

[Popsbengo]

Surely all ballistic apps calculate using the same physical relationships that are input.  As OSOK writes above, most solutions will be all but identical given the same input.  I've also checked against PC and web based calculators - pretty much the same.

The problems is how reliable is the aerodynamic drag model used to calculate the trajectory.  Some have better handling of BC data at different velocity ranges.  Some allow trimming.

I think the reason I settled on Shooter was that it has an easy interface and minimum faffing about required.

I think gathering real-world dope (ie, actual drops that hit the 'V') and making notes is by far the best information for future use - especially if shooting fixed targets at known distances like Eskdalemuir, Bisley et-al

[Scotch_egg]

I’ll post for once. Not had a lot of experience with the kestrel. Bought it over summer. I’ve been using Ballistic AE with my 6.5X47 and 130gr ELD-M. It’s been on the dime. 

 

I tried the kestrel was sure I got it all correct and was a mil high. Got to be the data I input somewhere but after going over it a few times it doesn’t like it. I got there by fudging the velocity. Given it was the same on my Garmin and old Magneetospeed I’m lost. 

[OSOK]

If you’re anywhere near me I’m happy to go through your kestrel with you 

Greg

[OSOK]

22 minutes ago, Scotch_egg said:

I’ll post for once. Not had a lot of experience with the kestrel. Bought it over summer. I’ve been using Ballistic AE with my 6.5X47 and 130gr ELD-M. It’s been on the dime. 

 

I tried the kestrel was sure I got it all correct and was a mil high. Got to be the data I input somewhere but after going over it a few times it doesn’t like it. I got there by fudging the velocity. Given it was the same on my Garmin and old Magneetospeed I’m lost. 

 

[OSOK]

😄sorry they should be linked together  ????

[Scotch_egg]

Ballistic AE isn’t applied ballistics. 
 

I’ve just seen the applied ballistics app has been updated. It isn’t linked to kestrel yet. Should be out in January. 
 

https://precisionrifleblog.com/2024/12/03/new-release-applied-ballistics-quantum-app/