Kestrel 4500 Atrag?

[gbmaryland]

Well, the unit certainly does not do G7 balistics... so there are issues there as well.

It's still quite handy, especially if you can't get NOAA info into one of the ballistics programs via GPS and the internet.

...but so far this product is falling way short of expectations.

I'll probably have my hands on a military unit at some point... and it'll be interesting to see the differences. Though I probably will not be able to post anything about it.

 

[RDM416]

I just got in a Kestrel 4500 with bluetooth interface (not the Atrag). It easily interfaces with my android phone and "shooter" app. I have not tried it in the field yet, but just messing around with inside this evening it looks like it is going to work great. "Shooter" automatically imports the environmental conditions, including wind direction if you use the optional wind vane mount.

The Atrag version is $300+ more expensive, I already have a smart phone and the shooter program which is $10 or so if I remember correctly. Although I have not used the Atrag program, from what I have seen shooter has more features and is a more versatile program. I will update my findings in a few weeks when I have had a chance to use this setup on a couple of hunts.

 

[Villreinjeger]

I would actually pay more for getting one package compared to two.

One issue that hasn't been covered is battery life? How long does it last? A 3000/3500 is said to last 300hours. Half that on this one?

 

[fmboss429]

The question I can't seem to find an answer for, is it worth the extra money??? I have an Android phone with the shooter program, and have had a great deal of success so far with it, and I think a Kestrel will only enhance the package, but I like the idea of having everything wrapped in one package. Any advice?

 

[parker33]

After using the 4500 with horus atrag on the range and in the field I can say that I love it. With the total weather system that it has it took me from hitting a steel deer target at 900 yards and then adjusting to a dead zero to putting the first shot in the heart or lungs everytime. I just came back from colorado and took a deer at 640 yards dead center of the heart. My friend couldn't get in range for his rifle so we sat together and at dark took a nice buck at 570 yards with a double lung. I checked out my rifle when we got there. We are in florida so I checked my Kestrel at 900 yards before we left and it called for 62 clicks @ 3 per moa. The temp was about 77 degrees. When we got to Colorado it was 43 degrees and 3700 feet it called for only 53 clicks @ 900. So if I had a dial made it would have been 3 moa high at 900 yards. I can tell you that I do not regret getting it for a minute. If it needs anything it would be a bigger screen and display.

 

[gbmaryland]

After using the 4500 with horus atrag on the range and in the field I can say that I love it. With the total weather system that it has it took me from hitting a steel deer target at 900 yards and then adjusting to a dead zero to putting the first shot in the heart or lungs everytime. I just came back from colorado and took a deer at 640 yards dead center of the heart. My friend couldn't get in range for his rifle so we sat together and at dark took a nice buck at 570 yards with a double lung. I checked out my rifle when we got there. We are in florida so I checked my Kestrel at 900 yards before we left and it called for 62 clicks @ 3 per moa. The temp was about 77 degrees. When we got to Colorado it was 43 degrees and 3700 feet it called for only 53 clicks @ 900. So if I had a dial made it would have been 3 moa high at 900 yards. I can tell you that I do not regret getting it for a minute. If it needs anything it would be a bigger screen and display.

Nice!

I think the only thing that I'm really not impressed with is the lack of G7 support for BC.

The unit uses G1 BC, and you have to manually configure it for advanced low drag rounds:

under 1500fps, use BC 1
from 1501 to 2000fps, use BC 2
from 2000 to 2900fps, use BC 3

That gets a little old when you want to load up a bunch of rounds for a bunch for guns.

I'd say they need to include the G7 BC models.

Now, since I've got the BT model, I can use an android app and real time input, but that defeats the purpose of an all-in-one model, which you've just proven works well enough.

(So I'm still a little jaded, but that's some nice shoot'n.)

 

[parker33]

One feature that the unit has is called "true drop". You take the info for elevation that it gives you and shoot it at several ranges if you like or even on longer range and you can go in and adjust either the velocity or the B.C. to fit your actual drop. I shoot extreme powders but if you don't use extreme powders and you have the time and conditions you can enter 5 different muzzle velocities at different temps and it uses the velocity closest to your current temp.

 

[berryreed]

Parker which unit did you get? Does it have the blue tooth?

 

[swandme]

A while Back I posted I liked the Kestrel Horus Combo and The more I use it the more I like it. The fine tuned adjustment of automatically estimating you muzzle velocity based on the current temp has been great. Only down side is the screen is small, its ok but since I turned 47 I need the reading glasses more often. I can read it with out but 5 years from now maybe not.

I have many other units I compared it to and the simple idea of the Rangefinder and this pkg. is a great combo.



I have a Palm Pilot T3 with NightForce ExBal I just sold in favor of the Horus Atrag SW and the HP 111 and the bigger screen is nice for the Range and practice when you have space and time the size of the text is not much bigger on the 111. but for the hunt I like the Kestrel Horus Combo unit the best.

I also have an iPhone with Knights Armament Bullet Flight 2 and the New Shooter Version Between those two I like shooter by a small margin because of the Graf feature.

for use on your computer the Night Force is best but no one makes SW for the Apple Computers so for many years I used Oehler's Ballistics Explorer and for its time 15 years ago it was great.

Now I own only Mac and am sold on all the portables.

Happy Shooting

 

[berryreed]

I just spent the last two hours wading threw this post on the Hide.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2610295&page=all

I was pretty much mind made up not to get one. However you give me hope since you have tried most of the others. If I understand correctly once you input your load data it computes everything else automatically such as (wind, temp, altitude, pressure etc.) correct? Did you get the non-Blue tooth model?

 

[parker33]

I didn't get the bluetooth because I kind of stumbled on this while looking for a wind meter. We have been more and more impressed with this unit everytime we use it. I was playing around with my TRG 22 with 175 smk out to 900, because that is as far as the range is that we were on. I knew my velocity was right but my bullet was low at 900. I went in to the true drop feature and adjusted the B.C. to fit. I was originally using Sierras posted B.C. of around 500. When I got home I looked the B.C. up in Bryan Litz book and it is 475. So I got out the kestrel and checked what fit and guess what, it was 474. I went out today and got out my 7 WSM Long Range Rifle that our very own Len Backus made and hasn't been shot in 2 months. Plugged it in the kestrel and nailed a 900 yard bullseye cold bore. Later a guy came by who never has shot past 200 yards. I put him on my rifle and dialed him in and he went bullseye at 600, 700, 800, and 900 with 4 straight shots. I can go on and on but all I can say is I love mine!!!!

 

[parker33]

Berry, I kind of got to rambling on and didn't really answer your question. I just got the regular unit but I found out later that it was made for the military snipers and their eyes are a bit better then some of ours. I can see this one OK but a couple of the guys who have about ten years on me have some trouble with it so if you have something already to send the info by bluetooth it would be a good idea to get ie. The screen has a little back light and works good in the dark so either way. I have always thought that the less I can use the less I can forget to bring. Good luck, Scott

 

[tt35]

I've got a lot of shooting to do before I feel I can give an accurate evaluation on the Kestrel/Atrag unit but I can tell you that I had to "true" my velocity to get my 1100 yard drops to work out on the G7 program on-line. This caused my 600 yard drops to be off. When I input my data into the Kestrel/Atrag with the same rifle and load I had to readjust my velocity back to the chronographed speed to get my drops correct. Then, my 600 yard drops came back into line also. That tells me this program is on the right track. Will report more as I get more experience with the unit/program. So far, I'm with Parker33 and swandme on this product. Expensive? Yes. Just like everything else I've purchased for long range shooting.

http://no-off-season.com/store/Software-Electronics-Instruments/Weather-Meters/4500NVS

 

[parker33]

tt35, You will notice that everytime there is a little change in temp or conditions it will change also. I have had the kestrel give me one less moa of dial up at 900 yards in about 40 minutes and it was still money. In my opinion it is one of the best ways to get a first round hit. Let me know how you do with yours. That is the first thing I make sure I have before going to the range.