Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder Review
By Andy Backus
I was pretty excited when I first started hearing rumblings about the new Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder. A new ballistic version of the most talked about rangefinder I can remember in some time, the Sig Sauer KILO 2000 Rangefinder, sounded like a winner to me. The KILO 2000 had turned the rangefinder market on its head recently by providing long range ranging ability that rivals the top (and most expensive) rangefinders on the market at an almost shockingly low price. The new KILO 2400 ballistic version was intriguing to say the least.
My first thoughts were that I hoped Sig Sauer understood the necessary ingredients for providing a truly accurate long range ballistic solution in the new KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder and that they wouldn't miss any important ones in the new unit, and I hoped that it would be smaller than my tried and true G7 BR2. If the new Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ranged as well or better than the KILO 2000, the ballistics were reliable, and the unit was small, I knew they would have a winner.
SIG KILO 2400 Review - Setting the Stage
You suck in the thin ice-cold air in huge painful gulps as you cautiously approach the the crest of the ridge. You already scrambled down the other side of the valley and now you're in the final stages of a steep 500 foot climb. After checking your rifle, scope and other equipment you creep over the top. You pull out your Sig Sauer KILO 2400 Ballistic Rangefinder and immediately pick up the buck you spotted earlier through the KILO 2400's crisp optics with their wide field of view. He's about to drop into the next drainage where he will most likely get away.
You hold the RANGE button down to take advantage of the KILO 2400's outstanding scan mode and its precise circular reticle displays at just the right brightness level for the lighting conditions. The first number you see displayed on the KILO 2400 is 637 yards and it climbs as the scan mode follows the buck walking away from you. You let go as he stops at 642 yards and the KILO 2400 instantly tells you to dial your scope turret to 11.2 MOA. It also tells you that for a 10 MPH, 90 degree cross-wind you should hold 2.4 minutes. You estimate the full wind value to be about 5 MPH so you'll hold 1 1/4 minutes.
You try to shake off the buck fever starting to creep in as everything seems to be happening faster than you'd prefer. You take some deep breaths as you run through your pre-shot checklist. The buck turns prone but he looks like he's ready to start moving again. It's now or never. You squeeze the crisp trigger and spot the hit through your scope as the buck drops in his tracks!
Most hunters have been or will be in situations where the shot opportunity is not going to last very long and and a lot of elements need to come together in a hurry to allow for a good, clean, one-shot kill. When taking mid to long range shots, getting from spotting the animal, to ranging it, to obtaining a perfectly accurate ballistic solution to adjusting the scope, etc. and finally making the shot takes several steps and several pieces of equipment.
The fewer steps and pieces of equipment it takes, the less chance there is of making an error in the heat of the moment and the more time there is to focus on the actual shot. The consequences of making even a small error as a hunter can be huge when it comes to wounding an animal and causing it to suffer.
I've personally used, and been a big fan of, the G7 BR2 Rangefinder for the past several years because it was the only rangefinder in existence that had the sensors and ballistic calculator built in capable of providing an acceptably accurate long range, one-button ballistic solution. Sure I could use something like a Kestrel Elite with the atmospheric sensors and ballistics built in along with a basic rangefinder that gives range and angle adjusted shoot-to range, but having only one button to push on one unit and getting an immediate, reliable ballistic solution is worth more than gold to me in many hunting situations.
Some time has passed since those first rumblings and Sig Sauer recently announced their exciting new Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder. I had to beg, borrow and steal to get my hands on one as they had only produced a small number in the first couple of batches and only a select few had gotten one.
In tracking one down I ended up meeting some of the key players from Sig Sauer involved in bringing the KILO 2400 to market including one who had been personally using several KILO 2400 units in the field in his home state of Montana and many other locations this past hunting season. I constantly bugged my new contacts with technical questions while waiting for my unit to arrive. I also bugged the Applied Ballistics guys so I felt I understood the KILO 2400's capabilities fairly well when it finally did arrive.
Unfortunately the KILO 2400 arrived the day before Christmas and I was only allowed to keep it for about 1 week. With the holidays and a family vacation hitting at the same time, my time with the KILO 2400 was relatively short. I did however have several chances to run the KILO 2400 through its paces including an afternoon dedicated to comparing the KILO 2400 to my trusty G7 BR2 Rangefinder and a pair of Swarovski EL Range 10x42 rangefinding binoculars. .
KILO 2400 Review - What's Included
KILO 2400 Review - Size and Weight
The KILO 2400 is in fact much smaller than my G7 BR2. On many of my personal hunts keeping my gear light and small is a huge benefit. I had been in the habit of carrying my G7 BR2 in its carrying case strapped to the waist belt of my hunting backpack, and it's really pretty big and bulky there. But there was nowhere else I could carry it and have quick access. The KILO 2400 is a small vertical style rangefinder similar to one you would use for archery hunting. It is the same size as the KILO 2000 (and the newly released KILO 2200). It is similar in size to the Leica Rangemaster and Vortex Ranger rangefinders. I will have no problem finding places to carry the KILO 2400 that keep it out of the way yet within quick reach.
KILO 2400 next to G7 BR2 (on left). KILO 2400 (on right)
KILO 2400 Review - Ballistic Calculation, KILO 2400 ABS App, Features and Operation
Soon after hearing the first rumblings about the new Sig Sauer Ballistic Rangefinder I heard that they had partnered with Applied Ballistics on the project. That immediately got me very excited. I knew that with AB involved the sensors and ballistic solver would most likely be outstanding, and I highly doubted that they would miss any key ingredients for a ballistic solution accurate enough for long range shooting. If anybody knows all the different ingredients necessary for an accurate long range ballistic solution it's Applied Ballistics. They wrote the book(s) on it - literally.
And, by the way, the reason I was so concerned about missing ingredients was that, other than the G7 BR2, all other rangefinders or rangefinding binoculars that I can think of with built in ballistics have come up short in one way or another for true long range applications. And even for mid-range applications their shortcomings add enough minor errors that I would just rather use a different system.
Built into the KILO 2400 is an Applied Ballistics calculator plus an array of atmospheric sensors. Like the G7 BR2, the KILO 2400 measures temperature, pressure, humidity, and density altitude and incorporates them into the ballistic solution (these readings can also be overridden and entered by hand in the ballistic app). This means that whether you shoot in low elevation and high temperature in the summer, or at high elevation and low temperature in the late fall, the ballistic solution will automatically adjust for those very different conditions. The KILO 2400 also measures the inclination angle and incorporates that into the solution, similar to the G7 BR2.
In addition, the KILO 2400 also takes a compass heading allowing it to calculate coriolis effect, plus it calculates spin drift and aerodynamic jump. Like everything else, there have been other ways to handle these calculations in the past, but I imagine many folks will appreciate having these calculation built right in. This is the first rangefinder that I am aware of to do these things.
An important feature of the AB solver built into the KILO 2400 is the fact that there is no maximum distance above which a ballistic solution will not be given. All other rangefinders or rangefinding binoculars that I am aware of have limited the range for a ballistic solution. The G7 BR2, for example, maxes out at 1400 yards and I believe the others maxed out even shorter than that.
The KILO 2400 features a unique way to enter your ballistic data and create ballistic profiles. After loading the free KILO 2400 ABS app onto your phone or tablet you enter the data right in the app for each of your ballistic profiles. Like many of you, I am used to working with ballistics programs on my phone and I looked forward to this streamlined approach to creating ballistic profiles and loading them onto the rangefinder.
I have an Android phone, so I searched for the app in the Google Play Store and easily loaded it onto my phone. I like the overall look and feel of the app. The colors and text make it very easy to read. The layout is simple, clean and intuitive.
After taking a quick look at the app I then read the KILO 2400 Instruction Manual. The instructions are very clear and well written.
The KILO 2400 can operate in three main modes which are chosen using the RANGE and MODE buttons on the rangefinder:
The following features can also be configured using the RANGE and MODE buttons on the KILO 2400 itself. They are shown in the order they appear when cycling through.
If the KILO 2400 is set on AMR mode or LOS mode with NO-PRO (no profile selected) then the ballistic calculation function is not available and the above options are the only ones you will see in the rangefinder.
KILO 2400 Reticles
It was time for me to load some ballistic profiles onto the KILO 2400. The instructions say that the first thing you need to do before working in the app is to sync the KILO 2400 with your phone via Bluetooth. It works pretty much the same as connecting a Bluetooth speaker or Bluetooth headset, etc. to your phone and is very simple to connect.
The rangefinder must be awake in order to connect to your phone so you must push the RANGE button to wake it up. Each time the rangefinder's display times out and goes back to sleep the connection is lost. The sleep time can be set to 15, 30, 60 or 180 seconds.
The instructions suggest setting it to the full 180 seconds when adding a new profile, so the phone and rangefinder stay connected as long as possible without having to hit the RANGE button again to wake it up and reconnect. Each time it goes to sleep, it quickly reconnects automatically when you wake it back up.
At the top of the home screen on the KILO 2400 ABS app is a SETTINGS dropdown. This is where the rangefinder's Sleep Time can be set. I go back and forth as to whether I would prefer this setting to be handled on the rangefinder itself rather than in the app.
Within the SETTINGS dropdown you can also change the unit of measure for Temperature, Pressure, Wind Speed, Distance, and Density Altitude. You can also perform a Compass Calibration. After adjusting the Sleep Time in my app to 180 seconds I left all the other settings on their default.
Next I entered two ballistic profiles, one for my 6.5x284 and one for my 7mm Dakota. The first step is to name your profile in the app. One slight disappointment is that after syncing your profiles to the rangefinder, the KILO 2400 names them PRO1, PRO2 etc. rather than showing the names you've given them.
I emailed one of the SIG Sauer engineers to ask him about this and he said they would take a fresh look at it. The reason they did it this way is that the number of characters available on the rangefinder is limited to only 5 or 6. But when I pointed it out he understood that some people would prefer to use those limited characters for a more meaningful name.
Next you enter your bullet dimensions and BC (G1 or G7). You can choose to enter them by hand or you can click on LIBRARY and select from one of the bullet choices there. Within the bullet library some of the bullets have the option of using a custom AB Drag Curve. They say "If a Custom Drag curve is available it is recommended that you select the Custom Drag curve since this bullet will have exact BC data for super, sub and transonic flight." Then you enter Muzzle Velocity, Zero Range, Sight Height, Zero Height, Zero Offset and Barrel Twist Rate and save your newly created profile.
You can save up to 100 profiles on the KILO 2400 ABS app. The rangefinder has room for up to four profiles at a time. I highlighted my two newly created profiles and noticed that next to the name I had given them they were also now named Profile 1 (PRO1) and Profile 2 (PRO2). Then I made sure the rangefinder was awake and connected via Bluetooth, and I hit the SYNC button to send the profiles to the rangefinder.
Once the profiles are loaded onto the KILO 2400 it is a stand-alone unit and does not require being connected to the app. However you can choose to keep the rangefinder synced for various reasons that I'll get into later. By the way, I learned that each time you select a ballistic profile from the app and sync it to the rangefinder, whatever was on the rangefinder prior to this new sync is wiped out and replaced with the newly synced profile(s). If you only sync one profile to the KILO and there had been three profiles on the KILO just prior, those three will be gone and only the new one will be there now.
By Andy Backus
I was pretty excited when I first started hearing rumblings about the new Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder. A new ballistic version of the most talked about rangefinder I can remember in some time, the Sig Sauer KILO 2000 Rangefinder, sounded like a winner to me. The KILO 2000 had turned the rangefinder market on its head recently by providing long range ranging ability that rivals the top (and most expensive) rangefinders on the market at an almost shockingly low price. The new KILO 2400 ballistic version was intriguing to say the least.
My first thoughts were that I hoped Sig Sauer understood the necessary ingredients for providing a truly accurate long range ballistic solution in the new KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder and that they wouldn't miss any important ones in the new unit, and I hoped that it would be smaller than my tried and true G7 BR2. If the new Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ranged as well or better than the KILO 2000, the ballistics were reliable, and the unit was small, I knew they would have a winner.
SIG KILO 2400 Review - Setting the Stage
You suck in the thin ice-cold air in huge painful gulps as you cautiously approach the the crest of the ridge. You already scrambled down the other side of the valley and now you're in the final stages of a steep 500 foot climb. After checking your rifle, scope and other equipment you creep over the top. You pull out your Sig Sauer KILO 2400 Ballistic Rangefinder and immediately pick up the buck you spotted earlier through the KILO 2400's crisp optics with their wide field of view. He's about to drop into the next drainage where he will most likely get away.
You hold the RANGE button down to take advantage of the KILO 2400's outstanding scan mode and its precise circular reticle displays at just the right brightness level for the lighting conditions. The first number you see displayed on the KILO 2400 is 637 yards and it climbs as the scan mode follows the buck walking away from you. You let go as he stops at 642 yards and the KILO 2400 instantly tells you to dial your scope turret to 11.2 MOA. It also tells you that for a 10 MPH, 90 degree cross-wind you should hold 2.4 minutes. You estimate the full wind value to be about 5 MPH so you'll hold 1 1/4 minutes.
You try to shake off the buck fever starting to creep in as everything seems to be happening faster than you'd prefer. You take some deep breaths as you run through your pre-shot checklist. The buck turns prone but he looks like he's ready to start moving again. It's now or never. You squeeze the crisp trigger and spot the hit through your scope as the buck drops in his tracks!
You can purchase the Sig Kilo 2400 and the new 2200 models right HERE at the Long Range Hunting Store.
Most hunters have been or will be in situations where the shot opportunity is not going to last very long and and a lot of elements need to come together in a hurry to allow for a good, clean, one-shot kill. When taking mid to long range shots, getting from spotting the animal, to ranging it, to obtaining a perfectly accurate ballistic solution to adjusting the scope, etc. and finally making the shot takes several steps and several pieces of equipment.
The fewer steps and pieces of equipment it takes, the less chance there is of making an error in the heat of the moment and the more time there is to focus on the actual shot. The consequences of making even a small error as a hunter can be huge when it comes to wounding an animal and causing it to suffer.
I've personally used, and been a big fan of, the G7 BR2 Rangefinder for the past several years because it was the only rangefinder in existence that had the sensors and ballistic calculator built in capable of providing an acceptably accurate long range, one-button ballistic solution. Sure I could use something like a Kestrel Elite with the atmospheric sensors and ballistics built in along with a basic rangefinder that gives range and angle adjusted shoot-to range, but having only one button to push on one unit and getting an immediate, reliable ballistic solution is worth more than gold to me in many hunting situations.
Some time has passed since those first rumblings and Sig Sauer recently announced their exciting new Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder. I had to beg, borrow and steal to get my hands on one as they had only produced a small number in the first couple of batches and only a select few had gotten one.
In tracking one down I ended up meeting some of the key players from Sig Sauer involved in bringing the KILO 2400 to market including one who had been personally using several KILO 2400 units in the field in his home state of Montana and many other locations this past hunting season. I constantly bugged my new contacts with technical questions while waiting for my unit to arrive. I also bugged the Applied Ballistics guys so I felt I understood the KILO 2400's capabilities fairly well when it finally did arrive.
Unfortunately the KILO 2400 arrived the day before Christmas and I was only allowed to keep it for about 1 week. With the holidays and a family vacation hitting at the same time, my time with the KILO 2400 was relatively short. I did however have several chances to run the KILO 2400 through its paces including an afternoon dedicated to comparing the KILO 2400 to my trusty G7 BR2 Rangefinder and a pair of Swarovski EL Range 10x42 rangefinding binoculars. .
KILO 2400 Review - What's Included
- KILO 2400 Rangefinder with attached lanyard.
- Large Padded Case - Very nice quality. Well thought out storage to keep everything together. Everything fits just right.
- Small Padded Case - Very nice quality. Perfect for carrying on belt or backpack shoulder strap in the field. Silent closure system.
- Instruction Manual
- Tripod Mounting Bracket - The bracket is well made and fits the rangefinder perfectly. I would prefer to have the threaded hole built into the bottom of the rangefinder with no need for the bracket but I imagine there was no room considering how much has to fit inside the KILO 2400.
- 2 Spare Batteries
- Tactical Pen - One side contains a ball point pen, the other side contains a stylus. This is a nice thought for using the ballistic app in cold weather with gloves on.
- WeatherFlow Wind Meter - Plugs into audio jack on phone or tablet.
KILO 2400 Review - Size and Weight
The KILO 2400 is in fact much smaller than my G7 BR2. On many of my personal hunts keeping my gear light and small is a huge benefit. I had been in the habit of carrying my G7 BR2 in its carrying case strapped to the waist belt of my hunting backpack, and it's really pretty big and bulky there. But there was nowhere else I could carry it and have quick access. The KILO 2400 is a small vertical style rangefinder similar to one you would use for archery hunting. It is the same size as the KILO 2000 (and the newly released KILO 2200). It is similar in size to the Leica Rangemaster and Vortex Ranger rangefinders. I will have no problem finding places to carry the KILO 2400 that keep it out of the way yet within quick reach.
KILO 2400 next to G7 BR2 (on left). KILO 2400 (on right)
KILO 2400 Review - Ballistic Calculation, KILO 2400 ABS App, Features and Operation
Soon after hearing the first rumblings about the new Sig Sauer Ballistic Rangefinder I heard that they had partnered with Applied Ballistics on the project. That immediately got me very excited. I knew that with AB involved the sensors and ballistic solver would most likely be outstanding, and I highly doubted that they would miss any key ingredients for a ballistic solution accurate enough for long range shooting. If anybody knows all the different ingredients necessary for an accurate long range ballistic solution it's Applied Ballistics. They wrote the book(s) on it - literally.
And, by the way, the reason I was so concerned about missing ingredients was that, other than the G7 BR2, all other rangefinders or rangefinding binoculars that I can think of with built in ballistics have come up short in one way or another for true long range applications. And even for mid-range applications their shortcomings add enough minor errors that I would just rather use a different system.
Built into the KILO 2400 is an Applied Ballistics calculator plus an array of atmospheric sensors. Like the G7 BR2, the KILO 2400 measures temperature, pressure, humidity, and density altitude and incorporates them into the ballistic solution (these readings can also be overridden and entered by hand in the ballistic app). This means that whether you shoot in low elevation and high temperature in the summer, or at high elevation and low temperature in the late fall, the ballistic solution will automatically adjust for those very different conditions. The KILO 2400 also measures the inclination angle and incorporates that into the solution, similar to the G7 BR2.
In addition, the KILO 2400 also takes a compass heading allowing it to calculate coriolis effect, plus it calculates spin drift and aerodynamic jump. Like everything else, there have been other ways to handle these calculations in the past, but I imagine many folks will appreciate having these calculation built right in. This is the first rangefinder that I am aware of to do these things.
An important feature of the AB solver built into the KILO 2400 is the fact that there is no maximum distance above which a ballistic solution will not be given. All other rangefinders or rangefinding binoculars that I am aware of have limited the range for a ballistic solution. The G7 BR2, for example, maxes out at 1400 yards and I believe the others maxed out even shorter than that.
The KILO 2400 features a unique way to enter your ballistic data and create ballistic profiles. After loading the free KILO 2400 ABS app onto your phone or tablet you enter the data right in the app for each of your ballistic profiles. Like many of you, I am used to working with ballistics programs on my phone and I looked forward to this streamlined approach to creating ballistic profiles and loading them onto the rangefinder.
I have an Android phone, so I searched for the app in the Google Play Store and easily loaded it onto my phone. I like the overall look and feel of the app. The colors and text make it very easy to read. The layout is simple, clean and intuitive.
After taking a quick look at the app I then read the KILO 2400 Instruction Manual. The instructions are very clear and well written.
The KILO 2400 can operate in three main modes which are chosen using the RANGE and MODE buttons on the rangefinder:
- Angle Modified Range (AMR) mode without ballistic holdovers
- Line of Sight Range (LOS) mode without ballistic holdovers
- Line of Sight Range mode with ballistic holdovers (note that the rangefinder must be set to LOS mode in order to use the ballistic function. The inclination angle is calculated as part of the ballistic solution.)
The following features can also be configured using the RANGE and MODE buttons on the KILO 2400 itself. They are shown in the order they appear when cycling through.
- Target Mode - BEST is the standard target mode. LAST will ignore everything but the last object and is intended to ignore grass in front of a target.
- Display Brightness - The KILO 2400 automatically adjusts the display brightness so that it will not wash out the image in low light or be too dim to see in bright light. You can also choose to manually set the display brightness to a specific level.
- Reticle Select - There are three reticles to choose from. See images below.
- Unit of Measure - Y for yards and M for meters.
- Bluetooth - Bluetooth is on by default but can be turned off.
- Density Altitude - Density Altitude is air density given as a height above mean sea level. Some users prefer to use DA instead of ballistic holdovers using the embedded AB Elite calculator. DA is OFF by default. Note - DA is not enabled while using the AB Elite calculator for holdover.
- Select Ballistic Profile - Select NO-PRO, PRO-1, PRO-2, PRO-3 or PRO-4.
If the KILO 2400 is set on AMR mode or LOS mode with NO-PRO (no profile selected) then the ballistic calculation function is not available and the above options are the only ones you will see in the rangefinder.
KILO 2400 Reticles
It was time for me to load some ballistic profiles onto the KILO 2400. The instructions say that the first thing you need to do before working in the app is to sync the KILO 2400 with your phone via Bluetooth. It works pretty much the same as connecting a Bluetooth speaker or Bluetooth headset, etc. to your phone and is very simple to connect.
The rangefinder must be awake in order to connect to your phone so you must push the RANGE button to wake it up. Each time the rangefinder's display times out and goes back to sleep the connection is lost. The sleep time can be set to 15, 30, 60 or 180 seconds.
The instructions suggest setting it to the full 180 seconds when adding a new profile, so the phone and rangefinder stay connected as long as possible without having to hit the RANGE button again to wake it up and reconnect. Each time it goes to sleep, it quickly reconnects automatically when you wake it back up.
At the top of the home screen on the KILO 2400 ABS app is a SETTINGS dropdown. This is where the rangefinder's Sleep Time can be set. I go back and forth as to whether I would prefer this setting to be handled on the rangefinder itself rather than in the app.
Within the SETTINGS dropdown you can also change the unit of measure for Temperature, Pressure, Wind Speed, Distance, and Density Altitude. You can also perform a Compass Calibration. After adjusting the Sleep Time in my app to 180 seconds I left all the other settings on their default.
Next I entered two ballistic profiles, one for my 6.5x284 and one for my 7mm Dakota. The first step is to name your profile in the app. One slight disappointment is that after syncing your profiles to the rangefinder, the KILO 2400 names them PRO1, PRO2 etc. rather than showing the names you've given them.
I emailed one of the SIG Sauer engineers to ask him about this and he said they would take a fresh look at it. The reason they did it this way is that the number of characters available on the rangefinder is limited to only 5 or 6. But when I pointed it out he understood that some people would prefer to use those limited characters for a more meaningful name.
Next you enter your bullet dimensions and BC (G1 or G7). You can choose to enter them by hand or you can click on LIBRARY and select from one of the bullet choices there. Within the bullet library some of the bullets have the option of using a custom AB Drag Curve. They say "If a Custom Drag curve is available it is recommended that you select the Custom Drag curve since this bullet will have exact BC data for super, sub and transonic flight." Then you enter Muzzle Velocity, Zero Range, Sight Height, Zero Height, Zero Offset and Barrel Twist Rate and save your newly created profile.
You can save up to 100 profiles on the KILO 2400 ABS app. The rangefinder has room for up to four profiles at a time. I highlighted my two newly created profiles and noticed that next to the name I had given them they were also now named Profile 1 (PRO1) and Profile 2 (PRO2). Then I made sure the rangefinder was awake and connected via Bluetooth, and I hit the SYNC button to send the profiles to the rangefinder.
Once the profiles are loaded onto the KILO 2400 it is a stand-alone unit and does not require being connected to the app. However you can choose to keep the rangefinder synced for various reasons that I'll get into later. By the way, I learned that each time you select a ballistic profile from the app and sync it to the rangefinder, whatever was on the rangefinder prior to this new sync is wiped out and replaced with the newly synced profile(s). If you only sync one profile to the KILO and there had been three profiles on the KILO just prior, those three will be gone and only the new one will be there now.
Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder Review
Now that my two profiles were loaded onto the KILO 2400 I cycled through the features I mentioned above on the rangefinder to get to the Select Ballistic Profile screen and I selected PRO2. Now that a profile was selected, the rangefinder gave me several other features to select. They are listed in order here:
Notice that the choice of MOA or MIL is made on the KILO 2400 rather than on your phone when creating each profile. I personally use MOA for everything so my KILO 2400 will always remain in MOA mode. For those who use MOA for some applications and MIL for others, they will have to remember to check and/or change the MOA/MIL setting on the KILO 2400 when they change profiles.
After making the above selections my KILO 2400 was now fully programmed and ready to go. The only onboard features that I anticipate adjusting in the field are changing Target Mode and selecting a different Profile. I doubt I'll ever touch the others.
The concept for the ballistic calculation for a wind hold is the same as the G7 BR2. You save a standard wind direction and speed and when ranging a target the calculator tells you how much you would hold for that exact wind at the ranged distance. The wind hold is given in MOA or MIL.
From there you do some simple math in your head to adjust for the actual wind value. For example, I chose to set the KILO 2400 to 10 MPH and a 9:00 direction. When it's time to shoot, if I conclude that the real wind value is equivalent to a 5 MPH crosswind, then I would use half of the correction the KILO gives me.
Another way to handle your wind call if you have enough time and you have your phone with you is to enter an exact wind speed and direction into the app and sync it to the rangefinder. I'll get into that more later.
One feature that the G7 BR2 offers that the KILO 2400 does not is the option to have your ballistic solution given as the number you would dial to on a custom yardage turret (BDC) rather than MOA or MIL. For those who want to use a custom yardage turret with the KILO 2400 they would also need MOA or MIL numbers on the same turret. Or they could tape a chart to their stock or in their flip-up scope cap showing how the yards on their turret correspond to MOA or MIL. Then if the KILO 2400 said they needed to dial to 7 MOA they could look at that chart and see that 7 MOA corresponds to x yards on their turret.
To range a target and get a ballistic solution you simply push the RANGE button. The first number that appears in the rangefinder is line of sight distance followed 2 seconds later by your elevation holdover and 2 seconds later by your wind hold. The KILO 2400 will continue to cycle through the three numbers every 2 seconds for 30 seconds.
In addition to creating and editing ballistic profiles, the KILO 2400 ABS app has several other main functions which can be accessed within the following four main screens.
HUD - When synced to the KILO 2400 via Bluetooth, the Heads Up Display screen in the app displays real-time information from the rangefinder including the line of sight range, elevation holdover and wind hold. It also displays temperature, pressure, density altitude, energy at target and velocity at target. You can also enter a specific wind speed on this screen and quickly sync it to the KILO 2400.
One other cool feature on this screen is the opportunity to remotely fire the rangefinder. I played around with this a little bit when I had the KILO 2400 mounted on a tripod and I was trying to get the absolute farthest range I could. By firing the rangefinder remotely there was absolutely no wiggle from pressing the RANGE button on the rangefinder. I wasn't able to determine definitively if it helped, but I like the concept.
GUN PROFILES - As mentioned above, this is the screen where you create and manage your ballistic profiles. There are two additional functions here as well. You can calibrate your muzzle velocity so that it automatically adjusts based on temperature by entering measured data into a table. And you can "calibrate" your ballistics, which is similar to the concept of "trueing" your ballistics to match the actual drop data recorded in the real world.
There are enough variables that go into ballistic calculations that it is always recommended that you shoot at different ranges and record the actual drops in the real world, then go back and true or calibrate your ballistic program so that it matches what's really happening. Typically the muzzle velocity or BC is changed slightly until the ballistic solution matches as closely as possible to the recorded drops. Applied Ballistics uses a more complex system to calibrate. Here is how AB describes it:
Sometimes it's not possible to accurately determine all the variables required to calculate an exact ballistic solution. As a result, the Point Of Impact (POI) predicted by the program can be a little different from where the actual bullet hits in the real world. One of the more powerful features of the Sig Kilo 2400 Device is the Drop Scale Factor (DSF). A user can calibrate the program based on real world observed drop data at range by inputting pairs of observed range/drop data. This is also how you correct for scope turret errors. While it may seem simple, behind the scenes complex calculations are doing more than just adjusting muzzle velocity. The trajectory is being trued.
ENVIRONMENT - This is the screen where you can quickly enter a specific wind speed and direction and sync it to the KILO 2400 rather than relying on the standard wind speed and direction that you entered in the KILO 2400 when setting it up.
You can also plug the included WeatherFlow wind meter into your phone and the app will show the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. You can sync the app to the KILO 2400 and whenever a range measurement is taken the wind solution will be based on the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. The instructions mention that not all smartphones are compatible with the WeatherFlow. The iPhone 7, for example, has no audio jack to plug the WeatherFlow into.
TARGET - This screen is used to calculate a ballistic solution for moving targets.
Final Thoughts On KILO 2400 Ballistic Calculation, KILO 2400 ABS App, Features and Operation
The array of on-board sensors along with the built in Applied Ballistics solver mean that the KILO 2400 is capable of providing an instant and very accurate ballistic solution including wind hold with the push of a single button out to very long range. As a long range hunter this is exactly what I want. I have not had much time to compare the ballistic solution results from the KILO 2400 to my other systems which have already been verified in the real world but I expect the AB software to work perfectly for me. Like any system, I plan to verify the ballistics from the KILO and I know that I may have to do some slight trueing or calibrating to ensure that it matches up with my real world drops.
Cycling through the menu and making changes to the settings on the KILO 2400 rangefinder is fast, simple and intuitive. The options are easy to read and understand.
The ability to work right in an app on my phone for things like creating and editing ballistic profiles and for calibrating my dope is slick. I don't anticipate using the Heads Up Display or many of the other features in the app on my phone in the field much, but I'm sure some folks will find those feature very useful. I will probably always use the KILO 2400 as a single stand-alone unit when hunting with no need for my phone.
The only slight complaints I can think of are the fact that the profiles are named PRO1, PRO2, etc. on the KILO 2400 rather than having a more meaningful, recognizable name. I may have to have a small sticker on the rangefinder to remind me which profile goes with which gun. I also think that I'd prefer to adjust the KILO 2400's display sleep time right on the rangefinder rather than in the app. Some people will be disappointed that the KILO does not offer a BDC ballistic solution to match their custom yardage turret. This is not a big deal to me personally. Some would most likely prefer that the choice of MOA/MIL be made in the app rather than on the rangefinder. I do not care at all.
KILO 2400 Review - Optics, Laser and Field Review
I had just received the KILO 2400 earlier in the day and did not plan to start testing it until the next day. As I drove along the two lane highway through some light snow that had just begun falling, I thought to myself that I've had trouble ranging with many different rangefinders in similar light blowing snow. I quickly checked the forecast on my phone and noted that this snow was not going to last long, and the next few days would have clear skies.
If I wanted to see how the KILO 2400 would perform in light blowing snow it was now or never. I pulled over and ranged some trees in the distance with the KILO 2400 freehand out my window. The farthest tree I was able to range was 1193 yards. I happened to have my G7 BR2 with me also and I tried it on the same tree. It would not range. The farthest the G7 BR2 would range in the blowing snow was around 800 yards. I was impressed with the KILO 2400 so far. I was able to snap a picture with my phone (below).
The next day I headed to the White River Marsh Wildlife Area in central Wisconsin about 45 minutes from my home. I brought along the KILO 2400, my G7 BR2 rangefinder and a pair of Swarovski EL Range binoculars. The first place I stopped overlooked a large marsh and it was early afternoon. I stepped out of my truck and began ranging various trees and bushes with the KILO 2400.
The very first thing I noticed was how lightning quick the range displays on the KILO after pushing the RANGE button. It's pretty much instant, even at very long range. I also noticed that the scan mode is amazing. As I scanned around the marsh the range numbers changed extremely fast. I've used scan modes on shorter range rangefinders for archery hunting in the past, but have not used them much for long range work because of the slow nature of the scan on other long range rangefinders I've tried in the past, including the G7 BR2. The KILO's scan mode is so quick and sharp it is actually fun to use. It also made me feel very confident that I knew exactly what was being ranged. With a quick scan I immediately knew if I was picking up anything closer or farther away than my intended target.
The next thing I noticed was the KILO's reticle. I preferred to use the reticle consisting of the lone circle in the center. I do not personally have a use for the two options featuring MIL hash marks. The reticle is just the right thickness in my opinion. It is similar to the thickness of the EL Range's reticle but the KILO's reticle appears sharper and a deeper, richer color to my eye compared to the EL Range. The reticle on the G7 BR2 is rectangular and the lines are much thicker on the G7 BR2 than the KILO 2400, meaning that more of the target is obscured by the G7 BR2's reticle. Of the three units I tested that day, the reticle on the KILO 2400 was the best in my opinion.
I had been asked by several people to test how well the laser beam matches up with the circular reticle on the KILO 2400. I tested this by slowly scanning the reticle up to the side of trees and noting how close the edge of the circle was to the edge of the tree when the range displayed. I spent quite a bit of time on this on many different trees and the range always displayed just as the circle touched the edge of the tree.
I also picked a small gap in some tree branches about 150 yards in front of me and successfully ranged a tree in the distance at 523 yards. The gap that I was aiming through was just larger than the circular reticle. If the laser was any larger than the circle it would have picked up the close branches rather than the 523 yard tree. As far as I can tell the laser is perfectly matched to the circular reticle.
Next I wanted to compare how well the three rangefinders would pick up the big tree out in the middle of the marsh while being held freehand. It was quite bright out that day with only a few wispy clouds and a fair amount of snow on the ground. I knew from past experience that bright mid-day conditions like this can be some of the most challenging for rangefinders.
All three rangefinders ranged the tree easily at 995 yards but the KILO 2400 did something interesting. While aiming the KILO at the big tree I must have been slightly off target to the side when I first touched the RANGE button and I caught a glimpse of a much larger number than 995 yards before it settled on the 995 yard range.
Then I held down the RANGE button and scanned the tree line way behind the big tree. The KILO picked up a large evergreen in the tree line at 1547 yards. The evergreen was visible just to the left of the big tree's trunk. Some of the large tree's low branches obscured the evergreen.
I tried scanning across the evergreen several more times and the KILO picked it up every time. Then I tried hitting the evergreen with a single pulse aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches several times and was not able to get a reading. Next I rested the KILO on top of my open truck door and was able to range it with individual pulses aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches. The KILO would not range anything else in the tree line, but it did very well on the evergreen.
Next I tried the G7 BR2 and the EL Range to see how they would do on the tree line and the evergreen. I was never able to pick up anything, including the evergreen, with either rangefinder. I tried scan mode as well as individual pulses and I rested them on the truck door with no success. So far the KILO 2400 was the top performer.
Ranging the tree at 995 yards gave me a good opportunity to see how the ballistic holdover and wind solutions display in the KILO 2400. After hitting the RANGE button (or after letting go of the RANGE button while using the scan mode) the line of sight range is displayed for two seconds followed by the holdover for two seconds followed by the wind hold for two seconds. It continues to cycle through the three numbers for 30 seconds (unless the display timeout is set for a shorter duration). I was pleased with this configuration. I think it will work well for me in hunting situations.
I also took a look at how the KILO 2400 can sync to the ballistic app on my phone and display its reading on the Heads Up Display screen. It was pretty cool to fire the rangefinder and watch all the data instantly show up on my phone. If I had wanted to I could have entered a specific wind speed and/or direction right there on my phone, synced it to the rangefinder and gotten a specific wind hold instead of the standard hold based on my preset 10 mph, 9:00 wind.
- Wind Direction - Based on a clock face - 9:00 for example.
- Wind Speed Unit of Measure - Miles per Hour or Meters per Second.
- Wind Speed - From 1 to 40
- Holdover Unit of Measure - MOA or MIL
Notice that the choice of MOA or MIL is made on the KILO 2400 rather than on your phone when creating each profile. I personally use MOA for everything so my KILO 2400 will always remain in MOA mode. For those who use MOA for some applications and MIL for others, they will have to remember to check and/or change the MOA/MIL setting on the KILO 2400 when they change profiles.
After making the above selections my KILO 2400 was now fully programmed and ready to go. The only onboard features that I anticipate adjusting in the field are changing Target Mode and selecting a different Profile. I doubt I'll ever touch the others.
The concept for the ballistic calculation for a wind hold is the same as the G7 BR2. You save a standard wind direction and speed and when ranging a target the calculator tells you how much you would hold for that exact wind at the ranged distance. The wind hold is given in MOA or MIL.
From there you do some simple math in your head to adjust for the actual wind value. For example, I chose to set the KILO 2400 to 10 MPH and a 9:00 direction. When it's time to shoot, if I conclude that the real wind value is equivalent to a 5 MPH crosswind, then I would use half of the correction the KILO gives me.
Another way to handle your wind call if you have enough time and you have your phone with you is to enter an exact wind speed and direction into the app and sync it to the rangefinder. I'll get into that more later.
One feature that the G7 BR2 offers that the KILO 2400 does not is the option to have your ballistic solution given as the number you would dial to on a custom yardage turret (BDC) rather than MOA or MIL. For those who want to use a custom yardage turret with the KILO 2400 they would also need MOA or MIL numbers on the same turret. Or they could tape a chart to their stock or in their flip-up scope cap showing how the yards on their turret correspond to MOA or MIL. Then if the KILO 2400 said they needed to dial to 7 MOA they could look at that chart and see that 7 MOA corresponds to x yards on their turret.
To range a target and get a ballistic solution you simply push the RANGE button. The first number that appears in the rangefinder is line of sight distance followed 2 seconds later by your elevation holdover and 2 seconds later by your wind hold. The KILO 2400 will continue to cycle through the three numbers every 2 seconds for 30 seconds.
In addition to creating and editing ballistic profiles, the KILO 2400 ABS app has several other main functions which can be accessed within the following four main screens.
HUD - When synced to the KILO 2400 via Bluetooth, the Heads Up Display screen in the app displays real-time information from the rangefinder including the line of sight range, elevation holdover and wind hold. It also displays temperature, pressure, density altitude, energy at target and velocity at target. You can also enter a specific wind speed on this screen and quickly sync it to the KILO 2400.
One other cool feature on this screen is the opportunity to remotely fire the rangefinder. I played around with this a little bit when I had the KILO 2400 mounted on a tripod and I was trying to get the absolute farthest range I could. By firing the rangefinder remotely there was absolutely no wiggle from pressing the RANGE button on the rangefinder. I wasn't able to determine definitively if it helped, but I like the concept.
GUN PROFILES - As mentioned above, this is the screen where you create and manage your ballistic profiles. There are two additional functions here as well. You can calibrate your muzzle velocity so that it automatically adjusts based on temperature by entering measured data into a table. And you can "calibrate" your ballistics, which is similar to the concept of "trueing" your ballistics to match the actual drop data recorded in the real world.
There are enough variables that go into ballistic calculations that it is always recommended that you shoot at different ranges and record the actual drops in the real world, then go back and true or calibrate your ballistic program so that it matches what's really happening. Typically the muzzle velocity or BC is changed slightly until the ballistic solution matches as closely as possible to the recorded drops. Applied Ballistics uses a more complex system to calibrate. Here is how AB describes it:
Sometimes it's not possible to accurately determine all the variables required to calculate an exact ballistic solution. As a result, the Point Of Impact (POI) predicted by the program can be a little different from where the actual bullet hits in the real world. One of the more powerful features of the Sig Kilo 2400 Device is the Drop Scale Factor (DSF). A user can calibrate the program based on real world observed drop data at range by inputting pairs of observed range/drop data. This is also how you correct for scope turret errors. While it may seem simple, behind the scenes complex calculations are doing more than just adjusting muzzle velocity. The trajectory is being trued.
ENVIRONMENT - This is the screen where you can quickly enter a specific wind speed and direction and sync it to the KILO 2400 rather than relying on the standard wind speed and direction that you entered in the KILO 2400 when setting it up.
You can also plug the included WeatherFlow wind meter into your phone and the app will show the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. You can sync the app to the KILO 2400 and whenever a range measurement is taken the wind solution will be based on the current wind speed from the WeatherFlow. The instructions mention that not all smartphones are compatible with the WeatherFlow. The iPhone 7, for example, has no audio jack to plug the WeatherFlow into.
TARGET - This screen is used to calculate a ballistic solution for moving targets.
Final Thoughts On KILO 2400 Ballistic Calculation, KILO 2400 ABS App, Features and Operation
The array of on-board sensors along with the built in Applied Ballistics solver mean that the KILO 2400 is capable of providing an instant and very accurate ballistic solution including wind hold with the push of a single button out to very long range. As a long range hunter this is exactly what I want. I have not had much time to compare the ballistic solution results from the KILO 2400 to my other systems which have already been verified in the real world but I expect the AB software to work perfectly for me. Like any system, I plan to verify the ballistics from the KILO and I know that I may have to do some slight trueing or calibrating to ensure that it matches up with my real world drops.
Cycling through the menu and making changes to the settings on the KILO 2400 rangefinder is fast, simple and intuitive. The options are easy to read and understand.
The ability to work right in an app on my phone for things like creating and editing ballistic profiles and for calibrating my dope is slick. I don't anticipate using the Heads Up Display or many of the other features in the app on my phone in the field much, but I'm sure some folks will find those feature very useful. I will probably always use the KILO 2400 as a single stand-alone unit when hunting with no need for my phone.
The only slight complaints I can think of are the fact that the profiles are named PRO1, PRO2, etc. on the KILO 2400 rather than having a more meaningful, recognizable name. I may have to have a small sticker on the rangefinder to remind me which profile goes with which gun. I also think that I'd prefer to adjust the KILO 2400's display sleep time right on the rangefinder rather than in the app. Some people will be disappointed that the KILO does not offer a BDC ballistic solution to match their custom yardage turret. This is not a big deal to me personally. Some would most likely prefer that the choice of MOA/MIL be made in the app rather than on the rangefinder. I do not care at all.
KILO 2400 Review - Optics, Laser and Field Review
I had just received the KILO 2400 earlier in the day and did not plan to start testing it until the next day. As I drove along the two lane highway through some light snow that had just begun falling, I thought to myself that I've had trouble ranging with many different rangefinders in similar light blowing snow. I quickly checked the forecast on my phone and noted that this snow was not going to last long, and the next few days would have clear skies.
If I wanted to see how the KILO 2400 would perform in light blowing snow it was now or never. I pulled over and ranged some trees in the distance with the KILO 2400 freehand out my window. The farthest tree I was able to range was 1193 yards. I happened to have my G7 BR2 with me also and I tried it on the same tree. It would not range. The farthest the G7 BR2 would range in the blowing snow was around 800 yards. I was impressed with the KILO 2400 so far. I was able to snap a picture with my phone (below).
The next day I headed to the White River Marsh Wildlife Area in central Wisconsin about 45 minutes from my home. I brought along the KILO 2400, my G7 BR2 rangefinder and a pair of Swarovski EL Range binoculars. The first place I stopped overlooked a large marsh and it was early afternoon. I stepped out of my truck and began ranging various trees and bushes with the KILO 2400.
The very first thing I noticed was how lightning quick the range displays on the KILO after pushing the RANGE button. It's pretty much instant, even at very long range. I also noticed that the scan mode is amazing. As I scanned around the marsh the range numbers changed extremely fast. I've used scan modes on shorter range rangefinders for archery hunting in the past, but have not used them much for long range work because of the slow nature of the scan on other long range rangefinders I've tried in the past, including the G7 BR2. The KILO's scan mode is so quick and sharp it is actually fun to use. It also made me feel very confident that I knew exactly what was being ranged. With a quick scan I immediately knew if I was picking up anything closer or farther away than my intended target.
The next thing I noticed was the KILO's reticle. I preferred to use the reticle consisting of the lone circle in the center. I do not personally have a use for the two options featuring MIL hash marks. The reticle is just the right thickness in my opinion. It is similar to the thickness of the EL Range's reticle but the KILO's reticle appears sharper and a deeper, richer color to my eye compared to the EL Range. The reticle on the G7 BR2 is rectangular and the lines are much thicker on the G7 BR2 than the KILO 2400, meaning that more of the target is obscured by the G7 BR2's reticle. Of the three units I tested that day, the reticle on the KILO 2400 was the best in my opinion.
I had been asked by several people to test how well the laser beam matches up with the circular reticle on the KILO 2400. I tested this by slowly scanning the reticle up to the side of trees and noting how close the edge of the circle was to the edge of the tree when the range displayed. I spent quite a bit of time on this on many different trees and the range always displayed just as the circle touched the edge of the tree.
I also picked a small gap in some tree branches about 150 yards in front of me and successfully ranged a tree in the distance at 523 yards. The gap that I was aiming through was just larger than the circular reticle. If the laser was any larger than the circle it would have picked up the close branches rather than the 523 yard tree. As far as I can tell the laser is perfectly matched to the circular reticle.
Next I wanted to compare how well the three rangefinders would pick up the big tree out in the middle of the marsh while being held freehand. It was quite bright out that day with only a few wispy clouds and a fair amount of snow on the ground. I knew from past experience that bright mid-day conditions like this can be some of the most challenging for rangefinders.
All three rangefinders ranged the tree easily at 995 yards but the KILO 2400 did something interesting. While aiming the KILO at the big tree I must have been slightly off target to the side when I first touched the RANGE button and I caught a glimpse of a much larger number than 995 yards before it settled on the 995 yard range.
Then I held down the RANGE button and scanned the tree line way behind the big tree. The KILO picked up a large evergreen in the tree line at 1547 yards. The evergreen was visible just to the left of the big tree's trunk. Some of the large tree's low branches obscured the evergreen.
I tried scanning across the evergreen several more times and the KILO picked it up every time. Then I tried hitting the evergreen with a single pulse aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches several times and was not able to get a reading. Next I rested the KILO on top of my open truck door and was able to range it with individual pulses aimed through a gap in the big tree's branches. The KILO would not range anything else in the tree line, but it did very well on the evergreen.
Next I tried the G7 BR2 and the EL Range to see how they would do on the tree line and the evergreen. I was never able to pick up anything, including the evergreen, with either rangefinder. I tried scan mode as well as individual pulses and I rested them on the truck door with no success. So far the KILO 2400 was the top performer.
Ranging the tree at 995 yards gave me a good opportunity to see how the ballistic holdover and wind solutions display in the KILO 2400. After hitting the RANGE button (or after letting go of the RANGE button while using the scan mode) the line of sight range is displayed for two seconds followed by the holdover for two seconds followed by the wind hold for two seconds. It continues to cycle through the three numbers for 30 seconds (unless the display timeout is set for a shorter duration). I was pleased with this configuration. I think it will work well for me in hunting situations.
I also took a look at how the KILO 2400 can sync to the ballistic app on my phone and display its reading on the Heads Up Display screen. It was pretty cool to fire the rangefinder and watch all the data instantly show up on my phone. If I had wanted to I could have entered a specific wind speed and/or direction right there on my phone, synced it to the rangefinder and gotten a specific wind hold instead of the standard hold based on my preset 10 mph, 9:00 wind.
Sig Sauer KILO 2400 ABS Ballistic Rangefinder Review
I next compared the optics of the KILO 2400 to the G7 BR2. The KILO 2400 features a 7 power x 24mm optic and the G7 BR2 is similar at 7 power x 25mm. I noticed that the eye piece on the G7 BR2 is larger than that of the KILO 2400 making it a little more forgiving when first looking through it and lining up my eye. The KILO 2400 is perfectly fine in this regard but the G7 BR2 was slightly better. The sharpness seemed to be very similar between the two comparing tree branches at long distance.
I also noticed that the G7 BR2 was noticeably brighter. It was midafternoon and bright outside and the KILO 2400 was plenty bright enough, but the G7 BR2 was quite a bit brighter. I made a note to compare them later in the day in low light conditions when the difference might really matter.
The KILO 2400's field of view is stated as 35.67 feet at 100 yards and the G7 BR2 is 330 feet at 1000 yards or 33 feet at 100 yards, so very similar. I compared the two by lining up the edges of their views with the left and right edges of a block of timber in the distance. They looked virtually identical to me. The EL Range field of view is stated as 330 feet at 1100 yards. Comparing them to the edges of the timber I couldn't see any significant difference between them and the others.
I really wanted to compare the ranging ability of the three rangefinders on animals but I did not see any cows or other animals out and about on my way to do my testing. I had brought a 3D buck archery target along and I wanted to find a place where I could set it up and continue to move farther away from it to test the max range capabilities on a target this size and shape. I found a long stretch of straight, quiet road along the edge of the marsh and set the target up on the shoulder.
It was now very sunny and bright and I knew it would be challenging for the rangefinders. I started ranging at approximately 500 yards and all three rangefinders ranged the deer just fine freehand. I moved back several times. The first distance where the rangefinders began to struggle was 769 yards. The EL Range would not pick up the deer. The G7 BR2 would only range it on scan mode after several tries. The KILO 2400 ranged the deer every time whether while scanning or with individual pulses.
As I moved farther back the sun was now beginning to set so the lighting conditions were improving for the rangefinders. At 983 yards freehand the EL Range would not range the deer. The G7 BR2 ranged it but only after several tries. The KILO 2400 ranged the deer on the first or second try repeatedly.
I moved back to 1023 yards and mounted the rangefinders on a tripod. The KILO 2400 and the G7 BR2 performed similarly. They both took several tries to get a range on the deer. At 1108 yards the same was true.
The sun was getting close to setting by now and the conditions were quite dim. I noticed at this time that the image brightness was nearly identical between the G7 BR2 and the KILO 2400. So even though the G7 BR2 was brighter at mid-day, the KILO 2400 was just as bright in low light. The farthest range I was able to get on the deer was at 1240 yards using the KILO 2400 on the third try while mounted on a tripod. The G7 BR2 would not range the deer at this distance.
By the way, Jeff Brozovich from LongRangeOnly.com posted a video review of the KILO 2400 where he says that he was able to range a calf elk (deer size target) at 1406 yards and a reflective road sign at 3180 yards.
I wanted to compare the ballistic solution provided by the KILO to my validated G7 BR2 solution at long range. I was ranging a sign at 1490 yards and couldn't figure out why my G7 BR2 wouldn't give me a solution but then I remembered that the G7 BR2 only provides a ballistic solution out to 1400 yards (the KILO 2400 has no limitation).
I moved closer and at 1390 yards the two devices' solutions were within 1/2 minute. I was pleased with this considering I had spent no time "trueing" or calibrating the KILO's data. I had trued the G7 BR2 in the past.
As the sun set, I ranged from one end of the road to the other, where there was a reflective street sign. The KILO and the G7 BR2 both easily ranged it at 2132 yards, however I couldn't actually see the sign or much of anything through the G7 BR2 because of the low light. I could see it perfectly through the KILO.
On the G7 BR2 the display brightness is adjusted manually while the KILO does it automatically. The kilo also has a much wider range of brightness settings. At the very end of shooting light, the G7 BR2 could not get dim enough to not wash out the image. Add to that the fact that the G7 BR2's reticle is thicker and covers up more of the image, and the KILO 2400 far outperformed in low light.
The automatic brightness adjustment on the KILO 2400 seems to work flawlessly. No matter the lighting conditions on the day I tested, the KILO's display was perfectly visible. This is a huge improvement over the G7 BR2.
I missed an opportunity on a nice muley buck last year when I needed a quick range before the buck left the small opening I had spotted him in. It was mid-morning and very bright. When I tried to use the G7 BR2 I thought it wasn't working at all. Eventually I realized that I couldn't see anything because I had left the display set at its lowest setting early that morning. By the time I adjusted the display brighter, the opportunity was lost.
Final Thoughts On KILO 2400 Optics, Laser and Field Review
I headed out to do my field review hoping that the KILO 2400 would outperform my G7 BR2 and it absolutely did. The KILO's scan mode is outstanding and is an important reason that it outperforms other rangefinders. I can't think of any reason not to always use it on scan mode. The results are instant and it is a great way to know exactly what you are ranging.
The fact that the KILO's laser seems to be perfectly lined up with its reticle is another reason for its outstanding ranging performance. I think the size of the circular reticle and corresponding beam divergence of the laser is just about perfect. Because of the outstanding scan mode, the fact that the beam is smaller than some other rangefinders does not mean that you can't do a good job of ranging freehand. And the relatively small beam means that the max range outperforms most other rangefinders.
I did not have a chance to test the BEST vs LAST target modes, which are designed to help range through brush and grass. I can imagine that understanding them better will improve my ability to range in all kinds of conditions with the KILO 2400 even more.
For me personally, the automatic display brightness adjustment is a game changer. I look forward to never having to think about it ever again…
I am not an ELR shooter so the fact that the KILO has no limitation for how far it will give a ballistic solution is not a big deal for me personally, but I know that many folks are thrilled about it and rightly so.
As far as max range on animals in real world hunting conditions, I look forward to doing much more testing in the future when I get my own personal KILO 2400. I also look forward to seeing what others report about their experience in the LRH forums. There is already a report of ranging a calf elk at 1406 yards (deer sized target 150-200 lbs)
The only slight negatives I can think of are the smaller eyepiece and dimmer optics during daylight conditions. The KILO's optics are perfectly acceptable but the G7 BR2's are slightly better during bright conditions. As I mentioned above, the two were virtually identical in low light conditions when it really matters.
One other slight negative I noticed is that it is hard to feel the RANGE button being depressed when wearing gloves. I would prefer a more noticeable click when depressing it.
KILO 2400 Review - Specifications
KILO 2400 Review - Warranty
Warranty – SIG SAUER® Electro-Optic Infinite Guarantee™
SIG SAUER® has manufactured the most rugged, dependable, high-performance firearms for more than two centuries. Our heritage of design, engineering, and precision-manufactured quality predates the existence of any other optics company worldwide. We understand the importance of quality in the line of fire, at the shooting range or on your next hunt. SIG SAUER Electro-Optics had to earn the right to wear that badge and the Infinite Guarantee has your back, forever. Period.
We will repair or replace your SIG SAUER product in the event it becomes damaged or defective, at no charge to you. If we cannot repair your product, we will replace it with a product in perfect working order of equal or better physical condition. It doesn't matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it.
Sig Sauer® Infinite Guarantee™
Unlimited Lifetime Guarantee
Fully Transferable
No Warranty Card Required
No Receipt Required
No Time Limit Applies
No Charge
Please note that our Infinite Guarantee excludes coverage for intentional damage, misuse, cosmetic damage that does not affect the performance of the optic, loss, theft, or unauthorized repair or modification. Excludes electronic and Tritium components.
Electronic Component Limited 5-year Warranty
For components not included under the SIG SAUER® Infinite Guarantee™, this warranty covers any defects in materials and workmanship in the electronic and Tritium components of illuminated riflescopes/sights, pistol sights, electronic sights, flashlights, lasers, binoculars, spotting scopes, and rangefinders. This warranty lasts for five years from the date of manufacture. If, during that five-year period, these products are found to have electronic or Tritium component defects in materials or workmanship, SIG SAUER will repair your product, at no charge to you. If we cannot repair your product, we will replace it with a product in perfect working order of equal or better physical condition.
______________________________________________________________
About The Author:
Andy Backus is a husband and father of two little girls. He grew up hunting whitetail deer in Wisconsin with gun and bow and over the years has been fortunate to hunt and explore most of the Western US states and Alaska. He plays soccer to stay in shape and also enjoys most other sports and outdoor activities. Andy is the Field Editor for Long Range Hunting Online Magazine and also manages the Long Range Hunting Store.
I also noticed that the G7 BR2 was noticeably brighter. It was midafternoon and bright outside and the KILO 2400 was plenty bright enough, but the G7 BR2 was quite a bit brighter. I made a note to compare them later in the day in low light conditions when the difference might really matter.
The KILO 2400's field of view is stated as 35.67 feet at 100 yards and the G7 BR2 is 330 feet at 1000 yards or 33 feet at 100 yards, so very similar. I compared the two by lining up the edges of their views with the left and right edges of a block of timber in the distance. They looked virtually identical to me. The EL Range field of view is stated as 330 feet at 1100 yards. Comparing them to the edges of the timber I couldn't see any significant difference between them and the others.
I really wanted to compare the ranging ability of the three rangefinders on animals but I did not see any cows or other animals out and about on my way to do my testing. I had brought a 3D buck archery target along and I wanted to find a place where I could set it up and continue to move farther away from it to test the max range capabilities on a target this size and shape. I found a long stretch of straight, quiet road along the edge of the marsh and set the target up on the shoulder.
It was now very sunny and bright and I knew it would be challenging for the rangefinders. I started ranging at approximately 500 yards and all three rangefinders ranged the deer just fine freehand. I moved back several times. The first distance where the rangefinders began to struggle was 769 yards. The EL Range would not pick up the deer. The G7 BR2 would only range it on scan mode after several tries. The KILO 2400 ranged the deer every time whether while scanning or with individual pulses.
As I moved farther back the sun was now beginning to set so the lighting conditions were improving for the rangefinders. At 983 yards freehand the EL Range would not range the deer. The G7 BR2 ranged it but only after several tries. The KILO 2400 ranged the deer on the first or second try repeatedly.
I moved back to 1023 yards and mounted the rangefinders on a tripod. The KILO 2400 and the G7 BR2 performed similarly. They both took several tries to get a range on the deer. At 1108 yards the same was true.
The sun was getting close to setting by now and the conditions were quite dim. I noticed at this time that the image brightness was nearly identical between the G7 BR2 and the KILO 2400. So even though the G7 BR2 was brighter at mid-day, the KILO 2400 was just as bright in low light. The farthest range I was able to get on the deer was at 1240 yards using the KILO 2400 on the third try while mounted on a tripod. The G7 BR2 would not range the deer at this distance.
By the way, Jeff Brozovich from LongRangeOnly.com posted a video review of the KILO 2400 where he says that he was able to range a calf elk (deer size target) at 1406 yards and a reflective road sign at 3180 yards.
I wanted to compare the ballistic solution provided by the KILO to my validated G7 BR2 solution at long range. I was ranging a sign at 1490 yards and couldn't figure out why my G7 BR2 wouldn't give me a solution but then I remembered that the G7 BR2 only provides a ballistic solution out to 1400 yards (the KILO 2400 has no limitation).
I moved closer and at 1390 yards the two devices' solutions were within 1/2 minute. I was pleased with this considering I had spent no time "trueing" or calibrating the KILO's data. I had trued the G7 BR2 in the past.
As the sun set, I ranged from one end of the road to the other, where there was a reflective street sign. The KILO and the G7 BR2 both easily ranged it at 2132 yards, however I couldn't actually see the sign or much of anything through the G7 BR2 because of the low light. I could see it perfectly through the KILO.
On the G7 BR2 the display brightness is adjusted manually while the KILO does it automatically. The kilo also has a much wider range of brightness settings. At the very end of shooting light, the G7 BR2 could not get dim enough to not wash out the image. Add to that the fact that the G7 BR2's reticle is thicker and covers up more of the image, and the KILO 2400 far outperformed in low light.
The automatic brightness adjustment on the KILO 2400 seems to work flawlessly. No matter the lighting conditions on the day I tested, the KILO's display was perfectly visible. This is a huge improvement over the G7 BR2.
I missed an opportunity on a nice muley buck last year when I needed a quick range before the buck left the small opening I had spotted him in. It was mid-morning and very bright. When I tried to use the G7 BR2 I thought it wasn't working at all. Eventually I realized that I couldn't see anything because I had left the display set at its lowest setting early that morning. By the time I adjusted the display brighter, the opportunity was lost.
Final Thoughts On KILO 2400 Optics, Laser and Field Review
I headed out to do my field review hoping that the KILO 2400 would outperform my G7 BR2 and it absolutely did. The KILO's scan mode is outstanding and is an important reason that it outperforms other rangefinders. I can't think of any reason not to always use it on scan mode. The results are instant and it is a great way to know exactly what you are ranging.
The fact that the KILO's laser seems to be perfectly lined up with its reticle is another reason for its outstanding ranging performance. I think the size of the circular reticle and corresponding beam divergence of the laser is just about perfect. Because of the outstanding scan mode, the fact that the beam is smaller than some other rangefinders does not mean that you can't do a good job of ranging freehand. And the relatively small beam means that the max range outperforms most other rangefinders.
I did not have a chance to test the BEST vs LAST target modes, which are designed to help range through brush and grass. I can imagine that understanding them better will improve my ability to range in all kinds of conditions with the KILO 2400 even more.
For me personally, the automatic display brightness adjustment is a game changer. I look forward to never having to think about it ever again…
I am not an ELR shooter so the fact that the KILO has no limitation for how far it will give a ballistic solution is not a big deal for me personally, but I know that many folks are thrilled about it and rightly so.
As far as max range on animals in real world hunting conditions, I look forward to doing much more testing in the future when I get my own personal KILO 2400. I also look forward to seeing what others report about their experience in the LRH forums. There is already a report of ranging a calf elk at 1406 yards (deer sized target 150-200 lbs)
The only slight negatives I can think of are the smaller eyepiece and dimmer optics during daylight conditions. The KILO's optics are perfectly acceptable but the G7 BR2's are slightly better during bright conditions. As I mentioned above, the two were virtually identical in low light conditions when it really matters.
One other slight negative I noticed is that it is hard to feel the RANGE button being depressed when wearing gloves. I would prefer a more noticeable click when depressing it.
KILO 2400 Review - Specifications
- Price - MAP - $1499
- Compact Form Factor – 4.2 in (107mm) Tall x 1.3 in (33mm) Wide x 3 in (76mm) Tall
- Housing – Magnesium, Flat Dark Earth, Housing.
- Lens – 7x25mm monocular with SpectraCoat™ anti-reflective coating.
- Performance – Deer (1400 Yards), Trees (1800 Yards), Reflective Steel (2000 Yards+).
- Field of View (FOV) @ 100 Yards – 35.67 ft.
- Angular FOV – 6.78 degrees
- Laser – 905nm
- Laser Divergence – 1.3 Mils (4.4 MOA) Round.
- Weight with battery – 7.5oz/215g
- Exit Pupil – 3.6mm
- Eye Relief – 15mm
- Readings: Temperature, Pressure, Humidity, Density Altitude, Direction of Fire (Compass), inclination (Vertical Angel to Target), Range.
- Bluetooth BLE – Android/iOS/PC Compatible. Theoretical Max Range 100 Meters (Perfect World).
- Ballistic solution can be displayed in MOA or Mil
KILO 2400 Review - Warranty
Warranty – SIG SAUER® Electro-Optic Infinite Guarantee™
SIG SAUER® has manufactured the most rugged, dependable, high-performance firearms for more than two centuries. Our heritage of design, engineering, and precision-manufactured quality predates the existence of any other optics company worldwide. We understand the importance of quality in the line of fire, at the shooting range or on your next hunt. SIG SAUER Electro-Optics had to earn the right to wear that badge and the Infinite Guarantee has your back, forever. Period.
We will repair or replace your SIG SAUER product in the event it becomes damaged or defective, at no charge to you. If we cannot repair your product, we will replace it with a product in perfect working order of equal or better physical condition. It doesn't matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it.
Sig Sauer® Infinite Guarantee™
Unlimited Lifetime Guarantee
Fully Transferable
No Warranty Card Required
No Receipt Required
No Time Limit Applies
No Charge
Please note that our Infinite Guarantee excludes coverage for intentional damage, misuse, cosmetic damage that does not affect the performance of the optic, loss, theft, or unauthorized repair or modification. Excludes electronic and Tritium components.
Electronic Component Limited 5-year Warranty
For components not included under the SIG SAUER® Infinite Guarantee™, this warranty covers any defects in materials and workmanship in the electronic and Tritium components of illuminated riflescopes/sights, pistol sights, electronic sights, flashlights, lasers, binoculars, spotting scopes, and rangefinders. This warranty lasts for five years from the date of manufacture. If, during that five-year period, these products are found to have electronic or Tritium component defects in materials or workmanship, SIG SAUER will repair your product, at no charge to you. If we cannot repair your product, we will replace it with a product in perfect working order of equal or better physical condition.
______________________________________________________________
About The Author:
Andy Backus is a husband and father of two little girls. He grew up hunting whitetail deer in Wisconsin with gun and bow and over the years has been fortunate to hunt and explore most of the Western US states and Alaska. He plays soccer to stay in shape and also enjoys most other sports and outdoor activities. Andy is the Field Editor for Long Range Hunting Online Magazine and also manages the Long Range Hunting Store.
