Garmin Xero - update

[Varmint Hunter]

I took the little Garmin with me on a trip to the indoor range where rifles & pistols are fired. The range looks like most other indoor ranges with shallow partitions between shooters. This range has concrete walls without any sound deadening material. Muzzle blast bounces all over the place. We had 4 shooters in the section where I was shooting. I brought a H&K USP 40 and a S&W 629.

The Garmin was just placed on the platform in front of me and pointed down range. I had no problem picking up every shot. The blast from the mighty 44mag cylinder didn't seem to adversely affect the Garmin at all. I did notice one thing that I didn't expect. All the heavy gunfire around me kept triggering the Garmin. I think it was probably blast bouncing off the walls that caused it but I'm not sure about that. The screen on the Garmin would get all squirrely like it was trying to determine the velocity, but it never did. It would take a few seconds for the unit to settle down again.

I shot many 5 & 10 shot strings while the guys around me were banging away. I expected this scenario to cause problems with the shot string and summary. To my pleasant surprise, the Garmin seemed to be able to record all of my shots and ignore all the intermittent shots that caused the squirrely screens.

Conclusion: The Garmin Xero worked 100% in an incredibly difficult environment.

 

[Darryle]

Great review, good to hear about crowded range use.

Altus has them available for pre-order

 

[orkan]

When I last talked to the Garmin rep... she said they had over 24,000 back-orders for these units.

Pretty soon, guys will be able to pick these things up for $400 everywhere. lol

When these back orders hit, all the mom-and-pop shops that got conned into their 10-unit opening order, will be cutting each others throat to sell them for $5 over cost.



-----------
Follow on Instagram
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Affiliate

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

When I last talked to the Garmin rep... she said they had over 24,000 back-orders for these units.

Pretty soon, guys will be able to pick these things up for $400 everywhere. lol

When these back orders hit, all the mom-and-pop shops that got conned into their 10-unit opening order, will be cutting each others throat to sell them for $5 over cost.



-----------
Follow on Instagram
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Affiliate

Then a NEW Chronograph will come out and shooters having Garmin's will be selling for $300.

 

[airborneescouter]

How is the interface, is everything on an app like labradar? My labradar is a little wonky with the app connecting, would recognize multiple devices that were all the same one. Being garmin I would think it's pretty refined but curious how it operates? I like the small size for sure

 

[Longtine88]

I don't have a missed shot yet. And I'm like 1600 into it. I love it.

 

[Rick Richard]

I don't have a missed shot yet. And I'm like 1600 into it. I love it.

Looks like I am going to have to add this to my WANT list

 

[OFtrash]

Ordered mine the other week can't wait to get home and try it out.

 

[huntinghuasna]

Picked up an Xero online from BassPro over a month ago and love it. I'm a big LabRadar fan and have learned to use it with great results. However, this Garmin is extremely easy to use and very compact. The interface is intuitive and no special triggers are required when changing shooting platforms. I hate to part with my LabRadar but I think I'll be making someone a deal soon!

 

[quigley257]

They are just stupid easy to use and crazy reliable. Love it.

 

[akmtnhnt]

I do wish the Garmin would take multiple readings downrange like the labradar does.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

I took the little Garmin with me on a trip to the indoor range where rifles & pistols are fired. The range looks like most other indoor ranges with shallow partitions between shooters. This range has concrete walls without any sound deadening material. Muzzle blast bounces all over the place. We had 4 shooters in the section where I was shooting. I brought a H&K USP 40 and a S&W 629.

The Garmin was just placed on the platform in front of me and pointed down range. I had no problem picking up every shot. The blast from the mighty 44mag cylinder didn't seem to adversely affect the Garmin at all. I did notice one thing that I didn't expect. All the heavy gunfire around me kept triggering the Garmin. I think it was probably blast bouncing off the walls that caused it but I'm not sure about that. The screen on the Garmin would get all squirrely like it was trying to determine the velocity, but it never did. It would take a few seconds for the unit to settle down again.

I shot many 5 & 10 shot strings while the guys around me were banging away. I expected this scenario to cause problems with the shot string and summary. To my pleasant surprise, the Garmin seemed to be able to record all of my shots and ignore all the intermittent shots that caused the squirrely screens.

Conclusion: The Garmin Xero worked 100% in an incredibly difficult environment.

This was a great test for the Garmin. Thanks for sharing. I was also one of the fortunate few to get one al.ost immediately upon release. My unit has not missed a shot or acted up in any way since receiving it. I probably have 3-400 shots through it, over 8-10 range trips. Very happy with the unit.

You know how they say that walking a cute puppy is a great way to meet the ladies out in public......the curiosity about the Garmin at the range is very similar except it isn't with the ladies....it's a bunch of gun geeks like me that want to socialize over the Garmins performance. The funniest interactions are by the lab radar guys that are dying to know about anything that makes it less desirable than their radar.....sorry dude....I got nothing for you on the downside!

 

[HydroCarbon]

Thanks for the report! Can't wait to open mine up and try it. My wife won't let me touch it, she insisted that it be wrapped and put under the Christmas tree

 

[Varmint Hunter]

You know how they say that walking a cute puppy is a great way to meet the ladies out in public......the curiosity about the Garmin at the range is very similar except it isn't with the ladies....it's a bunch of gun geeks like me that want to socialize over the Garmins performance. The funniest interactions are by the lab radar guys that are dying to know about anything that makes it less desirable than their radar.....sorry dude....I got nothing for you on the downside!

Interesting note: The range I shot at was a public range and the staff are municipal workers. They aren't necessarily gun-savvy people. While I was shooting, one of the "range-officers" abruptly interrupted my shooting and said, "you aren't allowed to have that thing", as he pointed to the Garmin. I responded, "why not". He says, "cameras and videos are not permitted anywhere in the facility".