Sorry if this has been asked but I couldn’t find anything. I would appreciate any recommendations.
What kestrel/wind meter should I buy if I already have a Garmin 701?
- Thread starter extendoclip
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Not to start a debate but a $399 display screen that repeats ballistic data from a $699.00 Kestrel Elite.
Verses
$499: A fully functional wrist mounted GPS unit wave points, tracks, ect, AB Elite engine with more unlocked features than the kestrel elite AB engine, and all the Foretrex features. Plus if you have the Kestrel Elite, and you use the 701 as the primary ballistic solution, the Elite is just a backup.
Sorry the 701 wins.
I own the Kestrel Elite and would choose the 701 over the hud every single time. Different purposes, obviously, but I’m a wrist mounted quarter back sleeve kind of guy. I don’t want something mounted to my rifle.
You can use any wind meter that you like. All you are really doing is getting the wind speed range so you can input the value into the Garmin. I would not spend a whole bunch of money on the wind meter to suit your needs.
I also have the Garmin 701 and I use a Kestrel 2000 which I've had for 25 years or so.
But I would suggest a wind meter that offers a a secondary value such as WeatherFlow. That way you can link it to your cell phone and use it with BalisticArc software or other phone based apps.
Once you've had a wind meter for a while you'll get tuned to what a certain wind speed feels like or looks like, so you'll get less reliant upon the wind meter over time. This is more reason not to spend a lot of money on a wind meter at this point since you already have the Garmin.
What I've found to be a little annoying about the Garmin is the multi target list where the wind offsets assume the wind is from a clock direction and not a compass direction.
So suppose you have a target list with 3 targets... one to the east, one to the north and one to the west.
The wind is coming from the south.
The Garmin only accepts wind from a clock direction so the target to the north should use 6 oclock, but 3 and 9 for the east and west.
In reality the garmin would treat the wind as from the south for the shot to the north, from the east for the shot to the west and from the west for a shot to the east.
So for this the wind values in the target list has little value.
I'd be curious how the Kestrel compares in this regard.
I also have the Garmin 701 and I use a Kestrel 2000 which I've had for 25 years or so.
But I would suggest a wind meter that offers a a secondary value such as WeatherFlow. That way you can link it to your cell phone and use it with BalisticArc software or other phone based apps.
Once you've had a wind meter for a while you'll get tuned to what a certain wind speed feels like or looks like, so you'll get less reliant upon the wind meter over time. This is more reason not to spend a lot of money on a wind meter at this point since you already have the Garmin.
What I've found to be a little annoying about the Garmin is the multi target list where the wind offsets assume the wind is from a clock direction and not a compass direction.
So suppose you have a target list with 3 targets... one to the east, one to the north and one to the west.
The wind is coming from the south.
The Garmin only accepts wind from a clock direction so the target to the north should use 6 oclock, but 3 and 9 for the east and west.
In reality the garmin would treat the wind as from the south for the shot to the north, from the east for the shot to the west and from the west for a shot to the east.
So for this the wind values in the target list has little value.
I'd be curious how the Kestrel compares in this regard.
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Damn, I didn’t consider that because my targets are mostly in the same direction. I wonder if they could fix that with an update.
I ended up when a 2700. The ballistics part are just a backup. I really like it and have used it a few times hunting and target shooting. It helped me make a first round hit on a 700 yard target in 15 mph wind coming in at 7:00. I don’t think my wind call would have been correct without the kestrel.
I ended up when a 2700. The ballistics part are just a backup. I really like it and have used it a few times hunting and target shooting. It helped me make a first round hit on a 700 yard target in 15 mph wind coming in at 7:00. I don’t think my wind call would have been correct without the kestrel.
I asked about it and was told that it came down to how the deal was made between Garmin and AB.
AB could have done wind direction by the compass but Garmin apparently felt it made more sense to use the clock system.
I guess they didn't think it through very well.
Sooner or later you will end up in a more real world situation like hunting where you might shoot in a possible 360 degrees, then the wind direction problem will get real for you.
