Mark V. Lonsdale, STTU Training Director

It is not too difficult to build a rifle that will shoot sub-MOA at long range (1000 yards). It is even not that difficult to dope the temperature, altitude and humidity, but the wind is another story. In the absence of range flags on a known distance range, eyeballing the wind is an art in itself. A gusting wind can move a projectile three feet off target which equates to a total miss.

So back in the 1990s, when I was active in long range sniper training and doing research for a the book ALPINE OPERATIONS, I broke down and bought a Kestrel 2000. At the time, I found this to be a very useful device, so carried it with me for the next 20 years.

Doing high altitude cold weather research for Alpine Operations 1998

With time technology advances, so after using the Kestrel 2000 for two decades, I am now putting the Kestrel Elite 5700 through its paces. Where the 2000 provides temp and wind, the 5700 is a veritable weather station. More importantly, you can program in all of your rifles and loads to generate firing solutions through the Applied Ballistics software. And trust me, it is easy; the inputs are quite intuitive. Then you can link it to your cell phone or iPad through Bluetooth and have an enlarge screen to work off. Will post a more complete review in the next few weeks.

                                  Kestrel Elite AB 5700, the older Kestrel 2000, and the                                   Bluetooth link to smart phones or iPads.  

Look for a full review in the near future

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