By Jason Reid
Jason Reid lists his pick of the best wind meters on the market for hunting & shooting.
USA -(Ammoland.com)- Long range hunting and shooting has not only increased in popularity but has become much more efficient since military grade technology has been made accessible for the consumer markets.
For making shots in access of 500 yards, wind drift becomes a serious concern.
Windage or wind meters, as they are commonly called, are readily available, reasonably priced and tend to not take up much room in your pack.
In no particular order here are my picks for top wind meters for hunting and shooting.
Kestrel Elite Weather Meters with Applied Ballistics with LiNK:
The Kestrel Elite Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics with LiNK product provides shooters what they need to make an educated decision on where to shoot down range. but the real power of this system hides in its phone app.
With bluetooth technology linking to smart phones, the Kestrel Elite Weather Meter runs on 1 AA battery and provides a variety of features which take most of the guess work out of sending lead towards extreme down range targets. Shooters can use the free app to upload their gun and ammo combinations to the device before heading to the field and features Aerodynamic Jump, Spin Drift and Coriolis corrections. Kestrel 5700 Elite takes every bit of environmental factors and your gun & ammo selection into consideration.
The app provides the ability to create custom drag curve modeling which can be useful when shooting at targets beyond the supersonic range of the round. With models priced between $609 & $860, you had better be truly committed to the art of long range shooting to invest in this piece of equipment. www.kestrelmeters.com
Nikon Spot On Ballistic Wind Meters
One of the simpler wind meters on the market, The Nikon Spot On Ballistic Wind Meter gives you the information you need right on your smart phone. Just plug the Nikon wind meter into the headphone port of any smart phone and download the free Spot On App to your mobile device. After choosing your gun specs on the app and either connect to your nearest weather station for the closest data if you are in cell range, or if you are on a backcountry hunt, log the temperature, pressure and humidity manually.
After capturing the wind speed you simply select the wind direction and the app will show wind drift in either clicks, inches or MOA and show you where to hold.
With an MSRP of 39.99, ($26.00 on Amamzon) the simplicity of this system can help you shoot better without the complexity of other meters. www.nikonsportoptics.com
Weatherflow Weathermeter:
Utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) the Weatherflow Weathermeter allows shooters to have weather data such as wind speed and direction,temperature, wind, heat index, pressure air density, altitude and other important factors sent to any mobile device from up to 100 feet away. Calculations are made in the BallisticsARC app which is free for Apple devices. With an MSRP of $84.99 and a 3 year battery life, this meter comes with a hard case for safe storage and includes a 3 year warranty. www.brownells.com
WeatherHawk SM-28 Skymaster Weather Meter:
Don’t want to rely on a mobile device for long range shooting? The WeatherHawk SM-28 Skymaster Weather Meter shows all the information you need to have on the small display on the meter. With a jackknife design to protect your meter, this design helps give you a much more accurate reading since the design prevents any heat from you hand from impacting its read.
Featuring an easy to re-set barometer, the Spymaster also displays current, maximum and average wind speed in addition to wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind chill, dew point altitude and heat index. WeatherHawk SM-28 Skymaster Weather Meter is available on the Long range hunting store for $142.00 (less $ online). www.longrangehunting.com
The Caldwell Wind Wizard II Meter:
Building on the frame and the feedback of the original Wind Wizard, the Caldwell Wind Wizard II Meter provides shooters with simplicity and value. With a rubberized non-slip coating, the Wind Wizard ll reads wind speeds in a variety of different units of measurement: mph, ft/min, km/h, m/s, and knots. Reading temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit this product can be used by every hunter regardless of location and has an LCD backdrop light to help you make a shot count in low-light conditions. With an MSRP: $54.99 ($32.98 online), the Caldwell Wind Wizard II Meter provides great value to shooters without breaking the bank. www.btibrands.com
Wind Meters
As shooters, we have the responsibility to make ethical shots and having the right information to make a long range shot is imperative. If having a wind meter helps you become a successful shooter, find which one works best for you, practice and become comfortable with your equipment on the range before heading to the field.
About Jason Reid:
Jason Reid is a writer and business professional from upstate New York. After deciding to pursue his dream of becoming an outdoor writer, Jason started a blog from his dorm room at Houghton College, growing it and working hard to earn opportunities. While bowhunting big game is his ultimate passion, Jason welcomes all outdoor challenges which force him to push his limits. Jason’s work can be viewed on his website Pushingthewildlimits.com
I’m a benchrest competition shooter and the windmeter should be omnidirectional (NO batteries), and stationary – at the bench. All examples mentioned here are useless.