I am looking at getting a kestrel mostly to help with long range shot when traveling for hunts. My question is, do I really need one that gives you Density Altitude? I have two app based ballistic calculators. When I put in the temp, alt, humidity, etc, that calculates it essentially, correct?

The Apps I have will calculate DA if you set them up that way. Of course they only work if you have a phone signal. Kestrel works everywhere if the batteries work. I got the new one with Applied Ballistic in it so it can be used instead of phone when out of cell service.

If you create a profile with the gun info you shouldn't need cell service to calculate info

I will take this opportunity to learn more. If you set up a profile for here in central Texas and then travel to New Mexico do you just update when you arrive by using local atmosphere conditions before you lose signal? Or do you just guesstimate or use a Kestrel.

You need cell service for the app to give you DA and Temp from the nearest weather station. If you do not have a signal you will not get those pieces of data. Those pieces of data matter when shooting beyond 300 yards. You'll get a slight change in corrections from 300 and beyond. The farther the shot, the more the change from your home range. Get central Texas data today, and find yourself on a mountain at 10,000' ASL (above sea level) and all your DOPE will be wrong, you'll bullet will miss high. Find yourself near sea level in cool, or cold temperatures and you DOPE will be wrong, you bullet will miss low.

Yes the Kestrels are more reliable, do not require a cell signal, and have an incredible battery life. I never use one for wind measurement. They tell what the wind is doing at your location, not at the target.

Several options. Hope you have a cell signal and use an app. Get a Kestrel that only gives you atmospheric conditions, and plug those in to "Shooter". Or get a Kestrel with Applied Ballistics, or an older Horus model, and run off it's corrections solely.

No matter what instrument you get record data when you go shoot. Write down temp and DA, the correction the instrument gave you, and what happened. Was it high, on the money, or low. You'll find places where your scope doesn't track perfectly, and you may find that everything is wrong indicating you need to adjust you're BC, or MV, or both. Adjust until the instrument matches what really happens on the range. Once you have then working together you can trust your instrument to give you good predictable corrections in the new, odd, atmosphere, such as the mountain, or the sea level cold day.

Yeah garbage in garbage out. But you can put some of those fields in without cell service.


Sometimes the weather stations are not close enough to even be accurate.

I get that, believe me I've been using apps and Kestrels for many years, and in many locations in the U.S. but ignoring Temp and DA is not something to make a habit of. Not if you like hitting what you mean to hit.

Agreed. I am looking around for a discount on one... I am not sure the 5500 is worth it, the only difference between the 5000 and 5500 is wind direction.

I use mine habitual these days. I will say if you update software double check everything not doing that bit me at the heatstroke. I will typically read wind at my location and compare it to eviroment towards the target if possible and adjust from there.

I also carry a backup phone that reads everything and I'm making da cards as a third backup.

The 4500's with Applied Ballistics are selling way cheaper than they were new. New they were $550, now guys are getting $350 out of them. The one that was stolen from me worked well in central Texas, Louisiana, NE Texas, SW Texas, TX panhandle, NW Oklahoma, and Colorado. Hot, warm, cool, and cold weather, once I got it trued to my rifle and load it was very helpful.

Dee is right, have backup cards based on DA in 1000' foot increments. That's why I keep a pocket spiral notebook with the rifle, to write down temp, DA, target distance, and what was the appropriate correction for those conditions.