Once in a great while, a product comes along that is so good that it is actually hard to review. The new SIG Kilo 2400ABS is one such device. I could close, right now, just by saying: “It’s perfect” and walk away leaving nothing on the table. Despite all the features and performance of the 2400ABS, I feel like this will be a shorter than normal editorial. The 2400ABS attains such high marks in all fields that to stretch words around it would degrade my opinions.
Undoubtedly, precision shooting is a gear-intense sport. The SIG Kilo2400ABS carries an array of atmospheric sensors and ballistic calculator.
SPECS
The Kilo 2400 can store up to four different rifle/bullet profiles.
- Power: 7X
- Objective: 25mm
- Ballistic Solver: Applied Ballistics with custom curve library
- Length: 4.25 in.
- Height: 3 in.
- Width: 1.5 in.
- Weight: 7.5 oz.
- MSRP: $1,800
- Manufacturer: SIG Sauer
Range Finding Capability
Given its advertised capabilities, I was shocked by the small size of the Kilo 2400 unit. It is roughly the same size as the old golf range finders we’ve all bought when we were broke that were only usable out to 300 meters. The SIG has a range of 2 miles, and it delivers. The electronics on board this unit are so good, I actually wonder if SIG Sauer is losing money per unit just to gain market share. Inside of 1 mile, it blows the doors off anything else I’ve witnessed in terms of both speed and ease of acquisition. The scan mode delivers half meter corrections near instantly at 800-meter ranges and quite possibly beyond. I was effortlessly able to range targets at 1200 meters, free handing the unit. If you have ever spent time with a range finder, you know what that statement means. As a U.S. Army soldier in multiple sniper units, we developed and used all sorts of improvisations to make a range finder steady enough to get a reading. The Kilo made me feel like I could have a cup of coffee in the other hand, no big deal. Put this thing on a tripod, and it is absolutely impossible to not get an accurate range. Have I seen things that will out range it? Sure. But not since I left the army. Not to mention, those things are in the $10,000 plus range. And there are zero requirements that they are eye safe. And there is no ITAR control. Without out running them side by side it’s hard to determine, even if the military grade ones will range to over 10 kilometers, I am not sure they would beat the SIG inside 2 kilometers.
Article Continues Below
The Kilo2400ABS comes in a small nylon pouch that has everything long range shooters need, including the ability to mount it on a tripod.
How SIG achieved this and still made the housing small enough to fit in a shoulder pocket is beyond me. Even if this were just a range finder, it would be worth the price if you regularly shoot past 1,000 meters.
Applied Ballistics
The app included with the SIG Kilo 2400ABS includes Applied Ballistics’ bullet profiles and custom curve library.
In 2017, Applied Ballistics (AB) is probably the pre-eminent ballistic computer software on the market. Things change in technology, and there may be something else that usurps it in the future, but AB is pretty hard to beat at the moment. It is light years ahead of where we were 15 years ago, but that is a discussion for another day. It is an awesome program, and with awesome usually comes a heavy price tag. SIG crammed it into the range finder and supporting phone app, and it’s the full version. They took no shortcuts. You get all the goods, including the drop scale factor (DSF). You can true your own rifle into and past transonic ranges. Or you can just upload a custom curve from Applied Ballistics. And you get access to the entire library of Applied Ballistics bullets.
To put this in perspective, the Kestrel Wind Meter that has Applied Ballistics in it is over $700. So not only do you get easy access via your phone to input date, with support, and a heads up display while you are shooting if you want, there is more. You don’t need cell service to run the program, and you actually don’t even need your phone. The Kilo 2400 will store up to 4 rifle profiles in the range finder. And after it ranges the target, on the same screen it will display the hold in mils for elevation with windage correction. The wind you can obviously screw up by inputting the wrong mph or direction, but this technology in such a small package is incredible. The range finder is also a Star Trek level DOPE book, for any 4 rifles/ bullets you happen to be carrying. And don’t fret if you don’t know how to use Applied Ballistics yet, there is a tutorial on the AB website specific to the Kilo 2400ABS.
The SIG Kilo 2400 comes with a wind meter that attaches to the user’s cellphone.
Weather Station
Did I mention it is also a weather station? The Kilo 2400 ABS does anything a Kestrel will do, aside from a wind meter. It does come with a wind meter, but it has to be attached to your cellphone. You don’t need cellular service, just a Bluetooth link from your phone to the unit. SIG has consolidated three devices into one, giving you everything you need for a successful engagement. With your cellphone handy, you can also override any weather setting you like, should the need arise. This device is verging on science fiction.
Bonus Round
Don’t like Applied Ballistics? Cool. Turn it off. Need to know the angle you are shooting at? Good. It tells you that too. Need to range and spot at the same time? Glad you asked. There are options for the displayed reticle, including a mil-dot reticle. It’s crude, in 5 mil increments, but don’t laugh. How many of you have a spotting scope with a mil reticle in it? And for the boys playing away games, 5 mils is good enough to call in an indirect fire mission in a pinch. Runs off of a common battery? Check. This bad boy runs off of a CR2, available at any big box store. Useful, MOLLE attachable case? Check. Slap this on your battle belt or ruck, and off you go.
Even at full retail, with an MSRP of $1,799, this is worth every penny. It is the kind of product you have to see to believe. It is as close to perfect as we are going to get while we are still using gunpowder-propelled bullets. Every military and police sniper in the country should have one of these: They deserve it. I actually believe that enough to call the senators from Idaho to demand it. The size is small enough to be an everyday carry item. I wouldn’t change a thing about the Kilo 2400, though I do have one hope. The 7X magnification starts getting a little hard to spot with around the 1-mile range, but that is the price of being small. I hope this line of range finders expands to 12X or 15X in the future, just for us lazy retired guys that drive to work now.
For more information about SIG Sauer Kilo 2400AB, click https://www.sigsauer.com/store/kilo2400abs.html.
For more information about Applied Ballistics, click https://appliedballisticsllc.com.
To purchase a SIG Sauer Kilo 2400AB on EuroOptic, click Here.
Being one of the “old-timers” , a Marine AND Viet-Nam vet, I must agree whole-heartedly with both BOhio and Tripwire: ARs are ugly, and their continued military usage has inculcated a lazy, sloppy brand of marksmanship in 99% of shooters these days. In the Old Corps, the mantra was “one shot, one kill”. My first tour in Nam was with the M14, and we were issued limited rounds, and had to account for every round fired. Then they took away our prized and trusted weapons and gave us the Matty-Mattel toys, and beaucoup ammo to shoot up at will. “Spray and Pray” became the mantra, and individual marksmanship has never been the same. I know, this is an article about the truly amazing SIG 2400 ABS, and what we would have given for one of those back in the day. Of course, most fire in the jungle was close range, but today’s warriors have a very different situation that requires a very different approach. I would vote for a return to the venerable M14. Once you pack one for a few weeks, they are no longer heavy and bulky… AND they are dependable. I have a SIG 1200, and have been amazed at its speed and accuracy out to close to the advertised 1200 yds. I agree that ranging past 800 yards implies use of a tripod to achieve the required solution, but it can be done. I love my 1200, and for my old weary eyes, that is probably more than I can happily achieve. However, I have some offspring that are into long range shooting, and the SIG 2400 would mean packing a whole lot less hardware into the field to set up for shooting. I think the SIG range finders are probably as reliable as the old reliable M14. BTW, I have also packed the M1 at one duty station, and it is a great weapon with only the 8 round clip as a downfall. Can’t beat that old 30-06 for a good reliable long range cartridge either. Witness the Marines at Belleau Wood in WW I. With a good rangefinder and other tools of today’s vintage in the hands of those RIFLEMEN, that little excursion thru the woods might have taken a matter of hours not weeks.
Boosting magnification to 12x or 15x will eliminate the ability to handhold this RF — as apparently can be done very effectively at 7x — which would necessitate a tripod or other means to keep the RF steady. Unless it also features the stabilization technology of certain binoculars. Clay, does it?
As to ranging to and beyond 1 mile, I expect that is WAY, WAY beyond the capabilities of most shooters and their equipment, save the military crowd and ultra-long distance hunters. The average hunter seems to think that 2.5″ groups at 100y is acceptable if not boast-worthy, based on what I see at local ranges before opening day of deer season.
But the SIG RF reviewed herein is surely adding to the justification to get a 7mm rig for shooting out to 1,400y or so before the zombies get into .308 range.
Why has the shooting world gone mad over the AR-15 and its many, many clones? I have been a shooter, gun enthusiast, and part time hunter for more than 50 years, and I just don’t get it.
1) The 5.56 /.223 cartridge is anemic and fairly limited in its true usefulness. Not much good other than for varmints including crows out to maybe 150 meters, if properly hand loaded, and fired from a well cut chamber of a nice bolt action with a 22” barrel.
2) The AR-15’s father, the M-16 came about during the Viet Nam war because draftees who were less than enthusiastic about their fate, and regardless of what the PC practitioners say, were afraid of the .308 and .30-06, because they “kicked”.
3) What about home defense you ask? Why indeed, even a Mossberg P.O.S 12ga. behind the front door is a much better choice for that task. If you are going to use a long gun to defend your home and family why choose firing one dart versus a bucket of baseballs? Just sayin.
4) They are just BUTT UGLY. Plastic and aluminum with the artful silhouette of a WWII era prosthetic leg.
5) But, but, you say, the platform has evolved to shooting useful cartridges like… .308 Win, .300 Blackout, .458 SOCOM et al. Yes, much more useful calibers in a still BUTT UGLY gun.
6) Civilianization of a military (style) rifle … When was the last time you saw a “sporterized” AR?
They don’t exist. Instead of cutting off the extraneous bits and protrusions like used to be done with Mausers and others, and then adding a nice walnut or maple stock and good scope … now we add four-sided Picatinny rails and fasten on everything from cappuccino makers to pole saws.
7) Don’t get me wrong here. I am an NRA Life Member and I support all American citizens’ second amendment rights and the right to choose and use any gun(s) they can legally possess. I just personally hate these ugly inaccurate monstrosities that look like something out of the prop room of a Mad Max film. I still just do not get it!!!!
RANGEFINDERS! The article is about RANGEFINDERS. You can use them with pretty guns too.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A Pontiac Aztek is ugly. Hillary Clinton is f’ugly. Your vinyl Laz-Y-Boy recliner from 1982 is ugly, but not as ugly as what it would reveal under UV alternate light (spare us). A modern AR-15 rifle platform is capable of excellent accuracy and at long-ish range, but maybe you don’t follow the competition at Camp Perry and elsewhere that continues to prove that such rifles are great for target shooting, depending on the target.
Now be quiet, read Clay’s review on this SIG rangefinder, and then repent your carelessness in posting your rant here.
Chuck, your “50” years of shooting and part time hunting haven’t taught you much and being an NRA member isn’t something that makes you an expert in anything.
You don’t like AR’s, we got that but because of that you don’t know much about them that’s based on facts. And I won’t attempt to teach you anything about them and their many uses because you are not going to listen or accept.
Anybody that uses the POS term for a Mossberg shotgun has already show his ignorance and is beyond teachable.
Bottom line the AR is here and is the largest and fastest selling firearm in the free world.
I’ve packed an M1 and M-14 in the Marines and I never saw a Marine who couldn’t handle the weight or recoil of either so IMHO the M-16 was nothing but an inside deal to give somebody a nice contract under the cover of the war in Nam. The M-14 was and is still one of the best weapons we can field for our troops, again IMHO. The problem was you can’t give a 17/19 year old kid a full auto weapon and expect him to fit the term “Rifleman”. In the Corps we were all “Riflemen” and the mantra was “Aimed controlled firepower”. That went out the window when the “Giggle switch” was added to the standard issue rifle.
Last but not least as Charles Valenzuela below stated “It’s about Range Finders”!!!
If you go out to snipe against a reasonably sophisticated and organised adversary, using a Bluetooth connected device communicating with a smartphone will probably buy you an incoming artillery round as soon as you make your presence known, and possibly BEFORE your first shot if you’re in a low population area.
Now coyotes, they have not YET learned to employ passive RF sensors and active ECM. But they probably will, the devious little buggers.
True, but coyotes are known for overreliance on the products of the Acme Corporation, and their poor quality control renders the threat null and void. I mean, they can’t even make a reliable anvil, for Pete’s Sake.
Ah-Ha…LOL…lol. Touché my Dear friend!!!! That reply was brilliant and perfectly timed.
You Sir win the internets for the day.
Actually, I always though Acme’s products performed their function as designed. It was in their application that problems started to occur.
You should look at the comms we’re fielding the troops (Rifleman’s radio AN/PRC 154). They might be ECM capable but they are in a spectrum not far from bluetooth and a heck of a lot more wattage…. and they can link to cellphones, tablets, and cameras.