{"id":118275,"date":"2019-11-23T23:26:17","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T04:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=118275"},"modified":"2019-11-23T23:26:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T06:50:53","slug":"kestrel-5700-ballistic-weather-meter-with-hornady-4dof-full-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/kestrel-5700-ballistic-weather-meter-with-hornady-4dof-full-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Kestrel 5700 Ballistic Weather Meter With Hornady 4DOF: Full Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As long range shooting grows even more popular, we are quickly finding out that not all conditions can be predicted or controlled. However, they can be measured and accounted for. This is where the Kestrel 5700 Ballistic Weather Meter with Hornady 4DOF<\/a> shines; providing “accurate aiming solutions for long range shooting.” This weather meter measures atmospheric conditions in real time and also provides ballistic solutions based on these readings with the supreme accuracy that Hornady 4DOF has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kestrel
An accurate reading of real-time atmospherics is paramount for precision long range shooting, and the Kestrel 5700 provides this and more.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About the unit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kestrel 5700 with 4DOF (for short), is compact and robust. These traits are necessary for a unit designed for long range shooters because many applications including hunting, military and competitive uses put the ultimate strain on equipment due to harsh environmental conditions, rough handling and long hours of use. This weather meter is drop tested, waterproof and dust-proof, which I have verified through my months of use while I’ve had it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For as powerful as the Kestrel 5700 with 4DOF is, it remains extremely small. I found it very easy to carry in a pocket, backpack pouch or strapped to my kit. It comes with a mesh cinch case which helps provide a bit of protection to the Kestrel’s extra-strong polycarbonate lens while out in the field. This unit is AA battery-powered, and comes with one lithium AA battery for extended run-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kestrel
The battery compartment cover is water-tight thanks to a rubber O-ring and a locking latch located at the bottom of the unit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The screen on the Kestrel 5700 with 4DOF is extremely easy to see\/read because of the high-resolution and contrast display. This meter also has a built-in dual color backlight, making it easy to read the screen in direct sunlight to extreme darkness. Finally, this meter also communicates to your phone with LiNK iOS and Android wireless connectivity and app support. This allows you to build ballistic profiles easily and transfer them to the Kestrel from your phone, as well as communicate with the Hornady 4DOF ballistic app directly via Bluetooth for ballistic solutions on your phone utilizing real-time atmospheric data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kestrel
Pairing the Kestrel 5700 to your phone via the Bluetooth LiNK connection makes long-range shooting much easier with all of the data on one screen right in your hand. The only other thing you need is an accurate rangefinder; for which, I use a Leupold RX-2800 TBR\/W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About Hornady 4DOF<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have used the Hornady 4DOF ballistic program<\/a> for a while now with incredibly precise and accurate results. Even when compared side-by-side with other (expensive) ballistic programs, I typically see slightly different firing solutions that prove to be more accurate with the 4DOF app. The following is a description as provided on Kestrelmeters.com<\/a>: “The Hornady 4DOF Ballistics Calculator has been trusted by hundreds of thousands of long-range hunters and shooters since 2016. Ideal for precise long-range calculations using low-drag precision bullets, the Hornady 4DOF Ballistic Calculator provides trajectory solutions based on projectile Drag Coefficient (not ballistic coefficient) along with the exact physical modeling of the projectile and its mass and aerodynamic properties. Additionally, it calculates the vertical shift a bullet experiences as it encounters a crosswind; referred to as aerodynamic jump. The Hornady 4DOF also accurately calculates angled shots by accounting for important conditions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kestrel
The night before the Vortex Extreme sniper challenge, me and my partner wrote down all of the DOPE for each stage using atmospherics from that day and ballistic solutions from the Hornady 4DOF program, right from one unit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Putting the Kestrel 5700 with 4DOF through its paces<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned, I’ve been using the Kestrel on all of my hunts lately which include multiple weeks of deer hunting, elk hunting, and bighorn sheep hunting. On top of that, I also ran the Vortex Extreme sniper challenge with it in tow. While in the field, I and the Kestrel 5700 got rained and snowed on, baked in the sun, and frozen solid. I’ve measured wind speeds in excess of 40 MPH on a foggy evening and altitudes above 12,000 ft. After all of this, I still have greater than 80% battery left, no scratches on the screen and everything still functions. While I’ve had it, the Kestrel 5700 with 4DOF has more than proved how indestructible and appropriate for any task it really is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measured Atmospheric Conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kestrel 5700 with 4DOF measures many different environmental conditions, including the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n