As is always the case, my visit with Kestrel Ballistics at SHOT 2022 was as enjoyable as seeing Katie and the rest of the Kestrel team. This Pennsylvania Company deserves recognition for the level of innovation they’ve brought to the long-range precision shooting sports, and as a notable, at the height of the COVID 19 pandemic the company used its production and engineering expertise to manufacture PPE in service to the country. From a technology perspective, they have integrated ballistics software with their wind meters to provide the shooter with a firing solution to successfully engage targets well beyond one thousand meters. The importance of accurate environmental data in long range target engagements cannot be overestimated and Kestrel is the industry standard.

The company’s 5700 meter and HUD display, combined with the Kestrel Ballistics app is presently in use by armed forces around the world. The meter not only captures environmental data but also stores gun profiles and a very robust ballistic calculator. When paired, via Bluetooth, with the HUD display, it provides the shooter with a visible and continuously updated firing solution. Besides price, one of the key advantages the system has over the Doppler LIDAR technology is that it is passive making detection difficult, if not impossible. Doppler LIDAR can be detected and jammed, and if detected can reveal the shooter’s position. This is a critically important advantage as our military’s focus turns to peer power adversaries.

 At this year’s SHOT SHOW, Kestrel Ballistics announced a completely different meter, the KST 1000 shot timer. Shot timers are used in shooting competitions more notably pistol shooting events. The Kestrel shot timer retains the same robustness as the ballistic meters but Kestrel enhanced its acoustic performance so it will detect even a dry fire click, making it a great training tool. It also features a loud and very audible buzzer. Shipping of the KST 1000 should begin in Q1 2022 at an MSRP of just under $300.