START HERE
In summary the Leica Rangemaster is small, light, easy to use and feels good in the hand. The glass and manufacturing are top quality, and the slim design feels way better than the chunky ones when carry the device in a pack, in a pocket or on a belt - it's great they thought about that portability. Operation is super easy too, and even when using gloves its clear which button to use when holding it.
Using a Bluetooth connection to a Kestrel Elite weather meter with Applied Ballistics offers a fast and natural way to get a near instant firing solution! Faster and easier than most other solutions that will likely require a mobile app/drop chart, a wind meter and the rangefinder etc.
Just keeping it down to two devices is great, the fact that you have a bi-directional connection (not so with other connections and devices) is also very powerful as the firing solution is transferred from the Kestrel to the Leica and you can see it on the viewfinder right away in the clear bright red display - fast, clean and easy to use in a hunting situation. Easier to read than the Kestrel display in low light for example.
This connection is fast - it instantly updates the Kestrel and display in near realtime to use the Wind, DOF and Inclination for a real firing solution for your chosen gun profile. Speed is very important in hunting, so the fact the technology works and is quick is an important detail.
That profile on the Kestrel is in plain "English" so you know which gun profile is which unlike some other devices that simply have numbers (at least two simply have numbers with no reference to what the gun/cartridge), and you have to remember which number is what gun profile.
I find that annoying and difficult when hunting - I much prefer a real name so I know for sure which profile I am using as I have a range of different guns. There is also a safety issue with choosing the wrong profile you will be using the wrong data and could shoot way off target at long range!
This combination of Kestrel Elite and Rangemaster guarantees absolutely precise measurement results – thanks to Applied Ballistics software and adjustments based on the current weather. This combination also makes the full use of the Kestrel, without the need for manual inputs, and also provides a total solution to range and wind in one easy process - easier that anything else I have used up until now. Even better would be this connection in their RF Binocular line!
Here it is on my belt when hunting - small, light and easy to carry!
If you have a Kestrel or can afford one this is way better as a solution vs. the app, especially for the US market in our opinion.
The Rangemaster also has a mobile app. to update the firmware and that offers a standalone ballistics option too, I just prefer Applied Ballistics over a manufacturer built solution.
With the Leica Hunting app, developed especially for the CRF 2800.COM, individual ballistics settings can be configured conveniently on the smartphone. The app makes it possible to select the appropriate calibration for the gun.
Leica’s own ABC ballistics program calculates the individual ballistic output values based on caliber, bullet type, trajectory and weight. This data is transmitted via Bluetooth to the CRF 2800.COM, which calculates the exact ballistic distance and holdover correction, adjusting for temperature, air pressure and angle. Wind direction and speed can also be taken into account in the calculation.
Note: When using Leica’s ballistic program, the CRF2800.COM provides either hold over value in inches, centimeters or come-ups in MOA or MILs to 1,000 yards, or equivalent horizontal range (EHR) to 1,200 yards/1,100 meters. It also ranges game out to only 500M on hunting targets, with reflective targets out to the longer ranges, these limitations could be a deal breaker for some. Use the Kestrel to avoid these ballistic limits.
Pairing a Kestrel Elite to a Leica Rangemaster 2800.com video
The Leica Hunting App – fast and easy to use
https://kestrelinstruments.com/kestrel-3rd-party-software-and-applications
