Thread: Devices to measure barometric pressure

I am relatively new to long range ballistics. Of late I have been playing around with my ballistics calculator and the output data. I am noting that barometric pressure is such a large variable on downrange ballistic performance.

I was wondering what devices people are using to accurately measure this. I have done my homework and not particularly interested in the cost of a kestrel.
Are there device options out there which measure barometric pressure accurately enough?

- Interested in devices such as watches garmin and suunto. But I am aware that these do not measure station pressure accurately for your given location.
- Also interested in other such devices such as anemometers which are multifunction but don't wear a huge price tag. I am aware you get what you pay for.

Cheers in advance.

I have used a Barometer allot for weather in the back country and has always been a must for me on my watches.
for 10 years I used Casio Gluff master which showed graph tends and now I have switched to a Garmin Fenix 5X.

Both can give you a reading in your current position and also relative to your altitude so no guess work needed.

Higher altitude the less pressure etc..

I have a sunnto watch that measures it but honesty havnt found it to be a big issue long as your in the ball park

For hunting ranges you can get away with just using an average. If shooting extended distances or trueing a load at those distances then yup you wanna be able to measure the conditions to get the most accurate results. Sorry not much help on devices as i’m using a kestrel atm.

Fenix 6x Pro Solar with ballistic app on watch does it all automatically.

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

Fenix 6x Pro Solar with ballistic app on watch does it all automatically.

Which app is that you use on the watch. I am using shooter. Cheers

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/c...d-6a54b165db5c

Both my cellphones have free apps that report current barometric pressure. They are good and accurate.
They aren't much good at graphing trends over time.
For a ballistics app you need "Station Pressure" ie the actual pressure at the "weather station" where you are. There's also a corrected pressure which is what it would be at sea level which is what you see on weather maps and is used to predict weather changes.
You're right, air pressure affects trajectory a lot - it is equivalent to ballistic coefficient and it can vary by 15% over normal hunting altitudes in NZ.

To measure wind speed I use the lowest model Kestrel which just has temp and wind. Still fairly expensive. I had a Caldwell which fell apart and was just a waste of money to me. Its just a training tool and you can soon estimate if the wind is closer to 2 or 5 or 10 m/s. Then you get into subtleties of direction and air flow where you can't see it and the meter can't meter it ...

I started out with a Brunton ADC PRO bought cheap from Natchez when they used to sell to NZ.
Not so cheap in NZ https://www.blademaster.co.nz/shop/S...ADCSUMMIT.html
Later replaced with a near top level Kestrel, bought at sale price.

The Brunton is still going and matches very closely the numbers on the Kestrel.
It's not a watch type obviously. Very small and hangs around the neck on a lanyard.

I've only ever used Shooter and with the Brunton manually entered Temperature, Station Pressure and Humidity.
The Kestrel does all that automatically via link. Inclination angle is provided by my phone.

Wind speed - as EBF pointed out in another thread, the wind speed and direction at the shooting point can be quite different throughout the distance to the target. Could even be opposite. I guestimate the wind by observation and overwrite my own number into Shooter.

This is my favourite article simplifying what inputs are needed and their effects.
https://bisonballistics.com/articles...cs-calculators

Originally Posted by zimmer

I started out with a Brunton ADC PRO bought cheap from Natchez when they used to sell to NZ.
Not so cheap in NZ https://www.blademaster.co.nz/shop/S...ADCSUMMIT.html
Later replaced with a near top level Kestrel, bought at sale price.

The Brunton is still going and matches very closely the numbers on the Kestrel.
It's not a watch type obviously. Very small and hangs around the neck on a lanyard.

I've only ever used Shooter and with the Brunton manually entered Temperature, Station Pressure and Humidity.
The Kestrel does all that automatically via link. Inclination angle is provided by my phone.

Wind speed - as EBF pointed out in another thread, the wind speed and direction at the shooting point can be quite different throughout the distance to the target. Could even be opposite. I guestimate the wind by observation and overwrite my own number into Shooter.

This is my favourite article simplifying what inputs are needed and their effects.
https://bisonballistics.com/articles...cs-calculators

Thanks Zimmer, I have had my eye on that Brunton you have have linked there. I am hesitant however as have read some poor reviews?
That is a great read. Very good summary of main points. Definitely is a bit of a rabbit hole we can run down and best to keep things simple.

Cheers

Yeah, read the poor reviews (mostly after I got mine). Nothing like researching a product b4 buying eh? Plus they seem quite expensive in NZ.

Should also add that my first one died. It was replaced under warranty but I had to send the dud one back to the States. Made me very wary of buying electronics offshore after that.

So, the Brunton and my Kestrel are chocka with readings for all sorts of things. Most are of no use to me. With the Kestrel I have locked out the items I don't need. Otherwise, with the Brunton in particular, you have to cycle thru them all to get back to the measurement you just looked at.

Barometer Reborn app is not a bad one for your cell phone if it has a barometer. I find the cell phone barometers better than most of the cheap portable anemometers but some phones don't have them.

If your interested in long range if you don't get a kestrel your disadvantaging your self.
They have the 2700 if your on a budget or the 5700 if your serious.
Next question

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

If your interested in long range if you don't get a kestrel your disadvantaging your self.
They have the 2700 if your on a budget or the 5700 if your serious.
Next question

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Cheers Andy, It may well be that I should look to importing a Kestrel. Do you have experience with the 2700. Does it have capability to link via bluetooth. I guess the downside of this model is that it is limited to memory of only one set of ballistics and 850yd range. But if the data can be linked via bluetooth to an app that would enable you to use your app rather than kestrel device memory.

Cheers

Cheers

Do you have a GPS?
If it has an altitude meter it will have a barometer to give you pressure.