Weather Stationary

Wind Meters, Wind Gauges, Anemometers… Let’s talk about shooting.

Article last updated: April 2021

Long range shooting is a widely loved sport.  Some of us are long-term shooting fans, while others might have been inspired by the surging popularity of FPS games like PUBG and Fortnite. Given that it’s both fun, challenging, and unique… it’s no wonder why the sport is gaining popularity. In this article, we have some wind meters for long range shooting to help you on your way to becoming a sniper so good you’ll make Hawkeye jealous!

At A Glance: Best Wind Meters For Long Range Shooting

Last update on 2024-11-06

Here’s the thing.  You’ve probably already realised by now that, no matter how well you focus your shot, there are other climatic conditions like the speed of the wind, air pressure, and direction of wind flow that come into play.

For short ranges, these factors are much less important.  The longer the range that you’re shooting, the wind speeds and general weather conditions become more and more impactful.  In order to assist with this problem, “Wind meters” are used.  You may also see these referred to as anemometers for shooting.

So clearly, wind meters are beneficial for use in long-range shooting.  They are ideal for estimating shot placement and to help reduce shooting errors due to crosswind conditions.  There’s a wide selection of wind meters for long range shooting in the market today, and it helps to know their differences so you can pick what fits your budget and needs.

Below, we’ve laid out a selection of the best wind meters for long-range shooting in 2021.

This comparison is short and straightforward.  I hope you find it useful!

Wind Meters for Long Range Shooting

 

Proster MS6252A Digital Anemometer

proster-digital-anemometer, wind meters for long range shooting

The Proster digital anemometer has a multi-unit switching function, including reading hold, maximum, minimum, etc.  It can be used for handheld or fixed measurements.

We love that it has a large LCD screen with a backlight that’s easy to read at arm’s length even with less-than-perfect vision. This wind meter also has a low battery indicator.

Specifications:

m/s(meter per second):0.40~30.0 ±(2.0% reading+50)
ft/m (feet per minute):80~5900 ±(2.0% reading+50)
km/h (kilometer per hour):1.4~108.0 ±(2.0% reading+50)
mile/h(mile per hour):0.9~67.0 ±(2.0% reading+50)
Knots(nautical miles per hour):0.8~58.0 ±(2.0% reading+50)
CFM:0 to 99990 0 to 9.999ft2
CMM:0 to 99990 0 to 9.999ft2
CMS:0 to 9999 0 – 9.999 m2

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Portable and therefore easy to use while shooting
  • Large display screen
  • Handheld or Fixed measurements.
  • Very easy to use
  • CFM ranges between 0 and 99,999
  • Display is backlit so you can see it in the dark
Cons
  • Poor manual and Instructions are unclear
  • Doesn’t measure in MPH
  • Issues with durability

This little device is worth every dollar and is great for long range shooting. It’s portability and easy to use functions as well as its large screen makes it perfect to use in any outdoor setting. This wind meter reads speeds of up to 30 m/s which works out to be about 108 miles per hour, within an accuracy of about two percent. This highly reliable and easy to use wind meter is perfect for long range shootin.

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HoldPeak HP-866B Digital Anemometer 

HoldPeak 866B Digital Anemometer, wind meters for long range shooting

The HoldPeak HP-866B digital anemometer is very accurate when it comes to measuring wind speed.

Its device control has labels of the function it performs, which makes it very simple and intuitive.

This ergonomically-designed handy wind meter comes with rubber inserts on the sides that provide a better grip. Plus, it has a screw hole at the bottom so you can mount it on a tripod.

It also has a big screen, but the digits are a bit smaller compared to Proster.

 

Specifications:

m/s(meter per second):0 ~ 30.0
0.1 Resolution
ft/m (feet per minute):0 ~ 5860
19 Resolution
km/h (kilometer per hour):0 ~ 90.0
0.3 Resolution
mile/h(mile per hour):0 ~ 65.0
0.2 Resolution
Knots(nautical miles per hour):0 ~ 55.0
0.2 Resolution
Accuracy±5%

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • It provides fast measurement for analysis of critical weather conditions
  • Multifunctional anemometer – measures wind speed, temperature and wind chill
  • C/F temperature can be adjusted easily.
  • Max/Min/Average/Current function can be recorded.
  • Presence of low battery indicator
  • Good After-sales service
Cons
  • Come-along Instructions are unclear
  • Backlight timer goes off every 15 seconds which can be irritating
  • Doesn’t work effectively with freezing or below freezing

We loved the part of after-sales support; if your anemometer gets damaged within a short time frame, you can quickly contact and get it replaced or repaired. The seller takes full responsibility for the product, which is rare. The temperature function is a +1, and the built is sturdy and high quality. The only minus that we figured out was that the instructions were very unclear and ambiguous, which can be tough at the start, but you can always refer YouTube for a better understanding of the product. The Backlight Timer has the default setting of 15 seconds, which could be irritating, but it’s pretty accurate and highly sensitive and hence serves the ultimate purpose without any doubt.

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Kestrel 1000 Pocket Wind Meter

kestrel 1000 pocket wind meter

The Kestrel 1000 wind meter is the most basic and extremely easy to use wind meter by Kestrel.  Unlike the first two, this one can be slipped inside your pocket because it’s very compact.

It’s been in the market for about 20 years, and yet still one of the most popular today.  It comes with a protective cover, neck lanyard, and it’s waterproof IP67 (floats).  An easy-to-read, large high-contrast monochrome LCD make it perfect for any light conditions.

 

Specifications:

m/s(meter per second):0.6 ~ 60.0
ft/m (feet per minute):118 ~ 11,811
km/h (kilometer per hour):2.2 ~ 144.0
mile/h(mile per hour):0.3 ~ 134.2
Knots(nautical miles per hour):1.2 ~ 116.6
Beaufort Scale0 to 12 B

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Highly accurate
  • Rugged handheld air flow meter
  • Large and clear display
  • Replaceable impeller
  • All kinds of wind flow measurement units are available
  • Highly waterproof (IP-67)
  • Floats in water
  • Drop tested to military standards (MIL-STD-810G)
  • Includes a slip-on protective cover
  • Includes neck lanyard
  • CR02032 coin cell battery
  • Five-year warranty
  • Can be used in all kinds of adventures and weather conditions
  • Shock-mounted impeller
Cons
  • Less legible from side angles

Even after strong research, we couldn’t find many negatives on this product, and it totally worth every Penny it costs. It is highly durable, and it has protective sheaths to protect itself from all kinds of potential dangers. It’s the safest and smartest investment you can make if you are engaged in Long Range Shooting.

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WeatherFlow Smartphone WEATHERmeter

Weatherflow WEATHERmeter

The Weatherflow WEATHERmeter is a small but very capable handheld smartphone weather meter that’s designed for precision shooting.

Using the BallisticsARC mobile app, it provides a complete on-site atmospheric profile for long-range shooters.  Measurements will show on your smartphone through the app.

It can be paired instantly to your iPhone or Android phone through Bluetooth Smart technology.

 

Specifications:

m/s(meter per second):0.2 ~ 55
km/h (kilometer per hour):0.8 ~ 200
mile/h(mile per hour):
0.5 ~ 125
Knots(nautical miles per hour):0.4 ~ 110
Beaufort Scale0 ~ 12 B
Bluetooth rangeup to 100 ft

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Comes with an attractive apple-like case
  • Solid and well built
  • The associate app is helpful and easy to use
  • A new feature of pressure and dew point
  • Feature of the heat index
Cons
  • Less accurate
  • Temperature fluctuation when exposed in sunlight
  • No warranty

This wind meter has a supporting app that is big +1, but there a number of issues reported for its low accuracy. It is one of the best-sellers with tons of positive reviews, but we won’t personally recommend you to buy this one because the fundamental purpose is not served and it doesn’t even come with a warranty or after-sale service.

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Kestrel 3000 Pocket Wind Meter

Kestrel 300 pocket wind meter

Kestrel 3000 pocket wind meter is not only good for long-range shooting, but it’s become necessarily required for wildland firefighters.

It provides accurate weather data, relative humidity readings, calculates the dew point heat stress index and of course, wind speed.  The device holds an IP67 waterproof rating, and it’s drop-tested to meet military standards.

This all-in-one equipment is portable and can fit inside your pocket.

 

Specifications:

m/s(meter per second):0.6 ~ 60.0
ft/m (feet per minute):118 ~ 11,811
km/h (kilometer per hour):2.2 ~ 144.0
mile/h(mile per hour):0.3 ~ 134.2
Knots(nautical miles per hour):1.2 ~ 116.6
Beaufort Scale0 to 12 B
Relative Humidity15 ~ 95% RH

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Highly Accurate
  • Rugged handheld air flow meter
  • Large and clear display
  • Replaceable impeller
  • All kinds of wind flow measurement units are available
  • Highly waterproof (IP-67)
  • Floats in water
  • Drop tested to military standards (MIL-STD-810G)
  • Includes a slip-on protective cover
  • Includes neck lanyard
  • CR02032 coin cell battery
  • Five-year warranty
  • Can be used in all kinds of adventures and weather conditions
  • Shock-mounted impeller
  • Measures heat stress index, relative humidity, dew point temperature, wind chill
  • Contains certificate of conformity
  • Highly Durable
Cons
  • Expensive
  • The extra small size of icons

If you are okay with spending a high amount of money on digital anemometers, this is the perfect one indeed. We highly recommend this not just because of accuracy, but also longevity. It comes with an assurance of long term support promise, and the manufacturers have provided almost everything that an anemometer might need. We are genuinely impressed with the design, features, and customer reviews. Until or unless there’s a software or circuit defect by default, this one goes perfect. It’s expensive, but it’s a one-time investment. The extra small size of icons is also manageable and does not seem to be a big issue to compromise with.

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Final words:

When it comes to a technical gadget like a digital anemometer, it can be very tricky to decide which one to buy.  But we dearly suggest not to rely solely on the descriptions given beside the product but also to read and interpret the genuine customer reviews to track the common problems that you should be ready for. 

Although we make it easy for you by doing the tough part and release a soft summary of products that you should take into consideration.  We understand that everyone has their own budget and specific needs.  Therefore, we always put options for the readers. 

Our personal best choice and recommendation is Kestrel 3000 pocket wind meter because we couldn’t find any many reasons not to buy it except for its price tag.  Also, if you cannot invest that much amount of money into it, our second personal best choice and recommendation would be Kestrel 1000, which is just an outdated version of Kestrel 3000, but it’s less expensive and worth it. 

And, if you are looking for a digital anemometer under 40$ or under 30$, Proster Handheld Anemometer and HoldPeak 866B can be a good choice although we don’t really recommend the Weather meter. 

If you enjoyed this article read more on Long Range Marksmanship For The First-Time Shooter.