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
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
- 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
- Poor manual and Instructions are unclear
- Doesn’t measure in MPH
- Issues with durability
HoldPeak HP-866B Digital Anemometer
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
- 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
- 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
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 Scale | 0 to 12 B |
Pros & Cons
- 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
- Less legible from side angles
WeatherFlow Smartphone 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 Scale | 0 ~ 12 B |
Bluetooth range | up to 100 ft |
Pros & Cons
- 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
- Less accurate
- Temperature fluctuation when exposed in sunlight
- No warranty
Kestrel 3000 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 Scale | 0 to 12 B |
Relative Humidity | 15 ~ 95% RH |
Pros & Cons
- 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
- Expensive
- The extra small size of icons
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.
Did you really mean to say the Weatherflow was “….a….terrible handheld smartphone weather meter?
And is it a Smarthphone or a Smartphone?
Hi Lawrence,
Thanks for the heads-up!
The real meaning supposed to be “small but capable of doing big things”. Believe it or not there’s a debate on the internet whether the expression “small but terrible” is a compliment…To eliminate any confusion, now, we have done all the necessary corrections.
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