Savvy About Survival: Survival Gear Review: SIG Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder

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Cutting to the chase, the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder works as advertised. So now that’s of the way, let’s consider the philosophy behind owning and using such an advanced handheld ballistics computer. And just to get it out of the way, the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder retails for $1700 and has a street price in bad breath distance of $1500.

By Doc Montana, a Contributing Author to SHTFBlog and SurvivalCache.com

As a lifelong hunter and one who was shooting iron sights out a hundred yards, and bringing down big game at two and three hundred yards with 4x scopes, I do find it interesting that the AR15 has enlightened many folks to the capabilities of shooting long distance. The weird thing is that our simple bolt action rifles in .270, .308 and my favorite 30-06 have been around for almost forever and have been capable of hitting targets well beyond 500 yards with minimal skill and out to 1000 yards with considerable skill. Of course, extreme long range, or ELR as the extreme long rangers like to say, has better options including the .338 Lapua and the .50 BMG, but regular old hunting cartridges can easily outshoot most shooters. Well, unless they are using the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder.

Spell Check for Long Range Shooting

A ballistics solution is the information you need to place your bullet on your target regardless of distance. angle, or atmospheric conditions. It is an adjustment in aiming that takes into consideration every realtime consideration worth taking into consideration. And when the ballistics solution is dialed into the profiled rifle, a scary degree of long range accuracy can be achieved by someone with more brains than skill. Kind of like spell-check for long range shooting.

The Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder really is a computer surrounded by a 7x optic and a laser rangefinder. If you pair your Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder to your phone using Bluetooth and the Sig App, you can view and enter data via the phone providing the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder all pertinent info to put your specific bullet on your specific target.

Where the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder deviates from traditional laser rangefinders, even the good ones, is that the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder has capabilities well beyond what most shooters expect from their rangefinders. By entering all necessary information into the onboard Applied Ballistics Solutions calculator, the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder will spit out the exact adjustments necessary to hit the target. If you miss, then bad info entered the equation because the equation is perfect.

The Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder is a complete kit that includes a wind speed meter, a tripod mounting frame, an over-engineered case, three batteries, and tactical pen. Oh, and an App available for both iOS and Android. The Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder can easily work without the App, but the App allows an easier input of data, and the ability to upload rifle profiles into the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder.

So where’s the magic? It is in the ballistic solutions the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder provides to anyone who asks. I’ve long been a proponent for upgrading a firearm as much for the added performance as to learn how it works. After a few teardowns and rebuilds, you will have an intimate knowledge of the gun and feel comfortable tearing into it for whatever reason, or even fabricating your own parts if something goes south. So using or even just playing with the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder, you will gain important insights into ELR shooting whether or not you ever pull a trigger on a 1km shot.

I know it sounds like ELR blasphemy, but dropping a grand and a half on a ballistics computer with range finder is something you will not have a second chance at when the EMP hits, or the store shelves go bare. For those who don’t think much beyond their apartment hallways, or even the end of the block, shooting long distance is low on the preparedness checklist. The problem is that in a real SHTF situation, the environment changes. Flinging lead down the street or from rooftop to rooftop is not just for the movies. It is something that urban combat across the world has taught us is a realistic skill. Sorry to burst any bubbles, but in a real SHTF WROL, you just might want to have some ELR shooting skills whether by practice or by electronics; the target doesn’t know or care.

One of the odd things about extremely long range shooting is that that the firearms community believe that it requires specialized equipment and near superhuman skill. In reality, anyone who wants to lob bullets an eighth of a mile can do so. But to hit something requires just a little bit more. If you have an endless number of shots, you can walk something in even at five miles, but human threats are of human size and realistic encounters are at the limits of vision, optics, and even the curvature of the earth. But protecting one’s bug out location with a thousand yard shot is not out of the question, but certainly might be out of your plan.

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The Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder provides near-instantaneous adjustment suggestions that when dialed into your scope or DOPE will do wonders even you have never ever attempted a shot over 500 yards. I know that’s a scary thought for traditional hunters who wander the woods with their 200 yard guns that can actually shoot a thousand yards, but the reality is that with the right information and understanding, few long guns are short range tools.

The Brass Tacks

Where the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder really impresses is with it’s ability to quickly provide accurate distances out to thousands of yards. Depending on the reflectiveness of the target, the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder can push the two mile limit with no problem, and exceed that where the physics allow. As if that kind of accuracy and precision isn’t enough, the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder has a hyperscan mode that gives a distance value every quarter second. The moment I first tried it, I thought of Jason Bourne. The optically absurd rangefinding monocular he scans with in multiple movies has a fast reaction output zapping range values as fast as he can move the monocular.

The Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder is powered by a single CR123 battery which is a welcome change (upgrade?) over the CR2 battery that many other high-end rangefinders use. Not only is the CR123 more powerful in advanced size, but is also a common battery size in many other quality field electronics including holographic gun sights, gun lights, flashlights, and night vision scopes. The battery life of the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder is an interesting question. The Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder ships with three batteries which can be taken several ways. It might be that the Sig Kilo2400 ABS Laser Rangefinder eats batteries, but I haven’t found that to be the case. However, if extended use of the Hyperscan mode is used, I would suspect that the battery will be exhausted rather quickly. This guess is based on a tidbit in my Leica rangerfinder instruction book that mentions that when the low battery indicator comes on, about 200 ranges are left. The Hyperscan mode would blast through 200 ranges in less than a minute of use. The Hyperscan mode ranges at four times a second but for no more than 20 seconds of continious use.

In real life, even if your training and shooting adventures don’t allow the long range stuff, you can count on the SIG Kilo2400 to take you to the next step when it really matters.