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November 2021 Twobirds Flying Publications
SIG SAUER’S KILO5K BDX LASER RANGE FINDER
Copyright 2021, Twobirds Flying Publications. All Rights Reserved.
SIG SAUER’S KILO5K BDX LASER RANGE FINDER
2021
SIG SAUER’S KILO5K BDX LASER RANGE FINDER By: Sal Palma
There are laser range finders and then there are laser range finders but Sig’s KILO5K is a major paradigm change that Sig promises to continue with additional members to their “K” offerings. The laser range finder was developed at the Vavilov Optic Institute, In Leningrad circa, 1964; since then, we’ve come a long way and today’s laser range finders can more accurately be described as handheld ranging computers.
SIG was the first manufacturer to embed Applied Ballistics Ultralight (ABU) in their range finders so they’re able to compute a ballistic solution without the need for an external ballistic calculator. Under the ABU architecture, calculations are available for ranges up to 800 yards. The ballistic solution is based on the measured range, and a loaded single weapon profile. Wind and elevation adjustments are displayed through the range finder’s OLE display expressed your choice of MOA or MIL, If the range finder is paired with a Sierra BDX magnified optic, the shooter is provided with the correct holdover point. The KILO5K BDX retains that functionality but can range a flat reflective target to 5000 yards.
SIG SAUER Electro-Optics Division introduce the BDX (Ballistic Data Exchange) system in 2018 followed by BDX 2.0 in 2020. It was a significant development in that a BDX laser range finder pairs with a BDX compatible optic and the free BDX app to arrive at an accurate firing solution. The concept has the added benefit of an electronic reticle that illuminates a range and wind corrected aiming dot. Avoir elevation and wind turret adjustments, place the aiming dot on your target and send it.
Copyright 2021, Twobirds Flying Publications. All Rights Reserved.
SIG SAUER’S KILO5K BDX LASER RANGE FINDER
The KILO5K offers four modes of operation selectable by pressing and holding the mode button then cycling through the options by pressing the RANGE button. Once you’ve selected the desired option press the MODE button again to save it. Options available to the shooter are BDX-U, BDX-X, AMR, or LOS. The selected mode is displayed in the lower lefthand corner of the ranging screen.
Of the four options, two provide a ballistic solution, BDX-U and BDX-X. Effective use of its two ballistic ranging options require that you pair the KILO5K BDX with SIG’s BDX App on your smart device. In both BDX-U and BDX-X modes, pairing the KILO5K with the app is necessary to conveniently make rangefinder configuration changes; for example, configuring the device from MOA to Mil or yards to meters. Those changes can also be made via the MODE button, but the app is a very clean an elegant approach. The app is also necessary to pair the Sierra Optic with the KILO5k.
2021
As I mentioned earlier, in BDX-U mode your ballistic solutions are limited to a maximum range of 800 yards. In this mode, elevation and wind is calculated by the range finder using the embedded APU software. In BDX-U mode, range is supplied by the rangefinder, but wind speed and direction require manual input via the app. During my review, I was not able to link either app or range finder with something like a Kestrel 5500 LINK, without ballistics, so continuously updating wind speed and direction does not appear to be possible in BDX-U mode. It’s entirely possible that in the not-too-distant future we’ll see a firmware upgrade to facilitate pairing with a non-ballistic wind meter. There is a benefit to this strategy, a shooter operating the KILO5K in BDX-U mode does not need to make the substantial investment for a high-end weather meter, a basic wind meter will provide what’s needed to manually supply wind speed and direction. Another very nice feature available only when using the BDX-U option is the ability to pair the KILO5K with BaseMap, a highly regarded land navigation / hunting app. Using the KILO5K a hunter can mark and range where he last saw the animal, or when engaged in land navigation it’s often useful to mark waypoints, rally points, land features or structures. The BaseMap app places the remote marker on the map and opens a panel that provides some ballistic data. In BDX-X mode, the shooter still needs to pair with the app for configuration changes or to pair with a Sierra optic, but this is the operating mode you Copyright 2021, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights Reserved
SIG SAUER’S KILO5K BDX LASER RANGE FINDER
2021
want to be in when you’re shooting at greater than 800 yards. However, you can employ the KILO5K for ballistic information at any range.
The KILO5K supports a comprehensive array of target options BEST, FIRST, LAST, XR and FOG which compensates for misty air.
The BDX-X option functions paired with an external device like any of the Kestrel Applied Ballistics Elite meters. Range information is sent to the Kestrel which uses the Applied Ballistics software providing corrections for Aerodynamic Jump, Spin Drift, Coriolis, and Drop Scale Factoring to achieve accurate extended long-range shots. All calculations are performed by the meter using its embedded AB software and passed to the KILO5K so it can be viewed in the rangefinder’s OLED display. When paired with a Sierra BDX optic, wind and elevation holds will be passed to the optic via the LE Bluetooth connection. The Kestrel captures all the environmental data and uses the active weapon profile resident in Kestrel’s memory.
Holding down the RANGING button kicks in SIG’s HyperScan Mode. In this mode the KILO5K is ranging at four times per second. SIG recommends using this mode for the best accuracy. When you release the RANGING button, the last range value is displayed.
Like all KILO range finders, the 5K has excellent optical clarity and its OLED display is unsurpassed. SIG incorporates a light sensor that automatically adjusts display brightness, or you can also fix brightness at specific levels with 3 brightness levels in each brightness group LO, MED and HIGH.
Ranging accurately is necessary whether you’re a long-range shooter, hunter, military, or rapid response unit member; as such, my priority in reviewing the KILO5K was optical clarity, ranging and ballistic accuracy. The 5K exceeded all my expectations; succinctly stated, it is outstanding in overall design and performance. With the introduction of the ”K modelsi“ , SIG’s Electro Optics Division created a highperformance system for shooters at any level of experience or expertise. Could it be improved? I can only identify one area, allow BDX-U pairing to a non-ballistic meter to accurately capture wind speed and direction with the option to continuously update those two important parameters. But then again, this is available in BDX-X mode by investing in one of the excellent Kestrel Ballistic meters.
-SP
The KILO5k target ranging is extremely fast, I pushed ranging out to 2,000 yards in BEST mode with no discernable delay. Extending the target range beyond 2,000 yards requires selecting a target setting of XR (Extended Range) and this did exhibit a minor delay of about half a second by my estimate.
Copyright 2021, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights Reserved
SIG SAUER’S KILO5K BDX LASER RANGE FINDER
2021
KILO5K 7 x 25 mm Rangefinder: i
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Reticle: Circle with milling grid Display: Red segmented OLED, with Lumatic™ automatic brightness capability Field of View: 6.78” Eye Relief: 15mm (minimum) Laser divergence: 1.3 MRAD Run Time: 4000 Ranges Minimum Waterproof Rating: IPX-4 Overall Length: 4.4 inches Overall Height: 3 inches Overall Width: 1.3 inches Weight: 7.5 oz. MSRP: $ 779.99 The KILO5K™ provides line of sight or angle modified range information accurate to ±1 yard or meters out to 500 yards; ±2 yards from 500 3000 yards. Range is displayed in 0.1 yard or meter
The KILO5K was the first offering in the K line; soon after its introduction, SIG released two additional models, the KILO8K ABS and the binocular KILO10KABS. Unlike the KILO5K, the new models use the full Applied Ballistics System
Copyright 2021, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights Reserved