Timer Questions & Advice

[dannyd]

Tried the new SG timer Go, but it had to much going on and has to used with your cell phone.  Also it not water proof.

[Atlas33]

I’ve been really considering the shooters global.  Pricey, but has a lot of options. 

[DenC]

Finally got my Special Pie Timer. Its relatively cheap, is very intuitive to use, battery life seems good and at least according to the literature/description, it is water resistant. Hope it lasts long.

The only thing I can ding it for is the position of the charging port if you are using it with the clip. The charging port in this setup would be situated at the top and if it were drizzling, it would seem concerning, 

Its supposed to pick up airsoft too but I think it cant pick up dry fire. Haven't really tried if it can pick up the hammer fall of my gun but for my purposes I think I can live without the timer having that capability.

[CHA-LEE]

If you are Training groups of students on a common firing line doing drills as a group the Kestrel timer WINS due to its super loud beep capability. I have exclusively switched over to using the Kestrel timer for all of my Training Classes simply because the Beep is super loud.

 

The only gripe I have with the Kestrel timer is that the front surface of the buttons all "Feel" very similar and there are a bunch of them in the same area. When you reach down to blindly press the start button you get this "Which button is it?" situation. I fixed that on my Kestrel timer by putting a small 2-56 button head screw in the middle of the start button that way I can "Feel" the screw head and know my finger is on the start button. After I made that modification it was super easy to use blindly when its clipped on my pants pocket or belt.

 

Is the Kestrel timer worth $300? If you are a trainer running groups of students through drills ABSOLUTELY!!! If you are only using the shot timer for matches or personal practice, the extra cost of it isn't justified. The Kestrel shot timer is also heavier than most others so it tends to flop around on your pocket a lot more when running around a stage.

 

For my own personal practice I still prefer to use the tried & true Pocket Pro 2 or BT shot timers. That shot timer seems to do everything it needs to do well and is super robust. I have owned almost all of the shot timers on the market as well. The ones I haven't owned, I have used in matches or practice. My close Second Choice for personal Practice is the AMG Commander. The only real bummer about the AMG Commander is that you have to flip it up to see the screen, vs being able to look down at the top of it like the Kestrel or Pocket Pro 2/BT. Out of all my shot timers the AMG Commander is the best when it comes to battery life. I think the first set of batteries in it lasted 2+ years.

[jim vaughan]

I am still using this timer!