The ultimate guide to SIG SAUER KILO rangefinders

There are so many rangefinder options available to hunters nowadays that it almost seems impossible to figure out what rangefinder is right for you. SIG SAUER’s KILO rangefinders span the spectrum of premium to budget-friendly and each rangefinder comes equipped with ballistic solutions and plenty of modes to fit your hunting style.

Most of these rangefinders are monocular with 6x or 7x power, but the KILO6K and KILO10K come in a binocular that offers users the power and field of view of a binocular with range finding capability well beyond your shot distance. Your monocular options are the KILO CANYON, KILO3K, KILO4K, KILO5K, and KILO8K and are jam packed with features that can accommodate any type of hunting. Ballistic solutions, archery mode and even image stabilization are features that are available across the KILO line. The chart below will break down the ones that I think are most useful when choosing one of these rangefinders.

Check out all of the SIG rangefinder lineup here

Let’s Break down Some of These Features…

What Is the Bdx 2.0 System?

Photo credit: Brady Miller

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The BDX 2.0 system offers Bluetooth pairing to the SIG SAUER BDX app, SIERRA riflescope, and KILO rangefinder. Using this system gives you the ability to range a target and your rangefinder will send specific holdover data to your SIERRA riflescope that will give you an illuminated holdover dot on the reticle. When you use the BDX 2.0 system with only the rangefinder, you can either use the eight preloaded ballistic groups or a custom bullet profile to give you ballistic solutions after you range the target.

The BDX Ultralite or Applied Ballistics Ultralite allows you to create and store 25 custom bullet profiles on the SIG SAUER BDX App then select which profile will be stored on the rangefinder. When I’m using my KILO5k to range a target, the first screen will give me the yardage, then two seconds later, the screen will show an elevation adjustment and the third screen that cycles through will tell me what I need to hold for wind. The elevation or wind adjustments can be displayed in either MOA or MRAD values.

If you need a ballistic solution out past 800 yards, then you’ll need to put your rangefinder in the BDX-X mode. This mode is available on all KILO rangefinders except for the KILO CANYON. The BDX-X is essentially the same as the BDX Ultralite except you’ll need to Bluetooth pair to an external device, such as a Kestrel 5700 Elite, to create a ballistic solution that extends far beyond the 800 yards in the BDX-Ultralite system.

The BDX Elite system allows you to create and store up to 25 ballistic profiles on your rangefinder, which is a major step up from the BDX Ultralite system. BDX Elite will provide a ballistic solution out to as far as you can get a range. This high-tech system is only available in the KILO8K and KILO10K, and both come with on-board weather sensors that account for temperature, humidity and pressure. They will also give you the ability to manually input wind speed and direction. Further, BDX Elite allows you to use the BDX App to enter external effects like spin drift, Coriolis effect, and aerodynamic jump. The BDX Elite mode packs all these features into the rangefinder, making it one of the most advanced systems you can buy and, in turn, you’ll get the most accurate ballistic data, allowing you to make the perfect shot every time.

Now, these modes have been extremely rifle-specific, but most of the KILO rangefinders also come with an archery mode, making them a great option for bowhunters. Archery mode is not just an angle-modified range. It uses an algorithm based on your specific arrow speed, shot angle and distance to give you the most accurate range on the target. Once your rangefinder is in archery mode, you will be prompted to enter your arrow speed to the nearest five feet per second. Now, when you’re taking long, steep shots, your rangefinder will give you the perfect range. With the archery mode you’ll only need to account for wind prior to that perfect shot breaking.

Lastly, the hottest commodity currently in optics is the image-stabilized feature, which has captured the attention of the hunting community. This feature has been popular in the ZULU6 binos and is also featured in the KILO4K rangefinder. When the range button is activated, the rangefinder will give you a slight image-stabilized effect, allowing you to get a more precise range on the target. Whether it’s cold and the deer is far away, or it’s September and a bull is crashing through the woods, spiking your adrenaline, this slight image-stabilized effect will give you the advantage of holding the reticle still to get the correct range so you can make the shot.

Photo credit: Ethan Klein

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The KILO rangefinders have far more features than what have been listed and talked about here. They are truly one of the most feature-packed rangefinders you can buy. And they have several price points, making it easy to find the right rangefinder for you. I am currently using the KILO5K for my rifle hunts and the KILO4K in archery mode for my archery hunts. This allows me to have a dedicated rifle and archery rangefinder; however, you can easily get by with just one of these awesome rangefinders. Whether you want a monocular handheld, a binocular, a quality entry-level product, or the most elite and feature-packed rangefinder, the SIG SAUER KILO series is the perfect accumulation of products for hunters to choose a rangefinder from.

Also, be sure to listen to the recent Big Hunt Guys podcast to hear the guys talk with SIG SAUER about their product lineup.

See all your SIG SAUER rangefinder options here

Don't forget, if you ever have any questions about anything optics, you can reach out to our Optics Manager Cody Nelson. He is a wealth of knowledge and a person you should take advantage of when deciding what optics to purchase. Cody can be reached at optics@gohunt.com or call him at (702) 847-8747 | Ext. 2.