Chrony expirience...

Magnum Wheel Man · July 1, 2009, 06:44 AM

I'm almost done with my chrony table ( I built a chrony specific table 2 X 10 with 1 X 4 sides, & saw horse style legs, but added 1/2" threaded rod adjustable feet, 12 feet long for chronying my hand loads )

my father in law had "this old chrony" brand new ( 15 years ago ) that he never used, that we inherited along with his collection of stuff... a new battery, & it seems to work OK... the sky screen holes are about the size of a base ball rather than the larger sweeping sky screens of the new models, & I think it only does one shot at a time, definately not "PC friendly"...

if it works, great... if not I'll buy a new one...

butt... my question to those with expirience is... how far away from the muzzle should the chrony be...

on a normal rifle ( 223 through 45-70 ) ???

on a 10" - 14" Contender ( cartridges from 17 K Hornet to 45-70 ) ???

on a 6" revolver or normal semi auto hand gun ( the two I'm most interested in starting with, are my 22 Hornet 6" revolver, & my S&W 610 now chambered in 10mm magnum... so both "hotter" cartridge revolvers ) ??? I built the table long enough ( hopefully) to handle my pistol rest, or sand bag a rifle, & hope there is enough adjustability in the leg height to adjust towards one of my target backers from my 50ft pistol backstop ( 60 ft from my normal bench ) to 50 yard or 100 yard rifle target backers...plus it should be heavy enough to stay in place, yet light enough to store under my shooting shack when no in use...

If I can catch an over cast day this weekend that it's not raining, I'd like to start chronying some of my 22 Hornet revolver loads

dlb435 · July 1, 2009, 06:47 AM

6-10 inches does fine for me.

Magnum Wheel Man · July 1, 2009, 06:52 AM

I've heard that smaller calibers like the 17, or with rifle rounds out of short barrels like for my Contenders, that I may need to be back from the muzzle as far as 10ft to get good readings ???

azar92 · July 1, 2009, 10:39 AM

I only shoot medium bore rifles, but mine is always 10 to 15 feet from the muzzle. This was the manufacturers recommendation and it's always worked for me.

Dingoboyx · July 1, 2009, 10:50 AM

Just say far enough so the muzzle flash/blast doesn't interfere with the reading, I always use mine at about 6' from the muzzle

Just be sure if using a scoped rifle, that you aim high, otherwise your chrony might get a high speed lead enema

not real good for them

PCJim · July 1, 2009, 05:28 PM

Magnum, I have a Chrony Beta Master. For pistol, .22 and 9mm, I get consistent reads with the unit 10' or so from the muzzle. For rifle, I've found that unless the unit is at minimum 14-15' or so, I will get inconsistent readings.

James R. Burke · July 1, 2009, 06:50 PM

I stay about 10' and mark the spot, for repeats so I know that I am at the same distance. I also try to shoot thru the crony in aprx the same spot. I like to do a five shot average with all being the same.

saands · July 1, 2009, 07:34 PM

I'm with the 10-15 foot crowd ... look at the Chrony ads for the ones with readouts that are separate from the device ... they don't come with 16' cords because 12" is sufficiently far to work well. I used to have one with the readout integrated into the unit ... with the light at my back, I found that if it was close enough to read easily through the glare, it was too close to get good results. When the muzzle blast finally sent my sky screens sailing down range, I replaced it with the detachable head version and have not had a missed reading since.

Chrony = good idea for reloaders!

Saands

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · July 1, 2009, 09:28 PM

I set mine up between 10 and 12 feet from the muzzle for everything..pistol, rifle, shotgun (that's right, I chrono my home-cast-buckshot loads...talk about being nervous the first time firing buckshot over that chrono! I gave my chrono it's last rites beforehand...just in case!)

Magnum Wheel Man · July 2, 2009, 06:31 AM

Thanks for the comments guys... I was hoping my 12' long table will be long enough... last night I completed the adjustable feet... I used 1/2" threaded rod with a nut welded on each top, & bedded a coupler nut in the wood cross board of the legs in each corner for the rods to thread into... it's got 4" X 4" stainless pads with a coupler nut welded on each for the feet... with a ratchet, to adjust the heights I've got over 14" of adjustment in each corner, so I can tune the bench front to back, & to level for uneven ground

James R. Burke · July 2, 2009, 04:03 PM

Sound like a very nice job!

July 1, 2009, 06:44 AM	#1
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	Chrony expirience... I'm almost done with my chrony table ( I built a chrony specific table 2 X 10 with 1 X 4 sides, & saw horse style legs, but added 1/2" threaded rod adjustable feet, 12 feet long for chronying my hand loads ) my father in law had "this old chrony" brand new ( 15 years ago ) that he never used, that we inherited along with his collection of stuff... a new battery, & it seems to work OK... the sky screen holes are about the size of a base ball rather than the larger sweeping sky screens of the new models, & I think it only does one shot at a time, definately not "PC friendly"... if it works, great... if not I'll buy a new one... butt... my question to those with expirience is... how far away from the muzzle should the chrony be... on a normal rifle ( 223 through 45-70 ) ??? on a 10" - 14" Contender ( cartridges from 17 K Hornet to 45-70 ) ??? on a 6" revolver or normal semi auto hand gun ( the two I'm most interested in starting with, are my 22 Hornet 6" revolver, & my S&W 610 now chambered in 10mm magnum... so both "hotter" cartridge revolvers ) ??? I built the table long enough ( hopefully) to handle my pistol rest, or sand bag a rifle, & hope there is enough adjustability in the leg height to adjust towards one of my target backers from my 50ft pistol backstop ( 60 ft from my normal bench ) to 50 yard or 100 yard rifle target backers...plus it should be heavy enough to stay in place, yet light enough to store under my shooting shack when no in use... If I can catch an over cast day this weekend that it's not raining, I'd like to start chronying some of my 22 Hornet revolver loads __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; July 1, 2009 at 07:05 AM.

July 1, 2009, 06:52 AM	#3
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	I've heard that smaller calibers like the 17, or with rifle rounds out of short barrels like for my Contenders, that I may need to be back from the muzzle as far as 10ft to get good readings ??? __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

July 1, 2009, 10:50 AM	#5
Dingoboyx Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2009 Location: South East Queensland, Australia Posts: 1,513	The instructions on mine Just say far enough so the muzzle flash/blast doesn't interfere with the reading, I always use mine at about 6' from the muzzle Just be sure if using a scoped rifle, that you aim high, otherwise your chrony might get a high speed lead enema not real good for them __________________ Muzza If you cant blind them with brilliance, Baffle them with BS Be alert...... there is a shortage of LERTs

July 1, 2009, 09:28 PM	#9
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	I set mine up between 10 and 12 feet from the muzzle for everything..pistol, rifle, shotgun (that's right, I chrono my home-cast-buckshot loads...talk about being nervous the first time firing buckshot over that chrono! I gave my chrono it's last rites beforehand...just in case!) __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

July 2, 2009, 06:31 AM	#10
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	Thanks for the comments guys... I was hoping my 12' long table will be long enough... last night I completed the adjustable feet... I used 1/2" threaded rod with a nut welded on each top, & bedded a coupler nut in the wood cross board of the legs in each corner for the rods to thread into... it's got 4" X 4" stainless pads with a coupler nut welded on each for the feet... with a ratchet, to adjust the heights I've got over 14" of adjustment in each corner, so I can tune the bench front to back, & to level for uneven ground __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

July 1, 2009, 06:47 AM	#2
dlb435 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 654	6-10 inches does fine for me.

July 1, 2009, 10:39 AM	#4
azar92 Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2009 Location: Utah Posts: 209	I only shoot medium bore rifles, but mine is always 10 to 15 feet from the muzzle. This was the manufacturers recommendation and it's always worked for me.

July 1, 2009, 05:28 PM	#6
PCJim Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Location: FL Posts: 570	Magnum, I have a Chrony Beta Master. For pistol, .22 and 9mm, I get consistent reads with the unit 10' or so from the muzzle. For rifle, I've found that unless the unit is at minimum 14-15' or so, I will get inconsistent readings.

July 1, 2009, 06:50 PM	#7
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	I stay about 10' and mark the spot, for repeats so I know that I am at the same distance. I also try to shoot thru the crony in aprx the same spot. I like to do a five shot average with all being the same.

July 1, 2009, 07:34 PM	#8
saands Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 1999 Posts: 1,573	I'm with the 10-15 foot crowd ... look at the Chrony ads for the ones with readouts that are separate from the device ... they don't come with 16' cords because 12" is sufficiently far to work well. I used to have one with the readout integrated into the unit ... with the light at my back, I found that if it was close enough to read easily through the glare, it was too close to get good results. When the muzzle blast finally sent my sky screens sailing down range, I replaced it with the detachable head version and have not had a missed reading since. Chrony = good idea for reloaders! Saands

July 2, 2009, 04:03 PM	#11
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	Sound like a very nice job!