Chronograph! what do i want?????

Eazmo · January 29, 2012, 10:35 PM

OK so I've been reloading metallic for about a year now and have been thinking about a chrono as a to-me/from-me for my B-day next month.

so I'm looking for some recommendations?
Is there certain features i want to look for?
certain models better than others?
can i get a decent one for around a $100 bucks?

as you can tell i basically know squat about them.
I have never even used one so any tips or cautions greatly appreciated

mrawesome22 · January 29, 2012, 10:42 PM

Buy one where you have the display sitting at the bench with you.

Chrony alpha master does everything I need it to do.

jr05 · January 29, 2012, 11:21 PM

Pro Chrono Digital

COSteve · January 31, 2012, 12:10 PM

Yep, the separate display on the bench is much better as you can control it without moving from the bench. A few ideas are to use soda straws instead of the steel rods so that if you hit one it won't break the plastic sensor housing and put tape at 4" and 6" above the sensors as this is the ideal area you want the bullet to pass over the sensors.

If I need the sky screens and it isn't windy, I just take some sheets of paper, fold them in half, and tape them to straw extensions.

Another real plus to getting a unit with a remote computer and readout is if you loan your chrono to a friend and he shoots it. That way he'll only have to replace the sensors for $50, not the whole thing.

Go ahead, ask me how I know.

He made good on buying another.

bossman · January 31, 2012, 12:34 PM

Yep, the separate display on the bench is much better as you can control it without moving from the bench. A few ideas are to use soda straws instead of the steel rods so that if you hit one it won't break the plastic sensor housing and put tape at 4" and 6" above the sensors as this is the ideal area you want the bullet to pass over the sensors.

How do them straws hold out with a light wind. Seems that my outdoor range always has a light breeze, unless it's the dead of summer and you need one.

**Brian Pfleuger** · January 31, 2012, 12:57 PM

I have a Shooting Chrony Beta.

If I were buying one today it would be a CED.

**Unclenick** · January 31, 2012, 01:25 PM

Agree with Peetzakilla. I think most chronographs will work under the right conditions, but it is difficult to impossible for the average shooter to check their calibration to any better than about 50 fps (which you can do with a .22 rifle and .22 match ammo). That's probably good enough for most work as long as it's consistent as the light changes. That would require periodic re-firing of .22's during testing until you were confident the unit wasn't shifting readings.

I have both the Oehler 35P and the CED and find they agree with each other very closely under all conditions. Bryan Litz found the same thing during testing for his book, Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting. RSI's web site says a test (no reference) by the German military using Doppler radar (fraction of an fps accuracy) to evaluate chronographs for its armorers also found the Oehler and CED the most accurate about a decade ago. This would have been the original CED Millennium, like I have. The current one, the CED M2, has a four times faster 16 MHz clock and self-adjusts its sensitivity to lighting conditions and has a bigger memory than the old one. I've not used and M2, but I think Litz's is an M2, and it seems like they've tried to improve accuracy further.

Only problem for the OP is the CED is about twice his price limit. Of course the Oehler is six times more.

rclark · January 31, 2012, 01:33 PM

I use the F1 Chrono. Has and does work really well. In fact, I am taking is out at lunch today to do some tests! I don't mind having to read it from a distance (of 10 feet), nor getting out of my chair to reset it as I have to go out and change targets anyway after a string. Got mine for $99, but see Walmart has 'em on line for $70. http://www.walmart.com/ip/F1-Chronograph/4382668 . BTW, I tested mine with another manufactures unit behind mine and they were within 20fps. Good enough for me.

The tape idea is a good one. First thing I did. Longest time is getting tripod legs where they need to be when setting up for use, so from rest your setup to shoot between the tape and then straight with the target

.

David Bachelder · January 31, 2012, 01:50 PM

I have a Chrony F1 and it works for me. You can spend more money for more bells and whistles if you want, but I doubt that they are that much better, long term.

I've shot my chrony rods four times. The first time I had the aluminum factory rods. Then I switched to wooden dowels. None of the four bullet hits damaged the unit.

Eazmo · January 31, 2012, 03:50 PM

Thanks all, good input.

one more question: i live in Arizona, allot of bright intense sunshine and i shoot in the open desert.(no shade) Is this going to be an issue ?????

Tex S · January 31, 2012, 04:12 PM

CED has worked well for me.

hounddawg · January 31, 2012, 04:22 PM

I like the pro chrono digital because of the ability to use a PC connection to control it and save the data. I use it with a hand me down laptop. Had the chrono a couple of years now, just started using the laptop with it.

Whatever you get make sure it can be controlled from the bench.

sourdough44 · January 31, 2012, 05:04 PM

I have the Pro Chrony D, about $100 from Midway. I usually shoot in a private setting, so I just walk to it to look at the numbers. It works fine for me. It is essential to know where your gun is shooting before you shoot through it. I also keep it fairly close, just beyond muzzle blast range.

rclark · January 31, 2012, 05:32 PM

I set mine up 'by the book' ... 10 feet away ... shoot 4-6" above sensors and it works well. As for conditions, I have shot mine on cloudy, real cloudy, and no clouds. Don't notice the chrono being affected. Always used the defusers.

Quote:

It is essential to know where your gun is shooting before you shoot through it.

That is a good point! I always have my revolvers sighted in before using the chronograph with them.

Quote:

Whatever you get make sure it can be controlled from the bench.

Not necessary at all. But each to their own

. Read the number, write in notebook. Simple. String done, you go reset the chrono, and change out the target. Ready for next string. Once you get home, you plug the numbers into your handy dandy spreadsheet and get your average, SD, and ES numbers. This also gives you the choice of throwing out obvious bad readings (high and/or low) too. For example, at lunch today I recall for one test string, the shoots being around 1180 +- 30fps, but then had one 1055.... Now where did that come from ... throw it out. Oh my test strings are from usually 15 to 30 shots depending...

How do some of you guys manage to hit the chrono or the uprights? I mean, shooting 4" to 6" above the chrono, only 10 feet away, and shooting from a stable bench rest ... It almost seems impossible. Guess that is subject for another thread!

hounddawg · January 31, 2012, 08:27 PM

Don't knock the computer interface til you have tried it

I love the ability to just dump the numbers into my load database and make notes as the other shooters finish up.

Sometimes there may be 5 to 10 other shooters at the club, and I do load development at the bench. It is nice to have access to the numbers when doing so without having to wait for the range to go cold.

If I was shooting in a private setting it would not matter so much I suppose, or if I was just checking for power factor in pistol loads.

Dr. Strangelove · January 31, 2012, 08:58 PM

CED M2 here, love it. Downloads all my data onto my hard drive at the end of the day.

totaldla · January 31, 2012, 09:13 PM

I'm partial to Chronys. Here is some info that might give you a chuckle

Chrony Experience

January 29, 2012, 10:35 PM	#1
Eazmo Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 163	Chronograph! what do i want????? OK so I've been reloading metallic for about a year now and have been thinking about a chrono as a to-me/from-me for my B-day next month. so I'm looking for some recommendations? Is there certain features i want to look for? certain models better than others? can i get a decent one for around a $100 bucks? as you can tell i basically know squat about them. I have never even used one so any tips or cautions greatly appreciated __________________ I'm just an average man I drive a average van My dog ain't got no pedigree!

January 31, 2012, 12:10 PM	#4
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 473	Yep, the separate display on the bench is much better as you can control it without moving from the bench. A few ideas are to use soda straws instead of the steel rods so that if you hit one it won't break the plastic sensor housing and put tape at 4" and 6" above the sensors as this is the ideal area you want the bullet to pass over the sensors. If I need the sky screens and it isn't windy, I just take some sheets of paper, fold them in half, and tape them to straw extensions. Another real plus to getting a unit with a remote computer and readout is if you loan your chrono to a friend and he shoots it. That way he'll only have to replace the sensors for $50, not the whole thing. Go ahead, ask me how I know. He made good on buying another. __________________ *Steve* “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” - Buckaroo Banzai 1984 "When you find a find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Dilbert 2009

January 31, 2012, 12:34 PM	#5
bossman Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 987	Yep, the separate display on the bench is much better as you can control it without moving from the bench. A few ideas are to use soda straws instead of the steel rods so that if you hit one it won't break the plastic sensor housing and put tape at 4" and 6" above the sensors as this is the ideal area you want the bullet to pass over the sensors. How do them straws hold out with a light wind. Seems that my outdoor range always has a light breeze, unless it's the dead of summer and you need one. __________________ NRA life member When the going gets tough, I just open another beer.

January 31, 2012, 12:57 PM	#6
Brian Pfleuger Staff Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Central, Southern NY, USA Posts: 14,467	I have a Shooting Chrony Beta. If I were buying one today it would be a CED. __________________ Still happily answering to the call-sign Peetza. --- You do not HAVE a soul. You ARE a soul. You HAVE a body. -C.S. Lewis He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose. -Jim Eliott, paraphrasing Philip Henry.

January 31, 2012, 01:25 PM	#7
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 9,144	Agree with Peetzakilla. I think most chronographs will work under the right conditions, but it is difficult to impossible for the average shooter to check their calibration to any better than about 50 fps (which you can do with a .22 rifle and .22 match ammo). That's probably good enough for most work as long as it's consistent as the light changes. That would require periodic re-firing of .22's during testing until you were confident the unit wasn't shifting readings. I have both the Oehler 35P and the CED and find they agree with each other very closely under all conditions. Bryan Litz found the same thing during testing for his book, Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting. RSI's web site says a test (no reference) by the German military using Doppler radar (fraction of an fps accuracy) to evaluate chronographs for its armorers also found the Oehler and CED the most accurate about a decade ago. This would have been the original CED Millennium, like I have. The current one, the CED M2, has a four times faster 16 MHz clock and self-adjusts its sensitivity to lighting conditions and has a bigger memory than the old one. I've not used and M2, but I think Litz's is an M2, and it seems like they've tried to improve accuracy further. Only problem for the OP is the CED is about twice his price limit. Of course the Oehler is six times more. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Patron Member Last edited by Unclenick; January 31, 2012 at 01:36 PM.

January 29, 2012, 10:42 PM	#2
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	Buy one where you have the display sitting at the bench with you. Chrony alpha master does everything I need it to do.

January 29, 2012, 11:21 PM	#3
jr05 Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2006 Location: NH Posts: 128	Pro Chrono Digital

January 31, 2012, 01:33 PM	#8
rclark Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2009 Location: Butte, MT Posts: 1,251	I use the F1 Chrono. Has and does work really well. In fact, I am taking is out at lunch today to do some tests! I don't mind having to read it from a distance (of 10 feet), nor getting out of my chair to reset it as I have to go out and change targets anyway after a string. Got mine for $99, but see Walmart has 'em on line for $70. http://www.walmart.com/ip/F1-Chronograph/4382668 . BTW, I tested mine with another manufactures unit behind mine and they were within 20fps. Good enough for me. The tape idea is a good one. First thing I did. Longest time is getting tripod legs where they need to be when setting up for use, so from rest your setup to shoot between the tape and then straight with the target . __________________ A clinger. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Single Action .45 Colt (Sometimes improperly referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC). Don't leave home without it. Ok.... the .44Spec is growing on me ... but the .45 Colt is still king. Last edited by rclark; January 31, 2012 at 01:38 PM.

January 31, 2012, 01:50 PM	#9
David Bachelder Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Trinity, Texas Posts: 400	I have a Chrony F1 and it works for me. You can spend more money for more bells and whistles if you want, but I doubt that they are that much better, long term. I've shot my chrony rods four times. The first time I had the aluminum factory rods. Then I switched to wooden dowels. None of the four bullet hits damaged the unit. __________________ David Bachelder Rookie reloader, but learning fast Trinity, Texas I load, 9mm Luger, .40, 38 S&W, .38 Special, .357, .45ACP, .45 Colt, .243 and 30-06

January 31, 2012, 03:50 PM	#10
Eazmo Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 163	Thanks all, good input. one more question: i live in Arizona, allot of bright intense sunshine and i shoot in the open desert.(no shade) Is this going to be an issue ????? __________________ I'm just an average man I drive a average van My dog ain't got no pedigree!

January 31, 2012, 04:12 PM	#11
Tex S Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, TEXAS Posts: 748	CED has worked well for me.

January 31, 2012, 04:22 PM	#12
hounddawg Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Posts: 760	I like the pro chrono digital because of the ability to use a PC connection to control it and save the data. I use it with a hand me down laptop. Had the chrono a couple of years now, just started using the laptop with it. Whatever you get make sure it can be controlled from the bench. __________________ Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. - Ronald Reagan

January 31, 2012, 05:04 PM	#13
sourdough44 Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: WI Posts: 599	I have the Pro Chrony D, about $100 from Midway. I usually shoot in a private setting, so I just walk to it to look at the numbers. It works fine for me. It is essential to know where your gun is shooting before you shoot through it. I also keep it fairly close, just beyond muzzle blast range.

January 31, 2012, 08:27 PM	#15
hounddawg Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Posts: 760	Don't knock the computer interface til you have tried it I love the ability to just dump the numbers into my load database and make notes as the other shooters finish up. Sometimes there may be 5 to 10 other shooters at the club, and I do load development at the bench. It is nice to have access to the numbers when doing so without having to wait for the range to go cold. If I was shooting in a private setting it would not matter so much I suppose, or if I was just checking for power factor in pistol loads. __________________ Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. - Ronald Reagan

January 31, 2012, 08:58 PM	#16
Dr. Strangelove Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2008 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 1,406	CED M2 here, love it. Downloads all my data onto my hard drive at the end of the day. __________________ Just remember, when you pull the trigger, the bullets come out going very, very fast. So make sure to keep the weapon pointing away from you.

January 31, 2012, 09:13 PM	#17
totaldla Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2009 Posts: 576	I'm partial to Chronys. Here is some info that might give you a chuckle Chrony Experience __________________ Backcountry Camera and Video Information Obama in 2012? Seriously? Jetboil Sol Review