[Clark]

For a while I thought that chronographs would only last a while because I shot 3 of them. Then I realized I only shot them with handguns. I switched to rifles only over my chrono, and the 4th chrono has lasted for many years.
And even later I learned that if I shot a group with a handgun before setting up the chrono, I could be sure that the chrono was outside the spray cone of my handgun marksmanship.

For a while I thought that the chronograph was only good for internet bragging, e.g. my 380 did 1187 fps 158 gr and my 223 did 4200 fps 33 gr, but then I started use it with quickload. I could compare the chrono to make sure I was operating Quickload correctly. I could use the companion software Quicktarget to make a trajectory chart for long range shots.
But since then I am mostly concerned that I operate Quickload in a way that all similar case heads fail at the same pressure. I am now working up my drop charts from actual long range shooting.

For a while I was buying Shooting Chrony machines for $80. They had an intermittent problem of failure to trigger. After I shot two of those I switched to ProChrono for $100 and they did not have that problem. Then I shot at 2500 feet in high desert with black sky straight up and it would not trigger. I turned the chrono sideways and shot between the chrono and a cardboard box. That made a shadow and it triggers at high altitude.

I tried making a close range set up for handguns, but the gas was getting over the opto sensors and giving erroneous readings. I put cardboard in the way of the gas, and had the chrono behind the target.