chronograph

gunuserfixer · May 22, 2010, 12:00 PM

I'm going to buy a chronograph. Any suggestions as to brand, accessories, etc. "Some people are perfect; the rest are honest"

Lost Sheep · May 22, 2010, 12:47 PM

Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking our advice.

Tell us something about your purposes, please.

It doesn't make a lot of difference, because all Chronographs do the basic function; measure speed. But the additional features will make a great deal of difference to your ultimate satisfaction. If you are going all out for accuracy and willing to spend a bit more for a super high-end unit with a lot of brains in it to produce statistical data or looking to just get your feet wet with a simple unit that just gives velocity and leaves all the computations to your other devices, it will inform our advice to you. Some units have artificial lights available for them, too, good if you are shooting at an indoor range or in difficult lighting conditions (for instance, flourescents or late evenings.

Read this thread:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=408685

I do recommend a model with a remote readout/control module. You can turn it on and off, reset and such from the bench instead of waiting for a cease-fire to do those things.

The most universal advice, of course, is DON'T SHOOT IT!

Lost Sheep

mongoose33 · May 22, 2010, 02:51 PM

I have the competition electronics prochrono digital. Costs circa $100. It does what I want.

If I had to do it over again, I'd also get a remote for it, as well as perhaps a printer. But that's just stuff on the margins. For the price, the ProChrono digital does wonderfully. The Digital is probably the one you'd want as it would allow for later addition of a remote, software acquisition, and so on.

Here's one offering:

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...productId/2452

With the $4.50 Grafs flat ship fee, that's under $110.

gunuserfixer · May 22, 2010, 03:23 PM

Lost Sheep: Was In the shop doing an "incoming inspection" on a Stag Arms mod. 6L. I'm going use the chrony to experiment with reloads for it. First time for "serious" reloading. Have done shotshells and many years ago reloaded for .44 special with one of those cheap Lee loaders that used a hammer in lieu of a press. So other than what I've learned reading about the subject, I'm pretty much a " a babe in the woods" as far as reloading for other than shotguns. I appreciate your response to my post. I welcome any and all info. on the subject. Thank you !

hornady · May 22, 2010, 04:12 PM

I have reloaded rifle and pistol rounds for a little over 40 years, my experience has shown me that high bullet speed is not a determining factor in bullet accurse, I have the Master Chrony BETA, with the remote read out, which is a big plus, in the last 3 years I may have set the unit up 5 or 6 times, and only then to duplicate factory rounds for hunting bullets, if just plinking or accuracy there are a lot better places to spend your reloading money than on a Chrony .my most accurate reloads were just working loads up or down at the reloading bench, the rifle will let you know what it likes.

Lost Sheep · May 22, 2010, 09:15 PM

So, I conclude that you will be interested in maximum accuracy, probably at 100 to 300 yard ranges?.

As Hornady points out, maximum velocity and maximum accuracy are not often found at the same loadings. The conventional wisdom is to experiment around until you find a load that gives good accuracy and then chronograph it to see what speed you settled on.

Oftentimes, though, a load that gives very consistent velocities is indicative of good accuracy (especially important for bullet drop at distance). The real accuracy hunt depends on getting a velocity (and barrel dynamics, "whip" of the barrel at the time of firing) that puts the bullet exiting the muzzle at the point in time where the barrel is consistently at the same (or the slowest) point in its whipping. The launch direction is very important. Chronograph is not too helpful there. Your results at the target are.

The hunt for ultimate accuracy is a deeply absorbing activity with many controversial points of contention. In other words, a heck of a lot of fun.

Enjoy!

Lost Sheep
Caveats and disclaimers:

I do not know you, so if my advice seems over-obvious, please take into account my ignorance of your experience level. Also, others of all experience levels are reading.

Remember, only believe half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for what you get from the internet. Even this post.

Do your own independent, confirming research when ANYONE gives you new facts on the web.

Also remember, even the idiotic stuff might have a kernel of truth buried in there somewhere.

Lost Sheep · May 22, 2010, 09:21 PM

Accidental double post. Hit the "Back" button, then, not sure what happened, hit "submit post" a second time.

RWNielsen · May 22, 2010, 10:28 PM

I highly recommend the CED Millenium-2. It sits on the bench next to you, has a huge memory and can be downloaded to your computer. All the downrange parts are replaceable and it runs for days on a 9v battery. I bought the ballistic nylon case for mine. It has straps for your tripod and is very well made. I've been very happy with mine. I might add though, I had a "Chrony" that worked very well too, and at half the price. Sadly, I shot a hole in it and it failed.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=773378

My ex:

jeffreybehr · May 23, 2010, 12:54 PM

I've been using a Shooting Chrony for about a year. In the very bright Arizona-desert sunlite, it generates rational readings about 80% to 90% of the time. Mine is the 2nd-least-expensive model, without memory but with separate readout module. I too have shot mine...

...but it still works.

I've agreed to sell it before I destroy, and I've ordered a CED M2 from Graf. http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...roductId/10699 . I hope I'll be more careful with it.

alloy · May 23, 2010, 03:04 PM

Were those loads accurate?

mrawesome22 · May 23, 2010, 09:11 PM

I have a Shooting Chrony Alpha Master.
It works well.

Dr. Strangelove · May 24, 2010, 07:36 AM

CED M2 here, love it, it works very well.

Sevens · May 24, 2010, 10:19 PM

Anyone on here that was using a chronograph in the 1970s?

I've got a lot of old gun magazines from the 70s and the chrono's in there are just wacky... You had to flick switches and check for feedback to determine the numbers in each of four digit places for your output.

Everything started somewhere... and I'm in my late 30's, so I'm not a completely snot-nose kid with his face glued to a smart phone (don't even own one) but to me, these old devices look like they should have a hatch in the back where you shovel the coal in! Like a plastic case over an abacus!

Hopefully an old timer that had one of these early consumer chronographs will add his thoughts and experience.

mrawesome22 · May 26, 2010, 08:12 PM

Ain't technology great?!

Hell, a computer used to be a huge room full of vacuum tubes, and all it could do was add and subtract. LOL

Ed_ · May 27, 2010, 07:02 AM

I use a master chrony Beta with a third party chronocap pc interface for my laptop. The laptop records every shot. The software also saves strings to an excel spread sheet. The Chrony interface is a little cumbersome to use but the chronocap software makes things easy. Also I have no paper to blow away or lose.

hornady · May 27, 2010, 07:43 AM

Something else that should be considered with buying and using a Chrony, They can be cumbersome to set up , just getting the sight path can be a pain if you don’t have a partner, I have my own range, but I can see were you may have problems if setting up at a public range, you also need to set it up differently on bright days than you do on cloudy days. You will also need a sturdy tri-pod. I have not shot mine , but I did replace the steel rods with wood just to be on the safe side, I also made a plexi-glass cover for shooting muzzle loader or shot gun over it.

FEG · May 28, 2010, 12:30 AM

Although I agree with all of the above advice, I found that a Chrony Alpha (pretty much the cheapest chronograph out there) fulfilled my needs. I find that once I have standardized on a particular load that meets my velocity and accuracy requirements, I don't really need the chronograph again unless I have to change primers, etc.

May 22, 2010, 12:00 PM	#1
gunuserfixer Junior Member Join Date: May 16, 2010 Location: minnesota Posts: 10	chronograph I'm going to buy a chronograph. Any suggestions as to brand, accessories, etc. "Some people are perfect; the rest are honest"

May 22, 2010, 12:47 PM	#2
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	What for? Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking our advice. Tell us something about your purposes, please. It doesn't make a lot of difference, because all Chronographs do the basic function; measure speed. But the additional features will make a great deal of difference to your ultimate satisfaction. If you are going all out for accuracy and willing to spend a bit more for a super high-end unit with a lot of brains in it to produce statistical data or looking to just get your feet wet with a simple unit that just gives velocity and leaves all the computations to your other devices, it will inform our advice to you. Some units have artificial lights available for them, too, good if you are shooting at an indoor range or in difficult lighting conditions (for instance, flourescents or late evenings. Read this thread: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=408685 I do recommend a model with a remote readout/control module. You can turn it on and off, reset and such from the bench instead of waiting for a cease-fire to do those things. The most universal advice, of course, is DON'T SHOOT IT! Lost Sheep

May 22, 2010, 03:23 PM	#4
gunuserfixer Junior Member Join Date: May 16, 2010 Location: minnesota Posts: 10	chrony Lost Sheep: Was In the shop doing an "incoming inspection" on a Stag Arms mod. 6L. I'm going use the chrony to experiment with reloads for it. First time for "serious" reloading. Have done shotshells and many years ago reloaded for .44 special with one of those cheap Lee loaders that used a hammer in lieu of a press. So other than what I've learned reading about the subject, I'm pretty much a " a babe in the woods" as far as reloading for other than shotguns. I appreciate your response to my post. I welcome any and all info. on the subject. Thank you !

May 22, 2010, 09:21 PM	#7
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Accidental double post. Hit the "Back" button, then, not sure what happened, hit "submit post" a second time. Last edited by Lost Sheep; May 22, 2010 at 09:23 PM. Reason: Accidentally hit "back" button and then re-posted

May 22, 2010, 10:28 PM	#8
RWNielsen Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2009 Posts: 116	CED I highly recommend the CED Millenium-2. It sits on the bench next to you, has a huge memory and can be downloaded to your computer. All the downrange parts are replaceable and it runs for days on a 9v battery. I bought the ballistic nylon case for mine. It has straps for your tripod and is very well made. I've been very happy with mine. I might add though, I had a "Chrony" that worked very well too, and at half the price. Sadly, I shot a hole in it and it failed. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=773378 My ex: Last edited by RWNielsen; May 22, 2010 at 11:06 PM.

May 22, 2010, 02:51 PM	#3
mongoose33 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 228	I have the competition electronics prochrono digital. Costs circa $100. It does what I want. If I had to do it over again, I'd also get a remote for it, as well as perhaps a printer. But that's just stuff on the margins. For the price, the ProChrono digital does wonderfully. The Digital is probably the one you'd want as it would allow for later addition of a remote, software acquisition, and so on. Here's one offering: http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...productId/2452 With the $4.50 Grafs flat ship fee, that's under $110.

May 22, 2010, 04:12 PM	#5
hornady Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2009 Location: SWPA Posts: 428	I have reloaded rifle and pistol rounds for a little over 40 years, my experience has shown me that high bullet speed is not a determining factor in bullet accurse, I have the Master Chrony BETA, with the remote read out, which is a big plus, in the last 3 years I may have set the unit up 5 or 6 times, and only then to duplicate factory rounds for hunting bullets, if just plinking or accuracy there are a lot better places to spend your reloading money than on a Chrony .my most accurate reloads were just working loads up or down at the reloading bench, the rifle will let you know what it likes.

May 22, 2010, 09:15 PM	#6
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	So, I conclude that you will be interested in maximum accuracy, probably at 100 to 300 yard ranges?. As Hornady points out, maximum velocity and maximum accuracy are not often found at the same loadings. The conventional wisdom is to experiment around until you find a load that gives good accuracy and then chronograph it to see what speed you settled on. Oftentimes, though, a load that gives very consistent velocities is indicative of good accuracy (especially important for bullet drop at distance). The real accuracy hunt depends on getting a velocity (and barrel dynamics, "whip" of the barrel at the time of firing) that puts the bullet exiting the muzzle at the point in time where the barrel is consistently at the same (or the slowest) point in its whipping. The launch direction is very important. Chronograph is not too helpful there. Your results at the target are. The hunt for ultimate accuracy is a deeply absorbing activity with many controversial points of contention. In other words, a heck of a lot of fun. Enjoy! Lost Sheep Caveats and disclaimers: I do not know you, so if my advice seems over-obvious, please take into account my ignorance of your experience level. Also, others of all experience levels are reading. Remember, only believe half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for what you get from the internet. Even this post. Do your own independent, confirming research when ANYONE gives you new facts on the web. Also remember, even the idiotic stuff might have a kernel of truth buried in there somewhere.

May 23, 2010, 12:54 PM	#9
jeffreybehr Member Join Date: March 3, 2009 Posts: 83	I've been using a Shooting Chrony for about a year. In the very bright Arizona-desert sunlite, it generates rational readings about 80% to 90% of the time. Mine is the 2nd-least-expensive model, without memory but with separate readout module. I too have shot mine... ...but it still works. I've agreed to sell it before I destroy, and I've ordered a CED M2 from Graf. http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...roductId/10699 . I hope I'll be more careful with it.

May 23, 2010, 09:11 PM	#11
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	I have a Shooting Chrony Alpha Master. It works well.

May 24, 2010, 07:36 AM	#12
Dr. Strangelove Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2008 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 1,436	CED M2 here, love it, it works very well.

May 24, 2010, 10:19 PM	#13
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,775	Anyone on here that was using a chronograph in the 1970s? I've got a lot of old gun magazines from the 70s and the chrono's in there are just wacky... You had to flick switches and check for feedback to determine the numbers in each of four digit places for your output. Everything started somewhere... and I'm in my late 30's, so I'm not a completely snot-nose kid with his face glued to a smart phone (don't even own one) but to me, these old devices look like they should have a hatch in the back where you shovel the coal in! Like a plastic case over an abacus! Hopefully an old timer that had one of these early consumer chronographs will add his thoughts and experience. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

May 26, 2010, 08:12 PM	#14
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	Ain't technology great?! Hell, a computer used to be a huge room full of vacuum tubes, and all it could do was add and subtract. LOL

May 27, 2010, 07:02 AM	#15
Ed_ Member Join Date: January 27, 2009 Location: Southwest Missouri Posts: 96	I use a master chrony Beta with a third party chronocap pc interface for my laptop. The laptop records every shot. The software also saves strings to an excel spread sheet. The Chrony interface is a little cumbersome to use but the chronocap software makes things easy. Also I have no paper to blow away or lose.

May 27, 2010, 07:43 AM	#16
hornady Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2009 Location: SWPA Posts: 428	Something else that should be considered with buying and using a Chrony, They can be cumbersome to set up , just getting the sight path can be a pain if you don’t have a partner, I have my own range, but I can see were you may have problems if setting up at a public range, you also need to set it up differently on bright days than you do on cloudy days. You will also need a sturdy tri-pod. I have not shot mine , but I did replace the steel rods with wood just to be on the safe side, I also made a plexi-glass cover for shooting muzzle loader or shot gun over it.

May 28, 2010, 12:30 AM	#17
FEG Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 324	Although I agree with all of the above advice, I found that a Chrony Alpha (pretty much the cheapest chronograph out there) fulfilled my needs. I find that once I have standardized on a particular load that meets my velocity and accuracy requirements, I don't really need the chronograph again unless I have to change primers, etc.