|
Forum Rules | Firearms Safety | Firearms Photos | Links | Library | Lost Password | Email Changes |
Register | FAQ | Calendar | Today's Posts | Search |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
March 27, 2001, 09:06 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 24, 1999
Location: College Station, Texas
Posts: 1,871
|
I keep my loads to military specs or actually a little lighter. I only load 30-06 for the Garand and use only 4895 plus a 150gn M2 bullet. How critical is it to have a Chrono or is it just one of those neat little gadgets I'll end up getting later to look "cool" to my friends?
|
March 27, 2001, 10:16 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 31, 2000
Posts: 120
|
I use my Chronograph for two purposes:
1. An objective measure of what the componets that I am using are doing. All too often I found that I couldn't tell the differnce when I changed a variable in my loads. I also found that similar loads gave me different in different guns. Never would have known with out my Chrony. 2. Catch problems with my reloads. I shoot over a thousand rounds of 9mm a month, one of my goals is to make sure that my reloads are consistent. They have the same recoil and shoot the same place each time I pull the trigger. While the holes in the target tell me if I am having a problem they don't tell me why. By chronographing my rounds it CAN eliminate some of the variables that might cause inaccuracy. Terry |
March 28, 2001, 04:58 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 28, 1999
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,801
|
KJM. We all want to look "cool" to our friends, right? Seriously, how do you know you are actually reaching "milspec" with your ammo? The book may say X gr. of IMR-4895 will give you say, 2800 FPS, but are you really getting that velocity? You might only be getting 2600 FPS, or maybe? Oh heck, pick a number.
If you only load 30-06 with one bullet, and the load is working well for you, you may not need a chronograph. If you are loading more than one cartridge though, it might be worth your while. Paul B. |
March 28, 2001, 05:25 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2000
Location: MS, CSA
Posts: 377
|
Let me add a little here too. If you do alot of case preperation this will have change up things as well. Something like primer pocket uniforming and deburring the flash hole makes a big difference. Also if the cases are freshly trimmed to length. Any one, or combination, or all of the above will change what you think you are getting,and with a chronograph you will know for sure what you have.
|
March 29, 2001, 09:15 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 11, 1999
Location: The Sunny South
Posts: 2,174
|
kjm, Good post above. The main reason to have or at least have access to a chronogaph is that you don't have a clue as to what you are doing with your reloads.
An Oheler 33 was one of my first investments in reloading equiptment when I got into rifles. Regards |
March 30, 2001, 06:27 PM | #6 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
Since we're on the subject of chronographs, I would like your recommendations on a good, quality chronograph with the following criteria: 1) Priced at $150 or less, and 2) Have a handheld display away from the main unit. The ability to calculate averages is not needed, but being able to record a string of shots is. A printer is not needed. Thanks.
|
March 31, 2001, 08:02 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 11, 1999
Posts: 229
|
You don't really need one, but it certainly completes the picture when reloading. Once you use one, you'll "need" one after that.
|
March 31, 2001, 09:52 AM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 31, 2000
Posts: 120
|
My latest Midway catalog has the Chrony Master Beta for 109.00, shipping included. I purchased the same model in December for 129.00.
|
March 31, 2001, 02:11 PM | #9 |
Junior Member
Join Date: January 12, 2001
Posts: 7
|
"MasterBeta"? Oh, sorry, I thought you meant something else about something one might do in the privacy of their own home... :-) jpb |
|
|