FPS help!

[WookieRookie]

Good afternoon guys. Need a little help. Is there an easy way to determine FPS without a chronograph? Maybe a formula or something? Need to see if I'm pushing some berry's bullets too hard, but have no access to a chronograph.
Thanks guys!

[Brian Pfleuger]

Nope.

You can estimate from load data but I wouldn't be surprised if a real gun was off by 10, even 15%, of book numbers, especially at handgun speeds.

Something like QuickLoad helps, but even that's just an estimate without a chrony to calibrate known loads.

A chrony is a cheap investment. $75 or so. Well worth it.

[WookieRookie]

Local range won't allow them. Guess I need a new range.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Really? That's ignorant. Yeah, I guess you do.

[Mal H]

peetzakilla answered the question perfectly.

About the range - It's not that unusual for a public range to not allow chronographs especially pistols only ranges with retrievable targets. They have to make the range cold for you to set up, and the chrono kinda sticks out into the range a good 10 or more feet. It could be disturbing to a neighbor shooter if the range positions are fairly close together.

You might talk to the range manager and see if there is a time when you can use it - a time when there is almost no one there, maybe some after hours time, etc.

- or - like you said, find another range that will allow it.

[Unclenick]

If it's an indoor range, you'll need artificial illumination accessories that will add to cost. If it's outdoors, with a little ingenuity a sky screen sling for the target carriers might be rigged up if management will allow it. Probably won't though, due to weight and having to close the range to retrieve it if it falls.

[WookieRookie]

Let me hijack my own thread and ask another question that is leading me to need a chrony. Today, I shot 150 rounds of berrys played 124 gr 9mm. Already worked up a good load, etc. After shooting I notice fouling in my barell. Unless I'm pushing them past 1200 FPS, this has to be either powder or copper fouling, correct? Can it be lead? It's not terrible, and doesn't affect accuracy, but I'm anal about pistol cleanliness.

[Unclenick]

The chronograph by itself won't tell you about leading. That's a function not only of velocity, but of peak pressure and bore and throat condition and bullet hardness and a number of other factors velocity doesn't reveal. I've seen leading in some bores with 700 fps target loads and little to almost none in other guns in other conditions at near 2000 fps.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Give us your load data and we can give you an estimate of velocity. We'll ned to know the length of the bullet and weight also, in addition to OAL, powder, charge and barrel length. The emphasis is on estimate.

[GP100man]

Well with a 357 & raniers if I went past the platings capabilities accuracy would go south fast !!!!

[WookieRookie]

With regards to leading, I wanted to get FPS to determine if the plating may be coming off. I'm loading 124 gr berrys round nose, flat base. Using w231, 4.3 gr, 1.135" OAL. Shooting out of an xd9. Thanks for the help guys!

[highvel]

Shoot into an open drum of water and look at the recovered bullet.

[medalguy]

Also look at your target for keyholing. SoOmetimes with plated bullets pushed too fast that will result. Not always tho.

[WookieRookie]

Can powder fouling be stubborn? Maybe that's what I'm seeing.

[Brian Pfleuger]

That load should be between 900 and 1000 fps.

[WookieRookie]

So not likely lead. Must be powder residue. Just cleaned after a few hours soak in shooters choice. The patches came out a different color than ive seen. No blue, but brown instead of the black I'm accustomed to. I did notice it came out really easy via chore boy/brush method.

[m&p45acp10+1]

Possibly it is a build up of copper, and powder fowling. If it had previously had lead shot out of it there would possibly be a build up in it too.

Get some M-Pro7 wet a patch with it real good and pass through the barrel. Let it sit for a few hours, wet the patch again run it through, then brush with a bore brush. Follow with a couple of clean wet patches. This should get it pretty clean.

[WookieRookie]

But wouldn't shooters choice show some blue if it was copper. It was spotless clean before shooting today. I ordered some kg-12 (?) from midway, but haven't gotten it in yet. Mpro7 is better?

[m&p45acp10+1]

I use the MPro it has no toxic odors, and I can buy it at the local sporting goods store for less than $10. It works, as does Hoppe's No9. For copper I use ProShot in my rifle. Try letting what ever you use sit in for a while, then run a wet patch then brush it.

I have had times when a bore looked clean, had clean wet patches coming out clean, then a few days later running a wet patch through to see it come out with carbon, and lead. I usualy spray the MPro in before I leave the range. Makes cleaning it when I get home a whole lot easier, and faster.

[WookieRookie]

Great idea spraying in at range. Will try that this week!