What type of Chronograph do you use?

[USAF Ret]

Looking at Chronographs. Used to use them when I bow hunted, but not for rifle. Figure I need to get one to measure velocity on loads.

What do you use? Pros? Cons?

Thanks.

[LeverGunFan]

To get better recommendations, can you give us more information? What is your budget for a chronograph? Will you use it for rifle only, or both rifle and pistol? Do you have a private range where you can set it up, or will you use it at a public range? Do you need data storage capability, or are you willing to record your own data? Do you need highly accurate velocity readings for long range shooting, or are you looking for fairly close readings? Do you shoot suppressed/low muzzle blast or with a muzzle brake?

[Marco Califo]

I have had several . ProComp is my curret one. But honestly, if you shot at a range, see if someone will let you shoot over thiers. They can be fussy.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by LeverGunFan

To get better recommendations, can you give us more information? What is your budget for a chronograph? Will you use it for rifle only, or both rifle and pistol? Do you have a private range where you can set it up, or will you use it at a public range? Do you need data storage capability, or are you willing to record your own data? Do you need highly accurate velocity readings for long range shooting, or are you looking for fairly close readings? Do you shoot suppressed/low muzzle blast or with a muzzle brake?

What is your budget for a chronograph? Couple hundred bucks
Will you use it for rifle only, or both rifle and pistol? Rifle only
Do you have a private range where you can set it up, or will you use it at a public range? Public range on military installation
Do you need data storage capability, or are you willing to record your own data? I can record my own, but data storage would be nice.
Do you need highly accurate velocity readings for long range shooting, or are you looking for fairly close readings? Fairly close, for hunting not competition
Do you shoot suppressed/low muzzle blast or with a muzzle brake? Muzzle brake on most

[Sevens]

I have owned two different ones, both are quite popular and these days, both are at the low end of the price spectrum. The first one I had was the Chrony Beta Master. Extremely popular in it's heyday, but this company is now dead, gone & buried. Good riddance.

I am now using the ProChrono DLX and every single thing about the Chrony that I did not like has been rectified with this unit. I actually do not loathe using it as I did with the Chrony.

My recommendation is not that this unit is the finest thing out there, but I will say that as you are new to the handloading and chrono game, I think this unit exactly is a fantastic place to start and a great value for what it does and what you get.

If you are a smartphone user, this sucker communicates directly and immediately via Bluetooth and instantly stores what you're doing.

[GeauxTide]

Have used Oehler since the 70s. A 33 and now a 35. The 35 has a printer to give you all the data. A friend has a LABRADAR and has found it to be squirrely, with dropped shots every session. Lots of cheap alternatives, but I have always found that price, in the absence of value, is not worth considering.

[LeverGunFan]

Originally Posted by USAF Ret

What is your budget for a chronograph? Couple hundred bucks
Will you use it for rifle only, or both rifle and pistol? Rifle only
Do you have a private range where you can set it up, or will you use it at a public range? Public range on military installation
Do you need data storage capability, or are you willing to record your own data? I can record my own, but data storage would be nice.
Do you need highly accurate velocity readings for long range shooting, or are you looking for fairly close readings? Fairly close, for hunting not competition
Do you shoot suppressed/low muzzle blast or with a muzzle brake? Muzzle brake on most

I'd suggest that you consider the Magnetospeed Sporter, it meets your budget, works with muzzle brakes, and gives accurate readings. Best of all, since it attaches to the rifle barrel it is much easier to use at a public range compared to typical optical chronographs that require set up in front of the firing line.

Bryan Litz at the Applied Ballistics laboratory reviewed several chronographs in the book "Modern Advancements In Long Range Shooting Volume I". The Magnetospeed tested very well, and he did not notice a significant point of impact change with the Magnetospeed installed on the rifle. The conventional chronograph that tested well was the CED M2, which also meets your budget but requires set up in front of the shooting line.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by Sevens

I have owned two different ones, both are quite popular and these days, both are at the low end of the price spectrum. The first one I had was the Chrony Beta Master. Extremely popular in it's heyday, but this company is now dead, gone & buried. Good riddance.

I am now using the ProChrono DLX and every single thing about the Chrony that I did not like has been rectified with this unit. I actually do not loathe using it as I did with the Chrony.

My recommendation is not that this unit is the finest thing out there, but I will say that as you are new to the handloading and chrono game, I think this unit exactly is a fantastic place to start and a great value for what it does and what you get.

If you are a smartphone user, this sucker communicates directly and immediately via Bluetooth and instantly stores what you're doing.

Thanks Sevens. I will take a look.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by LeverGunFan

I'd suggest that you consider the Magnetospeed Sporter, it meets your budget, works with muzzle brakes, and gives accurate readings. Best of all, since it attaches to the rifle barrel it is much easier to use at a public range compared to typical optical chronographs that require set up in front of the firing line.

Bryan Litz at the Applied Ballistics laboratory reviewed several chronographs in the book "Modern Advancements In Long Range Shooting Volume I". The Magnetospeed tested very well, and he did not notice a significant point of impact change with the Magnetospeed installed on the rifle. The conventional chronograph that tested well was the CED M2, which also meets your budget but requires set up in front of the shooting line.

Great! Thank you. Not having to set up a chrono on the firing line is a plus. After looking, this is the one I will go with. Much appreciated.

[rclark]

I own a green Chrony. Still works good. IDo not have any problems with it (at least for all the handgun testing I did). Above posts says they are no longer made. A pity. I like how my little green one is so 'compact' (folds up) for easy storage. Easy to setup and use. No experience with anything else.

[LeverGunFan]

We're glad that we could be of help. If you can, let us know how the Magnetospeed works for you.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by LeverGunFan

We're glad that we could be of help. If you can, let us know how the Magnetospeed works for you.

I certainly will, Waiting on my small rifle primers and still need to get a loading bench and put my workstation together.

[jetinteriorguy]

Originally Posted by USAF Ret

Great! Thank you. Not having to set up a chrono on the firing line is a plus. After looking, this is the one I will go with. Much appreciated.

I have one of these and given your requirements it will work well. It does alter POI a bit, but since I only use it to find MV that doesn’t matter to me. It generally doesn’t affect group size, although I have had groups actually tighten up a bit sometimes.

[RC20]

It sounds like the Magnetorspeed is the one to go with for your budget.

I have had Chrony, while it worked fine setting it up was a royal pain in the butt and often delayed shooting for others (I tried not to, others often did hold things up for 5 minutes as you think you have it positioned and then one last look and, drats, its wrong)

While I was tempted to the Magnetorspeed due to the price, I decided I was going to go full boat and get the LabRadar. I sold a gun to pay for it. No regrets. It works wonderfully.

It does have a learning curve as the buttons and menus don't work quite the way the book says, but got through that ok.

Due to my barrel length and the bench length, picking up the 6.5 shots sometimes is iffy (misses one out 15 more or less at times, other times misses none.

Buttons need a firm push.

Annoying is it does not come with the carry case (mandatory) and it should come with a built in chargeable battery for the price.

But its easy to setup and you get all the info you need. I think I have close to $600 into it with the case, chargeable battery, I build my own stand so saved on that)

[cdoc42]

I've had a PACT chronograph for about 35 years, and as others have said, it's a pain in the butt to set up. The first sky screen is to be placed 70 inches from the muzzle and typically it gets blown off the rack by the concussion of the shot. So I overcame that by using small nuts and bolts to keep it in place. Other than that, it has been very serviceable.

But, as I got older, I got aggravated enough to buy a Magnetospeed. The only problem I've had is keeping it in place on the barrel as I continue to shoot strings. It creeps back toward me and that seems to change the accuracy of the results. I've tightened that sucker as much as possible and finally monkeyed with the addition of a small Velcro band to hold it in place. So far, so good. But it won't work with a suppressor (a friend has one). I'm not too sure about a muzzle brake either, if it has to be seated over the brake at any point.

[Unclenick]

Originally Posted by cdoc42

The first sky screen is to be placed 70 inches from the muzzle

That's nuts. I've had magnum rifles false-trigger screens as far as 18 feet away.

You can set screens anywhere you want as long as you keep the space between screens constant and track how far the midpoint between them is from your muzzle so you can work backward to actual muzzle velocity with a ballistics program. The SAAMI standard distance of 15 feet from the muzzle is usually good. Some want closer to read a display better, but telescopic sights, binoculars, or even a small pocket monocular will let you see a more distant one just fine. I get annoyed by remote screens that have only 10 feet of wire to the control. That's fine for handguns and even many common rifle calibers, but not for the big ones.

I've long advocated the use of a laser bore sighter when setting up optical chronographs. You set the gun up on bags such that its sight is correctly aligned with the target when you are not touching it. Make the gun safe. Insert the laser bore sighter and turn it on. Check that the sights are still on target, and put them back on target if they are not. Out at your desired distance from the muzzle, set up the chronograph support(s). Adust the support(s) until you see the laser dot on the palm of your hand when you hold it in the middle of each screen. This lets you set it up without a lot of going back and forth between the gun and the chronograph, annoying all the other people on the line who want to get on with their shooting.

In the $200 price range, based on owning a number of these instruments, I would pick the CED M2, which is $199 at Midway or manufacturer-direct. If you choose, you can dress it up later with accessories like IR lighting in place of the daylight diffusers to work indoors or inside a shade box, the way IPSC uses them.

[stagpanther]

I guess popular opinion is changing--but I still think Labradar is the best all-around.

[Unclenick]

I agree. It's almost all I ever use now. But it's not available for $200, which is the OP's stipulated budget.

[Bart B.]

I don't own one and ever used one developing accurate loads.

[Shadow9mm]

I use the basic caldwell optical. I have shot it twice and its still running.

I test for a load with good velocity consistency

then i use seating depth tuning to adjust for accuracy.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by Shadow9mm

I use the basic caldwell optical. I have shot it twice and its still running.

I test for a load with good velocity consistency

then i use seating depth tuning to adjust for accuracy.

Thanks Shadow. I was looking at the one that attaches to the gun barrel. They won't let me put a standard chrono past the firing line at the base. Next on my list when I get a few min loads worked up.

Look forward to chatting with you about seating depth.

[olduser]

I have a Procrono and have been very happy with it. It is the most basic model with no connectivity features. It only failed me once but was cheap to repair.

[FITASC]

I use the Pro Chrony for pistols and shotguns (I rarely shoot rifles any more). Set 5' from either muzzle and I get very good consistent readings. It will hold 100 firings before needing downloading or clearing the memory. Very inexpensive to buy and uses 1 9v battery

Added: I have used mine even for checking my RWS .177 rifle pellet velocity

[zeke]

If i was planning on doing a lot of future chrono graphing, the lab radar looks worth the investment. Wish they made them much earlier, as wired chrono's work but are a pain to set up and use if more than one person on the range. Looks like you can get velocity's, accuracy testing and tighter sight adjustment at the same time?

But like others pointed out, they be spendy.

[MarkCO]

I have a MagnetoSpeed and a Caldwell. Finally got the Pact sold. I had 7 at one point.

I use the MS more than anything else. For me, and what I do, the Labradar did not measure up.