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Originally Posted by carpriver
And I guess I want to be sure I am getting the most out of my loads as well as improving accuracy of my loads. would this be a reason for investing in a chronograph?
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It may be an unpopular opinion, but no.
If you're interested in tighter groups, your best bet is to invest in some bags or even a Ransom Rest. The latter would be rather extreme option, and really only worth doing if you're shooting very precisely at very long ranges (think 50 yards or so).
A chronograph is really more of a diagnostic tool than anything else. If you're getting inaccurate ammunition, and you chrono the load and get erratic results, that can be meaningful. It's also handy when you're consciously working up a load--a nonlinear relationship between velocity gains and increases in charge weight is a sign that you're getting close to the top.
At the same time, you can have exceptionally accurate ammunition that produces somewhat erratic velocities. The most accurate load is rarely the one that chrono's the best.
So is a chrono worth getting? Sure. It's a fun tool to use. But it's not a tool you really
need.
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The powders I have on hand are CFE 2 bottles, Hp-38 2 bottles, AA#2 7 pounds, AA#5 6 pounds
universal 2 bottles, titegroup 1 bottle, SR7625 5 bottles. ramshot comp half a bottle.
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You never mentioned caliber specifics, but HP-38 is stellar for producing light recoil in .45 AP. It's fairly low-impact in .38 Spl, but I've yet to really try down-loading below the starting load. Bullseye and WST have been my traditional low-recoil .38 Spl powders.
Hodgdon Clays is another noted low-recoil .45 powder, but I've never seen any on the shelves locally. And lots of guys rave about the AA powders.
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my research tells me the simplest to use with less likely of shooting the Chronograph is LabRadar. So let the information flow,
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It's all about the setup.
I like to place the chrono at 7 yards, and set up a blank paper target at 10. The chrono itself should be 6-8" below the height of the muzzle. An aiming point on the paper is made or placed at muzzle height--bring a tape measure to make this easier. And an adjustable-height tripod is invaluable. The gun itself is rested fairly close to the muzzle, to make it harder to drop the muzzle and hit the chrono.
Some report that placing tape on the screen legs helps with aiming, but I've never bothered.
I also shoot slowly, especially with heavier calibers that might induce a flinch.
Brand-wise, I personally quite like my Shooting Chrony. I got one with a remote display and control, which I rather like.
And for the price of one LabRadar, you can afford to shoot several less-expensive chronographs. The LabRadar really shines:
--in sub-optimal lighting (indoors, shooting close to dusk or dawn, etc)
--with very heavy rifle calibers, especially with muzzle breaks, where the muzzle blast would cause incorrect readings on a traditional chrono, or even blow it over
--on very busy ranges where setting up a traditional chrono would be a huge hassle