Like the title states. I’m curious as to how many people reload for their revolvers and use/don’t use a chronograph. I have ventured into reloading for 38/357 for my two smith and Wesson revolvers. One being a modern 66-8 combat magnum and the other a 1982 15-4. Now I’ve been loading for rifle for a couple years and have a good understanding of pressure signs and just generally going off what the handbook has as far as load data and staying well off the ceiling for max loads. I’m not trying to push the limits of any of my firearms. I’m just happy to be able to make them go bang and do it accurate and precisely. The only issue I’m running in to that is making me second guess what I’m doing and possibly creating a need for a chronograph is the fact that all of the projectiles I have to load with are not necessarily ones that have manufacturers creating popular handbooks with loads of data. What I’ve been doing is taking multiple books I have, as well as online sources, and cobbling together what I feel is a safe load for my given components. Now I didn’t mean for that to be too long and drawn out but I would love some input as to how necessary are chronograph is at this point or what kind of advise some of the more seasoned handloaders might have for safely loading for these pistol cartridges. Thank you in advanced.

I seldom chonograph by handloads, but I use it more with my airguns and archery equipment. Generally I'm not that concerned about the velocity of my handloads, just the accuracy and safety. The targets tell me the accuracy and I rely on reputable sources for load data and check the fired cases for any signs of excessive pressure.

I absolutely use mine when developing new loads for my Semi's or Revolvers... it really gives me an idea of where my max and minimum should be...

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This is the way....

Don't feel I need one for range ammo, but miss having one for developing heavy woods loads.

" What I’ve been doing is taking multiple books I have, as well as online sources, and cobbling together what I feel is a safe load for my given components."

IMHO, you need a chronograph. Either you have a proven load from a reliable source, or you don't and you're guessing, which is too much risk for me. I've watched people work up revolver loads by "pressure signs" that found the first certain pressure sign was the topstrap hitting the ceiling...

I know people that never own a chronograph and do just fine because they only use proven loads that are not near max. They don't mix and match and guess.

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Science plus Art

A chronograph is a very useful tool. You can get by without one, but you will never really know what your reloads are actually doing without chronographing them. I actually feel the chronograph is more necessary for development of rifle loads so you can work up much more accurate ballistic tables . If I had to do it all over again, I would save my money a little longer and invest in a LabRadar. I shoot on a club range and calling for a ceasefire long enough to get a regular down range chronograph set up and aligned does not make you very popular. I believe the LabRadar would make it much easier to shoot for groups at the same time as collecting your velocity figures a much easier exercise.

The data published by such
reputable outfits as Speer generally
reflect the safest pressures for a
powder and bullet weight under
medium conditions.

The biggest mistake at rifle
ranges that I've seen is loaders
working up a combination during the
winter or cool months, seeing no
signs of pressure despite what the
loading books advise.

Then come summer and the ammo
gets heated up, pressures in the
cartridges rise upon firing and
the firearms are ruined.

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Ubi Est Mea

I've always reloaded for accuracy not power. (In fact I've pretty much found that the "hot" loads are usually not the most accurate.)
I don't hunt, so knock down power isn't high on my list. For me a well placed shot is as good as, if not better, than a max load.
(Besides, I don't have to beat my gun and myself up practicing....)

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I don't find a chrono that important with handgun ammo but with rifles it's a different thing. When calculating ballistics for long range shooting it's very difficult if you don't know the speed of the bullet.

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SWHF #595

I see what you are saying. I have found it hard to track down load data specific to the zero brand bullets I came into. So I used the low end of what the Speer manual had for their JSP that is the same shape and weight. Granted I say cobbled together. I’m not necessarily going in blind but also understand there can be slight dimensional differences. I tested 50 38 special loads between my 357 and 38 and everything seemed ok. But how do you really know unless your getting the velocity.

Not necessary but fun and enlightning......Oehler 35P since 1990.

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S&W Accumulator

Just glanced at the price for one, was highly surprised to see how low it was.

Will hopefully be venturing on this reloading process, if I actually end up manufacturing something to fire, it will be read by a chronograph, needed or not.

I've been using a chronograph for about forty years. I consider it a little more important for rifle loads than handgun loads, but it's useful for both. You can get by without one and I did just that for the first fifteen years I handloaded, but it's good to know where your figures stand against book figures. Additionally, once you gain some experience, velocity figures can tell you something about pressures, too.

Chronographs have some features that most of us really don't need unless you're shooting at extreme distances. Don't get caught up in the extreme spread and standard deviation numbers game that's enjoying a fad popularity these days. Many try to obtain the smallest numbers possible, thinking such loads will produce the best accuracy. Sometimes true, but usually not. I don't pay attention to the numbers unless they are incredibly wild, and if they are, that load will usually be a poor one anyway. Concentrate on accuracy instead of ES and SD. You'll be way ahead.

To me, it sounds like you're doing fine without it. Staying off max, matching bullet profiles where you have to wing it a bit. Lots of us have done it that way for a long time. For casual shooters, it's probably a nice thing to have but not critical.

That said, I think you are probably going to need one now that the bug has bitten you. You can never have too much information and what's another couple hundred bucks in this money-saving hobby?

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Model5, Absolutely, positively necessary, I guess not. But to answer your question, you don't really know velocities without a chronograph. I realize many shooters and reloaders could care less about actual velocities in their particular guns. But I have used a chronograph for many years, and wouldn't be without one. Within my humble experience, factory and reloaded ammo when chronographed, may vary considerably from published figures. Often when reloading, I'll be using a bullet, primer or case different from the ones used in this or that reloading manual. In that case, velocities are almost guaranteed to vary from those published. I don't load for rifles anymore, and though it may not matter much with the handgun ammo I shoot and reload now days, I still like to load ammo as consistent as possible. A chronograph lets me know of extreme velocity spreads, velocities higher or lower than expected, velocities in different firearms with same or different barrel lengths, etc.

Chronographs are so inexpensive now days, I'm surprised every serious shooter and reloader doesn't utilize one.

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

I have used a chronograph for every load. Whether it be a mouse-fart 38 Spl load or a ragged edge +p 45 load. I find it to be a useful tool to dial in the results I want for a particular bullet.

Reloading without a chronograph will allow you to waste a lot of time and components chasing a load that just won’t perform. It saves a lot of money in the long run .

Absolutely not necessary when plinking and shooting mid range loads inside 25 yards.

For making Minor or Major Power Factor, yup!

For maximizing accuracy using standard deviation shooting precision rifle beyond 200 yards, yup!

For verifying published data , yup!

Smiles,

I say it is a ''nice to have'' but not a ''must''.If you are curious and like developping loads,it is nice to see at what speed your bullets are coming out.
So if your 150gr from a .308Win comes out at 3450fps,you'll know from the chrono.But you'll also when you find the bolt is hard to lift and the primer grew to half the size of the brass butt!

While you probably can get away with loading for target velocity rounds using the "check several good sources" method I still consider a chrono a good tool for developing really good target loads. The chrono is essential IMHO for heavy loads.

While it isn't common for bad loads to get into good loading manuals it does happen, abet rarely.

The basic chrono isn't expensive these days. I'd suggest putting one on your list.

For the advanced reloader a chrono is essential, as is a decent dial caliper and micrometer.

Isn't that where the fun is in the first place??

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I don't think you need one for plinking ammo as long as you are not pushing near max loads. You can use the bullet weight, type of bullet and type of powder and stay safe checking a couple of sources for the load. That is my opinion anyway.

I'm curious what my loads are on a chronograph but not enough to spend the money on one.

I reload #1 for economy and #2 for accuracy. If I can make 'em safe, cheap and they're accurate that's all I care about

Never thought about getting a chrono.

When I first started reloading I didn’t trust the data in the manuals. I want accuracy and power. I tested every load in clean wet sand to see what my reloads were actually doing. Every bullet showed a light grey powder infront of a piece of metal jacket shrapnel. My hunting bullets were preforming spot on. I reloaded 100 rds, tested 60 rds for reliability and accuracy, 40 rounds went bear hunting. The bear never knew what hit it. Proven at the range and backup up by performance in the field. Do I have faith in my reloads you bet.

I loaded 100 rds exactly the same. I tried all different powder loads looking for accuracy and power. I noticed by backing off the powerful loads the accuracy got better.

I have experienced this in reloading for a bolt action 5.56 trying to guess at a load to make a ragged hole. I was able to make one dime sized group at 100 yards and after repeating the load multiple times never repeated it. I came to the conclusion it was a fluke and moved on to shooting steel. Much more fun to me. Now I just load for the pleasure. And believe it or not I actually do save money. And with the current climate I Can actually shoot my 38 and 357 because I’ve got plenty of components to make more as needed.

when doing loads for a snub nose, a chronograph is the only way to find if there is a point where more powder doesn't equal more velocity......just blowing it out the barrel.

Along with what everyone else has said

Also lets you use the energy tables for a load when you actually know the velocity from your gun/barrel length

I like to know where my reloads are performing and just how consistent they are. The only real way I know how to do that is with a Chronograph. They are pretty reasonable and so there really is little excuse not to get one.

I also like to test Factory "carry loads" just to make sure the lot in question is both consistent and performing up to spec.

For low to mid-range handgun ammo, no, you really do not need a chronograph. The chronograph is a tool useful when trying to duplicate a factory load, to determine at what point increased powder charges no longer give a significant increase in velocity, development of maximum velocity loads, and for competition ammo that requires meeting velocity and bullet weight requirements.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I rarely use one for handguns but they can tell you things.
I shoot a bit of surplus rifle powders with little data other than "Compares to IMRXXXX" and consider it a necessity for that.

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Front sight and squeeze

I load everything from sub minimal to max and even some experimentation with obscure loads that I can find data for. The chrony is VITAL to tell me what i need to know. I wish I had a pressure test setup.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

A couple of posters have mentioned pressure reading. In a handgun, when you have the classic signs of pressure on the cartridge case, flattened primers etc., you are well into unsafe pressures. Reading pressure signs in rifle cases is much different than reading them in handguns.

As for a chronograph, it will tell you the velocity a certain load develops in a certain firearm. More important for rifles, less important for handguns.

A chronograph can not foretell an accurate load. Shooting does that.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

When it comes to reading pressure signs, especially in pistols and revolvers, it is difficult and likely impossible to have a high degree of certainty. My only advice when looking for pressure signs is to compare fired reload brass and primers to factory ammo fired in the same firearm. That can provide you with some degree of recognizing an over-pressure load. Just looking for flattened primers is really insufficient, there are plenty of calibers and handguns that will flatten primers with maximum, but within safe pressure level loads. Bulged brass in the case web area is fairly common in handguns due to the design of the chambers and often generously sized chambers.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

If you are only loading for one firearm, kind of hard to justify buying a chrono even though there are some decent ones out there for around $100. If you intend on expanding your reloading repertoire a chrono is a useful tool to compare against the load data, which can vary greatly depending on bullet, case, manufacturer, primer, powder, intended firearm, seating depth, etc, etc... The variations tend to increase with rifle calibers.

I’ve been loading over 50yrs. Can’t begin to recite the cartridges that I have loaded for and do load for. I don’t have a chrony and never saw the need for one. I have a library of manuals and the velocity means nothing to me because I already know approx vel. I’ve never been interested in hot loads. I load for accuracy with a cartridge that is big enough to do the job.
I can see the value of a chrony to those who are actually designing cartridges or using new propellants. For most guys it’s just another toy to play with.

I loaded for decades without a chronograph. I estimated velocities from load data. I didn't get one until I started long range rifle competition and prices came way down.

I needed to clock my loads to determine velocity and develop drop tables for way out yonder trajectories plus needing to pay attention to velocity deviation. A 100 f/s difference can make a difference measured in feet out yonder.

Clocking my old loads showed my estimates/interpolated velocities were pretty darn close to reality for handgun loads. There were a couple of surprises with rifle loads, I was off by a couple hundred f/s. However, the deer didn't seem to notice the loss.

It sort of falls in the nice to have but you may/probably don't really need one. A lot depends upon what you're doing. Serious long range rifle, yep. Making power factor for handgun competition, questionable. Way back when we used ballistic pendulums, but prices on those are probably more than a chronograph now. You can, BTW, use a pendulum as a chronograph, waaaaay back when, they were the standard. Handgun practice ammo, no.

I use the chronograph on about everything at least ones to see where I am at. They are cheap enough you can buy one without hurting the pocket book too much. I used to use a Chrony, ended up buying a Caldwell Ballistic Chronograph (seems like it was about $89) that has an APP on your smart phone so it logs the data instead of you having to write it down. Love it.

The chronograph will sometimes show problems you don't see otherwise. I once had a load going way faster than it was supposed to. Without the chronograph, I wouldn't have noticed it. Turns out, I had the bullet seated too long and it was pushed into the rifling when loading driving pressures up to dangerous levels.

It can also reveal those seasonal velocity changes others have mentioned. It is definitely more important on long range shooting over short range pistol plinking.

You may also find some load data isn't accurate with velocities in your gun. Some data doesn't even provide barrel length, so go find out what it is really doing in your guy, you have to chronograph it.

Rosewood

Thanks for all the replies. I think I’ll put a chronograph on the list but I don’t think I’m going to lose sleep over not having one. I would be interested in the future to see how loads behave fired from different barrel lengths and such but for now just putting lead on paper will do. I think the biggest thing that was bugging me is the fact that I don’t have one for one load data to go with my exact projectile but I’m not loading anywhere near max and have a pretty good representation of the projectile in the Speer manual.

For rifles it is a must, as stated by a few above if you know the speed of your bullet the ballistics apps or charts will get you very close.
I always reload for accuracy with rifle loads.
for pistol at defensive ranges not so much as long as iis a safe load. With that being said one good thing for pistol is if you chrono you bought Defensive rounds, then match the bullet weight with them to your reloads and if you can safely push them at the same speed you can practice with basically the same rounds as you carry, same recoil.
Then also always remember there are those who have shot their chrono, and those that haven't.....yet. And on that note if you have a chrono and use the sun shield replace the metal poles with wood dowel for the shade, if you hit the wood it will break and not ruin your chrono.
carry on

I've written several articles on using chronographs and their merits. I am one who does pay close attention to my standard deviation and extreme spread numbers although I have one rifle that defies logic - an extreme spread of 61fps resulted in a one-hole, five-shot 100-yard group - but it is an exception, not the rule.

If a load doesn't group well and has big SD and ES numbers, without a chronograph you'll never know that variation exists so you might blame yourself and waste more components and barrel wear duplicating those results without learning anything. Regardless of what your shooting is about, consistency is a major factor in accuracy and getting your SD and ES numbers down will usually result in tighter groups regardless of the type of firearm. Again, as I illustrated up front, exceptions will occur but that's exactly what they are - exceptions.

I've bought several "better" chronographs and always went back to my good old ProChrono. When aligned with those "better" units, the differences in readings were no greater than you would expect with the spacing involved. And the ProChrono works in lighting conditions that aren't the best - the "better" ones often didn't. I now use the ProChrono DLX and you can't spend a better $130 on your shooting. And if you shoot in pistol competition where your loads have to reach a certain power factor, the ProChrono app for your phone will provide that data for you.

Yep - every serious handloader should have a chronograph.

Ed

At this point I don’t shoot in any competitive groups and for the time being given up chasing the one ragged hole. It’s safe to say having a chronograph May have helped achieve the consistency required to do so. But now I enjoy burning up and refilling the 30 carbine to feed my favorite rifle plinking steel. And with the way the world is right now it was easier and cheaper (I guess) to reload for my new found favorite pistols. From what I have gathered a chronograph has a purpose that I may want to fulfill down the road.

You need to match bullet alloy, jacket alloy, bearing length and a few other specifics. Just changing primers can jack pressures up. Same with powder.

Good tip!

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Having shot-up two chrono's and repaired several times (2nd one is partially operational), I FINALLY decided to go with a Lab Radar unit. Sure, up front it is more expensive, however, that depends on just how often you strike the steel "V" on your old chrono...

The Lab Radar sits next to the shooter, out of the way of errant bullets...

I hit the supports on a friends chrono before I bought mine. I replaced for him, but learned that to prevent shooting your chrono, do not shoot offhand. Always prop on a rest. Since doing that, I have not hit my chrono in 15+ years.

Rosewood

I have two chronographs and use them to develop all my new loads both rifle and pistol (I enjoy the science of ballistic). While I have dozens of reloading books/manuals that I follow, the chronograph confirms that loads performance. Any change to a loads parameters (powder, bullet, primers) gets re-tested with the chronograph to confirm performance.

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"Your other right........."

In my case the whole shooting and reloading thing is just a hobby, something I do because I enjoy it. A chronograph isn't something I need, but it's another thing to play around with. One can never have too many toys.

I think that’s the boat I’m in. I don’t shoot competitively and I’m not working up a 1000 yard load. Just something to do between range trips.

I loaded for 40 years without one.

Then I got into ATA Trap shooting and had to make sure that my Trap loads were "Legal" and within the fps called for in the by-laws, or I would be disqualified from any awards, winnings or handicap placements.

In my rifle loads, knowing the fps of a load is needed to learn bullet drop and wind drift if you shoot in matches.
It also lets you know what powder works best for target and full loads, per the amount of powder used and case volume.

In hand guns, knowing if you are near a low Squib load is nice as well if a powder can reach a standard load or a full load with safe pressures.
Right now I am loading for my J frame 38 Spl. with the Federal 130 HST JHP bullet, that has NO DATA and my chrony is the only thing keeping my loads safe, for me to develop a load that will be like the Factory ammo in fps.

Is it needed..............
if you do target & factory ammo.... No.
for full loads or no data is available............. Yes.

I’ve had a chrono for 30 years. Use it on rifles and archery. Don’t recall ever using on my handgun loads.
Depends what you want to accomplish.

I once shot major division in an IPSC competition using same bullets, cases, primers and powder weight that had previously made major PF. Only difference was powder batch number.

When I got to the chrono stage I was just under major PF. I found out that weekend it is no fun shooting .45 minor.

Next day I ordered a chrono. I use it every time I load a batch of competition ammo as well as for load development. One of the best purchases I have ever made.

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View from down under

Since almost no one owns a chronograph, they are not necessary.
Folks who shoot action pistol sports where there is a minimum power factor need a chronograph to ensure their load meets match requirements.
Accuracy is found on a target, not a chronograph. Ranges I go to won't even allow you to set up a chrony.