I have been reloading for a couple years now, and have developed some very accurate loads for my hunting rifles and pistols. I understand that a chronograph will obviously tell me the velocity of my bullets, but if the highest velocity load is not the most accurate, what good does that data do me? I would still go with the most accurate load. Other than being a cool toy, what am I missing?

If you hunt with a rifle a chrono will let you know for sure what your bullet drop should be at a given range knowing the bullet and velocity.
If you are loading with a book load expecting 1100 fps and your Chronograph says you are getting 850 fps or 1290 something is different with your data or your equipment and operator are in error. I may only get mine out every year but it is a useful tool, even just to verify lot to lot powder.

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Front sight and squeeze

Like said above, if you know the exact velocity of your reloads you can accurately chart the bullet drop.

If you know the velocity you can know if the bullet you're loading will reliably expand. (very important with a hunting load and with SD rounds in a handgun)

Since we have no way of measuring pressure, excessive velocity is a very good indication something is wrong. If the book says the Max charge will produce 2750 fps and your load is generating 3000 fps you know darn well the pressures are probably too high. lol

Knowing what the Extreme Spread and SD numbers are will tell you if your loads are being loaded with consistency.

There are probably more good reasons but those are the ones I can think of right off.

Also, don't discount the cool toy angle either...

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

With a known velocity and weight, energy can be computed.

With a known BC remaining energy can be calculated.

These things can tell you a little about what range makes for an inhumane shot at a game animal.

If you have a known range, a known muzzle velocity and remaining velocity at that range, BC can be calculated.

Velocity also gives you a more accurate representation of chamber pressure, and problems within a load combination.

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it just needs more voltage

Great tools for a number of uses....obviously for velocity, but for consistency of your reloads, standard deviation, which is a part of consistency...helps sort out changes in any part of your reloading process....ie.


No Unique available so I had to change to 700x....started with suggested loads...used chronograph to replicate my loads with Unique.

Also used it to find the fasted load I could with a lead projectile before it showed sighs of things like excess pressure, flattened primers, tumbling etc...

Hope that helps.......

Randy

Also helps finding the sweet spot in your component selection

I use mine quite a bit, but admittedly less so for rifles. For Rifles, accuracy trumps velocity.

For handgun, I use it quite a bit. IDPA power factor, for one thing. Factory load duplication is another. For example, I load my .38 DEWCs to 725fps to make IDPA power factor for competition. Another example, I load my .44 special using the exact bullet that Buffalo Bore uses and I match their velocity (staying within min/max powder levels).

I use it a lot more for handgun. In retrospect, I've never chrono'ed my rifles.

I use a chrono to test loads for velocity then i test for acccracy. then i test another small batch until i find the best one. it is called load development.
i also do it for USPSA power factor.

I've never had one and can't see myself ever getting one.
I've reloaded since the early 60's and never felt I was missing out on anything w/o one.
But I'm not the gadget guy many are.

I like simple.
If I want to figure bullet drop I shoot at a target at that range and see how far the bullet drops.
Mostly I just load at the lower end of the scale and all the numbers about velocity, energy, BC, ect mean nothing to me anyway.
Cool Toy and Electronic Device do not go together. An 80 y/o rifle in an obsolete caliber would be more of a cool toy to me.

But I can see where lots of people would like them,,and do!

I appreciate all of the replies and very interesting information. I load with a single stage press, weigh every charge and measure every round I load. I was curious if a chronograph would help improve the quality of my loads and it sounds like it could provide some very useful information. However, I tend to agree with 2152hq in that if I want to prove what bullet drop will be at a given distance, I will shoot a target at that distance. Additionally, if I am putting the bullets through nearly the same hole at 100 or 200 yards I feel that tells me more about the consistency of my loads than a numerical value ever will. My OCD nature would force me to verify it any way. I am somewhat of a gadget guy and the cost of a unit is not a big factor, but I think I will judge the fruits of my labor by hard results. Thanks again for all the insight!

I will show you that some of the Companies..........

"Speak with Forked Tongue " !!

I learned that some powders do not come up to par and some
will actually pass a Fac Dup. load in fps and still be under maximum pressures.

Data calls for "X" amount of powder when actually "Y" is needed to get the published velocity..... or load B will give 2833 fps while it actually gives 2766 in your weapon.

They help take the guess work out of what will happen when you barrel length does not match the data in the manual or if the bullets are a little different or a BC is not listed or.........
you have three or more different BC's for the same weight/style bullet !!

Just a great little toy to play with numbers..........as long as you keep it out of harms way.

PS;
I also used it to make sure my trap loads were "Legal" and within spec's.

Uh, knowledge? A chrono tells you exactly what your loads are doing. No guessing velocity & bullet drop for rifles, or PF for gun games.
When you change a component in your load, a chrono will tell you if it is affecting pressures. All things being equal in your loads, an increase in vel often means an increase in pressures. I've used a chrono pretty much since I have been reloading, back when the cheaper models had foil screens. I could reload without one, but then I would always be guessing.
Fwiw, I don't chase numbers. Low ext vel spreads & std dev are nice, but how the load shoots is always the bottom line.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

A chronograph gives you REAL feedback! Without a chronograph, hand loading is much more "guess" than fact. WITH a chronograph, hand loading becomes a much more "exact science."

I have had one for the last 20 years. It helps. I shoot cast out of rifles. Chrono is indispensable because you don't always get what is expected.

I have a group on the wall of 300 yards, Cast 22-250 bullet with a gas check. Traveling at 2750 fps. Great information, and it gives me bragging rights.

Last night I shot the silhouette match with my 308. 115 grain cast with 12 grains Promo. AV 1825 SD 11. This matters so I can even be allowed to shoot the match.

Loading 45 ACP using published data. 7.5 grains Unique is in the book for a 200 gr SWC. I loaded it and got erratic velocity higher than what was quoted. I got away from that load.

Everybody has their thing.

David

I use a chrony when I work up loads or test a new/new to me firearm. The diagnostics/feedback it gives me saves allot of time & aggravation.

A couple of examples:
I buy a used rifle, a remington 541s 22lr & take it to the range for the 1st time. I mount a tested scope/ring combo on it & bring a know/tested lot of match ammo. The 541s doesn't do very well with it, so should I grab another box/different lot of $10 ammo and try it to see if the 541s like it better?

A chronograph would would answer that question.

I've owned a 44mag pistol for 9 or 10 years now & have done allot of reloading/testing with it. Over the years I've noticed that the pistol reads a little low compared to the reloading manuals data when it has been tested with a chronograph. After reading about a mag powder I buy some to try with 1 of my favorite heavy cast bullets & load up some test loads using a standard ladder method. The loads seem normal recoil wise and get stouter as they should as the loads get heavier with magnum loads. As I get near the top end of the loads I see that the primers are starting to get flat but extraction is still fine/no sticking cases. I see that the chronograph reading are 200fps higher/faster than the published data I was using. I quit testing & took the remaining test loads home to pull/check the components & recheck the load data.

The recoil seemed normal & seeing primers starting to flatten with heavy mag loads isn't all that uncommon. Would I of been able to tell if there was a problem with that load by recoil alone?

I work up a pistol load in a 357 & it pretty accurate @ 50ft all bullets touching. Should I bother testing the same load @ the 100yd line?

A chronograph will answer that.

I get a new mold & cast some bullets for a 308. I've had the 308 for years & have gotten some excellent cast bullet/loads with it over the years. I load up some test loads with 3 different powders that have performed well in the past and head out to the range. The results weren't great but it was a place to start. Should I change lube, bullet size, alloy, seating depth?

A chronograph will answer that.

A chronograph is nothing more than a tool & it will only answer what you ask of it. I've owned/used the for 30 years now, don't take them to the range every time I go. But I will use them when testing firearms for the 1st time or when I want to get serous with a firearm/reload combo.

A 10-shot group with a flier.



Why the flier? Operator error, bad primer, bad powder charge, bad reloading technique

A chronograph answered why.

A test load for target loads in the 44mag, again there's a flier.



Again, why the flier?

A chronograph answered why.

" a chrono will let you know for sure what your bullet drop should be at a given range knowing the bullet and velocity."

So will the holes in a target at those same ranges, and more accurately than any mathematical estimation.

I've been reloading nearly 40 years and haven't used a crony yet. I can answer a phone call also without it being smart.

I like to chronograph all the loads I make on my press's and I also like to chronograph my carry ammo (Factory) - nothing like personally verifying!

I like to know that all my loadings are consistent and I also like to tweak the powder volume to get exactly what I want. Reloading is not an exact science and the manuals do vary a bit from what to actually get - depending on exactly which components you are using.

If you are just reloading for casual plinking then I suppose you can get away without a chronograph, but I always like to know exactly what I am producing and I also like comparing different components, methods, etc.

OCD I think they call it..........

"A chronograph gives you much more than just the velocity of a load. It also gives you insight into your overall reloading process. When you see the ES and SD of a statically significant sample (lets say 20 or more), you see how all the variables in your process come together. In my opinion, reloading without a chronograph is like being deaf and driving a vehicle without a speedometer."

Chrony Info

Pretty much it just adds to you knowledge of what your loads are doing. Do you need one? No. Is it good to have? Yes.

I would gather more people that shoot do not have one. Probably more people that reload also do not have one.

Depends on if you find the information posted above useful.

How about all the hunters/shooter that use factory ammo. I doubt they ever clock a load.

I lived for years without one. Then as interest in the hobby increased I got one.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Now if you are lucky enough to have a wife or friend go into the field with you when the chrony is used, you might get carried away like I do some times..................

I shoot and call out the bullet placement...........
the 2nd party adds a number and fps to the note pad.

At the end you get a "Map" of the shots and the fps of each hole on the target.

With my rifle loads there is a spotting scope added along with the aid of the chrony but only out to 200 yard targets, with the normal shot at 100 yards.
All my rifles have under 1" developed loads and my 22-250 has a 55gr load that is under .40" with a 5 shot cluster at 100 yards. Knowing the BC and fps lets me make kills at 300 yards with a click of the scopes dial without a second adjustment.

I usually don't chronograph my handgun loads and prefer to check performance on the range, 25, 50 and 100yds. There are very few areas around here where I'd have to take a shot longer than that for any reason.

If I'm developing a rifle load for accuracy at 100 yds. I don't use a chronograph then either, the proof is on the paper.

I also don't use a chronograph to try and determine anything to do with pressure or comparing data from any other source, I'm not gullible enough to fall for that.

I do use mine when I'm trying to develop a varmint hunting load. The longest range I have available is 100 yds, while my shooting may be much, much further. The fact that a group of bullets passes through one hole at 100 yds. means nothing at 800+. And it doesn't give me any information about how much drop to expect at any range, other than 100 yds.

If you have a range where you can shoot at the distances and wind conditions you plan to hunt in, you don't need one. If not, then one could help you with the quality of your reloads for the purpose you have in mind.

This is true. I once had a .30-05 150 grain bullet load that shot clover leaf holes at 100 yards but wouldn't hit the paper at 300 yards. Changed to a 165 grain that did the same at 100 yards and filled a 4 inch group at 300 yards--the longest range available. To this day I don't know the velocity of either load (only approximate velocity), but I know what works accuracy wise and what doesn't. And the 165 grain load has never failed to perform in the field.

It's something for gadget guy's to play with. I got enough stuff to lug to the range as it is.
Gary

When you are shooting IDPA/ICORE/USPSA there are minimum power factors that MUST be met or exceeded. Most people in those sports reload and need to make sure that their reloads in fact make or exceed the given standards.

I did not use a chronograph until I started into those disciplines and learned the hard way that my reloads were NOT Major at all...(being moved to minor with a .45acp kind of sucks) Hard lesson to learn but a good lesson to learn.

Also, something that makes Major at sea level and 75 above will have a different power factor at 3500 feet above sea level and now it is 35 degrees...my chronograph ensures that I am with those standards.

My investment into my chronograph has eliminated THAT problem and as I mentioned above when faced with the standard powders NOT being readily available, I need to make sure that what I load as a substitute is making major for me.

Randy

PS. a good chronograph is just as important to me as a good caliper

I have a fascination with numbers and enjoy seeing how loads vary with powder type, charge weight, bullets, primers, barrel length…… Don’t hunt anymore and plinking will only entertain me for so long so reloading/experimenting is one of the major reasons I shoot.
Started with a shooting chrony and moved up to an Oehler 35P after one range session. The Oehler takes a little time to setup but never misses a beat and there is no questioning the results.
As others have said it never hurts to verify what your gun/load combination is actually delivering.
Very useful in load development and it’s fun to play with.

.41 cal

Yes, but having a reliable velocity makes it a lot safer to fire that first round at longer range with less risk of putting one over the berm if you crank in the wrong correction based on incorrect velocity assumptions.

Folks that shoot factory ammo don't generally feel the need for a chrono and the differences between firearms and factory test barrels with factory ammo are the same as in reloading manuals. The velocity on the box, like velocities given in manuals, varies just as much. Shooting is the proof in the pudding. Even if one knows the exact velocity and can accurately calculate the drop, they still need to shoot at that distance to verify they can do it and the bullet shoots well at that distance.

Few years back when the price drop of chronos made them available to the general public, I bought one because like so many, I thought it would improve my ammo. Truth is, it hasn't. Very seldom do I use it anymore. Basically I load for accuracy and mostly find accuracy comes before max. Since I don't load to max or beyond, I never got to the point where I found adding more powder gave me less velocity. I've also found that variances in SD does not always relate directly to accuracy, and that SD between batches of my own ammo generally made more of a difference than SD of a single batch. This after the most accurate load combo was determined. The holes in the paper were still the determining factor.

That said, it is nice to know the velocity of a load coming outta your firearms. Still, I never found enough difference in manual stated velocities and actual velocities that bullets being used were inappropriate. I found that even tho loads varied in velocity from one firearm to the next, in most cases, the accuracy was the same between the firearms. IOWs, the load that shot well in the 6'' 686 also shot well in the lever carbine.


Sometimes, when I develop a new load, I take the chrono along just for ships and giggles. While they can be a fun tool for a handloader, they are not required to make safe and accurate ammo.

....and what caliber would vary that much in velocity between what is stated in the manual and that is produced from a firearm, that one would make a mistake of YARDS of holdover in order to send one over the berm?

A difference of 150FPS on a 168SMK will make a difference of 80" in drop at 1000yds. I'm sure there are more dramatic examples out there.

Book vel are all over the place; diff guns, diff barrel lengths, w/o a chrono, you are guessing; 25fps loss per inch, 30, 40, what? So unless you have access to say a 600yd range & want to burn a bunch of ammo getting your settings, knowing the vel & running a bal program saves a lot of time, $$ & wear & tear on the gun. Yep, no one needs a chrono, like no one needs a progressive press, but very nice tools to have.
For gun gamers, how would you know what your PF is without actually shooting the load in your gun over a chrono? Again, you are guessing based on book data. That can cost you a match for sure, getting dq for not making pf. So lots fo good reasons to own a chrono, but no bad reason, not one.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Exactly what I was trying to say. Nice to have, but not needed for safe and accurate ammo, especially for the average reloader.

Also as I said, if one wants to pick nits and shoot 1000 yards with a gun zeroed at 100 and not shooting anywhere in between, a chrono is just as necessary for factory loads for correct holdover. We know how common that is. I heard the ballistic calculators clicking as soon as I posted. I really expected someone to reply with the difference of a .38 special @ 1000 yards to justify the chrono........

Crank? Try holdover.

Look, if you think it's absolutely essential to shooting to have a chrony, go with it. I say it's not "essential" by any means. Thousands have shot successfully for many years without an electronic speedometer to tell how fast the bullet goes. It's called range time and part of the fun of reloading.

If you have to present reloading as some level of rocket science, fine. Punch your numbers into a calculator and find out how caliber X with XX grains of powder with a Y weight bullet will drop at 300 yards when zeroed at 100. By the time you do, I will have fired a few rounds and show you how much they actually drop. I don't care if the bullet is going 50 fps faster than the load data states--and neither will the deer. But hey, you enjoy using the toys so turn them on and fire away.

Lots of ways to skin a cat.

I've been curious about my reloads, but not enough to justify a chrono. (A LOT more things I needed more). However, after starting to use lead in pistol and rifle and having target velocities not to be exceeded, having one would be useful.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

An additional benefit of a chrono I don't see mentioned:

I had worked up a .308 load with RL 15. The load was near max.
After several years I had shot up most of that loaded ammo and had to get additional powder.
The new lot of powder, by weight (same powder charge as initially worked up) was 150 FPS faster than the original lot.
This makes a big difference in drop @ distance.
The chrono allowed me to "dial in" the new lot of powder for the same velocity as the original load.

A good example for me is I've found I get the same velocity with a .44M, 240 gr. SWC. 7 1/2 in. barrel with 20 and 22 grs. of 2400. Another is a .308 was too much for grandson so instead of buying another gun I got some 170 gr. flat point bullets and backed off on powder until I got down to 2000 FPS which is close to 30-30 and he could handle it. Ten shots and nine deer. The chrono was cheaper than buying another rifle and I save 2 grs. of powder on max. .44M loads. Larry

+1 a chronograph can tell the user allot more than just bullet speeds.

In the examples I posted above:

The remington 541s need a new striker spring. Used that same ammo in 5 other rifles & always had a sd of 13fps to 15fps. The 541s was getting a sd of 40fps with that same ammo. Inconsistent ignition ='s bad accuracy. I could of tried different lots of ammo all day and walked away scratching my head wondering if I just bought a lemon.

To this day I still don't know why I got 200fps more out of that 44mag load. but I'm a firm believer in that you can never be too careful when working up new loads.

I didn't bother bringing that 357 load to the 100yd line, it was a lite load of unique that shot with all holes touching @ 50ft. But with a sd in the 60's and a extreme spread of over 100 it would of fell apart @ 100yds.

The 308 bullet from the new mold needed to be cast with a harder alloy. Hit the rpm threshold with all 3 powders but didn't have enough velocity with any of the test loads to stabilize the long cast bullet.

The single flier with the #50 sp bullets was from a bad bullet. All #'s were good & the trigger broke clean on that shot. It was either a bad base, a air pocket in the cast or some other casting/sizing error.

The flier with the 629 & the 200g wc's was operator error. The chrony #'s looked good, didn't have the crosshairs/dot centered.

These do you or don't you need a chronograph threads come up all the time. Personally, I use them but if someone else doesn't that's ok with me. To each their own & I'll be taking the chronograph to the range today. Been working on some paper patch loads for the 308, want to see if there's any velocity difference between the sized & un-sized bullets.

enjoy

You can drive w/o a gas gage too, just fill up when you run out, but you are always guessing & knowing vs guessing, I always take knowing.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I've reloaded for decades without one. That being said, in this day and age of hard to find components, it might be useful when working up a load for a target velocity. I once used a buddy's chrono to check the velocity of some loads. I also checked the velocity of some target loads. Maybe I'm ignorant, but it seems to me that too many people put too much faith in SD data. I'm with you, I generally go for the most accurate load and sometimes (at least with pistols) there is little correlation between low SD and accuracy.

There was an article printed in the 26th edition of Hodgdon's data manual, titled: "Chronographing: The Key to Precision Reloading". The article had some good information, but some of it was very misleading, which I attribute to the source of the article.

Chronographs give the velocity of projectiles. This data is useful in several equations dealing with exterior and terminal ballistics. (It is not reliable in guessing anything to do with internal ballistics as the article suggested and shouldn't be used as such.) While the velocity data is good for some information in exterior ballistics, quality and accuracy depends on a whole lot more than what a chronograph will provide. I have seen loads with high standard deviations shoot very well and loads with low standard deviations shoot very poorly, there's is a lot more to it and it can't all be figured out on a computer.

You know, up until the last 25 years or so, a chrono was a sophisticated piece of equipment that everybody didn't have. I wonder what all of those reloaders did before that???

I'm not knocking chronos, I think they are great, just not essential much of the time. Like I said before, shooting lead has changed my perspective a little.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

The chronograph can be useful, it isn't essential. I loaded for decades without one. I didn't really care what the velocities were, I had usable accurate ammo. Like others have mentioned, I'd sight in at a reasonable distance, fire a few rounds at a midpoint to see the high point and go with it.

That changed when I got into long distance shooting. I needed to know what my velocities were and to make sure changes in powder/primer/brass lots didn't mess up the velocities.

It's also been a big help since powder supplies have made it necessary to change load data I've been using for decades. It makes matching velocities with new powders a whole lot easier. In some cases, it's also clued me that component changes were a whole lot bigger deal than previous experienc suggested.

What would be a good chronograph to purchase for measuring handgun bullets? What make and model number? That is the next thing on my things to purchase list.
Thanks a lot for all of the information in this post.

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Proud NRA Life Member

This is the chrono that is used at all the Area matches for USPSA.

CED M2 Chronograph Set

Competition Electronics Pro Digital can be bought for about $100 and
is very easy to use. I can't imagine handloading without owning a
chronograph. After you've used one for a while you'll provide your own
reasons for buying one.

I use it to safely eek every last foot pound out of my J frame ammo. I can also use it to disprove to those that think a fast powder will give the best (top speed) performance in a short barrel.

David

In the 39's, 40's and 50's they sent loads to a private lab at considerable time and expense. Dr Ohler came out with his Chronograph in the 60's and gave us instant information.

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Front sight and squeeze