Chrono use questions

[Wyatt Earp]

How far away should I place the chrono for handgun cartridges? I have read that 10 feet is optimal for most rifles, should the unit be about 5 feet away for normal handguns?

How do I correct from velocity at chrono to muzzle velocity?

 

[Wyatt Earp]

How far away should I place the chrono for handgun cartridges? I have read that 10 feet is optimal for most rifles, should the unit be about 5 feet away for normal handguns?

How do I correct from velocity at chrono to muzzle velocity?

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Now, come on.... Somebody's gotta know.

 

[Erich]

Are you baiting Paul, Jose?

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Nope. No baiting. My questions are honestly serious. I just got my first chrono after nearly 8 years of reloading. I just have never needed one because I have always stuck to book loads for shotguns and well known loads for highpower rifle. But now I want to play with THE POWDER and need to make sure my handgun ammo makes power factor for IDPA.

 

[R Cubed]

I place mine at 15 ft (measured) from the muzzel. I gather at least ten reading, load the data into a spreadsheet and calculate the Mean (some call this average - tell that to a stats man and watch him boil inside)and the Standard Deviaition.

The results are then plugged into "Point Blank" software and the muzzel velocity adjusted until it reads the same velocity at 15ft as the measured mean at 15 ft. There you will find your muzzel velocity of your weapon (as measured on that date, time, temp, and humidity... just to muddy this up a bit..

Yah I know it may seem like work but know this, I'm having fun

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Rick, thanks. That's great info.

 

[Paul5388]

I finally got my F-1 Master working again today!

I keep mine set at 15 feet on a dedicated table. The original cable was 15 feet long, so I made everything match the cable length. The new cable is 18 feet long and comes with a connector that allows lengths up to 36 feet.

I use Remington Shoot! to convert to true muzzle velocity, but you do have to know the ballistic coefficient (BC) to do the conversion. http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics...listics_software.asp It's free and does what I want it to do. For muzzle energy, I use Point Blank. http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3

Both programs are less than 600 kb in size and both are free!

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Thanks guys, 15 feet it will be.

Now if it were to stop snowing and blowing........

 

[acl864]

Good info- My Shooting Chrony Alpha just came in Thursday- I set it up and played a little this afternoon with BB guns and rimfires. I probably had it a little close- it was only about 5 feet out from the muzzle. Seemed to work fine with the smaller stuff but I'll move it further out when I set it up for the centerfires.

 

[OKFC05]

If too close, the shadow of the shock wave ahead of the bullet can trigger the screen--usually just the closest one--and give a low reading.
Of course, if you do like one club in TX did and shoot at 2 feet, the blast can disable the electronics.

 

[R Cubed]

Remeber this, most important thing you should know - Your bestest buddy will shoot your chronograph sure thing - bench rests are great prevents and it makes that task harder...

 

[pinkymingeo]

Second the bench rest. I shot several diffusers and support rods before I finally came to my senses and began shooting over a rest.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Yeah, usually this is what happens when you let friends or family shoot over your chronograph.

At 15ft or 50 they aren't designed to withstand a 30-06 bullet going over 2000fps!

My son did this to mine. He was a stand up guy though and went right out and bought me another one, even better!

 

[R Cubed]

Yes friend, order (or make) the rods now - you'll need them later...

 

[1x2]

All handgun loads, I space ~ 12ft., => 4 good paces. 12ft, 15ft, I don't think it matters...

1x2

 

[Paul5388]

I have just scanned a good portion of El Gaucho Martin Fierro and didn't find a certain quote from someone's signature line.

What I did find was:

773
"Las armas son necesarias,
pero naides sabe cuándo;
ansina, si andás pasiando,
y de noche sobre todo,
debés llevarlo de modo
que al salir, salga cortando."

Many hours later, I found this in the English version,

"Weapons are things we need to have,
but nobody can tell when.
So, if you're going out,
and specially at night,
wear your knife so that when you want it
it comes out ready to cut.

Now my curiosity is satisfied and I'm a little familiar with Argentina's epic.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

All you had to do was ask.

PS, I changed the rough Gaucho spelling a bit to match standard modern Castillian.

 

[grendelbane]

More important than the exact distance is consistency. Unfortunately, the weather does not alway co-operate in that regard.

Since the situation when you may need to use a particuliar load vary, that is not a big problem. Life is full of small problems.

Chronographs are fun. I need to get another one. Don't ask what happened to the last one.

 

[rewster]

Originally posted by smith crazy:
Yeah, usually this is what happens when you let friends or family shoot over your chronograph.

At 15ft or 50 they aren't designed to withstand a 30-06 bullet going over 2000fps!

My son did this to mine. He was a stand up guy though and went right out and bought me another one, even better!

I just hope Wheelgunner840 doesn't see these pics

Don't ask