Chronograph - worth the cost?

[moosedog]

I have one now for about 25 years and it comes in handy a lot more than one would expect.
Especially when trying to duplicate factory loads.

 

[SMSgt]

I've always felt it gave nice-to-know info, and I've never had a deer say, "Is that the best you've got?" I've never related speed to accuracy, relying more on where the holes end up.

Maybe in my current second "30 years of reloading" I'll break down and try one. But then again, I've been known to swim against the current before.

 

[Twoboxer]

Even if you only THINK you could use a chrono, your the type of guy whose gonna love the info it adds to your hobby.

All brands have their pros and cons . . . but since the chrono WILL get shot someday, try to get one that has the electronics and display remote from the speed sensors. That will save you money, and save your eyesight.

All the other features a chrono can have can be replaced with pencil and paper.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm now shooting cast

I am shooting cast through my rifle and that makes it more important to have when there is a velocity limit and you can only hope that the load you approximated approaches that limit without going over it.

 

[Alk8944]

I have one now for about 25 years and it comes in handy a lot more than one would expect.
Especially when trying to duplicate factory loads.

Especially when trying to duplicate what factory loads are advertised to do! Often there is a great gap between advertised and actual velocities, generally on the low side. One of the very few times I have seen higher velocities was a Model 700 Classic .35 Whelen. Book for rem 250 gr. factory said 2400, my Oehler said 2420. My handloads go in the 2550 range! Same bullet as Remington factory, 250 Hornady RN.

Buy an Oehler 35P, after the initial sticker shock you will not regret the decision!

 

[MGMorden]

Absolutely. I equate reloading without a chronograph to shooting blindfolded.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Wow! What really good ideas, suggestions, and recommendations. I really appreciate everyone's response. I've done some research on Oehler 35 based on the recommendations provided, and it is impressive. I really like the design where the electronics are placed out of the line of fire (pun intended).

Thanks to all of ya'll who responded. I'll follow up with a report and photos once I get a chronograph.

Best regards,

Dave

 

[Fishstyx]

I was working up some 38 Special loads comparing accuracy and velocity when I started getting strange (large) differences in speed. After some more testing I isolated the difference to powder position. Powder toward the front of the case resulted in 100-150fps slower than powder at the back of the case.

Here's an example of some data I collected yesterday for my Model 10 with a variety of loads.

data

Here's my setup for test. The chrono is a ProChrono Digital

 

[mtgianni]

I think it is not needed for a by the book reloader. If you want to know if your sierra 150 gr bullet shoots the same as the 150 gr Hornaday used in the manual, if you shoot surplus powders, if you shoot cast bullets or obsolete calibers it is a great tool.

 

[Fishstyx]

I think it is not needed for a by the book reloader. If you want to know if your sierra 150 gr bullet shoots the same as the 150 gr Hornaday used in the manual, if you shoot surplus powders, if you shoot cast bullets or obsolete calibers it is a great tool.

Orrrrrrr, if you're a geek who thinks technology and physics make a great excuse to go shooting.

 

[alwslate]

Buy a chronograph. The only way you will ever regret it is if you waste
your money on a Chrony brand.

 

[chief38]

Chony's are relatively inexpensive and when you start using one it will open up a new world of reality regarding what posted velocities are suppose to be and what they will really are from real guns!

You guys have seen me here touting Buffalo Bore ammo all the time...... until I actually chronographed other Factory loads and saw how slow they really were out of my actual guns I did not know how good the BB's really were. It is also great if you are a reloader. Remember, there are lots of manuals and websites with loading data, but there is nothing like actually seeing what you are producing and shooting out of your own guns. Well worth the coin IMHO!

 

[forestswin]

I was working up some 38 Special loads comparing accuracy and velocity when I started getting strange (large) differences in speed. After some more testing I isolated the difference to powder position. Powder toward the front of the case resulted in 100-150fps slower than powder at the back of the case.

Here's an example of some data I collected yesterday for my Model 10 with a variety of loads.

data

Here's my setup for test. The chrono is a ProChrono Digital

Good job - I like posts like this.
Note - I've been advised here and read elsewhere you need at least 10 shots for a meaningful SD computation.

 

[Fishstyx]

Good job - I like posts like this.
Note - I've been advised here and read elsewhere you need at least 10 shots for a meaningful SD computation.

This is true, but it I did it anyway

I have some .223 loads for my AR that I'll be testing this weekend and I have 20 of each, 10 for chrono and 10 for 100yd accuracy test. Unfortunately our range slopes down so I can't chrono at the 100 yd distance.

Also, unless you have the range to yourself, a remote box that allows you to see data and control the chorno (string change for example) is critical. Otherwise you're either waiting for target checks or trying to read the velocities real time as you shoot everything through a singe string.

PS, my Prochrono Digital (in the lighting conditions you see in the pic) hasn't missed a single shot, be it 38 at 650fps or 17HMR at 2550.

PPS, One other piece of advice. Work our your shooting plan ahead of time and have it on paper, with the ammo strings clearly organized so all you have to do is load, shoot and record. I had a paper copy of that spreadsheet at the bench so I filled in the speed of each shot real time. I also organized my ammo by simple numbered group (instead of writing all the details for each load) that corresponded with the group number on the test plan.

 

[jepp2]

I have great value for mine. Use it more for rifle than handgun. When you see a load running faster than the book load it is a good indication your maximum load may be below the max load listed in the book.

Some tips I picked up before I started using mine. Most would apply regardless what chrono you use.
- always set it up the same distance from the muzzle. For rifle I set mine up 15 feet from the muzzle to the first sensor. To make setup easier I have a cord marked at 1 ft. intervals. I just attach the loop to the rest and extend it.
- I put a bubble level inside mine, to make leveling easier.
- I replaced the metal rods with wood. If you happen to shoot one it doesn't hurt anything. I also marked the region I want the bullet to pass through on the rods. Again to make setup quicker.
- I use a cheap Bushnell laser bore sighter to position the chrono. First I put the rifle in the rest with the scope on the target. Then the laser makes it easy to position the chrono in the correct location and height. For safety, I put a chamber flag in the breech when the laser is in the barrel.
- Low sun angles can cause any chrono to miss the shadow of the bullet. I have a shade I use on the sunny side. Keeps mine reading early in the morning when I used to miss a reading.
- mine has a printer that at the end of each string I print off the individual velocities, high, low, avg, ES, and St Dev. I can just attach that to the target when I finish. Makes a nice record.

My Chrony has been outstanding. I normally shoot with clear blue CO skies and these are potentially the more difficult conditions for any chrono. What it looks like in action:

[URL=http://s860.photobucket.com/user/jepp2/media/P1000852_zpsfcd8bfe6.jpg.html] [/URL]

 

[Goldstar225]

Yes, get the chronograph. Like you I loaded for almost 30 years before I bought my chrony. Glad I got it. Without a chronograph your guessing at your velocity. An educated guess perhaps but it's still a guess.

 

[NorthWoods1900]

As long as you STICK TO PUBLISHED DATA, you don't need a chronograph for a pistol. You should chrono your rifle ammo (both factory as well as reload) to determine if you have pressure/velocity issues. I own a Chrony and don't like. The sky screens are a nuisance to deploy and they often pop out. Also they can be erratic in changing lighting conditions. Unfortunately there are no other practical choices.

 

[alwslate]

As long as you STICK TO PUBLISHED DATA, you don't need a chronograph for a pistol. You should chrono your rifle ammo (both factory as well as reload) to determine if you have pressure/velocity issues. I own a Chrony and don't like. The sky screens are a nuisance to deploy and they often pop out. Also they can be erratic in changing lighting conditions. Unfortunately there are no other practical choices.

Oh so sorry but you are very much mistaken. Almost all of my
reloading is for pistols and I have owned a chronograph since
1986. Checking factory ammo, barrel length effect, extreme
spread, comparing powders and different guns with the same
load, primer effect, bullet effect. The list of reasons for using
a chronograph for pistol loads is way too long to list here.
As to published data; the velocities obtained from pressure
barrels and listed in manuals often have little relevance to
real pistols used by reloaders. Also there is a practical
alternative to the Chrony, the $100.00 Competition
Electronics Digital. A much better product.

 

[Kilibreaux]

Good morning:

I've been reloading for over 30 years now, almost exclusively for handguns, and never with the use of a chronograph. When I was younger, I wanted one, but just couldn't afford one. I now have the opportunity to buy a new-in-the box Chrony Beta Master chronograph for $105.00. Are chronographs worth the expense? Are they more fun/informative than a hassle? Is the Chrony Beta Master a good chronograph, and is this a fair price?

I greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions to the above questions.

Thank you,

Dave

If you roll your own a chronograph extends your acquisition of knowledge about the loads. If you don't load a chrono allows you to validate published data with your gun. With a chrono you can ascertain whether your hand loads achieve desired spec and so avoid pushing charges up needlessly.

 

[WR Moore]

I loaded for ~30 years without one. I shot good groups, killed game and competed well without issue. I didn't break down and get a chronograph until I started seriously shooting long range rifle. You have to know your velocities to calculate your drop tables and as someone noted above, you can get wicked drop changes from velocity variation. It also allows you to figure out what the actual drop is for a given bullet vs calculated drops from the bullet manufacturers data.

A type that has the works separate from the sky screens is a real good idea. It took me 11 years to whack a screen, but replacing the screen was a lot cheaper than replacing the whole unit.

Don't get too obsessive about exact velocities, the consumer grade units simply don't have either good enough 'clocks', sufficient distance between screens and uniform enough bullet paths for exact repeatability.

One of the fun things about the chronograph was figuring out how good a ballistic pendulum I have from back in the olde days was. I'd worked out a conversion that let me figure velocity from relative momentum factors. The answer was pretty darn close.