New Athlon Doppler Chronograph

[The Norseman]

A new doppler chronograph maybe coming
available.

Looks like Athlon (Scope procurers) are
coming out with a $350 chronograph. It’s
called the Rangecraft.

A doppler type, small like the Garmin, and
easy to use too.

Competition is good. It has my
curiosity, I’m waiting to compare.

Unveiled at the Shot Show.

 

[Nemo288]

Funny there is not a peep or whisper of this unit in Athlon's 2025 catalog:
Catalogs - Athlon Optics
Curious marketing or vaporware?

Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Radar Chronograph 707301 For Sale | SHIPS FREE - EuroOptic.com
Says it's coming in April 2025.

I usually don't like ordering a new electronic until I can read the manual .. which isn't available yet at Athlon.

 

[The Norseman]

Athlon time machine

Check it out on the Nosler forums. There
is a video by The Long Shot at the Shot
Show. April ‘25 is the due date.

The video gives some insight about the
Athlon Rangecraft chronograph.

 

[yeti]

I'm still stalking a new Garmin and will likely get one soon.
The Athlon looks interesting. More options are good.

 

[Krogen]

In my biased opinion, the ship has already sailed. I've had optical, magnetic and RADAR chronographs over the years. A LabRadar was the last one I bought before my Garmin. LabRadar was a big pain. Literally, it was big and a huge hassle to boot. Like a lot of folks, I jumped ship to the Garmin and never looked back.

Garmin just plain works. Sure it has a few quirks, but to say I'm delighted with it is an understatement. Now a year or two later, the competitors have arrived at lower price points. Functionality of those units may or may not be good. Time will tell.

If you're looking for a doppler chronograph, six bills for a Garmin is a "just do it" in my opinion. Considering what many of us spend on our disease, errr "hobby" saving 3 bills to buy a competitor with an unknown track record is false economy. Another poster on another forum said "I'll not be flying on any airplane with Caldwell avionics." A not so subtle nod to Garmin's aerospace capabilities in comparison to their competitors' new chronographs.

 

[IAM Rand]

I have the Magnetospeed and like it........mostly. I am in the, "You want me to spend how much on a Garmin" camp. I will be interested in seeing what Garmin will do when Athlon's version hits the market. $350 is still a little iffy but, I might just break down and get it. I have an Athlon red/green dot and love it.

 

[jerrydm60]

I have the Garmin and love it! it is so easy to use and set uo, also when i get home i download it and print it out. My son used it for his crossbow and BB gun very accurate, what i really like is it fits in my shooting bag no tripods or wires to set up, im 78yrs old cant lug too much stuff around.

 

[toad67]

I have the Magnetospeed and like it........mostly. I am in the, "You want me to spend how much on a Garmin" camp. I will be interested in seeing what Garmin will do when Athlon's version hits the market. $350 is still a little iffy but, I might just break down and get it. I have an Athlon red/green dot and love it.

I really liked my Magnetospeed when I got it. That was until I worked up a load for my 257 Wby, loaded 200 rounds of ammo, then shot it w/o the mMagnetospeed on the barrel. The Magnetospeed messed with the barrel harmonics and the groups went from 1/2" to almost 4". I bought a Garmin and was well worth every penny. JMO...

 

[Krogen]

I really liked my Magnetospeed when I got it. That was until I worked up a load for my 257 Wby, loaded 200 rounds of ammo, then shot it w/o the mMagnetospeed on the barrel. The Magnetospeed messed with the barrel harmonics and the groups went from 1/2" to almost 4". I bought a Garmin and was well worth every penny. JMO...

I had a Magnetospeed. Like you found, it messed up my groups. Not only did they change size, but the point-of-impact moved. To me, that's a serious disadvantage when doing load development. You can't evaluate velocity uniformity and group size at the same time.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I guess I'll have to get me one of those "new ones".......But my old Oehler 35P has been my "rock" for over 30 years........No wires or sky screen is an attention getter.

 

[Jeff423]

I love the Garmin. It allowed me to buy a Chrony for $15.00

 

[llowry61]

Bought the Garmin, I like it. Small, simple and seems accurate. In the scheme of things, if a tool is simple and convenient I use it more frequently, so it is more cost effective. It will do everything I need and should be the last one I buy. I have a lot of things that are simply a pain to use, and they sit idle.

I plan to use it with my crossbow this spring.

 

[IAM Rand]

I really liked my Magnetospeed when I got it. That was until I worked up a load for my 257 Wby, loaded 200 rounds of ammo, then shot it w/o the mMagnetospeed on the barrel. The Magnetospeed messed with the barrel harmonics and the groups went from 1/2" to almost 4". I bought a Garmin and was well worth every penny. JMO...

I shoot the loads I develop for accuracy first then when I find the right load I put the Magnetospeed on and find the velocity.

$500-$600 is a lot of bullets and powder. The other problem is that Caldwell has come out with the Velociradar that appears to 1-up what is out there now.

 

[Nemo288]

Had not heard of the Caldwell option until now.
VELOCIRADAR | Caldwell
It looks like a slightly smaller version of the LabRadar.
The main advantage those 2 have is the downrange velocity tracking.
It's also why they have to be bigger.
Downrange tracking takes a lot more power and a more sensitive receiver.
The most efficient way to achieve that is with a bigger more sophisticated antenna.
You get gain in both directions with small extra cost.
Some of the largest antennae ever made were for long range radar.

One thing that doesn't impress me on the Caldwell is the wimpy 3" display
in the middle of an area big enough for a 5 or 6" one.