Getting a chronograph, please help.

Alleycat

Alleycat

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So since i'm saving soooo much money reloading I've now decided it would be handy to have a chronograph as well.
Only thing is much of what i read about them is along the lines of, doesnt work in the sun, doesnt work in the clouds, doesnt work with indoor lighting etc...do they ever work? work acuratly?

I'd be using it outside 99.9% of the time mostly for centrefire rifle load testing but also .22 rf as well.
Any recomendations? Would like to keep it under a couple hundred bucks all in....


Cheers
A
 
They work... sorta..

They are a tool and shouldn't be considered concrete facts. Their readings do vary a bit under different situations.

I just have a Chrony. There is one for sale cheap on EE right now. 95$? Chrony Master.
 
My Chrony works quite reliably. If it is sunny outside it definitely needs the sunshades. Setting the thing up properly is important. It needs to be level and the bullet must pass over the sensors. Try to set it up a reasonable distance from the rifle. Too close and you can get false readings ( I shoot black powder and this point is quite important with all of the crap coming out of the barrel ). The only time I've run into problems is if I ignore those rules.

It also works ok indoors as when I bought it I tested it by shooting elastic bands over it in my basement :)

Chris.
 
gunlaker said:
My Chrony works quite reliably. If it is sunny outside it definitely needs the sunshades. Setting the thing up properly is important. It needs to be level and the bullet must pass over the sensors. Try to set it up a reasonable distance from the rifle. Too close and you can get false readings ( I shoot black powder and this point is quite important with all of the crap coming out of the barrel ). The only time I've run into problems is if I ignore those rules.

It also works ok indoors as when I bought it I tested it by shooting elastic bands over it in my basement :)

Chris.
Click to expand...

So what fps is an elastic band anyway? LOL

I saw the one on EE but the price isnt far off a new one from Xreload so may just go new...Thanks for the tip though.
 
I have used Chrony for many years. They work well. Use the sun shades if there is a blue sky. An overcast or cloudy day is better.

I try to be at least 15 feet from the unit. Too close causes problems.

Best results are obtained if you shoot off a bench, at a target down range. this way the bullet takes the same path through the unit for most accurate readings.

The loading manuals will give you a velocity for each of their max loads. A Chrony will give you a good idea how close you are to that max velocity. Since velocity is linked to pressure, this gives you an effective speed limit for safety.

I have seen a number of tests comparing a Chrony to a much more expensive brand machine. Results were about the same.

The Chrony folds open. You have to make sure it is open all the way, other wise your readings will be too high. Shoot a 22 through it to establish a reference point. If you ever doubt the unit accuracy in the future, shoot the same 22 (rifle and ammo) to see if the results are the same.
 
I would reccomend chrony brand. It's not perfect, but it does work very well. Follow ganderite's tips and save your money for more components. Don't expect to use it inside under flourescent lights. I tried to rig different kinds of lights to it with varying results. I ended up with their light kit which works perfectly. I sometimes use it inside in the winter time.

It really isn't hard to work around the unit's shortcomings. Plus they are canadian made and the service is excellent. The one I got wasn't working properly - I sent it out and they turned it around in the same day! They said one of the sensors was faulty.
 
The good thing about buying a Chrony brand is that when you put a bullet through the sensors, it doesn't cost as much to replace.
You cry harder when you do it to the more expensive ones. Saw a guy once at the range, bought a Chrony, set it up, and first shot he put right through the screen/sensors. It was funny, but only because it didn't happen to me (although my wife came close once).

AND GET THE MODEL WITH THE REMOTE (cabled?) SCREEN!!!!

When it errors (and it inevitably will on occasion), you won't have to make-safe the entire firing line to reset it.
 
"...also .22 rf..." Don't be wasting your time on RF. Nothing you can do to change the velocity.
Haven't ever used a chronograph in the 40ish years I've loaded my ammo. Accuracy is far more important than velocity.
 
sunray said:
"...also .22 rf..." Don't be wasting your time on RF. Nothing you can do to change the velocity.
Haven't ever used a chronograph in the 40ish years I've loaded my ammo. Accuracy is far more important than velocity.
Click to expand...

Your right velocity ultimatly ins't inportant for the reloading proccess. But as part of load development, knowing velocity lets you get accurate results with a ballistics program and get on paper. If your long range shooting knowing velocity is a must.
 
sunray said:
Haven't ever used a chronograph in the 40ish years I've loaded my ammo. Accuracy is far more important than velocity.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you believe you know everything that's important, and if you don't know it, it's not important amirite? Tell me, oh knowledgeable one, how do you determine power factor without the velocity?
 
If it is a "master" model it has the remote display which sits on your bench and is worth the extra dollars.
The difference between a base model and a top of the line is $120.00.

If you will be using it under fluorescent lights you need their additional light setup.
I ordered the CLL Chrony LED Lamp directly from the company.
They work perfectly under fluorescent lights.
If you really want the top of the top you will need to spend over $600.00 for an Oheler 35P
http://m.youtube.com/?reload=7&rdm=v7ppr54o#/watch?v=EzNKUAgpKNY&desktop_uri=/watch?v=EzNKUAgpKNY
 
I have a Kurzzeit PVM-21. All in it was ~$900 after shipping, duty and brokerage.

The PVM uses active IR LEDs and can work in any lighting condition. The PVM is accurate down to 300fps, but it won't register anything below that. 6500fps is about the maximum but I have no loads that come close. The PVM is intended to be used with a notebook for it's ability to provide accurate datalogging of your testing.

A chronograph and good datalogging on the part of the reloader can tell you quite a but about the condition of your firearm. My German made P226 had really bad velocity span when compared agains a brand new NP22, however the sig still grouped tighter. This suggested to me that the throat is getting pretty worn out on my Sig and I should start thinking about a new barrel.

A chronograph should be considered essential equipment if you are serious about reloading. Before getting the PVM we had loaded up a bunch of .223, shot accurately and cycled the action yet it was a fair ways under published velocities.
 
sunray said:
"...also .22 rf..." Don't be wasting your time on RF. Nothing you can do to change the velocity.
Haven't ever used a chronograph in the 40ish years I've loaded my ammo. Accuracy is far more important than velocity.
Click to expand...

I have a pet load that I rely on for accuracy.
A couple of weeks ago I made 200 rounds of my pet load for the precision rifle clinic given by Hungry.
I tested them with my chronograph and the results were as expected 2590fps +/-10fps.
I was using Varget, 180gr SMK's, CCI BR-2 primers and Lapua brass.
All the brass was meticulously prepared and all powder was weighed on my Chargemaster.

This past weekend I went to my local range with the remaining 70 rounds and I felt that the accuracy of the week before wasn't there.
I pulled out the chronograph to find that the second hundred rounds which were being loaded for the 7th time were nowhere near as consistent in velocity as were the first hundred which were loaded only twice.

If I didn't have a chronograph to tell me it was a problem with inconsistent velocity I may have been trying to figure out if my scope was moving around on me or something else.

Just because you don't use one doesn't mean that there is no use for one.

Since this discovery I have ordered a cartridge case annealer.
I guess many people who have been reloading for many decades will tell me that I don't need one of those either.
 
I have 3 chrony's and 2 Oehler Mod 35Ps and I cannot agree with the posts recommending the chronys, I have found them to be so inconsistant as to be worthless. From one day to the next with different lighting conditions all else being exactly the same I had over 200 fps difference, with the same load, in the same rifle, loaded at the same time, shot in the same place, at the same altitude and in the same temps within 3 deg C
The Oehler 35Ps are the same everyday, every time I use them, in every lighting condition they work within. But you ain't gonna get one for under 200 bucks. I have used them in tandem as well as alternating and the data is always virtually identical.
Service is excellent as well and you can call them up and a real person answers the phone and they are concerned and always extremely helpful. I called them up when my old one wouldn't trigger reliably and their technition listened to my problem (I wanted to order 3 new screens for it) and then told me I didn't need new screens just to take them apart and clean the lenses with warm soapy water and rinse well in hot water and dry with a soft clean cloth. Machine works perfectly again, and they didn't get to sell me three new screens. Now I call that service, he also said if that didn't work send them the screens and they would repair or replace them. (He didn't SAY for free but it certainly sounded like it to me).
In my opinion a bullet through the centre of any Chrony is a fitting end to a worthless piece of junk, JMHO.

Sunray...............why am I not surprized at your response. LOL You're batting a thousand in my books. I guess that would be a negative 1000
 
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