Best bang for buck chronograph?

The real question is what do you want out of the unit ? Are you doing basic reloading and looking for speed data? Are you trying to do precision loading for F-class or PRS? Are you practicing for king of 2 mile ?

All of these require different units and each discipline requires different data to perfect the combo. Labradars have some features the Garmin doesn’t like Bc calculation (I believe only for a certain distance and only the older model but it may be a firmware thing for the newer unit. Which I hope to try out soon.)

Caldwell units have been great except when cloudy or weird lighting conditions.

It comes down to knowing more info. For ease of use, size and future proofing. Garmin is a safe bet coming from a giant organization with lots of tech backing it. (Other products they have developed.) However it doesn’t mean it’s the best for you.

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pathfinder76 said:
What is a shooting chrony good for that the others aren’t?
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let me answer this way: magnetospeed doesn't do well with slide-action handguns and ported shotguns, while garmin C1 doesn't work with shotguns (garmin tech support says it will most often read the wad speed)

edit: Shooting Chrony works with anything
 
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Garmin # 1 in my books ! 15 whole seconds to set it up ! Takes longer to get my rifle out of the case ! LOL
Magneto-speed is very good also, had one for 7 or 8 yrs. Never missed a shot !
....butttt...there's always a buttttt.....it takes quite a bit to get it set up...lots of fiddle - faddle to get it perfect, and the worst part is, it changes the barrel harmonics !! You can't shoot for nodes and groups ANNND data at the same time ! Garmin you can !
 
If I had to buy one now, without a doubt Garmin, no set up, and no errors like the old Chrony units. But I have a magnetospeed. and I no longer do enough load development to warrant a new Garmin.
 
Suther said:
As of right now I don't use my chrono a lot, I mostly work up a load focusing on accuracy and then check the velocity on the chrono once I have narrowed things down. Would probably use it a LOT more if I had a LabRadar or Garmin.
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Conventional shoot-through chronographs are such a giant PIA to haul around and set up that the users tend to use them sparingly. The Garmin comes out of your pocket and gets plunked down on the bench beside your rifle. Thus you can use it any time and all the time.


Chilly807 said:
The Garmin just works. Set it next to your barrel and fire. It hasn't missed a shot yet.

The price still stings a bit, but at least I'm getting reliable information from an easy to use unit.

So far, it's money well spent.
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Buy once, cry once. I've had several different shoot-through chronographs and the Garmin is just a pleasure to use, so I tend to use it a lot more than my previous chronographs. Yeah, the price sucks but man the thing is just so good and so effortless to use.


woodchopper said:
well I'm still packing around an old shooting chrony alpha

it does what I need it to do and use it about once a year to confirm velocities of loads I've worked up
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You only use that old chrony because it's a PIA to drag around, set up and use.

We were out today and a friend came along to shoot with us. He claimed his ammo was doing X velocity. I plunked my Garmin down on the bench so we could actually see. Its just so effortless to use that I use it all the time now.
 
BC calculations used to be done by positioning a chronograph a distance downrange. That could be fairly simple with a Garmin. Just put it behind a plate so it cannot get shot. I'm just not sure how the thing knows to look for a shot. Does it need to hear the sound of the shot? Or is it constantly looking for a projectile?
 
I Dont Care About You said:
BC calculations used to be done by positioning a chronograph a distance downrange. That could be fairly simple with a Garmin. Just put it behind a plate so it cannot get shot. I'm just not sure how the thing knows to look for a shot. Does it need to hear the sound of the shot? Or is it constantly looking for a projectile?
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I doubt it would trigger the unit if placed downrange.
 
Brapp891 said:
What’s everyone using that works well and dosent break the bank!
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It depends on your needs and the type of firearm. If you need downrange data the options are limited and more expensive than muzzle vel. data types. In theory you could set up a Caldwell light gate type downrange. But that requires a level of consistency and accuracy that most shooters wouldn't be confident enough when comparing to replacement costs of shooting the chrony by accident. If you just need muzzle velocities then the Caldwell light gate types will work fine. Bit of a pain to set up and they have more issues with dropped shots. Mine would fall apart or get blown over by the percussion wave from the magnums I typically shoot. That's a big pain when your at the range cuz your not supposed to step forward of the firing line when the range is hot or with your rifle on the bench pointed downrange. Safety first kids. Don't run with scissors. The Magnetospeed is a great product but doesn't stay secure to the barrel in my experience and can't be mounted to any muzzle break barrel. Again I mostly use magnums so keep that in mind. Non magnum fat steel barrel guns don't suffer the same issues with the Magnetospeed. I purchased my Magnetospeed about three months before the release of the Garmin. I own a Garmin now and frankly it's just worth it for ease of use alone. I don't think it has ever dropped a shot and it's sooo simple to set up and use. I hope this helps you make a decision that works for you. Cheers
 
Placing the radar downrange ? Most likely won't work...
I have my FX doppler radar for several years now (it can calculates the fpe, and still got the labradar because I need a BC),
it reads the outgoing projectile pulse wave but doesn't read the incoming wave... so that unit reads from muzzle to downrange only
 
I used to use a ProChrono deluxe and it rarely came out. Now I have a Garmin and use it all the time. We'll worth the money to me. I'm looking for long range precision reloads.
 
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