Chronograph Advice
- Thread starter GiJoy
- Start date
Spend once and get the best, it's not cheap but it is the most accurate of all for under 1K...........Oehler Mod 35P. I have 2 Mod 35s and 3 different Chronys, the Chronys are junk IMHO..........I had one give a 200 fps difference using the same load from my 22-250 on consecutive evenings, the only difference was light conditions..........What good is a chronograph that lies by 200 fps? Which one was right, who knows..........totally worthless and a good waste of powder and bullets. I have run my 35Ps front to back to test their accuracy and run the same loads for several days with different lighting conditions and the differences are miniscule...........this is what a chronograph SHOULD do..........When it doesn't like the lighting then is just won't give a reading or it comes up error, at least it doesn't lie to me. You would be looking at between 6-700 dollars for a Mod 35P and you can call Oehler in Texas and they will ship directly to you. By the way, the 35P also does a print out so you can save your data and file it with the load data for different rifles and calibers. I like this because I'm seriously computer challenged and like to have files on paper.............You are free to take this advice or not, but it's coming from a guy who has been using chronographs for 40 years, right back to the Oehler Mod 10 with paper screens...........I have used 7 or 8 different chronographs over the years and highly recommend the 35P.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Very interesting tool, tried to find a price point but no luck, have they given you a price?
bought a Chrony and it wouldn't work. Manual said not to send it back to where you bought it but to contact the manufacturer instead. This is so they can patch it up and get it working and therefore not lose the sale. I sent it back to cabelas and got my money back. Junk
At Shot Show they estimated the retail price would be around $500usd.
I'd definitely buy one of these if they actually work. I'm a little worried though, they were at SHOT show in January but I have yet to see a single video online of anyone actually using and reviewing one of them.
Yup, me too. Been using the Chrony Master Beta (10-year-olds at heart, feel free to giggle now) for years and it's always been reliable, except in full sun. Sure, it's not as convenient as the one that can connect to your computer or whatever but I'm more of a pen and pad kinda guy when it comes to shooting.
ipscgraz
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
My only concern with the Shooting Chronys I have had is that they are a little fussy about low light conditions. Never had an issue with sunlight, just a lack of it.
Naturally, I tried to put the bullet closer to the sensing element. (right over top of the chrony)
Aw crap.
Naturally, I tried to put the bullet closer to the sensing element. (right over top of the chrony)
Aw crap.
That caldwells one that connects to your smartphone seems very interesting... I have been thinking about getting a chrony and this seems like the best bang-for-your-buck if you are a technofile.
That radar looks amazing, but I can't justify that much money on something thats only going to be used occasionally. I'd much rather get a cheaper one and spend the rest on a new gun or something.... So I think I'll probably just get the a cheap one from Amazon, which is like $112 shipping included. (And its a Shooting Chrony brand, someone said thats a Canadian company didn't they??)
That radar looks amazing, but I can't justify that much money on something thats only going to be used occasionally. I'd much rather get a cheaper one and spend the rest on a new gun or something.... So I think I'll probably just get the a cheap one from Amazon, which is like $112 shipping included. (And its a Shooting Chrony brand, someone said thats a Canadian company didn't they??)
caveman741
Member
- Location
- swift current, sask
I've been using the magneto speed for a couple years now, mounts to end of the barrel. It does change point of impact but I only use it to get my mv speed anyways. Once I have that then it's game on lol
Henry Nierychlo
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Surrey, B.C.
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
I hate to say something negative, but if you do buy one of these, make sure that there is an acceptable (to you) returns policy with whomever you buy it from, in case you are not happy with it.
A friend recently bought two of these, one for him and one for me.
Before even using it, being electronics types, we took apart one of the Caldwell chronos to see how it was built and how it works. I was impressed with it as a very good piece of well-engineered cheap (and I mean that in the _good_ sense of the word) electronics product for the retail market.
We mounted both of them together and tested them out at the range (set up so that they would both measure each bullet we shot). We were firing a good rifle with known good ammo, and the speeds indicated by each of these chronos did not make sense. Firstly, they disagreed with each other, and secondly they showed velocity spreads and SDs that were larger than what made sense (based on previous experience, including vertical spread when fired at 900m). We had also set up an acoustical chronograph for reference purposes, and it showed the the ammo speeds were in fact quite repeatable.
The ammo was actually giving SDs of about 10fps, one of the Caldwell chronos gave an SD of 50fps, the other gave an SD of 70fps, and the average speeds indicated by them were both wrong (one showed about 75fps high, the other showed about 150fps high). In my opinion, a chrono is useful for one (or both) of the following: one, to measure an average speed so as to figure out downrange drops, and two, to measure SDs in order to develop a consistent load. In my testing, the Caldwell as purchased was not suitable for either use.
Being electronics types, he actually modified his - he disconnected the optical sensors and replaced it with acoustical sensors (I build electronic targets so this is the sort of stuff I have lying around on my bench... ;-). To our delight not only did it function on the first shot (you should have seen the smile on his face!), but the chronograph then gave consistent accurate and precise readings, which agreed with our acoustical chronograph and which agreed with our downrange POI data. So it seems that the internal timing electronics of the unit work completely fine, but there is some sort of problems with the optical sensors as they were installed in our two units (we are speculating that it is either alignment errors in the optical sensor that allows it to move from shot to shot, or perhaps with the electronics in the optical sense circuitry triggering at a different point for each bullet fired).
My friend had bought them from an American place for about $75 each (don't even ask what he paid for shipping and customs clearance!), and their return policy is such that it would cost him a pile of money to return them, so he's not going to bother. On the other hand, he and I have had fun doing some electronics hacking with chronographs...!
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
TrxR - that thought has been going around the "skunk works" here. Would certainly be a fun project, though I and my company need another project like we need (another?) hole in the head.....!
