Qc_BearHunter
CGN Regular
- Location
- Pont-Rouge, Qc
A chronograph is must. You can very live without one, but once you tried one, you'll never be again without.
Chronograph?? Is it necessary
- Thread starter Mudduck
- Start date
Even after you put a bullet through it, you will buy another. There was a thread concerning who had shot theirs, I was in the count, although luckily both times it was someone else shot a hole through mine. I bought another both times.
All of the stuff printed so far is a good read and there are a lot of valid though emotional reasons there.
It all boils down to how far you are planning on shooting.
What the Chrony will do for you is give you an idea of how consistent your velocities are. If your velocities are consistent, your groups should be consistent as well. If your velocities are 50 to 100 fps different from each other, your groups will be unacceptable at just about any range.
If you aren't going to shoot much beyond 200 yards, any load that consistently shoots into a group you're satisfied with will do the job and a hundred feet per second won't mean anything to an amimal or target.
Where the Chrony really shows its stuff, is when you are shooting at 300 yards and over. Then, you need to know your velocity within 50 feet per second. It's the only way you can calculate bullet drop and wind drift that far out, other than actually shooting at targets that far out, which you should do anyway.
A Chrony can also give you some bad information. Bullet drop will depend on shape and air density as well. Not only that, if your unit has light screens that register the time of a bullet's shadow passing over it, you will get lower velocities registered in low light levels and vice versa.
The only chronographs that are reliable and truly accurate are the screen type, where you actually shoot through the screens.
It all boils down to how far you are planning on shooting.
What the Chrony will do for you is give you an idea of how consistent your velocities are. If your velocities are consistent, your groups should be consistent as well. If your velocities are 50 to 100 fps different from each other, your groups will be unacceptable at just about any range.
If you aren't going to shoot much beyond 200 yards, any load that consistently shoots into a group you're satisfied with will do the job and a hundred feet per second won't mean anything to an amimal or target.
Where the Chrony really shows its stuff, is when you are shooting at 300 yards and over. Then, you need to know your velocity within 50 feet per second. It's the only way you can calculate bullet drop and wind drift that far out, other than actually shooting at targets that far out, which you should do anyway.
A Chrony can also give you some bad information. Bullet drop will depend on shape and air density as well. Not only that, if your unit has light screens that register the time of a bullet's shadow passing over it, you will get lower velocities registered in low light levels and vice versa.
The only chronographs that are reliable and truly accurate are the screen type, where you actually shoot through the screens.
I have noticed that loads with higher S.D's sometimes are more accurate. As with any electronic device, there is a margine for error. I use the chrony to narrow down my velocities, then my target tells me wether or not the load
Is accurate.
It helps to get my bullets on target at long ranges. Then "ACTUAL" measurements get taken to further fine tune my drop chart.
When my drop chart matches my physical measurements at all points shot, only
Then am I satisfied. The chrony helps Yes, but a shooter needs to Know where and when to use common Sense to get to his goal. Everyone does it thier way. There are lots of good shooters out there, and
More times than not a chronygraph has helped them get that way.
Is accurate.
It helps to get my bullets on target at long ranges. Then "ACTUAL" measurements get taken to further fine tune my drop chart.
When my drop chart matches my physical measurements at all points shot, only
Then am I satisfied. The chrony helps Yes, but a shooter needs to Know where and when to use common Sense to get to his goal. Everyone does it thier way. There are lots of good shooters out there, and
More times than not a chronygraph has helped them get that way.
I always used to set up the Chrony and check it with a .22 that was a known speed. Even that did not always work, on days with a lot of sun & clouds going over. I finally got torqued over wasting handloads, over the Chrony, and getting goofy readings when I wanted speeds only. That business of going out twice to do velocity checks got to me.
Went and bought an Oehler, never looked back. Only problem with that, is that, at that time they were only 340.00, they are over 700.00 now on the new version of the 35P. That is a bit much, but, they do what they are supposed to do, when they are supposed to.
Went and bought an Oehler, never looked back. Only problem with that, is that, at that time they were only 340.00, they are over 700.00 now on the new version of the 35P. That is a bit much, but, they do what they are supposed to do, when they are supposed to.
I rarely shoot over a chronograph just to get velocity, rather use mine while I am shooting targets. That way I get the velocity recorded from the same shots that form the group.
Done it this way for at least thirty years, and don't understand why everyone doesn't do so.
Ted
Done it this way for at least thirty years, and don't understand why everyone doesn't do so.
Ted
Lots of good input in this thread. I was going to post the same question but SEARCH indeed is my friend.
I have been considering buying one, but for what? Just to be able to know for a fact what the velocity is? Bragging rights at the range? Have someone shoot it?
You don't need a chrony to work up a load to get a tight group...better than a "minute of moose" LOL.
I have several trophy's on the wall (not moose) that I acquired using handloads without a chrony. Using reputable reloading data and experimenting has worked for me.
When I get one, I may have to retract this.
Too funny!
