Well Fri. looks to be a good day temp wise, I have the day off and the kids don't have a day off from school so I hope to get out to the range to work on some loads and want to try out my new chronograph. I have never used one before and need some tips other than don't shoot the chronograph. How far from the muzzle do I set it up or any other info I may need to use this equipment. What should I be looking for from the data that I get? Anyone in the Saskatoon area that would like to come out and help or make use of this that has some experience let me know
Hope to try out my new Chronograph
- Thread starter tbooker
- Start date
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
everyone remove their hat and bow their heads, in memorium for our soon to be fallen comrade.
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- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Ever hear of minute of chronograph???
I put mine out 3 full paces. And no matter the weather I always start out with no plastic reflectors at the top, and only put them on if it does not work without. I find the best way to line it up is to put up your target first, then sight your gun on the target in the rests. Then go out to the front of the chronograph and look through the guide wires at your gun. When your eye is lined up properly you should see through your scope with a full image. If you can do that (with only one eye open) and you are centered in the guide wires side to side and up and down, then you are good to go.
I also find for consistency it is good to carry a 6" level, and make sure your chronograph is level from side to side and front to back.
One last tip, make sure you have it in the correct orientation front to back. They do not work backwards!! Guess how I know...
I also find for consistency it is good to carry a 6" level, and make sure your chronograph is level from side to side and front to back.
One last tip, make sure you have it in the correct orientation front to back. They do not work backwards!! Guess how I know...
I found that the distance depends on the rifle, obviously the ones with the biggest blast go further out.
Also sun can play havoc on your results so I suggest putting together a DYI cover instead of the two plastic strips that really don't do much. I ended up making one out of a piece of cardboard and using 22 shells as rod holders pushed through the cardboard. That way you get a full shade over the chrony and I found my results were more reasonable as to what I was expecting.
I had the sun come through the trees once as it got later in the day and my velocities all of a sudden jumped 1000 fps between rounds. definitely the chronograph..
I found that to be a big thing that comes with experience with the chronograph.. sorting the actual results with the gash readings.. To get those good consistent readings make sure the chrony has clean light over the sensors (sunshade if needed) and it is lined up as perfectly as possible to between the tgt and barrel so the bullet travels in a perpendicular line across both sensors this includes both x and y axis.
I've found lining up the line of fire to the chrony is the hardest part. Some ideas I have that I haven't tried yet includes an added use for a laser boresighter to put a piece of paper across the chrony and lining up that way.
Once I hung my cleaning rod backwards from the tip of the barrel to it stuck out far past the barrel and it gave me a bit extra distance to gauge the line.
I found that my chronograph readings were waaaay more reliable once it was set up properly.
Right now we are using a metal table on wheels, but I do have a spare tripod so I"m considering modifying the chrony body to screw on it and using that.. That way I can level it better and it is more portable than the table we have to haul around.
but yea, lining up the chrony is key to success. Distance depends on the gun, but 10-15' is a good distance, you just don't want the blast to interfere by either moving the chrony or sending other stuff like powder smoke/fragments across the sensors.
Just pay attention to the readings.. if they don't look right (i.e a .308 round all of a sudden going 3000fps and the next round being 2750) or your extreme spread seems too much it is likely the chrony, not your ammo. Don't treat the results as gospel.
Also sun can play havoc on your results so I suggest putting together a DYI cover instead of the two plastic strips that really don't do much. I ended up making one out of a piece of cardboard and using 22 shells as rod holders pushed through the cardboard. That way you get a full shade over the chrony and I found my results were more reasonable as to what I was expecting.
I had the sun come through the trees once as it got later in the day and my velocities all of a sudden jumped 1000 fps between rounds. definitely the chronograph..
I found that to be a big thing that comes with experience with the chronograph.. sorting the actual results with the gash readings.. To get those good consistent readings make sure the chrony has clean light over the sensors (sunshade if needed) and it is lined up as perfectly as possible to between the tgt and barrel so the bullet travels in a perpendicular line across both sensors this includes both x and y axis.
I've found lining up the line of fire to the chrony is the hardest part. Some ideas I have that I haven't tried yet includes an added use for a laser boresighter to put a piece of paper across the chrony and lining up that way.
Once I hung my cleaning rod backwards from the tip of the barrel to it stuck out far past the barrel and it gave me a bit extra distance to gauge the line.
I found that my chronograph readings were waaaay more reliable once it was set up properly.
Right now we are using a metal table on wheels, but I do have a spare tripod so I"m considering modifying the chrony body to screw on it and using that.. That way I can level it better and it is more portable than the table we have to haul around.
but yea, lining up the chrony is key to success. Distance depends on the gun, but 10-15' is a good distance, you just don't want the blast to interfere by either moving the chrony or sending other stuff like powder smoke/fragments across the sensors.
Just pay attention to the readings.. if they don't look right (i.e a .308 round all of a sudden going 3000fps and the next round being 2750) or your extreme spread seems too much it is likely the chrony, not your ammo. Don't treat the results as gospel.
hunter7mmRM
CGN Regular
- Location
- Northern Alberta
hey let me/us know what you found out your loads did. i am interested in using the same bullets and i already use the same powder. so information would be awesome!
For an aiming point, I bend the rear rods back a bit and then tape a drinking straw across the two rods. By bending the rods back, the sky screen does not "see" the straw; just sky.
With a scoped rifle I think it is critical to have an aiming point on the Chrony, or in the background.
With a scoped rifle I think it is critical to have an aiming point on the Chrony, or in the background.
I have done like wise I have the rods marked with red tape about 6" up from the chrony.I then use this as a height refference by lineing the cross hairs up with the tape.always use your scope on its lowest setting .
