Matching factory loads.

It is nice to be able to see what your velocities are doing in relation to charge weight, also look for the load with the lowest vertical deviation as well as velocity ,not just group size.

I would agree. Velocity is not everything, but it is another piece of the puzzle. When loads vary 300 FPS from starting load to max load it's good to know where you're at.
 
If you don't know MV you are not utilizing your gun to full potential.
Load development starts with getting targeted velocity and once accomplished safely accuracy is tweaked with seating depth.( not always as some magazine length want allow it )
Why would you shoot 7 Rem Mag with 7-08 Velocity ? Shoot 7-08 than.
Most my guns shoot at top velocity and accurate enough to shoot up to 500 550 y.
It is about downrange energy and flatter trajectory high BC and highest velocity = less wind drift as they are exposed to wind for shorter period of time.
 
CZ Brno - I appreciate your taking time on this. Still a bit confused however. I can see that knowing actual MV would be useful in calculating bullet drop over distance, but I've seen few chrony fans refer to that.

Plus you can work up different loads with different powders and compare the velocities along with the accuracy to see what works the best in your particular gun.

If I am working up a load, as with most people, I use ladder tests. When I have loaded and fired perhaps a 12-15 groups, I generally find that two or three different amounts of propellent give better accuracy than the rest and I can use those to fine-tune, developing the most accurate ones. (And no, I'm no longer thinking super-accurate, just the most accurate loads available without major work like turning case necks.) After that, I have in that calibre, for that rifle, two loads that are quite a bit more accurate than the rest, one being faster tha the other. Does it really matter how fast they are going?

Don't get me wrong. The thing about shooting is that there's so much choice. I've never understood, for example, the joy of shooting safari-calibre rifles. To me, they're an expensive way to make my shoulder hurt, but obviously I'm missing something there because there are people who love heading to the range with such. There's lots of room for everybody to do what pleases them. I just wish I understood the fascination of this particular end of it. Thanks.
 
I have an F1 Shooting Chrony and for some reason it wont register velocities above 3000fps. I can get it to show results for ~2850fps but as soon as I load a hotter round it gives nothing but errors. It was the $99 version. I recommend something better.
 
An ammunition manufacturer must make ammo that works reasonably well in all rifles.
You want to make the best ammunition possible for your rifle.
There are several ways to determine the best charge for your rifle.
Either a ladder test or the Optimal Charge Weight method are a good place to start.
A search on either one of these 2 terms should give you tons of reading material.
 
I have an F1 Shooting Chrony and for some reason it wont register velocities above 3000fps. I can get it to show results for ~2850fps but as soon as I load a hotter round it gives nothing but errors. It was the $99 version. I recommend something better.
Is it possible that with hotter loads you have either the muzzle blast or unburnt powder tripping the screens?
I have the Gamma Master Chrony but it uses the same basic setup. If I`m really pushing velocity I need to set the Chrony as far as possible and shoot above the middle of the rods for reliable results.
 
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Is it possible that with hotter loads you have either the muzzle blast or unburnt powder tripping the screens?
I have the Gamma Master Chrony but it uses the same basic setup. If I`m really pushing velocity I need to set the Chrony as far as possible and shoot above the middle of the rods for reliable results.

Maybe. I had the chrony about 15' from the muzzle though. Figured that was enough to mitigate any muzzle blast or powder.
 
A Chrony for sure. I load for 12 different calibers, always looking to see what you can get out of your rifle and yet be safe. Factory claims seem to be just claims and not real world speeds. Some of my rifles are long barreled and I get nowhere near what they say. Just work up your loads and find the most accurate, the bullet will do it's job.
 
When I got mine I could hardly wait to test it out so I put it in the back yard and fired off a bunch of airgun pellets to test it out. The airgun was supposed to be just under the 500 FPS mark and 10 shots averaged 482. So I knew it worked well.
 
I have an F1 Shooting Chrony and for some reason it wont register velocities above 3000fps. I can get it to show results for ~2850fps but as soon as I load a hotter round it gives nothing but errors. It was the $99 version. I recommend something better.

This is not a Chrony issue. It is a muzzle blast issue. Back up another 5 feet and all will be good. I test handgun at 15' and rifle at about 25'.

The advantage of 25' is that a rifle scope will show a more clear image at 25', reducing the chance of hitting the unit. Remember to aim high. The scope is higher than the muzzle.
 
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