Recommend a good chronograph

[acrashb]

Labradar you can get $400(the old units), they also have a new one out, but not upto speed on the $$ of it or if it is out yet.

Allow me to provide some enlightenment. It's out, available everywhere, will calculate ballistic coefficient, and works fine. Feels rugged. Excellent phone app. Quick velocity calculations. Rated to mount on your rifle. Very easy to aim, just point generally and shoot. https://mylabradar.com/product/labradar-lx/

 

[Dylan4570]

To purchase one new it's the price of a decent gun or a good scope. So I'd say it is a rather large investment IMHO.
However that's not the elitist part;
To suggest that a new shooter is not welcome within the ranks of fellow shooters because they are unable or just unwilling to make that outlay is very unwelcoming to say the least. I just don't think someone should be discouraged from participating because the don't have a piece of kit that is not essential in the first place. Although useful, not required. It's like telling me that my balance scale is judged unworthy because they now sell digital ones now.

Recommending a Caldwell-style chrono in 2025 is bad advice, unless you can only save $150 and are incapable of saving enough for a Doppler-based chrono(or a magnetospeed). In the case you cannot save more than $150. I would not suggest reloading as a hobby. Hence, me being such an elitist snob.

you don't NEED a chrono to reload. But if you are going to get one. get one that is reliable and accurate in any condition. To modern standards, a light-based chronograph is neither.

I own a Caldwell, a Labradar, and a Garmin. I bought the Labradar shortly before the Garmin was released (sucks for me). I bought the Garmin because my big orange cutting board was a pain in the butt and required a separate tripod. It wasn't practical in some situations and at some shooting ranges.

Your balance scale comment isn't relevant since you already have it. I don't think OP had a chronograph before his post.

regards,
Dylan.

 

[track]

I still have my Alpha Chrony, which is about 30 years old. However, this past Christmas I purchased a Garmin; better than sliced bread and most convenient! Athalon is less expensive than the Garmin, by about $300.00. Probably the Caldwell, with the rabbit ears will be you're best bet.

 

[Tom Morrison]

It would make sense to mount a chronograph to your gun if you were trying to corelate environmental factors to your MV. This could have practical use for ELR shooting, but for most it would offer no value. Also depending on what sort of cannon being used, subjecting consumer grade electronics to heavy recoil could be detrimental to its lifespan. For most people, chronies are for load development.

 

[acrashb]

Also depending on what sort of cannon being used, subjecting consumer grade electronics to heavy recoil could be detrimental to its lifespan.

The Labradar LX is rated for up to 7.62mm. And people mount the Garmin Xero C1 with no obvious ill effects.
Mounting will in some way affect accuracy (the chronograph is moving with recoil while it measures velocity), but at least for these two seems acceptable. And it's really convenient when you're moving around with the rifle.