what chrony do you use?

Mr. Friendly

Mr. Friendly

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looking for recommendations on a reliable but inexpensive (not cheap, inexpensive, there is a difference) chrony for a beginner.

I've got pretty bad eyesight, but use optics, so not afraid to look at a display on the chrony to read the velocity report if one with a wireless/Bluetoothor cabled remote aren't really all that affordable.

two questions about using a chrony:

1) how far from the barrel should it be placed?
2) do you ever put it at the extended ranges you're shooting at, say in front of a 200 yard target, or do you use the maths to figure out the ballistics?
 
I had a shooting chrony but it was annoying to setup and take down. I laughed pretty hard when I accidentally shot it in the face, then used it for target practice. Went with a magnetospeed sporter instead and amd very happy I did. Much faster and simpler to setup, don't need to bring a tripod or worry if I have the light screens setup right for the lighting conditions. Just strap it on and shoot. It agrees with my old data from the chrony but is much harder (nearly impossible) too induce unreasonable error.
 
I have a lot of experience with the Chrony. The company owner used to test them on my range.

He tested when ever there was a design change in the electronics or parts from a different supplier.

The test method was a row of Chronys on a plank, with a big Ohler in the middle. A shot was fired the length of the plank and all the readings were compared.

The Chronys were accurate and consistent.

They can have problems looking up into blue sky. The plastic sky screens solve that. I just test on cloudy days.

The units fold in half. If the unit is not opened up 100% when shooting, the results will read high.

I find the results erratic if the muzzle is too close. I test pistol no closer than 15 feet and rifle no closer than 20 feet.

The Chrony has a very high clock speed and can detect if the bullet takes a different path across the screens. best results are to aim at something on the far side of the unit, so the path is consistent. Just random aiming will add about 15 fps to the extreme spread.
 
I've used a Shooting Chrony for 15-20 years. After that time the screens get brittle and break. I have compared speed results with the same ammo shot across a Labradar. The Labradar gives about 20 fps faster and the extreme spread is less than the Chrony.
I'll have to heed Ganderites advise and move rifle shots back to at least 20 ft.
 
OkayShooter said:
I just got a Shooting Chrony F1. If I cannot move back. I'll clamp a 2x4 to the bench and screw the chrony onto the end.
Click to expand...

When shooting off a bench, mount the Chrony on a cheap camera tripod and place it 15 to 20 feet downrange. This is easiest done by two people. One at the bench and one setting up the tripod.

If you do it right, you can shoot groups while recording velocities, too.

When doing this I use the model with the remote reading screen on a cord. If I used the model with the readout on the unit, a pair of binocs would be handy to read the scree from the bench.
 
theDuck said:
I've used a Shooting Chrony for 15-20 years. After that time the screens get brittle and break. I have compared speed results with the same ammo shot across a Labradar. The Labradar gives about 20 fps faster and the extreme spread is less than the Chrony.
I'll have to heed Ganderites advise and move rifle shots back to at least 20 ft.
Click to expand...

The lab measures velocity at the muzzle. The Chrony measures 15 feet or so from the muzzle. What you see is the bullet slowing down, down range.
 
Probably not what you want to hear but if you can spend the money on a LabRadar. No worries about the weather, using it indoors or shooting it. It has been the best money I have spent on any shooting tools.
 
Reeferman said:
Probably not what you want to hear but if you can spend the money on a LabRadar. No worries about the weather, using it indoors or shooting it. It has been the best money I have spent on any shooting tools.
Click to expand...

I love my labradar, but was also very satisfied with the Caldwell chronograph.
The one they sell at Cabelas, very impressive for the price.

I'd say unless getting into precision rifle and wanting very reliable drop charts, the Caldwell will serve you very well, also has intergrated iPhone app.
 
Ganderite said:
When shooting off a bench, mount the Chrony on a cheap camera tripod and place it 15 to 20 feet downrange. This is easiest done by two people. One at the bench and one setting up the tripod.

If you do it right, you can shoot groups while recording velocities, too.

When doing this I use the model with the remote reading screen on a cord. If I used the model with the readout on the unit, a pair of binocs would be handy to read the scree from the bench.
Click to expand...

This range I cannot use a tripod. Only because the shooting point is higher than were 20ft would be. So you be shooting down at it, into the ground.
 
MartyK2500 said:
I love my labradar, but was also very satisfied with the Caldwell chronograph.
The one they sell at Cabelas, very impressive for the price.

I'd say unless getting into precision rifle and wanting very reliable drop charts, the Caldwell will serve you very well, also has intergrated iPhone app.
Click to expand...

I have the Caldwell one as well. Haven't actually gotten to use it though, its been a busy, poor summer so I don't have a range membership or anything. Probably fix that in the next week or two...

I bought it with my brother, it was on sale for $99 back at Boxing Day so it was only $56 each. I think he has used it without issue, but I'm not certain on that. (He borrowed it for a while, so I assume he used it while he had it...)
 
Have a Caldwell a couple years now and haven't shot it yet lol, works great and has an easy to use ap interface for both Android and iPhone.
 
Ganderite said:
When shooting off a bench, mount the Chrony on a cheap camera tripod and place it 15 to 20 feet downrange. This is easiest done by two people. One at the bench and one setting up the tripod.

If you do it right, you can shoot groups while recording velocities, too.

When doing this I use the model with the remote reading screen on a cord. If I used the model with the readout on the unit, a pair of binocs would be handy to read the scree from the bench.
Click to expand...

The way I set mine up was to set my target up, sandbag the rifle on target and set the chrony up 15 ft downrange on a cheap camera tripod like you say. I put tape lines on the screen holder bars at the elevation asked for by the manual. I'd figure approximate sight height above bore and add that to the height above the sensors. Sighting down the rifle you can get lined up with the chrony both side to side and vertically. After some effing around it worked great. The day mine tragically left this world I had a scope mounted in a 1.5" mount on a Robinson XCR. I forgot to factor the additional sight height above bore. According to the previous string, the chrony suffered a 55gr .224 fmj through the face at 3080 fps. It was killed instantly. The bullet went through the first module, the wall in the middle and fragmented into the rear module. It was over quick, it didn't suffer.
 
I used a shooting Chrony Beta for a number of years. Always seemed to work fine.
Then I got a smoking deal on an Oehler 33, with 4 updated skyscreens.
I compared the two readings several times. They were so close that I would not
fault the Chrony. The blue sky syndrome mentioned by Ganderite is an issue if
you don't have the diffusers, but otherwise, the Chrony is a reasonably reliable unit.
 
Speaking of those diffusers, do they hinder the function of the crony in cloudy conditions? Or is it OK to just always use them if you wanted to?
 
I use the cheesy RCBS one that comes in a plastic case to look like a big cartridge. Free, when my brother upgraded. It also suffered a range injury, but RCBS set out replacement parts at night cost. I need the put it 10yds from the muzzle of 338&375 rifles to get a consistent reading.
 
Competition Electronics Pro Chrono.
Long name, but mine works well. About $150 from Amazon a year ago.
I've had almost no errors in reading shots, but you need consistent light on both sensors. In other words, don't have one sensor in shade and the other not.
Any optical chronograph has the same limitation.
If you start getting close to the metal rods (too far left or right) it stops reading shots.
I shoot rifle through it at about 16-20 feet.
 
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