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Chronograph Reccomendations

A

abilliott

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 29, 2010
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39
Carthage, Texas
I know I know this question has been asked before but please here me out. Upon looking here; there are alot of people saying to
get the Magneto Speed. My shooting will be done through a supressor, looking at the Magneto Speed, it doesn't appear that it
would work to well with a supressor. What chrono would you get if the Magneto Speed was not an option? Or am I not looking at
it correctly and I can use the Speed with a supressor?
 
I have the MagnetoSpeed v1, and it works great. If you are going to be using a suppressor, you will need the MagnetoSpeed v2.
 
They just show the mounting to be attached to the barrel via a small nylon strap, the supressor will get hotter than the barrel, will it not melt the strap?
 
Take a look at the Superchrono. I couldn't get over the Magnetospeed influencing and moving my groups. I had a hard time keeping it from moving on the muzzle of my non-braked heavy hitters as well. The data seemed good though.
 
Suppressors are no problem, the magneto speed IS the one to get. There are two versions available, you need the upgraded option, works great!
 
I have a MagnetoSpeed and a CED M2.

Attaching the MagnetoSpeed to your standard barrel *will* move your POI. Attaching it in a slightly different spot, and/or changing the tightness of the band (eg, on a different day) *will* lead to at least a slightly different, changed, POI. Having said that, the MagnetoSpeed is an incredibly valuable tool for me . . . can use it on any range, at any time, in any weather, on any firearm "with a barrel".

The CED M2 has also performed well for me outdoors. I like the remote display sitting near my eyes and also safe at the bench with me. I like the data storage, display, and download capabilities (eg, Excel compatible). And I like the reasonable cost as well as prompt CS and shipping of replacement parts when the chrono mysteriously jumps in front of a bullet :) Chronos with fewer calculation capabilities and lower data storage just require pencil and paper recording and hand calcs. But the remote electronics gives a double benefit worth considering.
 
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I have a CED M2, it has proved itself to be very accurate, easy up n down, I always shoot thru mine when doing dot drills, I have found mine not needing the IR sensors, it simply works when it's sunny, cloudy, and once when it was misting. I have also used the MagnetoSpeed V2, I do not like the POI shift but its repeatable, and is dead nuts accurate.
 
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427Cobra said:
I have a CED M2, it has proved itself to be very accurate, easy up n down, I always shoot thru mine when doing dot drills, I have found mine not needing the IR sensors, it simply works when it's sunny, cloudy, and once when it was misting. I have also used the MagnetoSpeed V2, I do not like the POI shift but its repeatable, and is dead nuts accurate.
Click to expand...

Another + 1 for the CED M 2. Very accurate chrony. Haven't used the magneto yet , but then again I haven't needed too...
 
Magneto speed V2 is the way to go, i tested one a while back and have my own on its way, should be here Monday or tuesday.
 
Deisel said:
I have been using an Oehler 35P for a couple of years. I really like it, very dependable and consistent. I have had 3 other brands over the years and I am happy with this.
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+1 for the Oehler 35P. I have been using the Competition Electronics Pro Chrono and it was driving me nuts. Kept dropping shots or repeating the same number. I was about to give up on Chronos until I spotted the 35P. Wow, what a difference. Expensive, but I guess you get what you pay for. Oehler 35P Chronograph is BACK! within AccurateShooter.com Having two measurements for each shot gives a lot of confidence (2' measurement and 4' measurement.) The longer distance allows it to give a much more accurate speed reading too. Only gripe is that they have outdated software. Makes certain ladder tests difficult to run. It will not allow you to jump from group to group like the Pro Chrono. If you want it to calculate the statistics, you have to run them on the current group. Oh well, I guess I can always run them manually.
 
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Deisel said:
I have been using an Oehler 35P for a couple of years. I really like it, very dependable and consistent. I have had 3 other brands over the years and I am happy with this.
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Agreed.

I went with an Oehler many years ago as it was what the professionals used. Both commercial and military professionals.

I have mine setup for a 4 foot path length, with the proof screen in between at 2 feet.

Longer path length is better.
 
I've been using my Oehler 35P for about 15 years. From time to time, I've looked at newer brands/models that are more convenient to set up, but am not willing to give up the accuracy or robust construction of the Oehler.
 
The Oehler system looks good and I like the double readings but what I don't get is with today's technology, why not do a little redesign to the system and add the functionality of an SD card so that one doesn't have to carry the printer setup. Being able to dump your readings directly into excel or any other program for record keeping just seems to be the way to go.
 
mwilkins said:
The Oehler system looks good and I like the double readings but what I don't get is with today's technology, why not do a little redesign to the system and add the functionality of an SD card so that one doesn't have to carry the printer setup. Being able to dump your readings directly into excel or any other program for record keeping just seems to be the way to go.
Click to expand...

That would be an outstanding upgrade. I have no idea how much of an existing system would have to be changed to get there, but I would certainly be interested.
 
Magneto speed looks great for something with enough barrel to attach it to. What about semi auto pistols, SBR,SBS stuff with no barrel to attach to? I would get a chrono that could do all of them. Just my .02
 
It took a little bit to get them lined up but I ran an Oehler in front of my Shooting Chrony both showed similar speeds with my Chrony being consistently a few fps slower because it was downrange of the Oehler. The chrony I get next will be the "Magneto Speed" it looks to be the best as far as chronographs go.
 
I just got done shooting a few strings over my Magnetospeed V2 yesterday and got everything I wanted and had it all packed up and done in a few minutes. The Magnetospeed should be a lot faster to setup and have the data over that of my old Pact Professional XP... and it has been at times... However often when there are others around when you pull it out and set it up so fast people stop you to ask questions about it. Thankfully the guys at Magnetospeed even throw in some business cards in the box and you just hand them one of those and they usually go away. So yea the Magnetospeed comes with everything you need to make setup as fast as possible! :)
 
rsplante said:
Let's all write to them and maybe they will listen. [email protected]
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I guess it can't hurt, but I wouldn't hold my breath. If you look at the website, their last patent was issued in 1989. From what I can tell, the 35P is pretty much the same as it was 24 years ago. It may be that they are focused on other markets and not upgrades to their consumer products.
 
MJY65 said:
I guess it can't hurt, but I wouldn't hold my breath. If you look at the website, their last patent was issued in 1989. From what I can tell, the 35P is pretty much the same as it was 24 years ago. It may be that they are focused on other markets and not upgrades to their consumer products.
Click to expand...

I sort of got that impression when I spoke to their rep at the NRA2013 show. However, since they did bring it back out of retirement, that means that somebody at Oehler thinks they can still make some money on it. If there is enough interest...
We can still hope. Unfortunately, we live in a time when Americans would rather save a few bucks by buying Chicom crap, so there may not be much of a market for $600 chronographs.
 
I have had mine for about 18 years. (35P) I was told that the reason they quit making them was because the Epson printer became unavailable. Somehow, they located another source. I wrote them over a year ago about a problem I was having with over printing lines. This was occurring on just about every string, one line of data superimposed over the previous and making both illegible. The lady I talked to got another tech on the phone and he said my mechanism was worn out. He offered to replace all the components for $50, which I did and they did, less than two weeks start to finish.

I suppose it would be nice to screw around with data on the laptop but I like the paper tapes and real ink that doesn't fade. I date them and hang in the shop on nails and refer occasionally, which is all I need out of a chronograph. Oehler is a reputable company and even if the cost has doubled for outdated technology, I still feel like I got my money's worth and it has been very reliable over the years.

Seems like a lot of shooters have bought and used several chronographs, but the first and only one I ever bought still works...and to tell you the truth, I love it, no regrets. BB
 
abilliott said:
They just show the mounting to be attached to the barrel via a small nylon strap, the supressor will get hotter than the barrel, will it not melt the strap?
Click to expand...

No, there is a heat shield included in the V2's (not in the V1's) that looks like a 2"x1" piece of rubber. This stops the strap from melting on a suppressor firing normal strings. Not going to work if you heat up the suppressor red-hot or shoot full auto - or do semi auto mag dumps.
 
Sonic Crack said:
Magneto speed looks great for something with enough barrel to attach it to. What about semi auto pistols, SBR,SBS stuff with no barrel to attach to? I would get a chrono that could do all of them. Just my .02
Click to expand...

MagnetoSpeed is mostly focused on the rifle market. So semi-auto pistols are a bit outside their main market. However, because people have expressed a desire to use the chrony on semi-auto pistols they are working on an attachment for semi-auto pistols which don't have exposed barrels. Its just a bit far on the back burner at this point from what they said.
 
BuzzBoss915 said:
I have had mine for about 18 years. (35P) I was told that the reason they quit making them was because the Epson printer became unavailable. Somehow, they located another source. BB
Click to expand...

By the looks of them, I think they found a bunch in the back of a missile silo in North Dakota. Something about the whole setup with the gray plastic printer with adding machine tape just reminds me of some cold war exhibit every time I pull it out to take to the range. :D
 
Have any of you folks seen this bad baby?

Steinert Sensing Systems

Supposed to be a damn great chrony. I am gonna be trying one out soon. Rifles Only has them for sale too!
 
Have any of you folks seen this bad baby?

Steinert Sensing Systems

Supposed to be a damn great chrony. I am gonna be trying one out soon. Rifles Only has them for sale too!
 
If you have a 1 foot sensing difference, the time difference of 5 fps is only 0.0000073 seconds.

If you want to see small variations in the velocity, you have to increase the distance base.
 
Pinecone said:
If you have a 1 foot sensing difference, the time difference of 5 fps is only 0.0000073 seconds.

If you want to see small variations in the velocity, you have to increase othe distance base.
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Definitely the strong point of the Oehler 35P.
 
We (Me and a couple other members of longrangehunting.com) tested one about 2 months ago against a Magnetospeed V2 and Oehler 35P. We tested them, inline with each other, shooting 223 rem, 6BR, 6.5 SS (similar to 6.5 SAUM), 284 win, and 338 RUM. The Magnetospeed was always 5-15 fps faster than the Oehler 35P that was placed 18' down range, which it should be because it is so much closer to the muzzle. The superchrono was a bit erratic, it did fine on the 6BR, 6.5SS and 284 win (it was within 20 fps IIRC, and was right infront of the Oehler 35P), but on the 223 rem (which was shot first), and the 338 RUM (shot last), it was 40+ fps off and had some ES numbers that were way different than the magneto speed and Oehler 35P. But, the next day the battery on the superchrono died so we are going to retest them on saturday.
 
Pinecone said:
If you have a 1 foot sensing difference, the time difference of 5 fps is only 0.0000073 seconds.

If you want to see small variations in the velocity, you have to increase the distance base.
Click to expand...

The does not matter. More distance does not necessarily equal more accurate. As long as the equipment is fast enough to detect and process everything, even a 1 inch chrono can be dead on accurate.
 
timelinex said:
The does not matter. More distance does not necessarily equal more accurate. As long as the equipment is fast enough to detect and process everything, even a 1 inch chrono can be dead on accurate.
Click to expand...

I agree that longer screen spacing distances don't always yield better accuracy, but they certainly help to get you there. I doubt that any of these instruments is absolutely perfect in detection. Any error is magnified by the extrapolation of the time factor.

From an old thread:
The best way to minimize chrono error is to space out the screens as much as possible. A 1/16" error in screen spacing for screens separated by 8' causes much less error than 1/16" of e

Longer screen spacings make chrono's less sensitive to small errors including those errors associated with lighting conditions.

-Bryan
Bryan Litz
Ballistician

Author of: Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting and Accuracy and Precision for Long Range Shooting
 
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hi guys
I have a Superchrono that I purchased from Rifles Only... thanks Lisa :p

Its a great little unit. I have minimal use with it so far, but once I got it working properly it seemed to do the trick.
First thing I noticed is that it doesnt set up as easy as advertised. I found the sensors need to be perfectly in line with the bullet trajectory and also fairly close. Put it this way, at 4 meters away from the muzzle, I could see the chrony thru my sight picture in my NF. Any error in setup will give slower FPS values, and unless you know the MV in the beginning (or ballpark), you might go all day shooting with the unit setup incorrectly.

So I still need more time with the unit, but so far its ok. I would really like it if the display screen was visible from the shooters location.

I also have a shooting chrony and I frekking hate the thing. I cant wait to blow it up with Tannerite.
 
vman said:
hi guys
I have a Superchrono that I purchased from Rifles Only... thanks Lisa :p

Its a great little unit. I have minimal use with it so far, but once I got it working properly it seemed to do the trick.
First thing I noticed is that it doesnt set up as easy as advertised. I found the sensors need to be perfectly in line with the bullet trajectory and also fairly close. Put it this way, at 4 meters away from the muzzle, I could see the chrony thru my sight picture in my NF. Any error in setup will give slower FPS values, and unless you know the MV in the beginning (or ballpark), you might go all day shooting with the unit setup incorrectly.

So I still need more time with the unit, but so far its ok. I would really like it if the display screen was visible from the shooters location.

I also have a shooting chrony and I frekking hate the thing. I cant wait to blow it up with Tannerite.
Click to expand...


Well, bullet alignment is always crucial when dealing with chrono's, doesn't seem to be a new thing with the superchrono. I have thought about this and the easiest way to go about it (because it can be such a huge pain in the ass)...what do you folks think about sticking a wooden dowel out of the barrel? I recognize it would have to be relatively long, but even if it wasn't long enough to reach the chrono, it seems like it would provide a damn good reference point. Obviously, having a straight dowel would help the process. What do you guys think?
 
Between the level and sights on the chrono and the scope and bore ( bolt removed so you can see clear through from chrono location) on the rifle, I have had quick and easy success setting up my Superchrono. I am much happier with it that the Mspeed. The Pro version will be great
 
Blackbrush said:
Between the level and sights on the chrono and the scope and bore ( bolt removed so you can see clear through from chrono location) on the rifle, I have had quick and easy success setting up my Superchrono. I am much happier with it that the Mspeed. The Pro version will be great
Click to expand...

Any reason why you dont like the magnetospeed?
 
It's accurate and never missed a shot but I couldn't live with the effect it had on group size and to a greater degree, poi shift when installed on rifles. I develop my loads while also chronographing. The other issue was that I couldn't get it to stay in place on the barrel of heavy recoiling rifles (unbraked 338, 416...). I shoot a pistol too.
 
barnesuser28 said:
Any reason why you dont like the magnetospeed?
Click to expand...

Blackbrush said:
It's accurate and never missed a shot but I couldn't live with the effect it had on group size and to a greater degree, poi shift when installed on rifles. I develop my loads while also chronographing. The other issue was that I couldn't get it to stay in place on the barrel of heavy recoiling rifles (unbraked 338, 416...). I shoot a pistol too.
Click to expand...
THIS, in spades.

I can't provide absolute proof of larger group size. But I can tell you all groups with the MSpeed have been larger, on average, than without.

What I CAN demonstrate, time after time, is that the POI on a standard barrel WILL change when you attach the MSpeed. And it will change DIFFERENTLY to a greater or lesser degree the NEXT time you attach it. It depends (at least) on the position of the bayonet strap, and how tight it is.

Here's a relatively benign example . . . the group closest to the bullseye had no bayonet, the middle group is with the bayonet, the outer group had the bayonet a skinch further back and slightly tighter. With a 168gr Sierra the POI change on my Rem 700 30-06 has been ~4" high left. The varying POI change also occurs on my 2 RRA AR15s (one with muzzle break, one with varmint heavy barrel), and a Sako 85 Varmint in 223. I have no personal experience using iit with a suppressor.

I'll repeat that the device is still useful to me. But if I could only have one chrono it would not be the MagnetoSpeed unless that were the only one I could use at my range.

 
mwilkins said:
Found this a little while ago. Gives real world testing and explanations of both chrony's in video.


Click to expand...


I appreciate this guy putting a good face on the inexpensive chronograph, but trying to say they give even similar results based solely on average speed is disingenuous at best and misleading at worst. Most people I know who even bother with a chronograph are doing so for load development. I'm hoping that he was shooting commercial ammo for this test, as my last test had an SD of 7 and ES of 24 and I've only been reloading for 2 years. From everything I have read on this site, I will know that I am loading very good ammo when I start getting an ES in single digits. I also appreciate the fact that he was astute enough to own two chronographs, so that he has a good one for load development, and one that is quick and dirty for the field.

While the average happened to come out almost the same, after the first six shots, they all varried by 30-50 fps. First the Oehler was higher than the F1, then on the last string the F1 was higher. One of the two chronographs was all over the place. He needs to check his calculations too. on the Oehler, he lists a high, low and ES of 2671, 2597, and 138. Assuming the first two numbers are correct, the ES should be 74. On the F1, he lists a high, low and ES of 2703, 2565, and 80. The difference is 138 between the high and low. I have not taken the time to record all of his readings and recalculate the SDs.

I too have a cheaper chronograph, a ProChrono, and the dropped numbers and incorrect numbers were driving me nuts. I like the fact that he shows the necessary vertical positioning of the shots within the skyscreens. I wonder how he determined that range? (Just a question.) The main reason I went with the 35P is the Proof concept. The Oehler takes two readings on each shot. A 2' reading and a 4' reading and compares the two numbers. Of course the 4' reading is the actual measurement, while the 2' reading lets you know if the other reading is reliable and it marks the shot with an asterisk if the numbers vary by too great of a difference. When I am relying on this information for load development, that gives me peace of mind. I almost choked when I first saw the price (now close to $600), and the printer looks like Korean War surplus, but like the video said, most of the pros rely on it or another even more expensive Oehler model.

I feel like I'm bashing too much, and I really don't want to do that. It looks like he went to a lot of trouble to make this video and test, which I watched twice and I appreciated his production quality. Insetting a view of the two remote readouts was a really nice touch. I'm sorry I came off so harsh, but I guess the similar results comments just struck me wrong. They are very different on most shots, and if you cannot rely on the accuracy, what's the use?
 
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