chronographs
- Thread starter aloreman
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Re: chronographs
I'lls second the Oehler as THE best choice. Works 100% all the time. Costly, but well worth it.
Jim G
I'lls second the Oehler as THE best choice. Works 100% all the time. Costly, but well worth it.
Jim G
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking into purchasing a chronograph. any suggestions </div></div>
Buy a cheap one so you don't waste your money. A chronograph that is used correctly can be fairly useful to determine standard deviation. To figure SD it does not need to be accurate it needs to be precise. You will not find a chronograph at the consumer level that is accurate enough to figure long range dope.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking into purchasing a chronograph. any suggestions </div></div>
Buy a cheap one so you don't waste your money. A chronograph that is used correctly can be fairly useful to determine standard deviation. To figure SD it does not need to be accurate it needs to be precise. You will not find a chronograph at the consumer level that is accurate enough to figure long range dope.
Re: chronographs
mainly looking to test handgun loads for power factor rifle velocities i can care less about. if it groups well thats my load. i have yet to find a whitetail that could tell the difference between 2800 and 2900 fps lol
mainly looking to test handgun loads for power factor rifle velocities i can care less about. if it groups well thats my load. i have yet to find a whitetail that could tell the difference between 2800 and 2900 fps lol
Re: chronographs
$100 Chrony is all you need. Here you go its on sale: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/688064/shooting-chrony-f1-master-chronograph
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> have yet to find a whitetail that could tell the difference between 2800 and 2900 fps lol</div></div>
I like it! One of my favorite things to tell people. Accuracy trumps velocity.
$100 Chrony is all you need. Here you go its on sale: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/688064/shooting-chrony-f1-master-chronograph
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> have yet to find a whitetail that could tell the difference between 2800 and 2900 fps lol</div></div>
I like it! One of my favorite things to tell people. Accuracy trumps velocity.
Re: chronographs
I put two chronys, a ProChrono (about $100) and an F1 Chrony (about $60) back to back and tested numerous rounds through them simultaneously. When shooting rifle rounds of 308 and 338LM at velocities of 2600-2800, there were differences in readings of 20-30 fps with the ProChrono usually reading slightly lower. But both chronographs were consistent.
When shooting handguns rounds (40 & 45) at velocities of 800-1000, the chronographs matched exactly.
So... if you're mainly looking to chrono handgun rounds, my suggestion is any cheap chrony will do. Personally I like the ProChrono because of its one-piece construction.
I put two chronys, a ProChrono (about $100) and an F1 Chrony (about $60) back to back and tested numerous rounds through them simultaneously. When shooting rifle rounds of 308 and 338LM at velocities of 2600-2800, there were differences in readings of 20-30 fps with the ProChrono usually reading slightly lower. But both chronographs were consistent.
When shooting handguns rounds (40 & 45) at velocities of 800-1000, the chronographs matched exactly.
So... if you're mainly looking to chrono handgun rounds, my suggestion is any cheap chrony will do. Personally I like the ProChrono because of its one-piece construction.
Re: chronographs
I own an old Oehler 43 and while it is great it is slow to set up.
My latest is a CED and it looks very promising perhaps the best of accuracy and quick setup. I have owned it for over a year I haven't tried it yet...To be perfectly honest I find my 20+ year old Chorny is so convenient I use it most often.
After spending all that money I find I get most of what I need from a dirt old Chrony!
Everything else I need is proven by long range test targets.
Peace
I own an old Oehler 43 and while it is great it is slow to set up.
My latest is a CED and it looks very promising perhaps the best of accuracy and quick setup. I have owned it for over a year I haven't tried it yet...To be perfectly honest I find my 20+ year old Chorny is so convenient I use it most often.
After spending all that money I find I get most of what I need from a dirt old Chrony!
Everything else I need is proven by long range test targets.
Peace
Re: chronographs
I own an Oehler 35P, the PVM-21 and CED M2 and the CED is my go to unit. Accuracy matches the others an set up beats them both.
I own an Oehler 35P, the PVM-21 and CED M2 and the CED is my go to unit. Accuracy matches the others an set up beats them both.
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lowlight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I own an Oehler 35P, the PVM-21 and CED M2 and the CED is my go to unit. Accuracy matches the others an set up beats them both.
</div></div>
That PVM-21 is a strange looking unit!
I had never even heard of it before now.
What does it work like?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lowlight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I own an Oehler 35P, the PVM-21 and CED M2 and the CED is my go to unit. Accuracy matches the others an set up beats them both.
</div></div>
That PVM-21 is a strange looking unit!
I had never even heard of it before now.
What does it work like?
Re: chronographs
i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
</div></div>
While at the local range I watched from a distance as a noob fumbled painfully with his brand new gear.Feeling sorry for him offered my help to set up his Chrony. He refused.
A few minutes later he fired his first shot which of course tipped over the Chrony...The sight of which got me laughing pretty good. I then made the mistake of looking over at him and the priceless look of confusion was in full force...Well that was it I was laughing so hard I couldn't see for the tears.
We called for a cease fire and the postmortem revealed that he had shot that Chrony right through the electronic brains.
I still laugh my ass off every time I think of it!
Peace
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
</div></div>
While at the local range I watched from a distance as a noob fumbled painfully with his brand new gear.Feeling sorry for him offered my help to set up his Chrony. He refused.
A few minutes later he fired his first shot which of course tipped over the Chrony...The sight of which got me laughing pretty good. I then made the mistake of looking over at him and the priceless look of confusion was in full force...Well that was it I was laughing so hard I couldn't see for the tears.
We called for a cease fire and the postmortem revealed that he had shot that Chrony right through the electronic brains.
I still laugh my ass off every time I think of it!
Peace
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
</div></div>
membership of the first club does not exclude membership of the second
Buy one that is not totally screwed when it gets shot and for which you can buy replacement parts. Others may seem cheaper, when you have shot it you will realise that it is lifetime cost not purchase price that are important.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
</div></div>
membership of the first club does not exclude membership of the second
Buy one that is not totally screwed when it gets shot and for which you can buy replacement parts. Others may seem cheaper, when you have shot it you will realise that it is lifetime cost not purchase price that are important.
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking into purchasing a chronograph. any suggestions </div></div>
Buy a cheap one so you don't waste your money. A chronograph that is used correctly can be fairly useful to determine standard deviation. To figure SD it does not need to be accurate it needs to be precise. You will not find a chronograph at the consumer level that is accurate enough to figure long range dope. </div></div>
Do not underestimate an Oehler. Back in the 1990s, I did a brief ballsitics study on pellets for the U.S. Olymoic Air rifle team, to prove that it was pellet weight variance that was causing their scores to plateau. By rigging the Oehler to use the 2nd "check" channel instead to catch the pellet velocity a SECOND time several feet later (instead of as a check channel), I was able to find the indivudal ballistic coefficent for each pellet as it was fired from a "benchrested" Feinwerkbau 300 rifle. Its position on the target was then plotted versus its known weight and Cd. The correlation was outstandingingly good. About a year later, the 2 big German pellet compnaies started offering presorted pellets by the tin.
Oehler makes primarily military precision equipment. The Model 35 consumer product is a niche product for them, re-introduced after being discontinued simply due to huge (informed0 consumer demand. Its pedigree is from a different planet than any other consumer chronograph I know about. Its worth the relatively big bucks you'll pay for it (close to $600).
Jim G
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking into purchasing a chronograph. any suggestions </div></div>
Buy a cheap one so you don't waste your money. A chronograph that is used correctly can be fairly useful to determine standard deviation. To figure SD it does not need to be accurate it needs to be precise. You will not find a chronograph at the consumer level that is accurate enough to figure long range dope. </div></div>
Do not underestimate an Oehler. Back in the 1990s, I did a brief ballsitics study on pellets for the U.S. Olymoic Air rifle team, to prove that it was pellet weight variance that was causing their scores to plateau. By rigging the Oehler to use the 2nd "check" channel instead to catch the pellet velocity a SECOND time several feet later (instead of as a check channel), I was able to find the indivudal ballistic coefficent for each pellet as it was fired from a "benchrested" Feinwerkbau 300 rifle. Its position on the target was then plotted versus its known weight and Cd. The correlation was outstandingingly good. About a year later, the 2 big German pellet compnaies started offering presorted pellets by the tin.
Oehler makes primarily military precision equipment. The Model 35 consumer product is a niche product for them, re-introduced after being discontinued simply due to huge (informed0 consumer demand. Its pedigree is from a different planet than any other consumer chronograph I know about. Its worth the relatively big bucks you'll pay for it (close to $600).
Jim G
Re: chronographs
I have a ProChrono from 2000. If I ever have to replace it they'll get my business again.
I have a ProChrono from 2000. If I ever have to replace it they'll get my business again.
Re: chronographs
Jim I am not an engineer nor a ballistician nor a physics professor but I am guessing there is a big difference in figuring ballistic performance of a airgun pellet versus a highly engineered long range projectile. I will bet the price of an Oehler that shooting a 100yd zero and actually putting lead on target at 300,600 and 1000yds trumps trusting anything short of Doppler radar.
For what the OP wants to do he does not need an Oehler, it is a waste. For what I need to do an Oehler is insufficient.
Jim I am not an engineer nor a ballistician nor a physics professor but I am guessing there is a big difference in figuring ballistic performance of a airgun pellet versus a highly engineered long range projectile. I will bet the price of an Oehler that shooting a 100yd zero and actually putting lead on target at 300,600 and 1000yds trumps trusting anything short of Doppler radar.
For what the OP wants to do he does not need an Oehler, it is a waste. For what I need to do an Oehler is insufficient.
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
</div></div>
Sad, but true! Hundreds of rifle rounds through my Chrony w/out a hitch and then one arrow did it in. It was a complete pass thru though, easy tracking job!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have heard that there are those who have shot there chrono and those who will
</div></div>
Sad, but true! Hundreds of rifle rounds through my Chrony w/out a hitch and then one arrow did it in. It was a complete pass thru though, easy tracking job!
Re: chronographs
I have a PVM-21 also, great chrono. Much easier on the trips to the range than a Oehler 35. The PVM is also infared, so it is not impacted by low light conditions, and is great for dusk or dawn testing.
I was discussing at the last Berger LR Nats with Bryan Litz, and it was his recommendation, and is what he uses for all his calcs.
FWIW, I have not shot it yet, but I have shot a Chrono in the past. It was my buddies brand new P-35, and I shot one of the screens on the second shot through it. He wasn't real happy about it..
I have a PVM-21 also, great chrono. Much easier on the trips to the range than a Oehler 35. The PVM is also infared, so it is not impacted by low light conditions, and is great for dusk or dawn testing.
I was discussing at the last Berger LR Nats with Bryan Litz, and it was his recommendation, and is what he uses for all his calcs.
FWIW, I have not shot it yet, but I have shot a Chrono in the past. It was my buddies brand new P-35, and I shot one of the screens on the second shot through it. He wasn't real happy about it..
Re: chronographs
I have had the CED and I thought it was realy clumsy to setup, I hated the wires running out to the sensors from the head unit too. it fell over a lot etc. I then bought the prochrono, its a simpler unit, all in one and the screens are nice because they actualy use metal rods. there is no setup other than attaching it to a tripod and tuning it on. I didnt like the CED, with the plastic side side screens and having to assemble it all each time. total pain... I have been pretty happy with the prochrono unit.
If I was going to put up with setup, I would buy the Oehler, they always have really good reviews.
CJG
I have had the CED and I thought it was realy clumsy to setup, I hated the wires running out to the sensors from the head unit too. it fell over a lot etc. I then bought the prochrono, its a simpler unit, all in one and the screens are nice because they actualy use metal rods. there is no setup other than attaching it to a tripod and tuning it on. I didnt like the CED, with the plastic side side screens and having to assemble it all each time. total pain... I have been pretty happy with the prochrono unit.
If I was going to put up with setup, I would buy the Oehler, they always have really good reviews.
CJG
Re: chronographs
My vote goes to the Oehler 35. I've had mine for several years without a problem except that time my buddy shot the damn thing!
My vote goes to the Oehler 35. I've had mine for several years without a problem except that time my buddy shot the damn thing!
Re: chronographs
I have a Competition Electronics ProChrono. Works well for my needs and when compared to bullet drops at 600 - 800yds, has yielded accurate MV. Simple, one piece and not too expensive.
I have a Competition Electronics ProChrono. Works well for my needs and when compared to bullet drops at 600 - 800yds, has yielded accurate MV. Simple, one piece and not too expensive.
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jim I am not an engineer nor a ballistician nor a physics professor but I am guessing there is a big difference in figuring ballistic performance of a airgun pellet versus a highly engineered long range projectile. I will bet the price of an Oehler that shooting a 100yd zero and actually putting lead on target at 300,600 and 1000yds trumps trusting anything short of Doppler radar.
For what the OP wants to do he does not need an Oehler, it is a waste. For what I need to do an Oehler is insufficient. </div></div>
Of course a godo chronograph is just PART of what you need. I don't think I said it was ALL of what you need.
And airgun pellets used in Olympic compeition are every bit as refined and complex as the rifle bullets we shoot. They just travel at a much lower speed. In my experiment for the Olympic team, to weigh those pellets with sufficient accuracy, I got approval from a Honeywell military hardware forensics lab run by a friend to use its precision scale. Nothing available on the consumer market at the time was even close to being sufficiently sensitive to do the weighing. An Olympic class pellet weighed around 6 grains at the time, and we needed to reliably detect and measure 0.5% weight variances, or .03 grain.
Olympic class rifles were accurate enough at the time to require a separate target bull for each shot to enable proepr tiebreaker scoring. The air rifles, before the shooter error creeps in,are capable of 0.04" c-tc groups at 10 meters (33 feet), using normal production pellets. That translates to 0.36" at 100 yards. A perfect score for 40 rounds was 400, but the shooters were stalling out in the 390s. The pellet inconsistency was proven to be the cause. The Oehler detected the differences in Cd accurately enough to prove it and to verify via vertical position on the target.
Jim G
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jim I am not an engineer nor a ballistician nor a physics professor but I am guessing there is a big difference in figuring ballistic performance of a airgun pellet versus a highly engineered long range projectile. I will bet the price of an Oehler that shooting a 100yd zero and actually putting lead on target at 300,600 and 1000yds trumps trusting anything short of Doppler radar.
For what the OP wants to do he does not need an Oehler, it is a waste. For what I need to do an Oehler is insufficient. </div></div>
Of course a godo chronograph is just PART of what you need. I don't think I said it was ALL of what you need.
And airgun pellets used in Olympic compeition are every bit as refined and complex as the rifle bullets we shoot. They just travel at a much lower speed. In my experiment for the Olympic team, to weigh those pellets with sufficient accuracy, I got approval from a Honeywell military hardware forensics lab run by a friend to use its precision scale. Nothing available on the consumer market at the time was even close to being sufficiently sensitive to do the weighing. An Olympic class pellet weighed around 6 grains at the time, and we needed to reliably detect and measure 0.5% weight variances, or .03 grain.
Olympic class rifles were accurate enough at the time to require a separate target bull for each shot to enable proepr tiebreaker scoring. The air rifles, before the shooter error creeps in,are capable of 0.04" c-tc groups at 10 meters (33 feet), using normal production pellets. That translates to 0.36" at 100 yards. A perfect score for 40 rounds was 400, but the shooters were stalling out in the 390s. The pellet inconsistency was proven to be the cause. The Oehler detected the differences in Cd accurately enough to prove it and to verify via vertical position on the target.
Jim G
Re: chronographs
Last year I was guilty of shooting my chrony after many years of shooting over it. Replaced it with a Competion Electronics Pro chrono and liked it much better than my old chrony.
I had the habit of leaving some of my shooting gear in the back of my van, -no rear or side windows & one night some thief broke into it & took my new Pro chrono along with a bunch of other goodies that he will not even know what they are ,let alone have use for or be able to sell on the street.
I liked the Pro chrono enough that I will buy one again & have learned a lesson about leaving things in a vehicle
Last year I was guilty of shooting my chrony after many years of shooting over it. Replaced it with a Competion Electronics Pro chrono and liked it much better than my old chrony.
I had the habit of leaving some of my shooting gear in the back of my van, -no rear or side windows & one night some thief broke into it & took my new Pro chrono along with a bunch of other goodies that he will not even know what they are ,let alone have use for or be able to sell on the street.
I liked the Pro chrono enough that I will buy one again & have learned a lesson about leaving things in a vehicle
Re: chronographs
anyone have any pics of a proper table set up?
I would think it has to be absolutely rock solid for a consistent/accurate read
anyone have any pics of a proper table set up?
I would think it has to be absolutely rock solid for a consistent/accurate read
Re: chronographs
I don't shoot a whole lot but I've got a regular Chrony and it works great for me.
I don't shoot a whole lot but I've got a regular Chrony and it works great for me.
Re: chronographs
There are a couple votes for the pro chrono. If any of you are sshopping and want something in the $100 range, check it out. the One piece design is realy nice. The oehler is awesome im sure, but consider setup time and complexity into your shopping. If I did my shooting at a nice range that wasnt windy etc. a oehler would work good, but a lot of times i shoot in clearcuts and in the field, so i need something realy easy to setup and just take a couple quick measurements. CED sucks out in the field IMO. Too many wires, pieces and its all plastic and kind of flimsy, it makes a great box kite!
CJG
There are a couple votes for the pro chrono. If any of you are sshopping and want something in the $100 range, check it out. the One piece design is realy nice. The oehler is awesome im sure, but consider setup time and complexity into your shopping. If I did my shooting at a nice range that wasnt windy etc. a oehler would work good, but a lot of times i shoot in clearcuts and in the field, so i need something realy easy to setup and just take a couple quick measurements. CED sucks out in the field IMO. Too many wires, pieces and its all plastic and kind of flimsy, it makes a great box kite!
CJG
Re: chronographs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking into purchasing a chronograph. any suggestions </div></div>
Buy a cheap one so you don't waste your money. A chronograph that is used correctly can be fairly useful to determine standard deviation. To figure SD it does not need to be accurate it needs to be precise. You will not find a chronograph at the consumer level that is accurate enough to figure long range dope. </div></div>
Your one of the guys on the SH who's opinion I respect but this is one time I have to whole heartedly disagree with you.
I've owned 2 Chrony's and a Pro-chrono. What a waist of money. They were all unreliable.
Problems included being temperamental with time of set up,angle of sun,errors,off the chart readings and being inaccurate overall. About impossible to determine true SD/ES. Pisses me off just thinking about it!
I used to be one confused noob back before Litz's actual BC's came out trying to get my dope lined up past 500Y because I never had a good BC or velocity input. Once I started using Litz's actual BC, along with DA, I was able to finally determine actual velocity.
Then a friend and I recently got a 35P. That Oehler is the polar opposite of the cheap chrono's in nearly every aspect. Coincides perfectly with predetermined dope derived from actual come up's with no WTF's with errors every other shot like the cheap chrono's exhibit half the time.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking into purchasing a chronograph. any suggestions </div></div>
Buy a cheap one so you don't waste your money. A chronograph that is used correctly can be fairly useful to determine standard deviation. To figure SD it does not need to be accurate it needs to be precise. You will not find a chronograph at the consumer level that is accurate enough to figure long range dope. </div></div>
Your one of the guys on the SH who's opinion I respect but this is one time I have to whole heartedly disagree with you.
I've owned 2 Chrony's and a Pro-chrono. What a waist of money. They were all unreliable.
Problems included being temperamental with time of set up,angle of sun,errors,off the chart readings and being inaccurate overall. About impossible to determine true SD/ES. Pisses me off just thinking about it!
I used to be one confused noob back before Litz's actual BC's came out trying to get my dope lined up past 500Y because I never had a good BC or velocity input. Once I started using Litz's actual BC, along with DA, I was able to finally determine actual velocity.
Then a friend and I recently got a 35P. That Oehler is the polar opposite of the cheap chrono's in nearly every aspect. Coincides perfectly with predetermined dope derived from actual come up's with no WTF's with errors every other shot like the cheap chrono's exhibit half the time.
Re: chronographs
Steve and Jim. I am casting no dispersions on Oehler. Until I quit shooting at static distance I rarely used a chronograph. I believe there is no substitute for firing rounds at distance to determine speed and performance in relation to SD. I really don't have time for this but I will tell what has recently made me a cynic when it comes to chronographs.
I have a Chrony I have had for years. I forget the model, its red, its remote, it doesn't figure SD but it does everything else. I think maybe its an Alpha Master, I bought it from Midsouth back in the mid 90's. I never really used it much but I always assumed that its numbers were correct.
I have a friend that has a blue one, Beta Master. He too always assumed that his was next to the word of God. He is a smith and recently built us both a tactical rifle. Now we both have seen more than one rodeo and are fellow match directors and long time competition shooters, IHMSA,High Power, 1000yd BR,SB Silhouette,CLA Silhouette, IPSC, etc etc between us. We began our load developement for both rifles with the intent of using them in tactical competitions out to 1200yds and first round hits are important. Admittedly for two old salts at shooting it was a learning curve.
To make a long story a bit shorter the first thing we learned was that his Chrony is a dog. The second thing we learned was that my Chrony isn't too damn bad and the third thing we learned involves another friend that has an Oehler.
I got a call from my spotter and compadre one Sunday evening and he informed me he had shot over an Oehler that afternoon. So I ask what the results were and he said it gave no better results than my Chrony. He was comparing the same loads we had shot over 2 Chronys except this time he was shooting at distances beyond 300yd. We tested all this over several months under differing conditions and honestly repeating the same tests numerous times each. Could the Oehler have been having a bad day? Sure, hell everything under the sun has bad days and good. THere are good and bad coming off any production line, not all Oehler 35s or Chronys are created equal.
Don't get me wrong fellas, I am not bashing Oehler or Chrony or any other manufacturer of chronographs. What I am saying is that not everyone NEEDS a $500 chronograph. Matter of fact I would say a great many shooters, even competition shooters, Don't need one at all. Turns out I was correct about the OP not needing an expensive chronograph after all, as he admitted he did not from early on.
Look guys, and I am talking everyone who gives advice here. Many of the people come here looking for answers to a question about what to buy. We do not know their financial status, and really it is none of our business. But to advise a man to spend what is possibly a weeks pay on something he really doesn't need is irresponsible. I see it all too often in the reloading section people come here and get conviced they need $1000 worth of loading equipment to start loading GREAT ammunition. I used to post in here more than I do now, because of just that kind of thing. For every voice of reason there are 10 screaming "yeah do it!!". I don't know everything even after 29yrs of loading and 35years of shooting and I probably won't after another 30+ years. What I did learn in the last year is that 3 different chronographs ranging from $90 -$500 were not accurate....at all. The man that told me how to determine what my bullet was actually doing said that only doppler radar was accurate consistently enough to figure long range dope. That was news to me. He also told me not to try and tell people that because it tends to piss them off. That is no longer news to me.
Carry on. No offence fellas buy what makes you happy.
Steve and Jim. I am casting no dispersions on Oehler. Until I quit shooting at static distance I rarely used a chronograph. I believe there is no substitute for firing rounds at distance to determine speed and performance in relation to SD. I really don't have time for this but I will tell what has recently made me a cynic when it comes to chronographs.
I have a Chrony I have had for years. I forget the model, its red, its remote, it doesn't figure SD but it does everything else. I think maybe its an Alpha Master, I bought it from Midsouth back in the mid 90's. I never really used it much but I always assumed that its numbers were correct.
I have a friend that has a blue one, Beta Master. He too always assumed that his was next to the word of God. He is a smith and recently built us both a tactical rifle. Now we both have seen more than one rodeo and are fellow match directors and long time competition shooters, IHMSA,High Power, 1000yd BR,SB Silhouette,CLA Silhouette, IPSC, etc etc between us. We began our load developement for both rifles with the intent of using them in tactical competitions out to 1200yds and first round hits are important. Admittedly for two old salts at shooting it was a learning curve.
To make a long story a bit shorter the first thing we learned was that his Chrony is a dog. The second thing we learned was that my Chrony isn't too damn bad and the third thing we learned involves another friend that has an Oehler.
I got a call from my spotter and compadre one Sunday evening and he informed me he had shot over an Oehler that afternoon. So I ask what the results were and he said it gave no better results than my Chrony. He was comparing the same loads we had shot over 2 Chronys except this time he was shooting at distances beyond 300yd. We tested all this over several months under differing conditions and honestly repeating the same tests numerous times each. Could the Oehler have been having a bad day? Sure, hell everything under the sun has bad days and good. THere are good and bad coming off any production line, not all Oehler 35s or Chronys are created equal.
Don't get me wrong fellas, I am not bashing Oehler or Chrony or any other manufacturer of chronographs. What I am saying is that not everyone NEEDS a $500 chronograph. Matter of fact I would say a great many shooters, even competition shooters, Don't need one at all. Turns out I was correct about the OP not needing an expensive chronograph after all, as he admitted he did not from early on.
Look guys, and I am talking everyone who gives advice here. Many of the people come here looking for answers to a question about what to buy. We do not know their financial status, and really it is none of our business. But to advise a man to spend what is possibly a weeks pay on something he really doesn't need is irresponsible. I see it all too often in the reloading section people come here and get conviced they need $1000 worth of loading equipment to start loading GREAT ammunition. I used to post in here more than I do now, because of just that kind of thing. For every voice of reason there are 10 screaming "yeah do it!!". I don't know everything even after 29yrs of loading and 35years of shooting and I probably won't after another 30+ years. What I did learn in the last year is that 3 different chronographs ranging from $90 -$500 were not accurate....at all. The man that told me how to determine what my bullet was actually doing said that only doppler radar was accurate consistently enough to figure long range dope. That was news to me. He also told me not to try and tell people that because it tends to piss them off. That is no longer news to me.
Carry on. No offence fellas buy what makes you happy.
Re: chronographs
Fair enough.
Nothings perfect and I see where you are coming from. Personally I do wish I had put my $300+ towards a 35P a few years ago though. I know I've got at least a couple hundred more in wasted ammo,time,etc in my strivings with false data.
Fair enough.
Nothings perfect and I see where you are coming from. Personally I do wish I had put my $300+ towards a 35P a few years ago though. I know I've got at least a couple hundred more in wasted ammo,time,etc in my strivings with false data.
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