Chronograph recommendation

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wombat13

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I'm looking for recommendations for a reasonably accurate, reasonably priced chronograph. I've got a great handload for my .300WM (165 gr TSX over 72.8 gr IMR 4831) and now have a Leupold VX-6 scope on the rifle. I need to know my MV to order the CDS turret. I'm sure if I have one I'll use it, but I doubt I'll use it all that often.

Thanks.
 
I have the CE Digital with the BT link. It has worked good for me. I though like you said, would only use it occasionally but it turns I out set it up most every time I shoot now. All my neighbors come over to use it to at my home range. I have the convenience of just stepping out by back or front door to get to my range.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/852429/competition-electronics-prochrono-digital-chronograph

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2...oth-adaptor-for-prochrono-digital-chronograph

Midway puts them on sell on a regular basis for 10-20% off.
 
If it's just for rifles, get a magnetospeed. Mine is easier to setup, doesn't mine blowing wind and more consistent than my old CED (gen 1).
 
Ineed to know my MV to order the CDS turret.
Click to expand...

While I have a number of chronographs and they along with a "ballistic calculator" can be helpful, if I were ordering custom turrets I would confirm results in the real world with hits on paper vs a print out of what the load "should" do.
 
The Pro Chrono is my recommendation as well. A couple years ago I finally shot my old Shooting Chrony F1. Got the Pro Chrono off Amazon and couldn't be more pleased with the price/performance ratio. I shoulda executed that F1 years ago. No telling how much wasted test ammo I could have saved due to all the errors etc of the F1.
 
jmorris said:
While I have a number of chronographs and they along with a "ballistic calculator" can be helpful, if I were ordering custom turrets I would confirm results in the real world with hits on paper vs a print out of what the load "should" do.
Click to expand...
I only have access to a 200 yard range right now. Is that far enough to be able to extrapolate to drop at 500 or 600 yards? In any case, I believe Leupold requires the bullet and MV when ordering the CDS turrets.
 
I've had both a Caldwell Precission and Shooting Chrony LED models with good success using both. The Chrony only got replaced due to being shot. It was under $100 and worked well. The Caldwell I have currently and it was around 200, but is a little fancier. I'm looking into upgrading soon to either a MagnetaSpeed barrel mounted setup or possibly springing for a Doppler. I use mine fairly often so it's worth it for me to spend a little. For a good economy option though you can beat a simple Shooting Chrony in my opinion. They also have a neat and inexpensive setup at MidwayUSA now that links to Bluetooth and records/displays all the data using your phone. I saw that while pricing Doppler units last well. It was cheap too, like 60 bucks.
 
In addition to bullet velocity what else would you like to know? I have a pretty old chronograph and when it came out the fact that it printed results on a paper tape was a marvel. Today's chronographs provide a wealth of information and can interface with a laptop, tablet or smart phone right on the range or later. Decide what features you want, make a list and then find the ones which will give you what you want. Additionally you need to mention your ideas of budget? Today a relatively good chronograph can be had for $100 or less but if you want fluff they can get upwards of $500 or more real quick.

Basic Caldwell Chronograph. Not bad at all with a $75 price tag.
Competition Electronics ProChrono Digital Chronograph. Does a little more than the $75 version coming in at $105
MagnetoSpeed V3 Ballistic Chronograph. Mentioned earlier in the thread by others comes in around $380 but those using it seem satisfied customers.
LabRadar Ballistic Velocity Doppler Radar Chronograph. At about $560 does everything but make toast and with a programming hack likely could make toast.

While not absolutely required a good chronograph is a nice to have. Pretty much depends on what you want. This subject comes up quite a bit so to add to your knowledge base you may want to use the forums search features, you will likely get a dozen more threads.

Ron

 
I have shot a couple of them so far and am of the opinion that staying on the inexpensive side (F1) will probably be good enough for a basic Chronograph to compare loads with. FWIW you will probably never get the exact results that the book says anyway.
 
I can say I haven't been to happy with my pro chrono. Before I say anything else I will say that one day I did shoot one of the metal shade rods and had to snap unit back together, since then I used wood dowels to hold the sunshades, that being said this unit gave me the same problems before this. I Think it does give me accurate readings but I have a lot of trouble with it on sunny days, does better on overcast/light rain days. It has a problem with its memory and will corrupt data, by this I mean I have confirmed it to have changed stored readings which is not to bad when its obvious like 700 fps turns into 60 but sometimes its close enough you might miss it.

I contacted the company several times by email and never received any response.

This is what I want when they become more affordable. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/523157/labradar-ballistic-velocity-doppler-radar-chronograph

If I wasn't chronoing pistols I would probably get this https://www.midwayusa.com/product/896627/magnetospeed-sporter-chronograph
 
I have a CE Pro Chrono Digital. I can hook either a remote control or a digital link adapter for the smartphone to it. Nice to have at a public range where you cant change strings or read the display from the bench without binoculars (I cant see as well as I use to in certain light). worth a few bucks more over a cheaper model for the upgrade/add-on possibilities.

Its works pretty good and have had no issues other than a dead battery!
 
I only have access to a 200 yard range right now. Is that far enough to be able to extrapolate to drop at 500 or 600 yards?
Click to expand...

Not likely, what round?
 
I have an old CED M2. It was the cat's meow several years ago. I have the infrared kit for poor lighting conditions, but you either need 120 VAC or you have to bring the big battery pack that goes with it. I would take a look at the Caldwell G2 if I was buying now.

Hopefully the radar units eventually come down in price.
 
Pact pro XP . Has a built in ballistic calculater and the unit sits on the bench so if you hit anything it will just be a few bucks for the eyes or screens .
 
FWIW you will probably never get the exact results that the book says anyway.
Click to expand...

If you have 3 different chronographs you will get 3 different results, getting a string of fire with all the same velocities much less the same as in some book with a different rifle on a different day would be as likely as winning one of the bazillion dollar lotteries.
 
Yeah, 200 yards would be pretty useless.

0'ed at 100

-2.7 @ 200yds would be much more subtle change to detect if the calculation varied from actual results than further distances like.

-10.4 @ 300
-23.8 @ 400
-44.0 @ 500
Or -72.2 @ 600

If the calculator was off by 50%, at 200 yards that would be a 1.35" difference at 600 yards it would be more than 3 feet of difference (36.1"). Or if it were only 10% incorrect that would be .27" difference at 200 and 7.22" of difference at 600.

If your chronograph was off by 100 fps that would be a .3" difference at 200 yards and a 5.9" difference at 600 yds.
 
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I have used a pro chrono for the past few years. Works great.

Surprisingly I got the best deal by having Wal Mart order it in and I picked it up in store.

Once you start chronographing your own loads you will be spoiled at how dialed in you can get a round to your rifle.

That bdc turret makes a lot of assumptions. I have found it much more reliable to just get a good accurate round and then figure out where it would hit using a reticle that is marked for hold over. You could do the same thing with your bdc and then you would know what it actually does instead of what it theoretically does.
 
When you order the CDS you will want to provide Leopold as much info as you can. Including temp, elevation, barometric pressure, crony distance from the barrel, Rifle details, scope height. I would setup the crony at the target too. This could be a check as to how accurate the BC numbers are as well as launch velocity.

I have 3 scopes that I need to get the custom turrets for. Once I'm sure of what bullet/powder/primer combo I will verify my loads under different conditions before ordering. I know what ever I order it will be close if I do my part. Remember as for as hunting goes, your kill zone may be consider a 5-6" BE.

Good luck
 
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