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Joined: 21 May 2015 Posts: 128

I recently realized that I was navigating in the blind on my reloads.

I think I need to purchase a chronograph to verify that I am reloading proven recipes accurately and consistently (not just by how good the crimps look)

Most of my reloads are in the 6-8kpsi range, but I'd like to know for sure what I'm doing.

So, what chronographs do you all use, and why did you select a particular brand or model?

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3178 Location: NCWa

I use a Chrony that is about 25 years old. It appears to be reasonably accurate when results are compared with other more expensive systems, but the shooter must be very careful to keep the shot in the small window. For safety a thick plate of plexiglass can be placed in front of the Chrony.

Caldwell

Joined: 07 Sep 2014 Posts: 419

Lots of chronographs will work with shot. I wouldn't worry about it that much though. Are you hand weighing every charge? If not, you will get wide swings in velocity. Might put your leads off 1/2" .........

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1114

I have a very nice Oehler 35 chronograph that I've used for years, however it is rather cumbersome to transport and set up at the range.

I recently decided to modernize and purchased a Prochrono DLX that has a downloadable app for your phone and a Bluetooth connection and stores the results on your phone. Setup is simply mount the chronograph on your tripod, align it with the target, turn it on and call up the program on your phone, You can title the shot string such as"6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr BT" to make the info easier to review at a later time. I really like how user friendly the whole system is even though I'm the original 80 year old Luddite.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

I have a Prochrono, a bit older, but it still works very well. Thought about the Prochrono DLX because of the capabilities that Riflemeister noted.

The one thing you need to understand is just because a company publishes an average velocity, doesn't automatically mean that you can duplicate those numbers. In the industry chronographs are setup using SAAMI reference ammo. You and I don't have access to that so that we can correct the figures. Also published velocities are generally rounded up or down, which introduces another error. On top of the whole mess, someone else did the reloading, who knows what they actually did as far as crimp depth and crimp radius.

I love my chronograph and it has proven to be a very good tool, but we need to understand that there can be frustrations with it and limitations. There generally is a learning curve with a skyscreen chronograph. Don't be in a big hurry and bring a lot of ammo the first few times you use it.

The first time you use it, be sure it is a cloudy day or that you are well under a roof. Stray light will give a skyscreen chronograph and it's owner fits.

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 756 Location: Mn.

Timely subject. Last week finally entered the world of PCP air rifles and got my first one, for fine tuning a chrono is pretty much mandatory. The Prochrono DLX that Riflemeister mentioned seems to be a crowd favorite in the PCP world. Now that Riflemeister brings it up I will pull the trigger on it his recommendation is good enough for me Very Happy

Have been reading about them for many years especially for shotgun reloads. On Trapshooters.com Neil Winston over the years has posted a lot about patterns, POI, etc. including chronographs. He had a Masters in statistics and approached everything from a scientific point of view. When he passed away we lost a great resource for all things involving shotgunning IMO.

He had a lengthy and detailed PDF on his website claytargettesting.com concerning chronographing shotgun shells. Unfortunately when he passed the domain expired and it is no longer available. Some details he posted are still available on TS.com but the main document appears to be gone forever.

To add to what Mark said above one of Neil's recommendations when chronographing shotgun shells, which can be tricky, was to purchase a couple flats of premium shells from the same lot number (obviously would have to be 12 or 20 ga.) and shoot 10 over the chrono before testing any reloads. And see if they hold to your known baseline standards. Due to environmental factors some days are better than others and when they are not consistent with the baseline pack everything up and head home. And he used a commercial chronograph IIRC.

Joined: 27 Oct 2017 Posts: 80 Location: Joliet, IL

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 756 Location: Mn.