What Chronograph to Buy?

[nicholst55]

I'm in the market for a chronograph, and have about $250-300 to spend. What brand and model would you recommend, and why?

I'm reluctant to buy one that puts the entire unit, 'brains' and all, in front of the muzzle. I guess my thinking is that Murphy's Law being what it is, I WILL shoot my chronograph, eventually.

I'm interested in reliability and performance, naturally.

[frankenfab]

I have a CED M1. The M2 is surely even better. I like the big button control, and you can download your data to excel. Parts availability and price are good as well. I had some trouble with certain lighting conditions, and went with the infr-red sky screens and never had another problem.

http://www.cedhk.com/shop/categories/Shooting-Electronics/CED-Chronographs-%26-Accessories/

[Shooter6br]

Dont get one that puts the unit"in harms way" i know..............Pact is nice I have a Model 1 for 25 yrs. Not fancy but good enought, If you shoot long range a model with a ballistic program is what you need, ( varmint hunter etc)

[Shooter6br]

WOW posted at the same instant,,,,,,,

[frankenfab]

.............:grin:...........

[Blammer]

build a bullet resistant front face for it. :)

[Doc Highwall]

CED-M2 is the last one that I bought and it has a great write up as being accurate in comparisons to ones that cost $1000's of dollars.

[frankenfab]

Here's a link to a couple other threads. If I had thought of the mod these guys did, I might not have needed the infra-red screens.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=92697

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=95846

The things I don't like about the CED are the folding mount, I got a piece of 1" square aluminum tubing to replace it, and the whole setup is a little wobbly in the wind because the skyscreen brackets are wide and flat. I plan on mounting the whole thing to a board with tie downs to steady the uprights.

[Marvin S]

I have an old chrony that was reasonable in price and never had a lick of trouble with it.

[luvtn]

Marvin S,
The name of your chrony is?
luvtn

[Southern Son]

I have a Chrony, also. I got the one that displays the velocity on the separate LCD screen. It has been a good little unit.

[Mal Paso]

Marvin S,
The name of your chrony is?
luvtn

When you see Chrony it usually means "Shooting Chrony". Everyone else spent more money so they Have to use the word Chronograph. BLT likes his Millennium 2 but I think he will get the infrared sky screens. We just have lousy lighting for chronographs at our range. I like the Shooting Chrony with the remote display with modifications. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=95846 Thanks frankenfab.
With cloud cover I often leave off the sky screens and just use my side panels. I chronograph all my loads now and each new batch of powder. If I had "all the money" the Germans make a nice infrared chronograph for about $800.

[Murphy]

Murphy's Law being what it is, I WILL shoot my chronograph, eventually.

I never said YOU were going to shoot it, but that doesn't mean your best shootin' buddy won't.

Murphy

[Lloyd Smale]

had two chronys neither were reliable or accuarte. Ive got a pact now and its much better but still not in the same league as a Ohler.

[Marvin S]

Shooting chrony is what it is, it uses a readout box that attaches with what looks like a phone cable. Mine has been very good and I trust what it says. But I suppose it's like every thing else a person might get a bad one like my luck with PACT electronic scales.

[btroj]

I have been happy with my Chrony. It works. What more could I ask of it? I have hit guide rods,never the machine itself. If a person I am shooting with shoots it then would suspect they would replace it. I don't shoot with people who wouldn't.

[white eagle]

I have a Pact and have had it for years
puts the puter behind the screens
never shot it

[alamogunr]

I got the CED Millennium 2. Satisfied so far. I have only had a problem one time when the sun was in the wrong place.

I winged one of the side wings that supports the diffuser. Didn't even notice it until I was disassembling it to leave. Bought a replacement set that included 4 wings and 2 diffusers. If I shoot those, I should be able to use the pieces to cobble together something that will work. It's only plastic.

John
W.TN

[Potsy]

Happy with my Chrony. Kinda light sensitive, I guess. It needs to be in the shade with sunscreens, but I've never really fooled with any other brand.

[geargnasher]

My ancient Pact was pretty decent years ago, but it spent a long time in storage and hasn't worked since.

I bought a Shooing Chrony F1 Alpha recently, it's currently on it's way back to New York for a SECOND go around, this time at the Boss' shooting range and on THEIR nickel. It will not, under any conditions I've been able to create for it, read anything sub-sonic with any accuracy. .45 ACP reads in the 280-320 range at five feet and 2200-ish at ten feet. They tell me they had a bad run of sensors that are "too sensitive". Reads supersonic stuff just fine, though, and as far as that goes I've been really happy with it. Not sure I'd buy another one though, I guess I got what I paid for.

Gear

[felix]

The IR type is the way to go for fool proof readings. I would assume the transducers would be within a tunnel to keep out all extraneous IR. 800 bucks is a lot of money, but some of us are buying lever guns approaching this cost nowadays. ... felix

[cajun shooter]

Felix, You have to get out more or that state that sits above me has some of the best gun prices going. Most all of the toggle bolt rifles are selling for twice that price. A $1400 model 60,66,73 is quite common.Even the 92's made in Italy have passed that mark. The only one left is the Rossi made 92's for that price. Take Care my friend David