Opinions on MagnetoSpeed Sporter Ballistics Chronograph

[dverna]

Has anyone here had experience with the MagnetoSpeed Sporter Ballistics Chronograph?

A few questions...

Will it affect POI?
Is it easy to use?
Would you buy it again?

One downside is it will not work on air gun pellets or .22 RF.

Thanks,

[rancher1913]

i have nothing but troubles with mine. sometimes it works but most times it just gives an error message. had to return it once due to a faulty probe. if you want something reliable look else ware. it does not affect point of aim. it was cheep but if i had to do it over i would save for a better one.

[kaiser]

The pros:It's lightweight, compact, and accurate. The cons: it's is position sensitive to get an accurate reading on some types of firearms; doesn't work on .17 and .22 rimfires; and does not work with semi-auto pistols. When checking velocities, it does effect POI enough that I always sight in the gun first. It uses a 9 volt battery, that in my experience, lasts a very long time. On the firearms it works well on, it is easy to pack and set up; however for a "do everything" chronograph for every type of firearm, there are better choices! (Oh, I would buy it again, but only because I have another brand that is not easy to set up!) My .02

[ryanmattes]

I have the non-sporter one, and it works for what it works for. Not an all-around Chrono, but if I was to quickly grab readings on a rifle, it's quick and easy to set up without having to go down range.

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[Dsltech1]

I had one for awhile. It’s easy to install, readings seemed to be fairly accurate. It tends to slip and slide with recoil. So you have to make sure it hasn’t moved between shots.
Stock and barrel clearance are also a factor or it was for me anyway.

I sold mine and bought a LabRadar. I’ve been much happier with it, since it works all around pistols and all rifles.

[Moleman-]

Position sensitive issue is easy to resolve if you use a cleaning rod to set it up so you can gauge how close you are to the bullet path. The only thing I don't like about mine is there is one button for all functions. It is a little irratating trying getting the function you want vs it thinking you want to skip to the next function. I would buy another magneto speed, but it would be the V3 version with 3 function buttons.

[ryanmattes]

I would buy another magneto speed, but it would be the V3 version with 3 function buttons.

That's the one I have. It also comes with an alignment rod, to set the distance to the bullet path. And there's a rail adapter you can buy separately for use on things with rails, including semi-auto pistols with an accessory rail under the barrel.

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[Steve Steven]

my son bought a Sporter, and using it for his hi-powered rifles we had some problems fitting it. (flash hider problems) Also I was afraid the weight of the sporter on the barrel would affect the barrel harmonics.

I cut the Sporter off in the middle of the cutout for the blast, and bolted it into a piece of 3/4 square tube (1/8 wall) with the top cut out, bolted that onto another piece of 3/4 square tube which was rounded on the other end to fit into a piece of 1" OD aluminum tube, and fitted that into scope mounts on the Picatinny rail on the stock bottom. I picked the scope mounts to suit the needed distance to put the Sporter sensing parts in the correct location per the MagnetoSpeed instructions. Works fine now, we can do accuracy shooting and chrono at the same time.

Steve

[recumbent]

I have one, got it as a gift. Hard to get to stay in place. I does effect POI, will not work with a handgun.
My opinion is don't waste your money.

[dverna]

Thanks guys for sharing your experiences and opinions.

I have decided not to buy one.

[Randy Bohannon]

Get a Lab Radar and be done with it, no sun sensitive screens to shoot on accident, no worries where the sun is or isn’t ,easy to use, accurate, nothing to hang on your barrel,will do arrows as well ,get a lithium rechargeable battery and skip the handful of AA batteries it uses.

[jetinteriorguy]

I have one and for the most part it works good when set up properly and within the limits of its design. But, because of its design it is limited in its usefulness. All my shooting is pretty much done at an indoor range eliminating using any normal chronograph, and obviously a labradar would be great, but I simply can’t plop down that kind of moola for one. All in all for my uses I’ve been well satisfied, especially at this price point.

[popper]

I have the V3, works fine. I don't worry about barrel harmonics when using it, I just want fps data - and check accuracy without it!

[Larry Gibson]

I have one, guy gave it to me because it was a pain to use. I've used it a bit and found;

POI: very little change at 100 yards. No meaningful change on heavier barreled rifles at 100 yards.

It is "position sensitive", as mentioned and must be aligned correctly. Once I understood what the correct alignment was it was easy, especially with the use of a cleaning rod.

The "sensitivity" setting in the control must be correct.

Small lead bullets or pellets are not "sensed". I have not gotten consistent readings with cast bullets either, even cast with GCs.

The one button scroll through is problematic until you learn the screen symbol meanings and, even then, can be a pain.

The Magnetospeed will move under recoil on heavy recoiling rifles. Easy solution is to spray on a small amount of spray "sure grip" type adhesive to the pads before mounting. The residue is easily removed when done.

I have used the Magnetospeed Sporter in conjunction with my Oehler M35P and M43PBL. The readings are correct and accurate. I have also used it in conjunction with the Oehlers and with 4 different Lab Radars. I got consistent readings with the Oehlers and the Magnetospeed when the lab radars failed to pick up the bullets (i.e. lost data). I can set up the Oehler M35P and/or the Magnetospeed and be shooting while the Lab Radars are still being set up, aligned and the computer input set and then tested to make sure the muzzle blast triggers it to record.

I'll keep my Oehler 35P [which also gives me a nice print out] and still keep the Magnetospeed for occasional use. As to the Lab Radar, no thanks.

Would I buy a Magnetospeed? No I wouldn't because I have the Oehlers. However, I do use the one given to me. I would recommend a Magnetospeed Sporter to someone who is only interested in chronographing a few already developed rifle loads, especially if only jacketed bullets are used.

[dverna]

Larry thanks for the in-depth review. I thought that for $180 it would be neat thing to have but have decided it would wind up not getting used much. My shooting needs are simple. Where I hunt, my longest shot is about 300 yards, and I will not shoot at game past 400 yards.

I looked at ballistics tables for the bullet I use the most. When sighted in at 200 yards, at a MV of 2700 fps, drop is 25" at 400 yards. If the MV is 2500 fps, the drop at 400 yards is 30".

Sighted in at 200 yards, at 2700 fps the bullet strikes 2" high at 100 yards and at 2500 fps it will be 2.5" high. I tend to shoot a lot of groups so I can estimate velocity by analyzing POI. If I am "off" by 1/4" at 100 yards that is the same as a 100 fps difference in velocity. So I will be "off" by 2.5" at 400 yards. For my needs that is irrelevant. I will have a bigger challenge dealing with wind at 400 yards than trajectory.

I had considered using a chronograph to set up a new load/gun using the ladder method of load development. I had never understood how the method could work and wanted to "give it a shot". But after reading your comments in another thread I became convinced it is not a good method. I have been successfully working up loads using incremental load development for 50 years and will stay with that.