Chronograph Help

[jmorris]

I dipped my toe into the murky water of the 300 AAC Blackout and I have decided that I really need to get a chronograph to really get the most out of that round.

Why is that? What information are you expecting out of the chronograph, to let you know you have reached some limit for what you can get from the round?

[Mal Paso]

Caldwell and you have $450 to spend on powder. I just bought a Caldwell and it worked right out of the box on 22 pellets. I had a Chrony before and it required fussing. Some have had trouble aligning Lab Radar but there are gizmos to help.

[Liberty1776]

I like my Caldwell G2 "inverted" chronograph.



It's rechargeable, sets up fast and has Bluetooth back to my iPhone. Works with rifles and pistols. Never tried a shotgun through it.

Records all manner of data automatically; allows notes and a picture to be taken and associated with the test.

Data can be exported to a spreadsheet from the phone.

[sparkyv]

I'm a the Magnetospeed Sporter camp. I'm well-pleased with it for almost two years now. I would buy it again.

Pros:
No need to setup in front of firing line/don't have to wait for the line to go "safe"
No need for particular lighting
Don't have to be concerned about rain
Extremely packable/portable
Works great with revolvers, rifles and even rimfires
A 9V battery lasts a great while
Has been demonstrated to provide accurate/ reliable readings
Rather difficult to shoot the chrony
Excellent customer service

Cons:
This is at the top end of MY chrony budget
Can't use it on semi-auto pistols
Sensitivity setting takes a bit of tweaking
Bayonet slips/loosens and requires checking between every shot
I wonder about the longevity of the bayonet; mine's pitted from the muzzle blast
One CAN shoot this chrony, don't ask me how I know

[Larry Gibson]

I have the Oehler 35P. Works great except in winter. Then I have to wrap it in a blanket to keep it warm.

Plus another for the M35P. I have been using mine since 89. Still have the Oehler M33 I got in '74 an the M43 I got in '07. I mostly use the M35P. I also have a MagnetoSpeed which I use when traveling. Over the years I've had many want to test their other makes in tandem with the Oehler. Seems it is the standard by which all others are measured. That includes the Lab Radar of which I've now had 4 of them tested along side the M35P or the M43.

The screens are easily repaired as other than the small sensor there aren't any other electronics in them. I've rebuilt mine and repaired them several times. They keep on working. I use a 2' screen space with them on a sturdy tripod. It is easy and quick to set up.

[Taterhead]

The Competiton Electronics ProChrono is a great value, and simple to operate. If you happen to wreck yours, like I did mine, they will fix or replace it at a fraction of the new cost. Great people to deal with!

[454PB]

My Son bought a Lab Radar, and couldn't get it to work reliably. He asked me to see if I could make it work (I'm retired and he isn't). I spent a whole day and 100 rounds of ammo and got it to work about 10% of the time. I did a lot of internet research for solutions, and none have worked yet.

[Mal Paso]

Depends on your budget. Mine only allows for a Caldwell. Happy with it for years. And can measure any weapon with it. The only cons I can think of is it works with a cable and not bluetooth to the APP on the phone, but I can live with that. And don't kill it.

PS If used indoors get the optional extra lights kit.

I think get the light kit anyway or use the HF self contained LED lights. I just spent a weekend with the basic Caldwell in low angle winter light and under trees when the sun got higher. It read high with low angle light and low under trees. Most of these units trigger on increase or decrease of light over the sensor. A flash can trigger as well as a shadow. I taped some cardboard to shield the sensors from off angle sun and it started giving reliable results. If I hadn't been focused on new loads I would have thought to hang 2 LEDs from the screens. It's very similar to the Chrony and I got along with one of those for years. For $100 delivered it's a decent piece of equipment. Now If I'd spent $550 and had problems......

[kevin c]

My club's experience with Pro Chrony's and Lab Radars is mostly positive. The first are cheap, easy to set up and use, and we have have two or three accessible for general use (which means they take abuse and the ocassional bullet). The Lab Radars are limited access. They work well on an open range, but have problems with large, close downrange objects reflecting false signals, like walls and baffles. They didn't work in our small, dedicated chrono bay, and for the recent major we hosted, we ended up using tandem mounted ProChronys instead.