Oh Caldwell Chrono: Ya big Dummy! 100% Running Sideways

[hoodat]

I've just started using a Caldwell, and have been loving it -- except for the way that the higher powered rifles frequently blow the shades off of the connecting sockets. I'll figure sumpthin out.

I've been reloading for fifty + years and always wondered how close my loads were to published velocity data. So far I've been pretty happy with what it's telling me. jd

[steve urquell]

One thing about this thread that has helped me (Thanks for the feedback from those who actually tried to help) is to be more aware of the light over the lenses and to make sure they are clean. My shooting range is pretty dynamic with the light coming in, shade and filtered light thru the trees. I will be more apt to adjust the chrono depending on the lighting conditions. The sideways trick will work well for me later in the day when the sun is going down.

[popper]

I've got the shooting Chrony I hardly use anymore. Too much trouble setting up at the range on the tripod. But it is accurate - compare to the magnetospeed. Optical ones work but going out of style.

[zarrinvz24]

I bought the Caldwell “Precision” G2, which is designed to work upside down (screens down, reader eyes on top), and it works no better. I’ve also had 2 Frankfort primer tube fillers, and a Frankford IntelliDropper, and none of it works. I’ve decided to quit buying any of the expensive China-built crap from any Midway-associated company (Caldwell and Frankford Arsenal are owned by Potterfield’s children).

Magnetospeed doesn’t work on pistols, although the one I’ve used worked 100% on rifles, and I’ve had two CED M2 Chronos also (one for free from a buddy who couldn’t get his to work), and neither of them were consistently usable either.

The wooden box Half Dog posted has been semi-common to see at IPSC competitions where ammo had to be test fired to see if it was major or minor, so even the pros deeply struggle with optical chronographs.

I’m done with them. It’s throwing good money away after bad. Now that the Garmin is coming out, I’m springing for one of them. I haven’t seen a bad review yet, and most say they work near 100%.

The Garmin is the radar based one right?

[MakeMineA10mm]

Yes. It’s very small. All the reviews I’ve seen say that it is extremely easy to set up. Like, turn it on, set it somewhere with 18” of the muzzle and point it downrange. No sighting in and sensitive microphone like the LabRadar. It does not do multiple velocity reads downrange, so you can’t calculate your load/bullet’s actual B.C., so that’s the only disadvantage. For the reliability and simplicity, though, it sounds great. If I buy one of those and it doesn’t work, I’m just going to concede that I’m a caveman and live an Anish lifestyle with zero electronics in my life…

[atfsux]

Yes, I too am a caveman and resist change. But I lusted after a LabRadar for a few years. I couldn't justify the expense, so I suffered on with my ancient Chrony. Last year, after coming into some money, I splurged and bought the Garmin. Why did I wait so long!! Oy,...the world is a joy now.

[zarrinvz24]

Yes, I too am a caveman and resist change. But I lusted after a LabRadar for a few years. I couldn't justify the expense, so I suffered on with my ancient Chrony. Last year, after coming into some money, I splurged and bought the Garmin. Why did I wait so long!! Oy,...the world is a joy now.

Please tell us about it. It's worth the expense then?

[atfsux]

Please tell us about it. It's worth the expense then?

In my opinion, yes, it is worth it. I can't tell you how many times I got false readings or "error", but that is a thing of the past now. There is a bit of a learning curve, in that you have to actually read the instructions and learn some new tricks. But it is neat to be able to set it up on any surface or table you are shooting from and not have to worry about accidentally shooting your sky screens or needing to haul around a second folding table just to set the chrony up on. What I enjoy most is that I can kill two birds with one stone and actually start shooting for accuracy and test grouping, while the Garmin gets its readings. No need to fire separate strings for different purposes. Also, if I choose to, I can take my Garmin to the public range and use it, which I could never do with the chrono, since you would never be allowed to set up anything forward of the line.

And while I have not used the feature yet, I think it is cool that the Garmin can communicate with your phone and transfer the data there, so you can either send it to buddies or have your phone download to your laptop to compile your data in whatever programs you might be using for the purpose. I'm still old school analog and write my data down in a notebook as I shoot, then take the notebook home and manually enter that data in any word document I might have saved for load recipes. But its a neat feature none the less.

[zarrinvz24]

In my opinion, yes, it is worth it. I can't tell you how many times I got false readings or "error", but that is a thing of the past now. There is a bit of a learning curve, in that you have to actually read the instructions and learn some new tricks. But it is neat to be able to set it up on any surface or table you are shooting from and not have to worry about accidentally shooting your sky screens or needing to haul around a second folding table just to set the chrony up on. What I enjoy most is that I can kill two birds with one stone and actually start shooting for accuracy and test grouping, while the Garmin gets its readings. No need to fire separate strings for different purposes. Also, if I choose to, I can take my Garmin to the public range and use it, which I could never do with the chrono, since you would never be allowed to set up anything forward of the line.

And while I have not used the feature yet, I think it is cool that the Garmin can communicate with your phone and transfer the data there, so you can either send it to buddies or have your phone download to your laptop to compile your data in whatever programs you might be using for the purpose. I'm still old school analog and write my data down in a notebook as I shoot, then take the notebook home and manually enter that data in any word document I might have saved for load recipes. But its a neat feature none the less.

Thank you. I know what I'll be asking for come December.

[country gent]

With the sky screens you dont just need light but a diffused light ( its more even and donst throw reflections or shadows.) My old pacts sky screens werent bad but you would have to adjust thru the day for the angle of the sun. Direct sunlight even with the shades would be a problem at times. I made a set of shades from frosted plexi glass almost 6" wide and these helped a lot. Ive also seen new shades made one piece from white plastic store bags.

Sometimes inking the bullet with a magic marker helps. The sky screens will pick up the bullet and reflections causing the fault.

The big plus to the magneto speed, and the doppler units is there isnt as much need for correct spacing from the muzzle and in the screens themselves. Not sure if the garmin does this but the lab radar will read 5 settable distances on each shot fired, this allows BCs to be figured for the given bullets.

At the club one day we set up a members chrony a members magneto speed on his rifle and my labradar so that each round the magneto fitted rifle fired was read by 3 chronos.
The transducers in the sky screens have a hard time dealing with wads, BP smoke, shot charges and or arrows

[elmacgyver0]

The best thing about the Garmin is you just set it on your bench and shoot.
No screens to fuss with, no setting up down range, impossible at an indoor range.
Tiny, you can stow it in your range bag.
Nothing wrong with the other units, they still work fine, but the Garmin is a lot more convenient.

[elmacgyver0]

The Garmin as far as I know doesn't do the BC thing, at this time.
No reason it couldn't as it is all software, it just needs to be developed.