I got into a bit of a controversy this week.
I see a folks using chronographs and have never understood why a cast bullet shooter would need one. In fact, I cannot understand why most people would need one.
I have whittled my main rifles down to a bunch of .223/5.56's and .308's. I did some back of the envelop calculations of the difference in POI if ES is 100 fps, and could not see much difference in making hits at 300 yards with .223 or 400 yards with the .308
My assumption is that because I average about 1 MOA in the .223's and maybe a bit more in the .308's the loads I have are "good". ES doesn't matter...right?
I understand that at long ranges (over 600 yards) ES will cause greater POI changes but I do not work out there. I assume most shooters do not either. So I wonder why would anyone worry about ES for pistols loads, cast loads and jacketed hunting loads.
I have never been able to understand "ladder load development" either and that needs a chronograph. I am "old school" and use incremental load development to find a decent load then shoot a bunch of groups to confirm it was not a fluke. Once I get in the MOA area with a bolt gun I am done...good enough is good enough.
For those still with me, I have a NIB chronograph. Back when I got it, I could only shoot at public ranges and it would have been a PITA to set up. Being as l like trigger time and components were cheap, I kept muddling along with shooting groups for years.
So, here is the challenge. The chronograph (ProChrono) is "free" (you pay shipping). I will give it to the person who can best explain why someone with my needs could benefit from using one.
My needs are simple:
Varmints to 300 yards with .223's and 55 gr Hornady SP
Deer to 400 yards with a .308 using 150 gr Hornady Interlocks or 165 gr Sierra GameKings
Pistol calibers to 100 yards in carbines.
If you make a good enough case, I will pay the shipping! Knowledge is not free and none of the stuff I have read has made a compelling case so far. But I am willing to learn.
Mods, if this post is in the wrong forum please move. I put it here because the mantra is "You need a chronograph to develop loads" so it seems like a piece of reloading equipment.