Is a Chronograph Necessary?

[FIVENINES]

OK, I'll come out and admit that I am an unmitigated newbie. I've read all kinds of reloading books and watched YouTube videos produced by people who seem to know what they are doing. Muzzle velocity seems to be the pivot point of reloading. Do I need a chronometer, or can I just use a middle-of-the chart powder charge suggested by one of the reloading books for the caliber, bullet type, and powder that I have - and call it good enough?

Thanks!

 

[jwrowland77]

Necessary, nope not at all. I finally bought one when I had a specific goal in mind and started shooting mid-range and long-range competitions. I had to know my velocity so I could make a drop chart.

Middle of the road, not the best approach. It's always best to start with the starting charge and work your way up.

 

[rcmodel]

No, it is not necessary.

I've reloaded for 50+ years without one.

Follow the procedure, start low following the load data, and work up to the most accurate load in your gun.

How fast its going is of no concern to me as long as its accurate.

Nothing I have shot in 60 years had a chronograph either.
And none of them ever complained about the exact velocity of the bullet that hit them.

rc

 

[[email protected]]

Its a good idea to have one if you are loading with surplus powder.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

How fast its going is of no concern to me as long as its accurate.

Me either. Most of my loads I tinkered with until I got them at MOA or right at it. Of the last 4 or 5 deer I've killed, only one of them took a step. She ran about 30 yards and fell within sight.

With those results, I really don't give a rip what the velocity is. It's working.

 

[gamestalker]

I finally bought one, but not out of reloading necessity, but rather so I could do some accurate long range estimates in tandem with a ballistic program. And now that I have one, I feel I could have lived without it. But it's still a neat and fun tool.

GS

 

[FIVENINES]

Thanks for the replies! My plan for now is reloading 9mm Luger in FMJ for practice and beginner competitive shooting. There is also the part that is technical and mechanical -two things I love.

So maybe load up 25 each, starting at the lowest recommended load?

Thanks again!

 

[rcmodel]

Well, bad news then!
Some competitive shooting games have what is called a 'minimum power factor'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor_(pistol)

In that case, you will need a way to chronograph velocity, or at least access to one to insure your loads meet minimum power factor.

If they don't, you will be disqualified in the match.

rc

 

[OH_Spartan]

Welcome to THR and welcome to reloading.

 

[HexHead]

Yes. It's a very handy tool to have for load development.

 

[DanTheFarmer]

Is a chronograph necessary? That depends on what is important to you.

As many have wisely said, start low, find an accurate load, and the target won't care. If that describes you, you can do without a chronograph.

If, on the other hand, it is important to you to know what your load is doing, you will need a chronograph. For rifles, the MV out of your rifle may be hundreds of fps off of what is listed in the manual. You can't rely on the manuals to tell you what is going to happen with your rifle. For pistols the situation is less extreme (10% slow at 1000 fps is slow by 100 fps, 10% slow at 3000 fps is slow by 300 fps!) but may still exceed what you are comfortable with.

Try reloading without a chronograph at first (except, as RC noted, you need to have proof of reaching a set power factor). If you are satisfied, great. If you're left with a nagging feeling of uncertainty, spring for a chronograph. That's my $0.02.

Good Luck,

Dan

 

[frankmako]

i got my chrono in 85. but i need it when i was shooting matches.

 

[joed]

They aren't a necessity but close to it. I loaded for 30 years before getting one, it was an eye opener. I've learned that some powders don't produce the results you see in a manual. Varget is one that comes to mind. I have to add almost 2 gr to get to what a book shows. Other powders are right on.

 

[PistolPete45]

I set up my stuff a few months back Reloading in my back room for the wife and a few friends to shoot . Had not reloaded in 30 + years. Everyone loves my loads One claims my loads are better the factory stuff No Chrono yet might pick one up someday . For fun you will never need one but competition I would save up and get one .

 

[Walkalong]

I loaded for years without a chrono. You don't "need" one.

It sure is fun to see what your reloads are really doing, because until then you have to rely on the data from the load books, which isn't always applicable to your gun.

Don't get caught up in the numbers though, on target results trump all.

If you want to load for minor or major, I am sure the range will check it for you prior to a match. But if you are too light, it's back to the drawing board. error on the side of heavy and go from there. The good news is a chrono can be had for not much cash these days.

 

[cfullgraf]

Folks have been reloading safely for decades without a chronograph so you do not need one.

But, I like to have the data and have found some interesting things relative to my guns when compared to each other and the data listed in the reloading manuals.

There are specific useful uses such as insuring your match ammunition fits the category you are shooting in or having muzzle velocity to better calculate down range ballistics.

As Walkalong said...

Don't get caught up in the numbers though, on target results trump all.

Chronograph numbers are not the "be all to end all" but they do provide another data point for enhancing the shooting experience.

I place a chronograph in the tool category "when you don't have a chronograph, you cannot justify it but after you get one, you wonder why you did without it."

 

[CZ9shooter]

I started reloading without one. My first few 9mm workups went just fine without any velocity measurements, just going by the numbers in the books. A few months went by and I got the itch to know exactly what was going on. Great investment for a reloader. Added another level of satisfaction. A chronograph also allows the ability to test different variables, like the effect of seating depth or different bullet profiles, different guns. Testing factory ammo can be interesting as well.

It really came in handy while working up a 40 SW load with a buddy of mine. Loaded up ten rounds each at increasing charge levels. While chrono testing, the lower end loads matched the published data pretty well. But as we went up in charge we were quickly outpacing the velocity numbers in the manual. Midrange loads were already surpassing the listed max charge speeds. It let us know that at least one variable was not jiving, possibly leading to an unsafe situation. The last couple test batches were not fired and dissasembled for components. Maybe it saved the day, maybe not.

 

[Jlr2267]

Always wanted one (the nerdy engineer inside), but knew myself well enough to know it'd be something I left home every time I went to the range. Not a necessity, but a luxury I suppose.

 

[PapaG]

Absolutely not! To hear most of the new and old clown reloaders who come into the shop, anyway. "Why I'm gettin 2000 feet per second out of my model 19 with that load I worked up". How do you know, I ask. Well, I kind of interpreted the data.

What I've found with my old Ohler 33 and my later Chronys is that the data in the books is pretty good. No way it can be spot on with the variations in guns, cases, climate, and a myriad of other things, but it is pretty darn good.
I chrono new loads and use it when working up loads to near max (have never loaded "max" but work close), and when checking for velocity swings (or minimum variation).
A valuable tool to have.

 

[MaterDei]

Necessary? No

 

[oldreloader]

I've been loading since the 1960's without one.

 

[jmorris]

I never had one before I played gun games that had "power factors".

Before that I just loaded and shot enough that I knew what the load delivered.

 

[noylj]

A Chrony serves two purposes:
Determination of power factor for action pistol
And
Determination of external ballistics for long-range rifle.
Other than that, it is a toy

 

[Longhorn 76]

No one has mentioned safety yet.

A given pressure will accelerate a given weight bullet to a certain velocity.

When reloading, it is impossible to replicate the factors used in the manuals. Freebore, barrel I.d. , etc. What you can take from the manual, is that it took x psi to accelerate y bullet to z velocity.

So, when I am loading, and get the same velocities as in the manual, it is a good assumption that I have reached the same pressure levels.

 

[41 Mag]

I have never shot competition, so couldn't say how well it would work out without one. Witht eh abundance of load info available today in the various forums, I would think that developing, (working up to a load) an accurate load using simlar components to what other competitors are using would be very close to hitting the power factor your looking to be in.

For a LONg time I didn't have a chrono and simply estimated my velocities using drops at measured yardages and comparing them to drop charts listed in manuals or running them over and over through simple ballistic programs.

It works, but it takes a bit mroe range time than having the numbers spitting out right there in front of you. WHile thee are great ones like the Ohler my Chrony gets me well within the ranges I need when I decide to set it up and use it.

Are they necessary, nope not at all, are they great to have when you need something specific, absolutely.