Shooting threw a cronogragh?

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joneb

joneb

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Maybe its just me but when I run a accurate load through a cronogragh the accuracy sucks? Whats up, is it just me?
 
Usually the metal shell of the chronograph interferes with any accuracy that the load had prior to impacting the chronograph. If it still makes it to the target, consider yourself lucky. :D

Matt
 
My guess is your concentration is so focused on not hitting the chronograph that it is spoiling the accuracy of the shot on the target.

My suggestion is shoot for the velocity first then your group.
Keep your velocity checks separate from your target strings.
 
What metal shell on the chronograph are you referring to. Could you please explain, or are you joking about shooting your chronograph.
 
It's just you. You are concentrating on the chronograph instead of your target.
Click to expand...
That's what I thought, I just wanted to be sure I wasn't dealing with a chrono vortex :)
 
It can be done, shooting for accuracy while shooting over a chronograph without taking out the chronograph.

I used to do it but it takes too long to get everything aligned. Then, when you move to a different target, you start all over again.

Now, I use a Magnetospeed chronograph. The sensors are attached to the barrel. Attaching the sensor bayonet to the end of barrel only seems to affect point of aim, not group size.
 
I do a lot of shooting w/ my chronograph (I'm tinkering w/ new loads all the time), and the first rounds are to establish that it's not gonna blow on me and then to establish velocity at different loads.

Only then do I worry about accuracy. Oddly, for me, shooting offhand results in far better results than anything involving shooting from a rest. So once I'm happy w/ the velocity, I climb out from behind that chronograph and see what I can do.

BTW: Best tip I've ever seen is to replace the metal rods holding the screens with wooden dowels of the same diameter. If you hit a wooden dowel it just breaks; hit the metal rod and you might toast your chronograph.

It might also help in knowing that if you do hit a strut, it's not going to hurt anything.
 
I use a Millineum. CED chronograph. The bullet screen area is quite generous. I shoot 90% of my load work ups through it. The only supports I have hit was when the wind starts moving the supports pretty badly.

Since the high dollar parts are on the table next to me I don't worry much..

Greg
 
Suggestion: Set up your chrono. Align a target at 10 yards and place a one inch stick-on red dot on the target exactly centered and level with the chrono.

Now shoot using a rest "behind the pistol" under your wrist/arms, and "JUST" focus on the front sight and that red dot. Make dang sure the dot is in the right spot first.

This removes the chrono distraction, and I've found that an accurate free-hand load isn't the same when the barrel or butt of the pistol is held on a rest, the pistol isn't recoiling the same as when shooting free-hand. This affects normal accuracy.

YMMV.
 
coltpythonelite nailed it. once you get used to shooting through those sky screens, your accuracy should improve.

murf
 
cfullgraf said:
It can be done, shooting for accuracy while shooting over a chronograph without taking out the chronograph.

I used to do it but it takes too long to get everything aligned. Then, when you move to a different target, you start all over again.

Now, I use a Magnetospeed chronograph. The sensors are attached to the barrel. Attaching the sensor bayonet to the end of barrel only seems to affect point of aim, not group size.
Click to expand...
I suspect that it will affect group size, too, as the weight of the magnetospeed has got to affect barrel harmonics. (Also known as "whip"). How much affect, I cannot say. Maybe it is negligible. Maybe not.

Lost Sheep
 
Lost Sheep said:
I suspect that it will affect group size, too, as the weight of the magnetospeed has got to affect barrel harmonics. (Also known as "whip"). How much affect, I cannot say. Maybe it is negligible. Maybe not.

Lost Sheep
Click to expand...

I agree the sensor bayonet of the Magnetospeed will affect the barrel harmonics and I am sure the bench rest crowd would see a difference in group size. And, I am sure barrel profile will have a great or lesser affect as well.

My experience, mostly with heavier profile barrels, has been if it groups well when shooting with the sensors attached, it will group well without but the point of aim does change a bit. And this is when dialing in a new rifle/cartridge combination.

When the velocity of the load is close to what I am looking for, I will finish the load development without the sensors attached and check the velocity again at the end.

It makes it more convenient and takes less time to get multiple, usable, bits of information from each shot for a while.
 
toiville2feathers said:
What metal shell on the chronograph are you referring to. Could you please explain, or are you joking about shooting your chronograph.
Click to expand...
Yes it was a joke. I have yet to shoot my chronograph, but I'm sure I will at some point. I have noticed that when shooting over a chronograph, my groups are larger. I've given up on the idea of shooting for both groups and velocity at the same time. I've invested in wooden dowels instead of the metal risers for the screens, but I haven't shot one yet either. I'll probably invest in a magnetospeed at some point in the near future and relegate the current chronograph to pistol shooting.

Matt
 
I use skewers & blacken em `bout 3" above the chrony

If anyone wants to shoot thru my chrony ,I`d get a deposit first !!

& I never shoot for groups over the chrony cause I only get to shoot 1/2 as much !!!!
 
mongoose33 said:
BTW: Best tip I've ever seen is to replace the metal rods holding the screens with wooden dowels of the same diameter. If you hit a wooden dowel it just breaks; hit the metal rod and you might toast your chronograph.

It might also help in knowing that if you do hit a strut, it's not going to hurt anything.
Click to expand...

Brilliant. The rods on mine have several "bites" on them. That saves me from ordering more, and gives me a replenishable resource. And makes me stress about hitting struts a bit less.
 
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