chronograph , do I need one

i like mine, and would not go back to reloading without it.

it is not requisite to have one in order to handload, though.

It's a valuable tool for reloading. You can get a good Chrono for ~$100.

A chronograph is essential for getting quantitative results. Without it you are working "by feel" (which may be good enough for some applications).

As for using it, unless you can bring your press setup to the range, load a batch for each charge, and carefully label them. Bring a notebook to the range to record your data.

My take on it is that if you are going to load well under max pressure loads, and don't have to hit a specific power floor for competition, you can get away without one.

Once you start getting picky about your results and want to get near high or low boundaries (be they real safety issues, or artificial requirements from the user), you need one.

A $75 chrony works just fine htough.

Let us know when you start getting what the book says.

In load workup, you want to get maximum accuracy with acceptable pressure. A chronograph doesn't help you with either in my opinion. Don't chase a specific velocity and think that pressure will be OK because it might not be.

I use a chronograph to satisfy my curiosity as to how fast my bullets are going after I've worked up a load. Also, if you have two loads of equal accuracy and with acceptable pressure, a chronograph will show you which gives the best velocity.

The next best thing is a friend with a Chrony.

If you get into a sport that power factor / bullet velociety are important you will need it to varify your fps. If you just want to make noise and send lead down range you do not need it.

so, how does one use it , do you load powder up slowly till you get the feet per second the book says?

I use the chronograph to get the lowest extreme spread and standard deviation to get the best accuracy. The instructions with the chrongraph or a good reloading manual will explain these terms. Usually the best accuracy comes in with less velocity than a factory reproduction load. I'd rather get 100 fps less with better accuracy.

Most of my loads wind up a little below factory ammo. If I feel the need for more power I move up a caliber or two.

Not having a crono is like not having a speedometer on your car. You`ve a idea what your speed is only because you`re running beside someone else you trust isn`t speeding or dragging his tail. The time will come you`ll want to know for sure.

I use my chrono just to get an idea of velocity. I shoot for the lowest possible SD. Is it necessary? not really, i just like knowing what velocities i'm getting

One other benefit that hasn't been mentioned is that if you know your velocity it is much easier to use a ballistic calculator which will give you a good idea of energy and bullet drop at a given range.

I feel every reloader should have a chronograph.

There now, dcon has hit it right on the head. For hunting ammo thats a good use for a crony.

Thanks dcon, now I can justify getting one for the ammo I'm going to load for my wifes new 243.

One new crony for me, In the Bag, so to speak. heehee

The answer is No you do not need one to reload. However once you get one you will wonder how you ever got by without one.

Not having a crono is like not having a speedometer on your car.

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+1. Underpowered accurate loads are like kissing your sister.

Don

I loaded for several years without a Chrono with good results. Then I bought a good Chronograph and it was eye opening. I found that a lot of Reloading book results were not even close to advertised velocity. If you know the velocity you can use ballistic programs to give you a close idea as to bullet drop at longer ranges. It's not a tool you have to have for reloading but it is necessary to find out what's really happening when you add powder in increments. It'll show you what another 1/2 grain of powder really does add to velocity and uniformity. It'll also let you know if a certain powder isn't getting the velocity you want. I wouldn't want to work up loads again without one.

Want to have some fun, get some range rats mad at you? Take a chrono to a range, set it up, let it be known you will shoot their rifles over it for free. Almost without fail, some G-moke will hand you his ultra mag just to see what she does. Then when he sees the readout, he'll go away mumbling about having to put up with fierce recoil for no where near what they claimed in velocity! Or say something about how far off your chrono is.

Shooting without a chrono is like flying blind. You just don't know what your gun is really doing.

Case in point. Before I had mine, I had this Ruger .280 rifle. According to the book, I should have been around 28-2900 fps with the 140 BT. After I got it, checked the actual velocity, I was only at 2650! A slow barrel with a very long, (lawyer), throat.

When doing incremental load workups, while shooting a target, you can get velocity readings. It's interesting to actually see the velocity increase with each additional grain of powder. BUT what you also can see is the slowing down of the amount of increase with each additional increase in powder. This is an indication of pressure getting towards the high side. The increase can even stop and reverse, that's a dead giveaway that you're over the pressure limit of that particular load combo.

bigbird1,

You certainly don't need to put a chrono high on your priority list. Many people have reloaded with great success long before chronos were readily available and inexpensive. Everyone here has made some valid points but as long as you stay within the limits of your reloading manuals your velocity my experience has been that my velocity has been within 200-300 fps lower then what is usually published in the same length barrel and twist. The real proof will be on what the load does on paper. If you're shooting less then 1 MOA you don't need a chrono to tell you the loads are consistent but one will provide you with the information to calculate the amount of energy they are delivering. People (I for one) that reload pistol will often pay more attention to Standard Deviation (SD) then paper because they themselves can't shoot that consistent to identify an accurate round.

Don't get me I have a chrono but I load for 30 years without one and I still use many of the load today I developed before I had one. I use my chrono for two things one to calculate my bullet energy and two to see if I have surpassed the point of maximum velocity for my load but how the load does on paper is what matters to me.

A chronograph is not a prerequisite to reloading but it is a very nice extra. I loaded for almost 2 years without one. If you can afford one I would get one and learn to use it. They can be an invaluable tool to any shooter, especially a reloader.

ok, so you talked me into it. this reloading is starting to get expensive. 1200 in equipment so far, whats another 100.00 LOL

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Just think of all that money you are saving each shot!

A chrono is a nice accessory. With $1200 invested so far, I'd drop the extra $100 for a decent chrono just to enhance the reloading experience. They are not absolutely required but do eliminate quite a bit of guessing.

USSR said:

Underpowered accurate loads are like kissing your sister.

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Kind of depends on what you intend to shoot. I don't hunt, so my rounds just have to be powerful enough to poke a hole in a piece of paper. I'll take accuracy over velocity any day. (Good thing I don't have a sister.)

A chronograph would satisfy curiosity about bullet speed, but I'll let the target tell me if the load is good for me and my firearm. If you're intending to hunt I'd say knowing bullet velocity is much more important since it has to perform once it gets there. Many bullets have a velocity window in which they will properly mushroom.