Need help on selecting a chronograph

[FW]

I am considering getting a chronograph, but do not know where to start.

I would appreciate any comments about them. Which one? How much should one cost? I would like to use mainly for checking rifle hand loads, but if I purchase one will certainly find other uses for it too.

 

[Zak Smith]

"Shooting Chrony"
http://chrony.ca/sc_mc-MV.html
Get the version with the wired remote controller for shooting at public ranges.

Works fine and you won't cry too much when you shoot it.

-z

 

[Steve Smith]

Agreed. Get the Master line. If you get the one with the "brains" in the unit and put a bullet through it, it's toast. No brains in the Master main unit, so a bullet through that costs $35 for replacement, not $80.

 

[dakotasin]

mine is the 'digital pro chrono' (mine came from cabelas), and i've been very happy w/ it. it cost right around $100. i use it primarily to check my rifle loads, occasionally it will see some pistol use and i have flung an arrow or two over it.

i haven't shot it, so don't have any idea about replacement costs. not sure why everybody shoots their chronys, but i wouldn't make it a practice.

i wouldn't do load development without a chrony, and you'll find other uses, too (figuring true bc instead of mfgrs claims, trajectories, etc etc etc).

 

[444]

"so a bullet through that costs $35 for replacement, not $80."

If you call Chrony up, they sell refurbished Shooting Chronys for I believe $45 for the whole thing. I agree with everyone that this is the bottom of the line chronograph, but for the price, I could't pass it up. I don't do a whole lot of chronoing, but every once in awhile I use it. It folds up into a real small package which I just leave in my truck. Which is another advantage, several times I decided to chrono something on the spur of the moment and just happened to have it with me. Also, since it is all basically one piece (other than the shades), it is very easy to set up. I am lazy and probably wouldn't haul a lot of stuff to the range and set it all up. The point about using it on pulbic ranges is a good one that I never thought of since I don't do a lot of shooting on public ranges. I just put the chrono together on my truck tailgate and shoot through it on the tail gate.

 

[BARRY]

I've finally considered one, I talked to the people at PACT and asked for an instruction manual for the model I was considering. The problem with Chrony is you're shooting above the unit itself and if you shoot low for some reason,you've just shot your unit. With PACT, you would destroy a $5 dollar accesory for your skyscreen.

 

[Clark]

My chrony only triggered half the time, so I took it appart to fix it. Now it never triggers. Maybe it needs to be in the box to work

 

[dodgestdshift]

444:

Don't shoot your truck, its out of season.

Clark:

What do you mean by "triggered"? If you mean give a good reading, I had a similar problem with my Chrony. It hates bright sunlight and clear blue skies. When It gets bright I try to put it up in the shade. Sometimes I just wait for another day to use it.

One day Chrony'ing my 45/70 on a cloudy day, I was getting good results. Then the sun came out brightly, and according to my Chrony, I was shooting a 458 Winchester magnum. The sun went under again, and my gun returned to a 45/70. Usually on bright days it just throws errors.

 

[444]

I know that Murphy is always present and many chronographs have been shot by better men than I, but I don't worry much about shooting the truck. I chrono at 15 feet. If I can't shoot over the screens at 15', the last thing I should be worried about is the fine details of load performance.
Now the chronograph is another story. I have often shot rifles through the chrono with the sights sitting very high above the bore; such as the AR15. I can easily see how you could make a mental error and shoot the chronograph. I have owned it for a couple years and so far so good.
I watched my shooting buddy shoot the skyscreens on his PACT chrono. He was flinching so bad with his .454 Casull that he hit the sky screens.
Wimp

 

[Timothy]

I have a Shooting Chrony Beta Master and am very pleased. The feature I like is that I can take it home and review and record info. That saves writing at the range where my paper usually blows away. On cloudy days I use wooden skewers (used for shiska-bobs) black electrical taped at 4" and 6" to serve as elevation guides. The less chance of shooting something the better! If you hit the 1/16" wooden skewers they will snap and won't do the damage that hitting the metal rods would do.
I shopped around and found the best price with free shipping at
www.ontargetsportsonline.com

 

[Timothy]

Here is a more direct link to the Chrony page.

http://www.ontargetsportsonline.com/Shooting_Accs/ShootingChrony/ShootingChrony.asp

 

[WESHOOT2]

DON'T SHOOT! (the chrono)

PACT and Oehler...................

 

[eddieleon]

I have used an old Ohler 33 sinch 1986. The same unit has never given me any trouble and is consistent.

When I can afford it I plan to stick with Ohler. One of the new ones can measure the metal stress of high pressure loads to determine safe loads. Ohler isn't inexpensive but are first quality.