Chronograph brand/model recommendations/warnings?

I'm looking to pick up an inexpensive (<$125) chronograph, and noticed that there are many to choose from in that price range. Does anyone have a recommendation of a good one to buy, or to avoid?

I'll use it initially for my son's potato canon science project (testing velocity and calculated energy effects of three different propellants at different doses), but will also use it to test reloads in both handgun and rifle calibers. Been reloading for years, but have limited exposure to chronograph usage other than safety checks of paintball velocity prior to entering field of play, and even that was 15 years ago.

Just be careful of your aim, I seen some dummy shoot the crap out of his at Otter Creek one time:rolleyes:

That was probably me.

I bought a brand new one. The fancy kind with the printer and everything!!

Set it up at OC, and the first shot I fired hit it.:dunno:

.308 bolt gun > any modern chronograph. :o

Oh! I have however been getting really good service from the "Competition Electronics Pro Chronograph" since then.

Read reviews. Lots of them. And think about the conditions you will use it in. I saw lots of reviews of units that said they didn't work well under clear blue skys. DAFQ? Thats like a bunch of my shooting time. Others that didn't work well under cloudy days. Dafq part 2?

I still haven't bought one, because I'm just not sure that sub $200 range Chrono's are worth it. But I'd love to have my mind changed.

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Originally Posted by Rumbler

That was probably me.

I bought a brand new one. The fancy kind with the printer and everything!!

Set it up at OC, and the first shot I fired hit it.:dunno:

.308 bolt gun > any modern chronograph. :o

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It was, I hated it for you but I have to admit I (and several other RSO's) laughed.......... sorry:hiding:

I have two from Shooting Chrony http://www.shootingchrony.com/

On bright days... you will need the included sun screens... the screens provide a back drop for the sensor to pick up the bullet. They are inexpensive and I've been quite pleased with mine.

I have an old Competition Electronics chrono as well. FWIW, I use it to test my match ammo before major matches. This is great because they test them at the match to make sure they meet standard with a $1,000+ dual chrono set up so I get to see what the variation is, and so far, their results match mine every time. I have a lot of faith in my old beat up chrono because of that.

What ever you choose, make sure you throw a level in with it. If the windows are off-level too much it makes the bullets read as faster than they actually are.

Do they make any out of AR500 steel just in case Rumbler is around?

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Originally Posted by Dale Gribble

Do they make any out of AR500 steel just in case Rumbler is around?

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LOL.

From what I'm hearing, he can't even keep AR500 safe. :poke:

Rumbler just bought his chronograph and shot through it on his 308. He left but I have to keep shooting the steel making 3 consecutive shots inside 3 inch yellow area...to qualify for access to 400yard. The old man put a hole inside the bull's eye at 200 and called it a day...he's afraid of another shot? I can't read his mind.

Naw. I came back and shot some more. You know that little white dot in the middle of the green Talon silhouette? I guess it is about 1" in diameter.

One round in the middle of it, two splitting the edge of it - but touching each other. At 200 yards. Using an experimental load I have never used before.

Those guys worried about shooting a 3" group at 200 yards crack me up. :cool::p:cool:

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Originally Posted by Rumbler

Naw. I came back and shot some more. You know that little white dot in the middle of the green Talon silhouette? I guess it is about 1" in diameter.

One round in the middle of it, two splitting the edge of it - but touching each other. At 200 yards. Using an experimental load I have never used before.

Those guys worried about shooting a 3" group at 200 yards crack me up. :cool::p:cool:

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i was was shooting an AR. I am not sure but I think AR hitting 3" group at 200 yards is at least average?

Thank you all for the input.

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Originally Posted by TargetShooting

i was was shooting an AR. I am not sure but I think AR hitting 3" group at 200 yards is at least average?

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That is just fine accuracy, David! And as you get practice time with the poodle shooter it will improve even more.

Speaking of practicing. I am very impressed with your 100 yard accuracy with your 1911. Not many people can hit a car sized target at 100 yards with a pistol, much less a half-size human silhouette.

Oh, they will say the can (just watch and see) but you won't see them come to the range and do it.

on the chrony's (at least the master I have) the avg, hi, low, dtandard deviation, and extreme spread functions are accessed by a remote switch..

the switch is not that tough to make, just a momentary contact attached to the top 2 connections on a 1/8" stero jack..(about 10 bux)

I have not tried it yet, but will test some loads I'm working on after christmas..

I'll also wrap some tape 6" up on the supports to ge me a refrence of safe zone vs kill zone of the chrony with scoped rifles..

PM me chronographs on deck like a sailor.

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Originally Posted by TargetShooting

i was was shooting an AR. I am not sure but I think AR hitting 3" group at 200 yards is at least average?

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Is this from the bench with a scope?

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Originally Posted by Arclight

Is this from the bench with a scope?

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Yes

David, Arclight does that at 600 yards with iron sights.

He is not a normal human. :approve:

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Originally Posted by Rumbler

David, Arclight does that at 600 yards with iron sights.

He is not a normal human. :approve:

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I plan to go to their next gathering shooting 300 yard first.

Rumbler - I wish I could do that. That is on the level of David Tubb and Carl Bernosky. That group size at 300 yards in Highpower is a common occurance for the big boys. TargetShooting - Everything that Bob and Rumbler have shown you have given you all basic elements (physical and mental) of precision shooting. Now you just have to fine tune it. I can tell you it is easy to type this but not so easy to do. You can increase your learning curve by dry firing at home. One of the top F-Class shooters dry fires a couple of nights a week in the dark just to work on trigger pull. Precision shooting is a highly mental game. Don't let a less than great shooting session get to you, there is always something to from that session, if only what not to do.We would be glad to see you at a match (3X300 1/12/14). Bring 66 rounds and your rifle. There is no match fee for first time shooters. I run the match so I am flexible with how the match is run when there are new shooters.

Thanks Arc. I will try to make it in Jan. Will let you know soon.

arc,
what would be the course of fire with a scoped rifle? I'm interested as well..but have shot prone mainly.

Mapper - It is the same course of fire you shot that day you shot with us. 2 sighting shots and 20 shots for record, repeated two more times.
A scoped rifle with a bipod or front rest would put you as an F-Class rifle. If you want to shoot F-Class Tactical Rifle you must use a bipod and the caliber has to be .308/7.62 or .223/5.56. Anything else is F-Class Open. If you shoot with a sling you would be shooting in the Any rifle - Any sight class.

sounds good..it would be 308 or 223 anyway..
223 if I can develop some good 77 gr rounds, 308 if not..
looking forward to this..