Chronograph

[Ki6vsm]

That's a terrible video. Not enough information provided to get an idea of what's happening.

Yeah I agree. He doesn't show near enough info for us to get an idea of where it fell short. I was just wondering if anyone might offer a guess as to what might not be going well in that situation.

I think the truth is that there's no perfect chronograph. The optic-interrupt types are a bit sensitive to distance from shooter and also lighting environment, giving a person a head scratching situation.

The MagnetoSpeeds don't work for handguns (probably some rifles as well) and require you to strap a weight onto the end of the barrel, which will likely change accuracy and grouping to some degree.

And the Labradar is by far the most expensive, but may be the best of all worlds---unless you're not alone on the firing line.

I'll add a comment on the MagnetoSpeed Sporter, which I bought recently. It does do the job of reading V, SD, and spread, but the build quality is pretty laughable. It looks and feels like a kid's toy. It's amazing that it costs as much as it does. When the the box is snapped shut, you can still look through the seam and see the battery. You can imagine how water resistant it is.

[Jesse 2]

For people who used LabRadar, is it sensitive to muzzle blast, offset distance or wind? Once a while, I get a reading that is far off, and hard to tell if it is setup or reload issue.


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[kcstott]

Yeah I agree. He doesn't show near enough info for us to get an idea of where it fell short. I was just wondering if anyone might offer a guess as to what might not be going well in that situation.

I think the truth is that there's no perfect chronograph. The optic-interrupt types are a bit sensitive to distance from shooter and also lighting environment, giving a person a head scratching situation.

The MagnetoSpeeds don't work for handguns (probably some rifles as well) and require you to strap a weight onto the end of the barrel, which will likely change accuracy and grouping to some degree.

And the Labradar is by far the most expensive, but may be the best of all worlds---unless you're not alone on the firing line.

I'll add a comment on the MagnetoSpeed Sporter, which I bought recently. It does do the job of reading V, SD, and spread, but the build quality is pretty laughable. It looks and feels like a kid's toy. It's amazing that it costs as much as it does. When the the box is snapped shut, you can still look through the seam and see the battery. You can imagine how water resistant it is.

[Ki6vsm]

Well, nobody claimed there was a claim that it's actually water resistant. That was just a parting shot at the cheap feel of the one-piece molded clamshell construction. Not any kind of overlapping seal there. Reminded me of a cheap case that something better might arrive in---earbuds for instance. Honestly I need to pull it out of its box to verify some of this. Going on memory right now. Obviously it still gets the job done.

Come to think of it, that design probably also makes it not particularly dirt resistant. I shoot in the desert and shoot prone mostly, so I'm more concerned with that. That may or may not turn out to be a problem.

So, it doesn't affect accuracy, just precision? Meaning the POI won't change but the groups (precision) will be bigger/smaller? That doesn't sound super great. I'm surprised. I would expect the zero to shift more than the groups size, but I've not tested it and you have.

[Olderfart]

These are my concerns and why I asked for advise.

Most of the utilization will be done at an outdoor range. This is why I originally considered the Magneto But no hand gun utilization
The Labrador looks great but not feasible at a high traffic public range.
I thought very seriously about the Cadwell but a lot of reviews about sun light and distance for muzzle blast and not public Range feasible.
This is why I thought I would have to purchase 2 but wanted and still want advise.

22-250 Ackley improved up to around 4300FPS + will be a real barrel burner. I'm hoping to have assembled late next year depended upon funds and definite verification of a private location to utilize it on pest control. (A friend negotiating a purchase of some farmland & grazing land but it has stalled.
Various other tools up to a custom 375 H&H utilized a Winchester 70 as Base -
Basic Hand gun data too.

I have a bit more research to do and I've been looking at few you-tubes and reading but it is exceedingly time consuming to digging though be BS on my current schedual.

Again - Thank you to everyone for their input. Keep it coming if possible - Gota get back to work.

[kcstott]

Well, nobody claimed there was a claim that it's actually water resistant. That was just a parting shot at the cheap feel of the one-piece molded clamshell construction. Not any kind of overlapping seal there. Reminded me of a cheap case that something better might arrive in---earbuds for instance. Honestly I need to pull it out of its box to verify some of this. Going on memory right now. Obviously it still gets the job done.

Come to think of it, that design probably also makes it not particularly dirt resistant. I shoot in the desert and shoot prone mostly, so I'm more concerned with that. That may or may not turn out to be a problem.

So, it doesn't affect accuracy, just precision? Meaning the POI won't change but the groups (precision) will be bigger/smaller? That doesn't sound super great. I'm surprised. I would expect the zero to shift more than the groups size, but I've not tested it and you have.

It doesn't effect group size. but it does effect poi I guess I inverted the two.

[Elgatodeacero]

The Labrador works fine at a “high traffic public range.”

It will only trigger with your shots and does not get confused by neighboring shooters.

The Labrador is the best choice.

[Whiterabbit]

IMO the best two choices for non-balisticians is lab radar and magnetospeed. They are PLENTY accurate enough for load development for ELR games. Again, IMO.

I like the lab radar in concept. Mostly because there are no POI impacts compared to magnetospeed, which hangs off the barrel. This impacts me from 1-4" at 100 yards, which means after load development I have to re-sight my rifle. That is inconvenient.

However, when I look at other people's lab radar data I always see holes in the data. onsey-twosey shots always seem to get lost. For whatever reason. Maybe it's not aimed well, maybe the batteries were dying, I don't know.

But when I do load development, every datapoint is precious because I minimize number of shots fired. So I cannot easily tolerate lost data.

Thus, I use magnetospeed and like it very much for the purpose. I believe for LOAD DEVELOPMENT, it is the better tool.

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If I were a match shooter, I would much prefer the lab radar on match days for that-day sight in, so I could sight in and get my average speed at the same time. Assuming that data would be useful the day-of. But that's the only benefit of lab radar to me: not affecting POI.

For the record, it doesn't worry me if magneto affects POI or group size. I have shot it enough to know that if it does, I can still conclude what shoots best. Whatever is the best shooting group WITH magneto is still the best shooting without it. If anything, I can expect a performance improvement after magneto comes off.

---------------

Now, I know there are pic rail adapters for magneto so I can mount it to my stock, but I have no experience with that. That hardware is like $150 or so which I don't have for such a toy at the moment. But I'd worry about data stability for such a huge cantilever. The magneto benefit is high stability in data repeatability.

[Ki6vsm]

It doesn't effect group size. but it does effect poi I guess I inverted the two.

Ah okay. That's less bad then, in my book anyway. Gives you the option of zeroing a scope after finding the most "precise" load plus its velocity. That could be done with just a couple of shots once the 'bayonet' is removed from the equation.

[Ki6vsm]

Regarding the LabRadar, I was reading some glowing reviews of them on MidwayUSA. Most people love them for sure. And they're 'only' $500 at the moment from several vendors.

Sounds like the problem that most people run into is learning to aim it correctly? Did you LabRadar owners find it to be tricky? I imagine it depends a lot on how far away you set your target. I guess the mfr provides a crude aiming device, but there's a small aftermarket niche industry devoted to making improved aiming devices for them. Everything from extended aiming tubes to little Pic rails for mounting a low-power optic. And I I think I read about some people rigging their own improved sights with just a piece of a drinking straw.

I'd look for a company out of state that still sells to CA without collecting the sales tax. They still exist.

[Jesse 2]

[Elgatodeacero]

Labradar does not “stay busy” for 10 seconds between shots.

It is absurdly simple to aim the unit.

There is simply no way the Labrador unit affects accuracy.

Your muzzle need not be directly in line with the unit.

People should stop spreading silly myths about this unit.

The only limitations are that it does not work with shotgun pellets due to the number of them, it has trouble with the audio trigger when shooting subsonic .22 lr from a long barrel rifle, and it requires a manual trigger (about 40 bucks extra) for arrows and air guns.

It works in the rain, it works in fog, wind, sunshine, and with black powder and smokeless powder guns that launch a single projectile.

It is an amazing piece of technology.

[kcstott]

It will not work with anything over 3500 FPS so that eliminates all the .22-250, .220 swift and .22 wssm guys.. It is a great piece of technology for sure but it has issues like all the rest.

[kcstott]

Ah okay. That's less bad then, in my book anyway. Gives you the option of zeroing a scope after finding the most "precise" load plus its velocity. That could be done with just a couple of shots once the 'bayonet' is removed from the equation.

yeah I have found that with both my 308 and 6xc the zero shift is about 1 moa up and left being a right handed shooter. after removing the bayonet the group is low and right from center of previous group by about 1 moa

Group size not effected that I can tell. and thats one hole groups with 308 and nearly one hole groups with the 6xc

[kcstott]

Regarding the LabRadar, I was reading some glowing reviews of them on MidwayUSA. Most people love them for sure. And they're 'only' $500 at the moment from several vendors.

Sounds like the problem that most people run into is learning to aim it correctly? Did you LabRadar owners find it to be tricky? I imagine it depends a lot on how far away you set your target. I guess the mfr provides a crude aiming device, but there's a small aftermarket niche industry devoted to making improved aiming devices for them. Everything from extended aiming tubes to little Pic rails for mounting a low-power optic. And I I think I read about some people rigging their own improved sights with just a piece of a drinking straw.

I'd look for a company out of state that still sells to CA without collecting the sales tax. They still exist.

All the ones that show up at Pendleton either work perfect or have OMF issues, Operator malfunction. the F open guys like them as they have no effect on grouping or zero.

Well there is that RFI that changes the electromagnetic field the bullet is flying through. Increasing the coriolis effect and your down range rotational drag moments. But thats not something the average shooter could measure.. That said the Magnitospeed is using the bullet to generate an eddy current right out of the muzzle so you need to get a barrel with a slightly faster twist to compensate. that or shoot in a location with a increased altitude density of about 3000 feet and if you believe that line of horse crap. I' have super accurate cartridges too.