Do you Chronograph?

[Donny1]

I think a chornograph is an essential tool for reloading. Especially since you're playing with explosives that can potentially blow limbs and fingers off if you get it wrong. Without one your guessing!

Agree 100%

[Divernhunter]

Been loading since the 1960's and for many years I did not have one. Then I got one in the 1980s(?) when there was only one choice as I remember and they were very expensive. That really opened my eyes as to the true FPS and such of my loads. Now I test all loads over my chrono for max speed with accuracy for hunting loads. I do not load for match shooting and really do not worry about fun/plinking loads as they usually are not max loads.

[sghart]

I'm 62 now. I reloaded for many years without a chronograph. But I have had one for the last 4-5 years and now I think "How did I get along without this thing?"

In actuality I still can get along without one, but it has added another dimension to my shooting as well as providing a lot more info.

They way I used to do it was simple. Say I wanted a load for my 30-06. I would go to the book and start 10% below the max. I would then go up 1/2 gr of powder at a time until I got signs of overpressure. That was max for that load in my rifle, regardless what the book said.

I would then load three rounds at a time, going down 1/2 gr of powder at at time. When I hit the sweet spot for accuracy that was my load for that rifle. Several deer and two hogs will testify to that system working.

But I don't hunt much any longer and I shoot a lot of plainbased lead bullets. The chronograph lets me make sure that I am staying below a certain muzzle velocity.

And it has let me answer a lot of questions that I have had like differences in primers, differences in powder between new stuff and vintage powder, etc.


Steve in N CA

[bigbossman]

Been loading since the 1960's and for many years I did not have one. Then I got one in the 1980s(?) when there was only one choice as I remember and they were very expensive. That really opened my eyes as to the true FPS and such of my loads. Now I test all loads over my chrono for max speed with accuracy for hunting loads. I do not load for match shooting and really do not worry about fun/plinking loads as they usually are not max loads.

This pretty much sums up my experience.... except I made it all the way to the early 2000s before coughing up the dough for a chrono.

[nothing4u]

Chronographs are a cheap tool in the grand scheme of things. Without one how can you quantify what your reloads are doing? I've use them to verify my loads for 3" and 3.5" waterfowl loads, most times well pass 1500 fps, 22lr, .223, 6.8 SPC,.308, .300 win mag, etc. What to expect for effective kill range along with a laser range finder, another useful tool, to verify via real world ranges at the duck blinds, dove blinds, squirrel blinds, deer blinds, turkey blinds. Chronographs and laser range finders are tools that I've used to keep me within effective kill ranges. I've had times where I've gave up taking a shot at quails up in the Sierras and then a few minutes later to be rewarded with taking a few tree squirrels into my bag limit. And sometimes even a deer tag. YMMV. But as far as keeping me within realistic range with my reloads. My freezer and tummy have been good.

[bigbossman]

.....I've use them to verify my loads for 3" and 3.5" waterfowl loads....

That's interesting to me. I've been reloading shot shells for decades, and have never ever thought to chrono the loads. I've just followed the published recipes and shot the patterning board a few times along the way. I've chrono'ed rifle and pistol, but never shotgun..... I'm gonna have to give it a try.

[UrbanTarzan]

I think i went into this thread with blinders on to a certain extent and didn't really think outside my own box very much. For a lot of people i guess the practicality of using a Chronograph is difficult at best, especially if you must utilize public ranges for your shooting.
Indoor ranges with motorized targets generally dont have a cease fire that would allow you to go down range and set it up and i would imagine some ranges wont allow you to put anything down range out of fear of a ricochet.
I guess the other big issue is time and convenience, to go to the range , pay, set everything up just to fire a few rounds as a test before you load up a few hundred isnt always practical or even possible.
So even though its a great tool and now very affordable, its just not a real option for many people.

[MarikinaMan]

I've been reloading for darn near 30 years now and before that i dont remember a time that spending time at my dads bench didnt exist.
Im still lucky enough to have him around and pick his brain and compare data, although in recent years his time at the bench and behind the trigger has diminished greatly, but I know he still really enjoys our conversations and when i call for advice.
The vast majority of my reloading years, and all of my dads, was spent without a Chronograph, we relied on every other source of input to guage our reloading success, like gun function, recoil, accuracy, consistancy and comparisons to known factory loads etc.
It wasnt until the last 5 years or so that I started using a Chronograph and I have to say i was very impressed and a little surprised at how consistent and spot on my loads were.
But now i cant live without it , having that added data, having the actual numbers to add to which loads are the most accurate, most consistent is invaluable.
Not to mention with these things now wifi capable.. the ease at which to save , categorize, refer to , compare etc... all at your finger tips has taken my reloading organization to an unbelievable level.
No more little slips of paper stuffed in manuals and all over my bench...lol
And my dad loves when i send him the screenshots of a particular string ..
I even made up some 30-30 from one of his scribbled notes showing his favorite hunting loads and sent him the data.
So now with the availability of these things , and available in barrel mounts as well as stand alone and many at extremely reasonable prices , do you Chronograph your reloads?

I do.

I also believe that skill and years long experience can achieve the same results. The learning curve and the load development process will more time and effort though.

[DoubleTap_XOX]

What would be a good and reliable chrono for beginners and their price range?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HKAllTheThings]

Competition Electronics Prochrono is only $100 or so. Cheap and worth it.

I lent mine out all the time when I was in the Army for guys who didn’t understand why their BDCs “didn’t work”

[AGGRO]

Hard to find deviation of a load without one when testing powders. I load and then test on BLM land so I can shoot out as far as I want in real conditions.

[alpha_romeo_XV]

I've never shot my chrono - yet.

I did find mine requires some sunlight to work. Too cloudy is a no go.

[K001]

My chronograph

[bergmen]

I think i went into this thread with blinders on to a certain extent and didn't really think outside my own box very much. For a lot of people i guess the practicality of using a Chronograph is difficult at best, especially if you must utilize public ranges for your shooting.
Indoor ranges with motorized targets generally dont have a cease fire that would allow you to go down range and set it up and i would imagine some ranges wont allow you to put anything down range out of fear of a ricochet.
I guess the other big issue is time and convenience, to go to the range , pay, set everything up just to fire a few rounds as a test before you load up a few hundred isnt always practical or even possible.
So even though its a great tool and now very affordable, its just not a real option for many people.

There certainly are logistic difficulties with using a chronograph, especially on public ranges and probably not possible in indoor ranges. In my case, we belong to a private club so there are no worries there. As others have mentioned, BLM land can be used for chronographing as well.

If one is serious about reloading and understanding ballistic performance of those reloads, a chronograph is a valuable if not essential tool. I use it for experimental load development as well.

An example: I ended up with a bag of .45 Schofield brass. The rounds were fired in my Ruger Blackhawk but I had not done anything with them. Then I got to thinking that they could be used to improve the performance of one of my favorite .45 Colt reloads (9.0 grains of W231 under a 250 grain plated flat point). Long story short, the same load in a .45 Schofield case was 50 fps faster and more consistent in deviation. No published load data for this.

This was just a fun exercise but shows what can happen with the right tools.

Dan

[steelholder]

If you want a good cheap option look at the Prochrono DLX, I love mine and it sends info to your phone via bluetooth. Its nice to have everything stored there.