What is a chronograph?

[looker]

My husbands birthday is coming and he spends alot of time in the garage making bullets. He mentioned that he wanted a bullet chronograph but I have no idea what that is or even where or which one to buy? Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.

[Horton Fenty]

A chronograph is something that measures the speed of a projectile.

There are many. Two of the cheaper popular brands are Shooting Chrony and Competition Electronics.

[AK all day]

Yup, a velocity reader. The brands above are most popular in lower price ranges.

[movie zombie]

how about a gift certificate to his fav gun shop and let him pick out his own?

[Horton Fenty]

how about a gift certificate to his fav gun shop and let him pick out his own?

Great suggestion.

Chronographs, like all electronic gizmos, can be a real personal choice. If you where to say get him a gift certificate to MidwayUSA for $200 bucks he'd have enough money to pick from a good selection.

[Manolito]

Thanks for being the kind of wife that is supportive of her husbands hobbies. I may have married your sister.

[Steyrlp10]

That's very sweet of you to check on the gift purchase... I am guilty of "impulse buying" for my Better Half when it's "shiney" -- lol. I am dangerous when left alone to my own devices

That's how the putter and new fishing reel found their way into the house...

[zuchaka]

i would check out some reviews online that way you don't overpay for a bunch of features he may not even want

[thomashoward]

A chronograph is something that measures the speed of a projectile.

There are many. Two of the cheaper popular brands are Shooting Chrony and Competition Electronics.

Shooting Chroney

[Asphodel]

how about a gift certificate to his fav gun shop and let him pick out his own?

Concur

There are a number of models, which have different features and types of readouts. As with any other sort of tool, he's most likely to have a personal preference for one make/model instead of another.

Its easy to understand why he'd like to have a best quality chronograph.

Approx 20-ish years ago, Tricia and I were working up loads for her pet rifle, a heavy-barrel M70. The objective was to hit......'cold barrel shot'......a 1" square target paster at 200yds......every time. (this would correspond to an 'instant humane kill' on a wild pig.....still 'dead', of course, but with less trauma than a tame pig suffers when sent to slaughter, hence 'humane' if one must kill)

Using the chronograph helped us select the particular powder and grain weight of that powder which provided the best consistency of velocity from shot to shot, hence the best repeatability. It is surprising, how a seemingly minor change in projectile velocity (read by the chronograph in 'feed per minute') would make a noticeable change in projectile stability over 200yds range. (obviously, those tests had to be run with different weights of projectiles, as well.......it all has to do with the inherent resonance of a barrel relative to projectile weight and velocity......consistency of barrel resonance leads to consistent 'cold barrel shot' accuracy)

Needless to say, we 'bit the proverbial projectile' about 'theres no free lunch' and researched to find the best-performing chronograph available at that time.......which 'wasn't cheap'. The advances in electronic gear being what they've been, an equally good one is probably much less costly these days.

cheers

Carla

[looker]

Thank you all for your ideas and knowledge. M husband makes his own bullets so this is what I think he will be using it somehow for.