Chronograph?

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Axess Denyd
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Chronograph?

Post by Axess Denyd »

So now that I'm loading a lot more, and using cast bullets, I think a chronograph would be an excellent idea (assuming my range will let me set one up--I'll check next time I'm out there).

I have no idea what to look for or what brands are good though. It looks like most of them come in under $150, which is good, but can someone steer me in the right direction?

I doubt I would ever have a chance to use one indoors, and calibers I reload will range from .38spl to .223--at least for now.

Thanks for any tips.
Cogito ergo armatum sum -- I think, therefore I am armed.
curmudgeon3
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by curmudgeon3 »

I have a like-new-in-box F-1 Shooting Chrony that I can let go for $60., but I'm up in Cuyahoga County, never get down into the Dayton area.
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techmike
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by techmike »

I have had two, a brand new Chrony, that I had nothing but problems with. Now I have a used Pro Chrono that has never given me an error. This is what I have.
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Sevens
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by Sevens »

Since this is a discussion thread and not specifically a buy/sell thread, I'm going the discussion route and offer apologies to curmudgeon3 because my post has nothing /zero / nada to do with his post, but I'm going to post it anyway.

I bought the Chrony Beta Master. The Beta version gave a few more features than the base model and a few less features than the full-blown model -- and with Chrony units, any unit that is dubbed "Master" means that the brains/display unit is a separate piece connected via cable to the part of the rig that you shoot at. Having the Master version means that you get the screen right up with you (rather than squinting down range to look) and all the buttons & controls over the unit...every single control over the unit except for BULLETS that is... resides on the shooting bench for you to manipulate rather than walk down range 10 feet to press buttons.

Two things I know for sure:

1) buying the Master version was BY FAR the right idea. I can't imagine what a royal PITA it would be to walk back & forth, back & forth, and the screen is right there so it doesn't matter how well you can see a digital readout that's 10 feet away.

2) if (when?) I shoot this thing, I'll replace with something other than a Chrony brand chronograph.

I'll explain. It's fantastic in doing what it was designed to do-- measuring bullet speed. I rarely, hardly EVER send a shot through it that it misses or can't figure out. In that regard, I couldn't give it a review high enough. I figured -any- device that hoped to snag bullet speeds would screw up on at least a moderate basis, but this little unit does a fantastic job at catching what you throw at it. Four-stars!

However, it's got the single worst interface in the history of consumer electronic products.
Remember this awesome little guy?
Image
The interface on this unit was 100 times better than the Chrony.

The Chrony is capable of a myriad of features and gives you a pathetic little 4 digit LCD display and it gives you the idea that you could run the entire U.S. Missile Defense system through it -- but only as long as you can learn how to funnel any & all input through 1 or 2 single-click buttons, and interpret all feedback on a 7-segment LCD display that peaked in the Carter years.

The Chrony is also outrageously annoying because a 10-shot string is the most that it will accept if you want to compute ED & SD.
Oh yes, the unit will let you do a buzillion different things and it'll even remember things you did and it'll remember things you never told it to remember and it'll remember things you have no prayer of being able to bring back out of it and you may need a professor from MIT to remember the sequence of button pushes it takes to extract any of that info... but where it REALLY matters, in getting the absolute best experiment rolling (one with lots of DATA), it will only accept 10 shots.

You could write a ridiculous mathematical formula in to an excel spreadsheet that could do that math for you, but my pea-brain pops even imagining that equation.

The Chrony works tremendously well, but was designed by a team of folks who have never met people outside of their design lab.
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
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Axess Denyd
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by Axess Denyd »

With the interface discussion, I am really liking the look of the ProChrono that was previously posted, along with the USB interface. That way I could just set my laptop p on the shooting bench and do all the controlling from there, plus have all my data saved, which would be convenient. Feels like a bit of a ripoff charging $50 extra for what can't be much more than a cable adapter, but I guess you have to pay for convenience.

Maybe if I did that I could also get a little piece of AR500 plate or something to put in front of the dang thing for when I inevitably end up shooting it, too.
Cogito ergo armatum sum -- I think, therefore I am armed.
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techmike
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by techmike »

Sevens, I could not have said that better.
Sevens wrote:
2) if (when?) I shoot this thing, I'll replace with something other than a Chrony brand chronograph.
Heh. Funny that you should mention that.....

Image

Upper left, kill shot.
"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams, Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788
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Axess Denyd
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by Axess Denyd »

Surprised you didn't just keep on shooting it once it was dead.
Cogito ergo armatum sum -- I think, therefore I am armed.
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by techmike »

No need to waste ammo, already wasted the chrony... There is a semi-large class of shooters that have killed a chronograph. You can search and find some fun reading....

Some of my favorites:
*I finally put it out of my misery with three 9mm rounds to the sensors. It worked just as well after being shot as it did before.
*Don't shoot your chrono would be my advice.
*Shot mine last year just to get it out of my misery.
* I shot my first Shooting Chrony by accident.

:P
"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams, Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788
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Sevens
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by Sevens »

:lol: Nice shot, right under the "FORGET" button! :twisted: :lol:

Of course, mine is the Master version, so if I shoot the guts the way yours look, that will be a premeditated act. I could inadvertently blast the photo eye sensors, but I hope to -NOT- do that.

I don't see myself getting another chrono. I'm not like you with scales, afterall! :twisted: :wink:
This one does a fantastic job of measuring the speed of bullets. It's just obnoxious to work with. But my money has already been spent, I'll probably be using it for a good long time.

Damn Canadians! :x :P
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
curmudgeon3
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by curmudgeon3 »

Sevens,

Youv'e got a helluva good handle on bullet speed testers, as you do with most things guns related.
The F-1 Chrony served me fine for the purpose I bought it ...... no need for apologies. :) I'm not a reloader.
Bought it a couple years ago to check the velocity of the defensive ammo out of my 3" guns as related to functioning of hollow-point ammo.
Haven't used it much since.
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Sevens
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by Sevens »

Your kind words are much appreciated!
I wanted to apologize ahead of time because I knew I was going to slag a unit -- that you were offering for sale. :oops:

Your price looks pretty good to me, IIRC, I'm in to mine somewhere just short of double that. For basic needs, I think it's a good deal.
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
mreising
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by mreising »

I've got the Pro Chrono and am pleased with it.I have not shot mine but a buddy creased the top of it because he forgot about the offset of the sights on his AR15. :?
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny

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Re: Chronograph?

Post by techmike »

Axess Denyd wrote:
Maybe if I did that I could also get a little piece of AR500 plate or something to put in front of the dang thing for when I inevitably end up shooting it, too.
Um, I am thinking it would be better for your chrony to take a kill shot than for you to take a ricochet....there was a video a while back of some guy shooting at a steel post, and the round came back and took his hat off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWEy6Ut1oSg Just sayin.
"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams, Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788
mreising
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by mreising »

techmike wrote:
Axess Denyd wrote:
Maybe if I did that I could also get a little piece of AR500 plate or something to put in front of the dang thing for when I inevitably end up shooting it, too.
Um, I am thinking it would be better for your chrony to take a kill shot than for you to take a ricochet....there was a video a while back of some guy shooting at a steel post, and the round came back and took his hat off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWEy6Ut1oSg Just sayin.
Yes, better to aim properly and chance a hit on the chrono than takin' that hit. Just remember, AR15 sights are about 1.5 inches above the bore 8) .
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny

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new57
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Re: Chronograph?

Post by new57 »

ProChrono by CE is nice and affordable.

But if you can put the funds together, OEHLER all the way.
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