Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Chronographs - what's the best buy?

^^^ THIS ^^^

Well, I just have to know how "accurate" my data is. The attached shows a tape where there are two measurements. I feel good about all of them. The setup was identical for each shot. Why any variance? It is just really difficult to "see" that bullet under all conditions.

Edited to say: Sorry, but I don't know how to make it show up without your clicking on it.

I had one that lasted 20 years ago and finally gave up. The parts are no longer available. It was reliable to say the least.

They have a lifetime guarantee.Ship it back to PACT.They will fix or repair it.Mine (20 + years old} went cowchit.I called their number for CS and he told me how to fix it.The keyboard was not working.All I had to do was take it apart and use an eraser on the boards contact points.Up and running again.

The magnetospeed works well. I just don't like it hanging on my barrel, so I rigged this set up. You need a long bench and have to maintain proper alignment with the barrel.

DF

Seafire -
W/o doing a lot of deleting of your post..

Pertaining to quick set up and take down, I made my own mounting board of 2X6 8' long and mounted the Oehler Skyscreens III and set them exactly 5' apart center/center. Obviously the board doesn't have to be that long but Oehler says that farther spacing gives more accurate readings.


I can use the diffusers or not. So far I haven't detected any difference. If you want to use the THIRD skyscreen you only need 2 bases instead of 1 to set it on.


With this set up it doesn't take long to be ready to use and then quick and easy to leave. I haul it in my pickup so no trouble.



Blacktail - I suggest you buy the best you can afford that gives the INFO you want.

Jerry

+1(or 6 or whatever).

I finally broke down and bought a magneto. It works really well when you have to shoot at a public range with people next to you. No going down to readjust your sky screens or anything.

It does mess with POI and accuracy though. So now range sessions take one trip to determine velocity and another (without the device attached) for accuracy testing.

Fwiw.... I am the lucky gift recipient of a Labradar setup recently.
I had been using a pro chrono pal for a long long time with great success. I had read a review of a while back that was pretty in-depth and supposed to be very scientific that said the pro chrono are very consistent but usually over read by about 20 FPS. Turns out my lab radar and my prochrono read almost to the exact FPS every time.
Just about got the labradar all figured out for how to review things etc....and where to place on the bench. So far it's a very sweet setup but for what it costs I hope it stays that way a long long time!

For those that have the Magneto, is the V3 worth the money over the sporter version?

thanks

John, when are you going to give one a try? I'm curious about it as well.

RM

No plans to at the moment.

I'm curious as it looks like the screens are on the bottom...if I'm looking at the picture correctly.

I'm resurrecting this thread (after all, we're still in the Easter season) because I am interested in the Labradar. From everything I've read, light can be an issue and I live on the east coast of Florida: bright, sunny days are the norm. That said, I've looked into the Caldwell G2, which inverts the screens (does this solve the bright light issue?) and the Labrador. By the time all of the accessories are put together, the Labrador is about three times the cost of the Caldwell, but is also more flexible since it doesn't depend on light for the readings. If the inverted screens of the G2 solve the issue, though, I'll save the money.

Kraky - What is your opinion now that you've had the Labrador for a while? Also, has anyone used the G2?

Thanks

My .02 worth,Rev,buy a Pro Chrono. Just don't put a bullet through it.

I don't plan to shoot it, but I'm looking out and the wind is blowing about 15mph and the only clouds are low on the horizon. Y'all have the experience, but from what I've read that has been written here and elsewhere, the light might be a problem, even with screens.

Rev,I did not plan to shoot the two previous chronographs I owned either.

Do not worry about the light,the wind yes and your rifle also.

I chronograph the picked load at least twice and the readings are usually not that far apart. For instance,the .35 Whelen (55.0 grs Var-Get 250 gr Kodiak bullet,Fed 210 Match primer from a 22" barrel) load the first time over the chrono was averaging 2480 fps for three shots,the second time,the average was 2472 fps for three shots. End of the chronograph that load.

[quote=elkhunternm]Rev,I did not plan to shoot the two previous chronographs I owned either.

Do not worry about the light,the wind yes and your rifle also.

[quote]

If you keep shooting your chronographs, you might as well buy a Labrador since it sits beside your muzzle, not in front of it!!

There is rarely a day without an ocean breeze, but I've lived here all my life, so I know the ways around it.

RevMike, I live at 4,400 ft elevation 30 miles north of the Mexican border. I have been running a conventional chronograph (Pact) for the last twenty years or so and I can count on one hand the number of times that light has been a problem. Most years, clouds are nonexistent from about the end of February until the monsoons start around the first week in July. Lots of bright sunlight--so much that my cameras rarely get turned on from March to October because the light is so harsh. I suspect that you are overthinking this.

I'm just more careful when shooting over the chronograph now!

I do my shooting in the morning,not breezy/windy or too hot.