Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Chronograph on dark cloudy day

My last two times to the range have been on dark cloudy days, even at midday. My ten year old Shooting Chrony apparently isn't getting enough light to get a reading on the bullet. Today in the rain I taped the white lid of a styrofoam cooler over it as a sky screen and rain protection, and put a 3 LED light where it would shine on the under side of the lid. Didn't get a single reading.

I checked the archives, and it looks like the low light is the problem. Plus my light may have done more harm if it lit the underside of the bullet. Any suggestions, other than buy another brand? I don't want to wait till next June to test fire the loads. Maybe shine a much brighter light down through the skyscreen?

This Chronhy has always worked well, with the exception of too much direct sulight, and that it quits reading not too long after sundown. What do shooters in Alaska do?

Chronograph in the summer .

My Beta Master is pretty touchy about dark cloudy days too -- last time I went tot he range I barely got my test loads chronied.

Not much help... .

DN

one dark cloudy days, I don't even put my skyscreens on the posts.. and my Chrony works just fine...

I always test it out with a few shots from a 22 first, instead fo wasting spendy ammo...

I chronograph more on cloudy days, than I do in the summer when it is nice out...

The chrony is less finicky on cloudy days, than on sunny days...

as I say, I just leave the sky screens off of it... and it works just fine!

Same here, on cloudy days I don't use the sky screens and I have no problems.

Mine gives me fits on sunny days, while on cloudy days it will even read my air rifle. As others have stated above, the skyscreens really only help on sunny days and usually need to be left off on overcast days. I was angry at mine last week as I tried to chrono a few loads before dusk. It would not read my .22LR, or any centerfire rifles, but it would read my .45auto every time......

yep, screens off and it also helps to use a permanent black marker and put a black stripe on your bullet. This was recommened by the manufacturer and at first I thought it was a ridiculous idea, but I guess it worked! jorge

Chronographs need diffused light...thus the sky screen and trouble at midday on bluebird days...BUT they also need light...skyscreens and clouds make for just as bad a combination. Remember they need diffused light, not one or the other!

And sometimes, they just malfunction. When paying so little for and electronic something to "read" something so small and fast...a malfunction or 2 is expected every now and then. A $50 or $100 Chrony gets the job done pretty good, but it aint perfect.

A piece of translucent tape over the sensors also helps. If you do that, leave the diffusers off and blacken the bullet as others have said, it oughta work.

An expensive solution is to buy a CED chrono with the infra-red screen options and battery pack. My range time is precious to me as are good chrono readings so I made the investment and never miss a reading as long as my batteries are charged.

As I understand the chronograph, cloudy days should be easier to get it to work because you aren't competing with sunlight. I was having problems earlier this summer and called PACT. They gave me a few things to try and I'll relate them here.
1. Check for dirty/dusty lenses.
2. You bulbs can be replaced.
3. Placing your readout screen too close to the rifle and or muzzle may setup a disruption.
4. Lastly, (my problem) I was slowly extending the chrony out to the max cable length. Once I moved it back to 8 feet, no problemo.
Hope this helps.

First, thank you all for the suggestions. Some good stuff that I have already put to use, like the black stripe on bullets. Good idea!

We had a sun break today and I dashed off to the range late this afternoon.

Ditto to almost never using the skyscreens as I've found the same as several others here, that it works better without them. Only have to use them when the sun is bright overhead. Yesterday was pouring rain and the styrofoam lid was to keep rain off the electronics, but I hoped it would work as a sky screen. It has been super dark dark heavy overcast and the range is tight against a mountain wall of dark timber that cuts off afternoon light. Mine has never gotten velocity readings for very long after sundown, but that has been in canyons also.

And, I think the battery was low. Dumbo here. Not sure that was the prob but suspect that it contributed to the dark day failure yesterday.

Today I put a black line around each bullet just ahead of the ogive, and it worked very well on the 30-06 and on the .243 till half way through, and then started not giving readings, not even saying error. I read the owners manual and susected low battery. Switched to a battery of unknown history I found in the glove box and it worked for about 5 shots and quit reading again. Duh...

I set it 15 feet from the muzzle. No cables on this one.

Much happier today. One of the 165 grain 06 loads looks very promising, tight group right at 2800 fps with a moderate load. Didn't get a velocity reading on the best grouping .243 load but it's below book max and I'll check it next time. With a new battery.

Thanks.

Update: it's not a low battery causing the chronograph not to work, it is low light.

This afternoon was sunny so I stuck in a brand new battery and hustled to the range as soon as I could. Started shooting right after the sun went behind the dark mountainside, but the sky was bright. The chronograph did fine for nearly an hour, then started missing most and then not reading at all, though it was well before official sundown. Didn't use sky screens.

A shooter next to me said that he has taped two flashlights to his chronograph at that range, shining down through the sky screens to diffuse the light. The mountain almost overhangs the range.

So, some chronos may not give a reading on the darkest of heavy cloud days in the PNW.