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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 121
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 121 |
All of the chronographs I have seen fold back over themselves for storage. I question the degree of accuracy once they are opened up for use. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge how well they compare to truly professional grade chronographs?
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,129
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2002
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Mine seems to work ok if the sun angle is right, but I have best results when there is some cloud cover and the shades are removed!
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,075
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2005
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Whenever the light screens are close, as in the fold up units, I have seen 150-200fps inaccuracies on the high side. I have never seen one read low.
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 8,423
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2010
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Compared to a professional grade like an oehler83 it's not ever in the same world that said the f1 and such will work just like explained above
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,044
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2002
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Just buy two of them and compare the vel and average from there and you want be that far off from the expensive ones
A Doe walks out of the woods today and says, that is the last time I'm going to do that for Two Bucks.
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,058
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2007
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Mine is wildly variable, I won't own another. If I couldn't afford a decent chronograph I'd rather borrow one when I could while I saved up. Bad data is worse than no data in most cases.
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2013
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I will say that the Shooting Chrony I use is a hunk of crap, but when it reads, the readings seem to be either damn close or close enough. When putting average reading into ballistic calculator and running bullets with pretty much known BC, the data and the drops match up close enough. So for me it works.
Edited to add the distances run are 100, 300, 400, 600.
Last edited by HuntnShoot; 05/18/15.
I belong on eroding granite, among the pines.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 8,423
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2010
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Just use the shooter ap on your smart phone and shoot and Input the corections and the ap will give you your velocity and put it in a table for you just make sure all the data you use is correct. Scope height range zero ect. Save money and get real world results.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 28,845
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2003
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I can't get this photo, or any for that matter, to cooperate on photobucket to edit. The list under the date and on the left of the second page was copied from a Chrony 33 (not professional) and the other list is a Chrony Gama. There are some radical differences. ![[Linked Image]](http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff364/RichCoyle/001_zps6kjhk9xu.jpg)
"Only Christ is the fullness of God's revelation."
Everyday Hunter
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 15,854
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 15,854 |
All of the chronographs I have seen fold back over themselves for storage. I question the degree of accuracy once they are opened up for use. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge how well they compare to truly professional grade chronographs? Download and read this. In depth study of chronographs by Bryan Litz. Chronograph Test
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,064
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,064 |
Even if you can't afford or don't want to pay for a more expensive chronograph, there's at least one far more reliable and consistent brand for "Chrony money," the ProChrono.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Oct 2014
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Big +1 on that. I fail to understand why people still recommend and use the folding Chrony's, when better units are available for the same money.
I used one back when that's what was available, but would never buy one again.
Last edited by Yondering; 05/19/15.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 12,153
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2001
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Even if you can't afford or don't want to pay for a more expensive chronograph, there's at least one far more reliable and consistent brand for "Chrony money," the ProChrono. I've got a prochrono digital and it's been very reliable. A couple of friends have the same ones they're consistent too. I'm very happy with mine & trust it. The folding ones seem to get roundly cussed, but for the same money the prochrono is very good. I refuse to believe that you have to pay $500 or get one of those that hang off your barrel to get an accurate chronograph.
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Joined: May 2012
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2012
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I set two up in tandem, an RCBS unit and Chrony F1, and fired several strings of different calibres through them both, comparing the readings.
There were not any wild fluctuations shot to shot, and the readings were consistently close with the F1 generally reading about 15fps faster. Loads were 270 Win, 7mm RM and 308 Win.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,064
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,064 |
It doesn't happen with all Chronys, all the time, but if you use them long enough it will. I've owned three of the things.
The two things I grew most weary of were "missed" shots and big differences between readings on sunny and cloudy days. My last Chrony (and the last one I will ever own) got dumped after taking it out one partly sunny afternoon, and seeing the readings from the SAME LOAD vary over 100 fps depending on whether the sun was out or behind a cloud.
In contrast, I tested my first ProChrono on the same sort of day against an Oehler 35P, over several hours, starting at about 1:00 in the afternoon and lasting until almost 5. I shot rifles from .17 to .416 caliber, and neither chronograph missed a shot, or had the speeds with the same load vary more than a few fps regardless of the sun/cloud conditions.
Made the same sort of test with another ProChrono a year later, just to see if would perform the same way, and it did.
The one thing a Prochrono won't do compared to an Oehler 35P is provide as close a reading of each shot, because the light sensors are much closer together on the ProChrono. Thus the Oehler provides a much better idea of standard deviation (consistency) from shot-to-shot.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 19,044
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 19,044 |
I bought a chrony F1 about 15 years ago. It was and still is my first chronograph.
On an overcast day it seems to work pretty well and consistent. Sunny days and especially sunny days with snow on the ground it seems to have readings that are less consistent, and some missed shots.
I always set it up 30 feet in front of the muzzle.
Overall it has served my basic needs for working up loads rifle and handgun loads, and fiddling with rimfire velocity checks.
If I ever upgrade I'll go with one of these strap-on bayonet style Magnetospeed chronos that do not rely on light at all, and don't need a tripod or any 'lining up'.
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,529
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2010
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I've had some experience with product testing and the thing that brings out the gremlins is testing at the extremes. It's not surprising to me anymore to find things that work well at 70° F crape out when testing near the minimum and maximum temperature the equipment is specified for. I believe it's possible to make a folding chronograph that's reliable and reasonably accurate, but not for the price of a folding Chrony.
What I don't like about the Competition Electronics ProChrono is the potential damage a stray shot can cause. I know, it never happens, yet I've managed to put holes through screens when experimenting at various distances and guns. At least with the Oehler sky screens you can glue them back together if you don't hit the lens or the photocell and it's not expensive to keep spare screens and parts on hand for the more serious blunders.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 15,854
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 15,854 |
It doesn't happen with all Chronys, all the time, but if you use them long enough it will. I've owned three of the things.
The two things I grew most weary of were "missed" shots and big differences between readings on sunny and cloudy days. My last Chrony (and the last one I will ever own) got dumped after taking it out one partly sunny afternoon, and seeing the readings from the SAME LOAD vary over 100 fps depending on whether the sun was out or behind a cloud.
In contrast, I tested my first ProChrono on the same sort of day against an Oehler 35P, over several hours, starting at about 1:00 in the afternoon and lasting until almost 5. I shot rifles from .17 to .416 caliber, and neither chronograph missed a shot, or had the speeds with the same load vary more than a few fps regardless of the sun/cloud conditions.
Made the same sort of test with another ProChrono a year later, just to see if would perform the same way, and it did.
The one thing a Prochrono won't do compared to an Oehler 35P is provide as close a reading of each shot, because the light sensors are much closer together on the ProChrono. Thus the Oehler provides a much better idea of standard deviation (consistency) from shot-to-shot. Thanks for the report John. For chits and giggles I Googled the ProChrono for a price check, wallyworld has em for $99 right now. Not a bad price...
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 15,854
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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A few years ago a friend of mine was doing some load testing with a .338RUM shooting over Chrony. First shot, the crony wiggles a little bit. He thought it was the muzzle blast. Second shot, same results. Third shot was a charm. It centerpunched the Chrony dead center.  First two shots just nicked the top of the box. No one except me shoots over my Oehler.
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 959
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 959 |
I tend to prefer the magneto speed because it is behind the muzzle.
My crony didn't far well, couldn't even take one bullet....
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