Want to get a Chronograph, which one is a good one? Any I should avoide?
I have had the PACT I since 1989 and it has functioned flawlessly. It's pretty simplistic no printer to break etc. Didn't bother going the CED route because I don't shoot in the dark. My buddy has one of those and we shoot over each others equipment and for all that extra money he can't even get faster MV they are dead even. Midway has the PACT I on sale a couple times a year for around $129. They all are pretty equal and built to very near if not the same specs. I choose the PACT because at that time it had about the largest area below the screens to shoot through and the brain sat on the bench. It comes with a lifetime warranty that is transferable to the new owner just like a Leupold. If you shoot it thats your fault but they will still repair it for the cost of parts only. It all boils down to what you really like it is one of those personal things.
A chronograph is one of the best investments you can make. I have a .243 Win M70 that follows the Hornady Manual exactly in velocity and charge weight. They used the same rifle to work up the loads. Its the only one I have that does that and the chrony confirmed it. Its easier to get where you want to be when you know where your starting from.
Below is a c/p from the CED page that is of HUGE relevance for good crono results:
"The CED Tripod is designed for handgun and rimfire rifle use. In cases where large full bore, magnum, or other high velocity rifles are being used, it is recommended that the chronograph is connected to a VERY heavy duty tripod or a table mount plate in order to prevent bracket or screen movement from the muzzle blasts. Such movement can result in erroneous readings or limit the actual recording area above the sensors."
I use an older Competition Electronics crono. I place it 5 yds or so from bench on a pretty solid home made stand. Valuable tool IMO.
Seeing you cannot buy a 35 Ohler anymore, unless you find a used one, IMO the CED Millenium is the one to get.
The only flaw with the CED is the plastic hinge on the beam that holds the sensors. A gust of wind came up and knocked over my heavy bogen tripod breaking the hinge. Rather than pay for another and wait for it to fail again, I made one from 1" steel sq. tubing. I really like the display/control unit. Also like the storage bag.
I did not know about the heavy stand....... Can any of you post a pic of what you use?
Thanks
The CED tripod is not worth the money in my opinion. On my second outing with it, it fell over cracking the hinges for the leg extension portion. I wasn't too happy with that. At some point, I may look for a more sturdy chrono.
I am currently happy with my Chrony Beta Master. The only problem I experience is direct sunlight fouling the lenses. Most any chrono will do that though.
The Chrony is not the best there is but I have yet to need anything more. I expend roughly 2500 rounds annually. I chrono about half of that.
My ProChrono has done everything I've asked of it, but no experience with other brands. It can be finicky about needing the skylight to be right, but no more than any other low cost brand from what I've read. It's difficult to design sensor circuitry to be responsive over a wide range of lighting conditions without the circuit getting big, complicated and expensive real fast.