Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Chronos and sun angle ?

I have never Chronoed a handload this time of year. Just getting over the major part of hunting season and more hunting to come so I never took the time. However, I did try out some loads in a .356 Win. since I had time this week. The velocity went from 2200 fps down to 366 fps. This happened with all loads and never happened before with this Chrono, a Past. The sun is way south of us right now and hitting the screens at a pretty severe angle. Does this affect how the Chrono reads and thus mess up the reading? New battery in the Chrono.

I've see the exact same thing. I've used a chrono turned 90 degrees left or 90 right to get indirect sunlight. Turn the camera tripod head sideways to the chrono and tip it over, away from the sun

I usually can get by with a long piece of cardboard taped full length+ over the top of both sensors to get out of the sun but they'll read upside down if needed. I've seen a Caldwell that is setup that way, sensors aim down, problem solved.Link Here

Got REALLY fed up with optical chronographs lying to me all the time, or just not reading shots. Lab Radar at the time was too far above my paygrade, so a buddy and me split the cost of a V3 Magnetospeed. No more lying to me. I've used it enough over the past 5 or 6 years to just believe what it tells me. Total confidence. Proved out with long range rounds fired and things jiving nicely with what ballistic apps tell us. Used it a LOT when checking zero the day before a match. Optical chronos, never again.

I often have to rig up various cardboard shields, duct tape, etc, to keep the sun off the sensors. Downside is all those things can catch the wind. I also use a Labradar which occasionally misses bullets entirely. Prob is no perfect solution.

I use a pop up sun canopy over mine on really sunny days. Unshaded I get all kinds of wonky readings.

Get the new Garmin Xero C1........................ABSOLUTLY BAD ASS!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks all for the confirmation and the suggestions.

Thought about it but do you need a smart phone to operate it?

Not to operate it, to take the info off the device yes.

I have run into the same thing.

If the sun is pounding down, I put up a make shift wall of some sort cardboard, vehicle what ever works to throw shade on the chrono. I find that more useful than the chrono defusers. I also color the bullets black with a permanent marker so they cannot reflect light as much also.

Nothing beats a calm overcast day for chrono work.

"Nothing beats a calm overcast day for chrono work."

Unfortunately these have been hard to come by lately.

My old Shooting Chrony is very sensitive to light. I set it up beside my friend's ProChrono and while we got near identical velocities, my Chrony missed reading several shots while his registered all shots. I prefer to use mine in open shade. Bright sun is a no go for it.