Which Chronograph?

Hey guys looking into buying my first Chrony but I don't really know much about the different brands/models. Are these ones all much of a muchness or is one better than the other?

Anyone aware of anything else in this price range that is better?

I read somewhere that some models can be affected by sunlight or something?

https://www.caldwellshooting.com/ran...it/721122.html

https://www.cedhk.com/ced-m2-chronograph

ProChrono Digital - Competition Electronics

Also anyone used these bluetooth versions, are they worth the extra $$?

ProChrono DLX - Competition Electronics

https://www.reloaders.co.nz/shop/Acc...+G2+72002.html

Cheers!

I just use a cheap chrony F something?
Does the job, then test at distance and tweak the velocity to match ballistics,have been doing that for last 20 years shooting out to 1200m.

The bad news is all optical chronographs are affected by varying light.
Using infra red back lighting can eliminate the issue but I found even with infra red lighting stray sun lighting can create issues. The infra red screens were also a pain to set up.

It shows up as differing velocities on different days at the range with the same loads and often out of wack velocities on the day when clouds clear or come over . Diffuser shields are supposed to prevent the issue but they don't always. It depends what angle the sun is in the sky. I always got reasonable results though on overcast days.

On some days moly coated bullets were hopeless to pick up. Also had 22rf bullets going at 4000 fps.

I started out with a very simple F1 Chrony (Chrony not on your list) which wasn't a bad unit, then went to a CED first model, then a CED M2. The CED M2 is rated by some as the best of the optical chronographs maybe even as good or better than the Oehler 3 Screen. The M2 when introduced had one of the fastest frequency clocks in it which aids accuracy.

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Originally Posted by zimmer

The bad news is all optical chronographs are affected by varying light.
Using infra red back lighting can eliminate the issue but I found even with infra red lighting stray sun lighting can create issues. The infra red screens were also a pain to set up.

It shows up as differing velocities on different days at the range with the same loads and often out of wack velocities on the day when clouds clear or come over . Diffuser shields are supposed to prevent the issue but they don't always. It depends what angle the sun is in the sky. I always got reasonable results though on overcast days.

On some days moly coated bullets were hopeless to pick up. Also had 22rf bullets going at 4000 fps.

I started out with a very simple F1 Chrony (Chrony not on your list) which wasn't a bad unit, then went to a CED first model, then a CED M2. The CED M2 is rated by some as the best of the optical chronographs maybe even as good or better than the Oehler 3 Screen. The M2 when introduced had one of the fastest frequency clocks in it which aids accuracy.

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@zimmer interesting. I notice the m2 has some kind of USB port - can you upload the data into an Application?

I was seriously considering the caldwell g2 as it has bluetooth / app compatibility which seems like it would make life easy (no cords and everything is stored on your phone), also the whole chrony is upside down with LED's on the bottom which they claim helps with the lighting related issues...I don't know whether that is just a gimmick or not though. Plus it is pricey.

https://www.reloaders.co.nz/shop/Acc...+G2+72002.html

Yep, the M2 lets you upload to you PC. If you want to do that. IIRC CED has its own PC app. I did upload with my M2 and do with my current chrono. With my old F1 I just wrote the numbers down as I shot them, and that was OK too.

I have no personal experience with the Caldwell upside down model but it should help with the lighting issue.

Maybe @dannyb can comment on the Caldwell he used in thread https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....16/index3.html pots #40 onwards

If you can shoot early in the morning or on an overcast day the optical ones are fine.

Greetings308mate,
I bought an Oehler 35 P about 30 years ago and have been pretty happy with it. It is not absolutely reliable on bright sunny days but as I shoot at home I can pick my days. Mine has a printer which I don't use but it still tells me if there is a bogus figure with a bogus display. I have never regretted buying it even though it cost considerably more than a Labradar does now when inflation is taken into account.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

If you can shoot early in the morning or on an overcast day the optical ones are fine.

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Is there a relatively good but cheap model?
Im interested in one myself but not looking to spend too much

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Originally Posted by zimmer

Yep, the M2 lets you upload to you PC. If you want to do that. IIRC CED has its own PC app. I did upload with my M2 and do with my current chrono. With my old F1 I just wrote the numbers down as I shot them, and that was OK too.

I have no personal experience with the Caldwell upside down model but it should help with the lighting issue.

Maybe @dannyb can comment on the Caldwell he used in thread https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....16/index3.html pots #40 onwards

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My comment is I'll never use one again bloody un reliable things I'll stick to my magneto speed :cool:

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings308mate,
I bought an Oehler 35 P about 30 years ago and have been pretty happy with it. It is not absolutely reliable on bright sunny days but as I shoot at home I can pick my days. Mine has a printer which I don't use but it still tells me if there is a bogus figure with a bogus display. I have never regretted buying it even though it cost considerably more than a Labradar does now when inflation is taken into account.
Regards Grandpamac.

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The Oehler 35 is a notch above most other optical units.

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Originally Posted by dannyb

My comment is I'll never use one again bloody un reliable things I'll stick to my magneto speed :cool:

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+1 to magnetospeed. No more light issues. Just works.

+2 for Magneto Speed, really impressed with them compared to the CED M2 I had before. Picked mine up 2nd hand.
(& I cant afford to splash that much cash on the radar job)

@dannyb @gadgetman @chainsaw yeah I would not mind a magnetospeed but they are about $1000?

What did you pay for yours second hand @chainsaw ?

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Originally Posted by 308mate

@dannyb @gadgetman @chainsaw yeah I would not mind a magnetospeed but they are about $1000?

What did you pay for yours second hand @chainsaw ?

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I got mine for free :O_O: it's a sporter model but I have modified it to fit with a suppressor

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Originally Posted by 308mate

@dannyb @gadgetman @chainsaw yeah I would not mind a magnetospeed but they are about $1000?

What did you pay for yours second hand @chainsaw ?

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I have a large dose of Scottish blood in me. I went to the spares section of the magnetospeed site and put together my own 'kit' of spare parts. Way cheaper than the official kits and only buy the bits I require, avoid the bits that can be substituted much cheaper like cables and guides and case. I use the sporter display unit with the V3 blade and the phone adaptor. From memory was only about NZ$500 all up.

I also just picked up a magnetospeed v3, unused but 2nd hand for $650. Theres deals to be had every now and again

I had a couple of Fi Chronys when I was starting out in the reloading game.
The first gave me a good start and an idea of speed depending on the day and how the whole game worked. That before I shot it.
I purchased another which I still have.
I got My Magneto Speed V3 second hand with very little use when people who had them were selling them because they really needed a labradar.
Pleased I did.

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Originally Posted by gadgetman

+1 to magnetospeed. No more light issues. Just works.

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Yeh but have to develop load then check velocitys. Bit of a pain sold mine and brought a labrador while overseas.

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Originally Posted by cameronjackwhite

I also just picked up a magnetospeed v3, unused but 2nd hand for $650. Theres deals to be had every now and again

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Whats going on with the prices they where 450 new from Wilsons when I brought mine a few years back sold it for more than I brought it in the end and brought a labradar

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Originally Posted by 308mate

@dannyb @gadgetman @chainsaw yeah I would not mind a magnetospeed but they are about $1000?

What did you pay for yours second hand @chainsaw ?

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From memory it was around $700

I have a Prochrono that is over 20 years old, and a Magnetospeed V3 I bought secondhand. I fired 5 shots over both, for 3 of the shots there was only a 1fps difference between the two, IIRC the other shots were 10 and 50fps difference, which I am confident was due to the Prochrono turning a bit sideways due to muzzle blast from the previous shot (I had it much closer to muzzle than recommended).
Prochrono works great on overcast days, get some weird readings on sunny days (9147fps for my 308 last Thursday!). The Magnetospeed is much more consistent, but affects point of impact a lot, and possibly group sizes as well, so load development needs to be done separately from velocities.

I have prochono dlx blue tooth model, Its handy having the values called out & details recorded on the cellphone app. No issues with accuracy when compared to mates f1. Price was good too.

I have the basic F1 chrony gives me a good indication as to how well different powders work and that shows up with SD s and velocity and helps me tune my reloading to make ammo that is consistent that I can rely on to do the job would,t be without it:yuush:

I had the other 35p and when I put my pro chrono on top of it there was an average of 3fps in the results.
I sold the 35 and put the loot towards an annealler which is a way more useful tool.
I only ever use a chrony for the es which with the annealler and validation just about makes a chrono obsolete.
The only chrono I would by now is the labradar and will do at some point just to play with.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Bill999

Is there a relatively good but cheap model?
Im interested in one myself but not looking to spend too much

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Mine is a ProChrono from Gunworks. What I have done is make a permanent mount position for it so it always goes back in the same place and always aligned to the bench. Just a length of dressed 8x2 attached under the bench with a little bracket the Chrono sits in at the far end. Works perfectly fine.

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Mine is a ProChrono from Gunworks. What I have done is make a permanent mount position for it so it always goes back in the same place and always aligned to the bench. Just a length of dressed 8x2 attached under the bench with a little bracket the Chrono sits in at the far end. Works perfectly fine.

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Yours is also sheltered from direct sunlight too which will help :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by dannyb

Yours is also sheltered from direct sunlight too which will help :thumbsup:

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After I built the covid 'lockdown project' shed over the bench I read the chrono instructions and dappled light is out, so then I had to cut a whole lot of branches off the hedge to give a clear sky veiw. If the Chrono is set up as per instructions ( distance and alignment ) it works fine. Certainly subsonic ammo sounds different with higher recorded velocity - meaning if the noise is louder the Chrono shows a velocity increase. With centrefire load development, increases in powder give velocity increases (and decreases) and print different group positions and sizes in keeping with what would be expected.

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Originally Posted by 308mate

@dannyb @gadgetman @chainsaw yeah I would not mind a magnetospeed but they are about $1000?

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The sporter model is $450 or there about's in NZ, it has exactly the same accuracy as the V3 model which is around $950. The downside is the sporter doesn't work so well with a suppressor and needs the Bayonet modified for best results.
As mentioned previously you can buy the sporter and a V3 Bayonet for an extra $338 and it comes out cheaper than a V3

Cheers for all the info guys. As the place where I shoot is over an hour from where I live it will be a bit of a pain turning up and finding I can't use the Chrony due to the sun etc.

So I am leaning towards the Magnetospeed or Labradar, may just have to sell a couple of things.

Does the magnetospeed.com site ship to nz?

Are there ever sales on the Labradar? Eg Sika Show etc?

Seems like it is pretty pricey - $1300 for the base unit, plus 200 for the case and 200 for the stand...$1700!

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Originally Posted by 308mate

Cheers for all the info guys. As the place where I shoot is over an hour from where I live it will be a bit of a pain turning up and finding I can't use the Chrony due to the sun etc.

So I am leaning towards the Magnetospeed or Labradar, may just have to sell a couple of things.

Does the magnetospeed.com site ship to nz?

Are there ever sales on the Labradar? Eg Sika Show etc?

Seems like it is pretty pricey - $1300 for the base unit, plus 200 for the case and 200 for the stand...$1700!

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See if you can hire a Chrony. There was / is a forum one somewhere ???. Hire one and see how it goes and if you can, get to the range really early - before any mirage or wind and that will help groups regardless of a chrony

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

See if you can hire a Chrony. There was / is a forum one somewhere ???. Hire one and see how it goes and if you can, get to the range really early - before any mirage or wind and that will help groups regardless of a chrony

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I think someone is using it still from the thread with people waiting in line.

Buy a 2nd hand Chrony and build it into a light box so that you don't have problems with variable atmospheric effects (cloud/sunshine/etc.).

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Originally Posted by rupert

Buy a 2nd hand Chrony and build it into a light box so that you don't have problems with variable atmospheric effects (cloud/sunshine/etc.).

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Excuse my ignorance but what is a 'light box' for a chrony ??

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Excuse my ignorance but what is a 'light box' for a chrony ??

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I would assume it would be a box made out or corflute or similar to shield the chrono from direct sunlight

dannyb is correct - a box made of light-weight materials which shields the Chrony from variable ight and has fixed lights over the sensors (battery driven LED's are very cheap) so that the environment for the Chrony to operate in is constant, and the results are consistent.

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Originally Posted by rupert

dannyb is correct - a box made of light-weight materials which shields the Chrony from variable ight and has fixed lights over the sensors (battery driven LED's are very cheap) so that the environment for the Chrony to operate in is constant, and the results are consistent.

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Never thought about it before but I guess that a Chrony would work inside a building with artificial lighting, which is what a light box is duplicating ?

Greetings All,
My son chronographed his rubber band gun using a early chrony I had borrowed and a couple of incandescent lamps back in the eighties. He did it at night and got a reading of 142 feet per second from memory. Clearly not much danger area was required. You used to be able to get light fixtures that clipped to the sky screens for the purpose, possibly still can.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by 308mate

Cheers for all the info guys. As the place where I shoot is over an hour from where I live it will be a bit of a pain turning up and finding I can't use the Chrony due to the sun etc.

So I am leaning towards the Magnetospeed or Labradar, may just have to sell a couple of things.

Does the magnetospeed.com site ship to nz?

Are there ever sales on the Labradar? Eg Sika Show etc?

Seems like it is pretty pricey - $1300 for the base unit, plus 200 for the case and 200 for the stand...$1700!

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Fuck prices have gone through the roof. Used to be about a grand. Don't buy the stand just use a tripod. The case however is nice. I got mine in Canada ended up a bit under a grand here with case and archery trigger. They don't go on sale here but the labrador website does ship to NZ and has. Pretty good black friday sales (15-20%). If you go magneto just accept that you won't be able to check velocity until development is done. That's why I sold mine. I do care about velocity and accuracy so not being able to do them ant the same time cost me time and extra reloading components. Sold it quite quickly.