Shooting Timer Help

[Ga Shooter]

In trying to always increase my ablities and watching and running drills for handguns I want to purchase a shooting/shot timer. Which ones are good and which features do I really need. Most of the time I shoot alone and I want to know about reload times etc?

[ARx3]

I've been using a PACT Club Timer for the past ten years. It has been a dependable tool and has helped improve my shooting. You can select from instant or delay(3 sec) start, you can select a PAR time,review your times /splits etc. They upgraded it in 2007 to the Club Timer III and they also have the MK-IV Championship Timer/Chronograph which has a "hot key"interface for accessing advanced traing features and a keypad which makes setting Par times, reviewing strings of fire and split times easier. If you don't need the chronograph or don't mind spending a little more time accessing information setting up "modes" then the Club timer is a good basic tool.http://pact.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

[HPFlashman]

I`ll second ARx3 on the Pact line.

I`ve been using a Pact MkIII timer/chrono for both timing and chronographing for the last 10-15 years and are very happy with it, just bought one of the Club timer III because of its smaller size and will no doubt be happy with that also. :)

[ToddG]

Personally, I like the CED 7000 (got mine from Speed Shooter Specialties (http://www.speedshooterspecialties.com/catalog/search.php?submit=submit&categories=CED+Products&subcategories=Timers)).

It's small, lightweight, has a display that shows lots of information at once, and has plenty of options like microphone sensitivity, beep loudness, even a silent "listen" mode and a stopwatch mode.

Everything is menu-driven so it's very easy to set up PAR times, delay times, etc. However, it does take a little longer since you have to dive into the menus to get there.

It's rechargeable, and in my experience holds plenty of charge for multiple days of training or matches. I've also got their AAA adapter (which can power the timer itself or just recharge it) and there is also a car charger available.

The original ones weren't particularly durable, and my first CED 7000 did in fact shut down permanently in the middle of a class earlier this year. Speed Shooter Specialties replaced it free of charge under CED's warranty, no fuss no muss. Now I've got two of the newer ones (with a "hard reset" button on the back) and they've worked great so far.

[JohnN]

Personally, I like the CED 7000 (got mine from Speed Shooter Specialties (http://www.speedshooterspecialties.com/catalog/search.php?submit=submit&categories=CED+Products&subcategories=Timers)).

It's small, lightweight, has a display that shows lots of information at once, and has plenty of options like microphone sensitivity, beep loudness, even a silent "listen" mode and a stopwatch mode.

Everything is menu-driven so it's very easy to set up PAR times, delay times, etc. However, it does take a little longer since you have to dive into the menus to get there.

It's rechargeable, and in my experience holds plenty of charge for multiple days of training or matches. I've also got their AAA adapter (which can power the timer itself or just recharge it) and there is also a car charger available.

The original ones weren't particularly durable, and my first CED 7000 did in fact shut down permanently in the middle of a class earlier this year. Speed Shooter Specialties replaced it free of charge under CED's warranty, no fuss no muss. Now I've got two of the newer ones (with a "hard reset" button on the back) and they've worked great so far.

In your opinion, are they sensitive enough to use with Airsoft?

[MarshallDodge]

Do any of today's models offer the capability of downloading the results to a PC?

[Boris]

+1 on the CED7000,
+1 on Speed Shooter Specialties,
and yes they now offer an Airsoft Timer version:

http://www.cedhk.com/show.php/Object700

-B

[Ga Shooter]

As always thanks for the advice. It's looking like the CED7000 is going to win out.:D

[ToddG]

In your opinion, are they sensitive enough to use with Airsoft?

As Boris said, there is a separate version for Airsoft use. I've never used one.

[diverge]

CED 7000 is a great little timer. As Todd said, it has a good battery. Benefit to this timer is that it is small. Unless you plan on wearing it around your neck, plan on buying a different attachment.

I tried the timer on a wrist strap at the most sensitive level with a KSC G17 and it didn't work.

[ChrisG]

Do any of today's models offer the capability of downloading the results to a PC?

Surefire has a free app for the Iphone that works as a shot timer and allows you to send your results as e-mail. That is the only shot timer I am aware of that has computer connectivity. I wish someone would develop that concept further so that you could capture video with a shot timer display superimposed in the corners of the screen when you replay it. That would be an extremely valuable tool for analyzing your performance during longer drills and matches.

[11Bravo]

Do any of today's models offer the capability of downloading the results to a PC?

I think the newer Pact one does, but not ready to swear to it in court.
Call them and ask; they actually answer their phone and don't seem to act like you're inconveniencing them.

I have had one of the Pact Champion whatever ones for about 14 years or so and it works just like new.
It lived in a rucksack in my Cherokee for most of that time year round through Iowa winters and summers.
I am thinking of upgrading to the newer one and getting some chrono screens for checking loads when I get to reloading.