View Full Version : Barrel Mounted Ballistic Chronograph
I came across this on another forum and wondered if anyone had used it. Looks ideal for those with limited range access.
http://www.magnetospeed.com/
It's a bummer for precision load development since it can alter barrel harmonics, but I've been wanting one for AR loading for 6 months.
If it were a little cheaper, I'd already have one.
the_accuser
03-27-13, 11:19
I just bought the V2 model but won't get a chance to try it out for at least a few weeks. I'll update this thread when I try it out.
I'd be wanting to use it to test loads for my Noveske AR15, so I doubt there would be a great effect on harmonics. Its worth testing with an without it mounted, and recording if there is any offset.
What made you pick the V2 over the V1?
the_accuser
03-27-13, 15:13
I picked the V2 so I could test loads with and without silencers. The V2 can be used with barrel/silencers up to 2" in diameter where the V1 can only be used with barrels up to 1" in diameter.
I bought a V1 when they first were available. I have an Oehler 35 I have used for 20 years and a couple of lesser chronos. Since I got the Magnetospeed it is all I use for rifle work. It is very convenient and accurate. I don't have to paint my bullets black with a magic marker to be sure the chrono can read them.
I have tested it for group effect on my Colt 6721 with match ammo and it doesn't seem to have any significant effect on ten shot group size at least at 50yds. Maybe for real precision match groups at longer distances it could have an effect but I would try it before I made any assumptions.
I have fired several hundred rounds of rifle ammo across mine and so far it hasn't missed a beat. This is more than I can say for the Oehler. The mini chip downloads data easily to a spreadsheet.
It also works at 30* F temperature. The Oehler does not.
Nice. Thanks for that info.
DBR, great report. That clears up any questions.
I have been looking for a new chrono. I may have to check this one out. I have never been happy with the ones I had. I got to talking to some long range shooters and asked them about chronos. I thought that the oehler would consistently be the favored one. I was wrong.
They almost all said that the oehler was the best for a long time, but now the pvm21 is bar none the best you can buy. Even ORKAN said that the pvm21 is the most accurate. I was planning on picking one up, now I see these. They look so easy to setup. The next chronological I buy will hopefully be the last.
DBR have you checked how accurate the magneto speed is by shooting at range. My last one was so bad that when I entered everything into JBM ballistics I was off by over ten inches at 500.
Just on price there's a huge difference between the pvm and this.
Just on price there's a huge difference between the pvm and this.
There is a huge difference. With what I have spent on chronos I could have bought the pvm. It is only a couple hundred more than the oehler. The accuracy is supposed to be on another level. It can be used in any light condition, the proccesor is the fastest available. The accuracy is within less than 1% of actual velocity. If that is true at 3000fps the reading will be less than 30fps off. That is what I'm looking for.
I'm going to look in to the magneto speed before I buy. I just do not ever want to buy another chrono again. I would try an oehler, but for just a little more I can get the pvm. I wish you could buy chrono testing loads that would give you a certain velocity as long as you shot them under certain circumstances.
I have a hard time trusting what any chrono tells me. I got a lemon that ruined my trust of chronos. My buddies oehler seems to be the best I have used. I hate setting it up. The pvm looks easy to setup and so does the magnetto speed. I have a 200 yard range at home and I want something I can setup when I want to shoot just ten rounds through the chrono to get some numbers.
I have not tested the MS at range.
Here are some tests done on the Magnetospeed:
http://www.realguns.com/articles/360.htm
See this test for production unit: http://www.realguns.com/articles/391.htm
http://www.magnetospeed.com/pages/reviews-tests
I have tested the MS vs my Oehler 35 and my CED with my hand loads. The differences between the chronos was less than the variations within the ammo batch (typical ammo variation for ten rds was ES=42 SD=16 avg vel 3026). This was not "match" ammo - just my standard utility loads.
Thanks for the links and info. I don't get to shoot past 300 often so when I do I want my chrono to be as close as possible so I can plug good info in. I have had horrible luck with chronos.
The latest one I bought is a shooting chrony gamma master. I knew the shooting chrony's are less than the best. Oehler had not started making them again, and I had others like ced, pact. My shooting chrony was way bad so I sent it in.
They never told me what what was wrong they just replaced it. I have not even tried it again. I might take it out when the snow is gone and run some factory loads to see what I get. More than likely ill just sell it, and buy the pvm21.
jstone: see email I sent you.
A trick I learned a long time ago is to blacken the bullet with a magic marker. Most chronos are triggered by the shadow of the bullet. Shiny bullets, even lead, can cause all kinds of strange effects.
Ideally you want diffuse light like an overcast day with soft shadows. Specular light like bright sunlight with sharp edged shadows can be problematic especially if it is not directly overhead. These days I do most of my chronographing indoors.
jstone: see email I sent you.
A trick I learned a long time ago is to blacken the bullet with a magic marker. Most chronos are triggered by the shadow of the bullet. Shiny bullets, even lead, can cause all kinds of strange effects.
Ideally you want diffuse light like an overcast day with soft shadows. Specular light like bright sunlight with sharp edged shadows can be problematic especially if it is not directly overhead. These days I do most of my chronographing indoors.
I got the email. Im going to look into the magneto speed before I make any final decisions. I like the idea of the pvm. I just don't like the price.
I have tried blackening the bullets it helped with my first two, but the shooting chrony had 100 + fps changes from shot to shot. It would also read 3000 fps when running 22.4 of 8208 with a 77 matchking.
I do not remember how bad the first two were. I just know I could not get a consistent reading. When set up behind or in front of my buddies oehler it was never even close or consistent. If they would have at least been consistent in its difference I could have compensated for the difference.
I tried the gamma, because it also has a built in timer. I thought I would use the timer for drills, but the whole thing pissed me off so bad I never tried the timer.
If all of your chrono work is with rifles and/or certain revolvers I can recommend the Magnetospeed without reservation. If you need to do work with semi-auto pistols or short barrel revolvers (I do) the MS is not a good "only" chrono.
I routinely use my MS on ARs with A1 flash hiders that are indexed so they don't direct muzzle blase straight down and it works fine.
Before I got the MS I chronoed everything inside if at all possible. With the MS inside/outside doesn't matter.
I've read the PVM is pretty much unusable due to the buggy software and it has some issues with the build (people had problems with some wires and their connections). The magnetospeed looks good, haven't heard much about it though. Still seems the Oehler is the gold standard.
Forgot, also with the PVM I read you have to keep the battery fully charged or it won't work right. The issue with those connections I mentioned, the same guy had to buy some new parts due to the bad connections and it was $400.
from all my research on the pvm the main problem with software is when you try to interface with quickload, but other than that i have heard it is great. i dont use quick load, and do not mind the price to have a functional chrono. my gamma master seemed to be fine with the 45 acp loads i ran through it.
i have been so busy, i have had zero time for all the loading projects i need to get done. i should have a good month of free time now to get some done. i got some of the 80s from markm so that is another project, but the main focus is to get the nosler bsb's loaded and tested before deer season. so the chrono is on the back burner, but if i can get it to function with my semi pistols i will pick up the magneto speed.
i got some of the 80s from markm so that is another project
We shot some of those again two weekends ago and forgot to shave the 1.4 mils off the come up at 1000 yards. I was slinging them over the target. :rolleyes:
Those things are impressive. :eek:
i wont get to shoot them to 1k not even close. i have to wait for some snow to melt before i can get out to the range. the
175's are on the way. sent pm
I have one of these hipster chronos coming tomorrow. I finally shot Pappabear's chrono last Thursday... so the decision was final. :rolleyes:
I wait with bated breath, and thank you for risking your money before mine.
Pappabear doesn't seem to have faith in this thing... I think it'll be more accurate than the one I destroyed.
the_accuser
05-21-13, 12:11
I tried mine out a few weeks ago and like it. Simple to setup and operate.
So far I like the unit. I'm just affraid to break the bayo portion.
The one downside to it is that you can't run it on ARs with really short barrels or really long rails. I think I'm just going to chrono ALL my AR data on a 20 inch rifle barrel anyway.
Would it work on something like this?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v340/roguedemon/Upper.jpg
Not without wrapping the flash hider some how. The unit needs about 2-1/2" of flat surface to mount to so that the sensor deck is level and stabile.
It will accomodate a monster brake, but that upper would be a challenge.
Well, the flash hider is now a Surefire MB556K, but I'm guessing that's still really limited on space.
Magnetospeed should come up with a rail mounted option with adjustability. That might be pretty pricey though.
How has it performed compared to the old chrono? What type of chrono did you shoot? Most companies will fix or relace them for next to nothing. Shooting the chrono is something that will happen to everyone eventually if they use one.
It's a lot more reliable than a sky screen chrono. I forget the brand of Pappabear's chrono... it was just a mid range chrono... not a shooting chrony, but not an Oehler either.
the_accuser
06-01-13, 16:52
I found a solution to mounting the Magnetospeed chronograph to my short barrels. It just so happens my 8.5", 10.5" and 12.5" barrels all have AAC 51T flash hiders.
I was looking at Rainier Arms website and discovered this QD Brake Shield for the AAC M4 2000 mounts,http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=3432
It came in today and here is what the shield and chronograph look like on my 10.5" barrel.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/the_accuser/wom_zps06e9185b.jpg
My V1 wouldn't read velocity on a 223 5R bolt gun the other day. :(
The barrel is right in the max diameter range for the unit.
If you look in the instructions it will tell you how to calibrate the sensor for different bullet types. Maybe that will help.
Unless the magnets are too far away from the bullet to pick them up.
IIRC part of the calibration adjustment changes the sensitivity of the sensors. I don't have my V1 unit here to check.
Check here: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0150/8926/files/MagnetoSpeed_V1_Instructions_1.pdf?41
Yeah that's for bullet composition. Which is a funny story in itself.
I fired some steel 55 gr S&B pull down bullets with it set for regular FMJ bullets.
I was getting the most insane readings and an SD of 131. It didn't hit me til later that night. :p
Just to update this thread, I have been using this since V1 about 2 years ago I think, and I upgraded my bayo to V2 about a year or so ago. I just picked up the V3 bayo with the new adapter which attaches to pic rails so I don't have to yank rails of when dealing with the lack of barrel on certain guns.
Ran this on a BCM 16" SS barrel with a 15" KMR with BCM's pic rail adapter at 12 o'clock (where my bipod normally is).
At first it didn't seem to pick up shots, but I did build a custom trigger profile and lowered the "sensor" value and it picked up with values that were consistent with my data from last week where I tore the rail off and strapped the V2 bayo on.
My sensor unit is a V1 and had no issue with running the V2/V3 bayo. I plan on leaving my V2 bayo with the traditional straps and using this one as my dedicated rail unit.
Here's what I ordered to upgrade:
1x V3 Replacement Bayonet Only (No Strap) - V3 Scratch and Dent Bayonet (No Strap) for $125.00 each
1x V3 Rail Adapter for $24.99 each
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.