Which Chronograph to buy? Recommendations.

[Aaron_B]

Search didn't come up with much for me besides a thread from 2008,

Will be used for .308, .223 / 5.56, and various handgun calibers .357, 9mm, .40, .45 ACP.

Budget is around $200-250ish

I have been looking at the Caldwell G2 ballistic Precision but wanted other opinions.

Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

A.B.

[gunnerblue]

I’ve used and still have a CED M2 which worked very well and is within your price range. I have since moved on to a Labradar which is far and away a better experience, but is more than double your price range. I would avoid the Magnetospeed models- although they are only a little outside of your price range, IMO, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. After, measuring velocity, you’ll have to reshoot groups for accuracy without the unit hanging from the end of your barrel. The bayonet projectile “reader” will also not work with all firearms types, at least not ideally.

[m1a_scoutguy]

I bought the Caldwell myself a year or so ago and when I have used it it worked fine ! I bought this one: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/628006/caldwell-ballistic-precision-chronograph-premium-kit Its not the same one as your looking at but so far so good ! Mine has LED lights that go over the top for use on bad days or even indoors ! I have used it indoors and it worked great ! That mite not be a feature you need but we have a great indoor range where I shoot so I have used it in there a couple times over the Winter when working up loads,,kinda cool ! I also have this one https://www.midwayusa.com/product/531741/shooting-chrony-f1-chronograph that I got cheap in a deal with some other items,,it works very good also. A buddy and I put both chronos together and shot over both at the same time and they were very close in there measurements,,,within a few FPS,,so that was good I guess !
Cronos are great tools for sure but ya really don't use them that much I don't think,,kinda runs in spurts,,LOL ya get a new rifle/pistol and you will use it or when changing bullets/powder but they sit probably 95% of the time,,just the way it is I guess ! Anyways I'm sure the Caldwell you mentioned will be great but the ones I have listed and used work fine for me. Let us know how ya make out.

[Straight Shooter]

Ive used a Competition Electronics chrono for years now. Have checked it against others, andhave found it to be very reliable & easy to use. Gave about $100 for it. The ProChrono model I believe.

[Failure2Stop]

I have been very happy with my MagnetoSpeed, and highly recommend it.
I have compared it to many other devices, and it delivers.

[hotrodder636]

I am in the same boat as the OP (no price range though). I have been eyeing the Labradar by have not heard a whole lot about it.


I’ve used and still have a CED M2 which worked very well and is within your price range. I have since moved on to a Labradar which is far and away a better experience, but is more than double your price range. I would avoid the Magnetospeed models- although they are only a little outside of your price range, IMO, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. After, measuring velocity, you’ll have to reshoot groups for accuracy without the unit hanging from the end of your barrel. The bayonet projectile “reader” will also not work with all firearms types, at least not ideally.

[markm]

The magnetospeed is nice. But as pointed out, it mounts to the firearm, which isn't a problem for me. But if you're testing pistol and SBR, etc., It's not optimal.

We run the CED too. It's been really good for the money.

[Failure2Stop]

I am in the same boat as the OP (no price range though). I have been eyeing the Labradar by have not heard a whole lot about it.

I have a Labradar. It is way more difficult to properly set up, gets a lot of error pickups, and is not easy to navigate menus and such.

I do 90% of my Magnetospeed use with the chronograph attached to the handguard, but have shot it quite a bit attached directly to barrels. Amount of shift is less than that of any suppressor on the market. Can be stuck to pistols with a bottom rail, but the practical application of pistol ammo velocity is almost, but not quite completely, useless.

[T2C]

Ive used a Competition Electronics chrono for years now. Have checked it against others, andhave found it to be very reliable & easy to use. Gave about $100 for it. The ProChrono model I believe.

I have been using a Competition Electronics Pro Chrono for testing rifle and handgun ammunition for years and it works well. Muzzle velocities are very close to published velocities for a lot of factory ammunition.

A shooting buddy has the MagnetoSpeed chronograph, which he uses for testing F Class loads and he recommends it. I've seen him use it on bolt action rifles and it is more convenient than a chronograph positioned 15' from the muzzle. He does not use it for testing handgun loads, so I can't comment on that.

[gunnerblue]

I have a Labradar. It is way more difficult to properly set up, gets a lot of error pickups, and is not easy to navigate menus and such.

I do 90% of my Magnetospeed use with the chronograph attached to the handguard, but have shot it quite a bit attached directly to barrels. Amount of shift is less than that of any suppressor on the market. Can be stuck to pistols with a bottom rail, but the practical application of pistol ammo velocity is almost, but not quite completely, useless.

The Magneto’s which I have used have been very accurate in their readings but the effort needed to use it with a wide variety of firearms make it more trouble than worth (for me and only me). If you’re only using it for certain types of weapons, an AR with a hand guard for example, it would be fine.

My Labradar is very picky in terms of muzzle placement in relation to the unit. Once I figured this out through trial and error, I haven’t had an issue in getting good readings. I can’t remeber getting anything inexplicable, either, that I would consider a false reading.

[markm]

but the practical application of pistol ammo velocity is almost, but not quite completely, useless.

Exactly. I don't chrono pistol ammo ever. Just go the the data, load to MAX, and move on with my life.

[308sako]

Started years ago with an Owner 33, then graduated to the 35P model. Was offered a super deal at this past SHOT so I am now in a learning curve with a LabRadar. So far so good including suppressed rounds! Trick is to place the muzzle about 6 inches behind the unit. Little risky so pay attention. Have seen many others of various manufacturers, the magneto speed is remarkable for it's accuracy. User friendly is very important if you shoot or chronograph on a regular basis.

[Aaron_B]

Thanks for all the replies. After looking at the magnetospeeds I don't think I would care for it much.

I don't plan on doing much with pistol just will be testing a few things and loading something close to carry ammo to try to get similar characteristics.

Primary will be load development for different rifles.

[lee1000]

I have a ProChrono that has been trouble free, I went with this brand because it's not made in communist China. I'll probably get the Bluetooth device for it at some point.

http://www.competitionelectronics.com/product/prochrono-digital/

[Tokarev]

I've always found the little Shooting Chronys to work well. And they're fairly cheap in case one accidently catches a bullet.

Here lately I've been messing with a Caldwell G2 chronograph and have been pretty happy with it. It has a display that can be used stand-alone (you'll have to write everything down on a notepad) or you can Bluetooth it to your phone and run it that way. The tripod that comes with it is pretty cheap but the unit itself seems to be alright. The phone app isn't without its quirks, too. It would be nice to be able to save the various load info in separate folders by caliber, date, bullet weight, etc. As it is now they're all saved chronologically.

[AR10TFn]

Hi everyone, Well after using {and shooting} a shooting chrony, which after getting it going again the wind blew my tripod over and broke one of the plastic holders for the skyscreen rods and "eye" I bought a Lab Radar. I can only say -I wish I had bought this in the first place- No more having to wait for or cause the line to go cold, and the multiple trips from the bench to the chrony to line it up, no more errors from changing light conditions, and more accurate velocity readings { I can get true muzzle velocity readings with mine}. plus you can get velocity readings from chosen distance points as the bullet goes down range, can get kinetic energy data and power factor also. I have only had mine to the range two times and have worked through this much of the functions.
Now just to be honest, as one other poster stated, the menu is a bit of a learning curve and the instructions are somewhat less than concise and thorough, but if this 67 year oldster can figure it out most anyone should be able to, and besides the shooting chrony I have and as did a friend's Ohler chrony have their steps and procedures to learn also. My biggest negative is it is somewhat sensitive about location to the firearms muzzle [in order for the muzzle blast to trigger the emit/read cycle.] It can store a ton of information on a sd card that you can plug int a laptop at home and print out what information you want, [although a printer on site would be nice] as would a remote control to cycle through the functions, I am a f-class shooter so using it with long barreled rifles is a bit of a challenge. But I really like using the lab radar much more than a skyscreen chronograph.

[Bimmer]

I have been using a Competition Electronics Pro Chrono


I have a ProChrono that has been trouble free... I'll probably get the Bluetooth device for it at some point.


I have a ProChrono. I'm ashamed to say that I haven't actually used it much, and I have the Bluetooth device, but I haven't set it up yet.

That said, I wouldn't reload without running samples over a chronograph. Checking my .40S&W loads vs. factory loads in various barrel lengths was fascinating. (OK, I'm a geek.)

[Kenneth]

I have a pro chrono digital that has worked perfectly the few tones I used it. If your looking for one PM me and I’ll sell it. I also have a tripod that goes with it.


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[mgrs]

Have labradar, magnetospeed gen 3, and an optical.

Optical works, but is slow, irritating, and occasionally innacurate.

Magnetospeed is easy to use, very portable, but takes time to get set up and won't work with some rifles without creative rigging. Does not play well with some glocks due to the upward sweep of the light rail.

Labradar is expensive and takes time and patience to learn how to use properly. I hated it at first until I'd messed with it a couple trips and now it's all I use.

Testing magnetospeed and labradar side-by-side, they were often within 5fps and occasionally identical.


Exactly. I don't chrono pistol ammo ever. Just go the the data, load to MAX, and move on with my life.

Pretty important to know I won't slip below the min power factor for my division, but that's about it.

[markm]

Pretty important to know I won't slip below the min power factor for my division, but that's about it.

Good point. I rarely think of the competition side of shooting since that's not my thing... but yeah. That's a legit reason.

[hubcap52]

I've had an Oehler 33 for many years and a PACT (not sure of model #) that has an integral printer. Both have served me well. Usually use the PACT since it prints.

[hubcap52]

I wouldn't get one that has the guts in the firing path. Seen and heard of too many OOOPS! Better to get one that just has the screens out front. Also, just the muzzle blast from some guns can give erroneous readings and even damage the unit if it's too close.

[HKGuns]

I use a shooting chrony and it works well.

[Matt45648]

I've had success with my ProChrono.... I bought it on amazon.. fast shipping, and even faster returns if it doesn't work out.

[nksmfamjp]

A shooting chrony will get you reliable data and last for years....what do you want?

[ubet]

I have a chrono pro. And honestly, it’s nothing but a pain in the ass at best. I’ve seen reading saying 77gr hpbt were going 9500fps. It is cloud sensitive, and god forbid you need to shoot in the wind, it’ll just blow over.

I’m either going to buy a magnatospeed v3 or Labradar.


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[Bimmer]

I have a chrono pro. And honestly, it’s nothing but a pain in the ass...

It is cloud sensitive, and god forbid you need to shoot in the wind, it’ll just blow over.


I have a ProChrono, and it's been terrific.

I always use the "sky screens," and I've never had a problem with it not picking up shots.

If yours is blowing over in the wind, then it sounds like you just need a better tripod...

Also, I now have ProChrono's bluetooth set-up, so it talks with my iPhone, which can then e-mail me the data as an MS Excel spreadsheet. Awesome.

[Pappabear]

I have a ProChrono, and it's been terrific.

I always use the "sky screens," and I've never had a problem with it not picking up shots.

If yours is blowing over in the wind, then it sounds like you just need a better tripod...

Also, I now have ProChrono's bluetooth set-up, so it talks with my iPhone, which can then e-mail me the data as an MS Excel spreadsheet. Awesome.

I really wish I had the Blue tooth. It looks like they dont sell it anymore. My Pro has worked pretty well. Sometimes it misses shots, but it has been critical for us in load development. My Riflesmith puts more influence in SD's than group sizes, "the numbers don't lie".

When we shot the Bergara with a 5 shot group with 230 A-tips, and a SD of 4, we knew we had problem with the gun since it was not grouping. It was cheap rings as you know if you saw our thread in Precision rifle forum. I cant imagine not having a chrono if you hand load.

PB

[Bimmer]

I really wish I had the Blue tooth. It looks like they dont sell it anymore.


Oh, yeah... Now they just upsell you to the "DLX":

http://www.competitionelectronics.com/product/prochrono-dlx/

[Sparky5019]

I’ve had a CE ProChrono Digital for years. It’s been trouble free and super reliable. I don’t have any of the digital stuff setup with it but it’s been great. Take the battery out between uses if you only use it occasionally and it’ll be great. They’re not that expensive either.

[Vegas]

Another Competition Electronics user. Never had any issues with it and seems accurate enough for my uses. They a nice people to deal with also. I recently lent mine to a friend and he managed to lose the battery cover. I sent them an email asking to buy a replacement and they came back asking for my address and they would send one gratis. A few days later it showed up.

[Ehgbyf]

A magneto speed is the best bang for the buck unless you really want to spend the money on a lab radar and need all the info it provides.

I have owned several ( and still have a pact) chrono where yo shoot through the plastic pieces and the only time I use it now is to check my bow.

Magneto speed is accurate and easy to set up. I have had no issues using it on combination/ drilling from Germany all the way to rifles with suppressors.

I have the v2. I did have to buy some extra spacers to get it to work on the German guns but they were cheap on amazon.

Good luck.

[Bimmer]

A magneto speed is the best bang for the buck...

... but then you must buy a second chrono for handguns.

[Ehgbyf]

I never thought of that because I donÂ’t reload for handgun. Good point.

A magneto speed will work with a sbr. I have even used on my uzi with a suppressor.

[duece71]

Satisfied Magnetospeed owner here. A bit fiddlely to set up but once set up it is easy to use. Never had a problem with it. I haven’t tried it with a pistol or SBR.