Do I need a Chronograph?

[RD62]

For someone getting into distance shooting is a Chrony considered required equipment? If not neccessary does the convenience out weight the cost?

Gonna be placing a Brownells order this weekend and was considering adding a Competition Electronics Prochrono Digital or a Shooting Chrony Beta Chrony to the rest of my order. Are either of these worth a crap?

Thanks!

[nalabama]

Not necessary if you shoot groups at known ranges and keep track of your "come ups". There's probably a ballistics app out there that can take your height above bore center and two of your come ups and give values for any distance.

I understand it's certainly convenient if you hand load, and very convenient if you do a lot of load development, but I don't hand load. The more knowledgeable shooters on this board should be along shortly to provide better info.

[nineteenkilo]

I would say it is required if you are working up your own loads. If using match grade factory ammo - you can get by, for the most part, on published data for those loads. This is especially true if you spend enough time behind the same loads.

I shoot 'long-range' (for me lol) and develop most of my own loads. It is rewarding in that I can manipulate the load data using my Shooting Chrony if I change components in the load.

I should probably spend more time on the range and less in the lab.

[kevN]

The shooter app can calibrate muzzle velocity based in a drop in late supersonic to pre transonic range (applied ballistics can do this too). As others stated, chrono is more of a must have when loading your own ammo. If you are going to shoot match ammo and can calibrate velocity at 500-700 yards or so you can get good data.

[Sierra276]

I have used the "Shooting Chrony", ( decent, accurate, and reliable ) and it sure helps, whether shooting Hand-loads or factory... It is helpful to know what the load is producing, so that you can simply insert the info into whatever program you decide to use.

It's also helpful, if you live in an area, where the temperature can go from the high 90's during the summer to 0 during winter... Makes it easier to catalogue different ammunition, for different seasons...

Seems to me that a $ 112. dollars would be a good investment over the years you will probably get to use it...