Smokem Joe

I'm looking at buying a chronograph, the one I was borrowing is now longer available. It was a Chrony, I don't remember the model.

I just wonder if the cheap ($100) chrono's are worth it or should I go for something like an oehler with the proof screen.

I am going to be a new father in february and think that my budget is going to take a hit. I need to get the "best bang for my buck".

thanks

Solitary Man

I use the Shooting Chrony (Beta Master) myself and have been really happy with it. It seems to give reliable readings and its compact size and easy setup are nice.

bigcountry

I got a F-1 Chrony that I have bought a printer for. Its pretty good. Especially for the price. Only problem is sunlight has to be right. In other words lets say you get 3000fps on a ideal day (overcast white sky) and then you might get 2960fps on a bright sunny blue sky day with sunscreens installed. One trick someone told me was to put clear scotch tape on the sensors to filter out scattered light. And it works actually.

If I wanted a chrono just to be curious on what my pet loads produce, I would go with the F-1 or Shooting Chrony. If you are serious, and want very accurate numbers for load workup like the ladder techinque, then oehler is your chrono.

Another thing to consider is your light conditions. My range is mostly covered and light has to be just right. Another one is the CED Millenium where you can get infared screens to use indoors low light or whatever. Pretty nice.

stubblejumper

I have used several chrony models.The older ones were extremely light sensitive but the newer ones are much better in that reguard.

bigcountry

Yea, I have heard that. Thought about that trade in system chrony has going. Not a bad deal.


And remember this, there are two different people that has chronys. Those who have chronys and don't use em or soon sell em, or those who will shoot theirs sooner or later. And Chrony has a heck of a deal on trade in if you shoot em. Oehler doesn't.

handloader1

I have a Pro Chrony which has worked very well. Good luck.

driftrider

I used a Competition Electronics Pro-Chrono Digital and have been very satisfied with it until I put a muzzleloader sabot into the display! [:@] I still haven't sent it back to get fixed yet, but I called them and the cost shouldn't be more than $30 to fix.

Things I like:

Lot of memory. It'll save 9 strings of 99 shots each and keeps the memory even when shut off.

Decent array of stats, including High, Low, Ex. Spread, Mean, and St. Dev..

Allows individual shots to be deleted, even after a string is fired.

Is very reliable in most light conditions. Very few dropped shots unless lighting is really poor or the diffusers aren't used when needed.

Easy to set up and use and has a very big shooting area.

It's a great value for the $100 you'll spend for it.

Things I don't care for:

It's big, and doesn't fold down. Nowhere to store the diffusers/rods. Considering the size of the unit, it wouldn't be too hard to all a built in storage area for both.

The display isn't that big and is hard to read at 15 feet. No option for a remote display.

The front is very flimsy and doesn't tolerate sabots very well. I piece of clear plexi-glass would cure that problem.

I also have an older F-1 Shooting Chrony that I never use. It's a real POS that I picked up for just a few dollars on Ebay. Reads maybe one in 3 shots, tiny shooting area, and tends to show wild velocity variations with regularity. The newer F-1's are probably a whole lot better. Mine is several years old and I believe the first F-1 model made.

Mike

HighDesertWolf

I have a beta chrony I love it , I use it for everything from archery to firearms. It has a jack so later i can hook up a printer to it. for the money i think its the best deal. I got mine from a friend for 60 bucks but cabelas sells them for 100 bucks.

James B

I have had several. The first one used the old paper screnes. Then I had the shooting Chrony. It worked well and sisde by side I got the same readings as much more expensive machines. Like Handloader one, I now have the pro Chrony. Its the best I have used. It is not sensitive to light changes but works at its best on cloudy days. Its not expensive. I think mine was 125 dollars about ten years ago.