Chronograph

[RMW59]

What chronograph would you buy if you had to buy new one? I had heard the the past Oehler 35 was the best. Did anything new chronographs come out the shot show this year?

 

[amamnn]

I made the mistake of lending my Oehler to a friend. When I went to buy a new one I found that they were no longer made. I ended up buying a Shooting Chrony beta master. Since I was convinced that it was nowhere near as accurate, I went back to my records and shot the same strings again using the Shooting Chrony to see how bad the error would be. To my surprise there was not really any difference between data collected with either machine. I am able to dump data from my SC onto my computer for record keeping and load development. SC makes several different models that collect data in different ways. There is a master version of each model, I believe. The master is worht the extra expense.

 

[ronemus]

I bought the CED Millenium because of the IR screen option. I do most of my load development in the evening after work; that wouldn't work without the IR screens. I actually block ambient light to maintain a consistent condition for the sensors. I've used an Oehler and the CED; the CED screens were much less fussy. I shoot molyed .22 caliber bullets at high velocity on ranges that are dark,grass-covered) or light,bare earth) with no problems. The IR screens run on batteries as well as AC, so they can be used anywhere.

If you're interested in the CED, I'd recommend buying it from Jim Ristow at Recreational Software; he's great to deal with and he usually has a deal to throw in a few extra bits at no charge. While you're there, check out the Shooting Lab software - I think it's the best ballistics/reloading package available.

 

[Hipshot]

I fully agree with Ronemus. The IR kit is well worth it particularly on bright, sunny days or where shadows might move across the screen sensor,s). I've replaced my chrony with a CED and have been more than pleased.