questions from first time chronograph user

[stinnett1981]

He guys I found a deal on a new chronograph so I bought it. Its the Competition Electronics ProChrono Pal Chronograph. Its very basic. It only shows velocity, high and low, average of shots and total number of shots fired. Getting extreme spread is easy (fastest - slowest). I downloaded a AP on my phone to get standard deviation so im good there. Im still pretty new to precision rifle shooting. I reload all my own ammo and started shooting F class last year. I never used a chronograph and decided its time to get one. What exactly should I be looking for with it? Im gonna compare my velocities with published velocities in manuals and try to get my ES close. What is SD? Is it important? What information are you guys getting with your chronographs and what do you do with it? Also when setting it up how far do I place it in front of my rifle muzzle? Im gonna make a tripod since I couldnt find a good one for sale online. The only one I found online had HORRIBLE review. The mounting holes is 1/4-20 so I can easily drill and tap those and make a decent tripod for cheap. Thanks.

 

[flatlander]

Not familiar with your brand/model of chronograph, but the minimum distance I'd place it from the muzzle of the rifle would be 12'. You might get by with it a little closer if you've got an efficient muzzle brake on your rifle, but it's best to just get in the habit of placing the 1st skyscreen no closer than 12'. Any closer than that, and you run the risk of muzzle blast screwing up the accuracy of your chrono's read-outs.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

He guys I found a deal on a new chronograph so I bought it. Its the Competition Electronics ProChrono Pal Chronograph. Its very basic. It only shows velocity, high and low, average of shots and total number of shots fired. Getting extreme spread is easy (fastest - slowest). I downloaded a AP on my phone to get standard deviation[\b] so im good there. Im still pretty new to precision rifle shooting. I reload all my own ammo and started shooting F class last year. I never used a chronograph and decided its time to get one. What exactly should I be looking for with it? Im gonna compare my velocities with published velocities in manuals and try to get my ES close. What is SD[\b]? Is it important? What information are you guys getting with your chronographs and what do you do with it? Also when setting it up how far do I place it in front of my rifle muzzle? Im gonna make a tripod since I couldnt find a good one for sale online. The only one I found online had HORRIBLE review. The mounting holes is 1/4-20 so I can easily drill and tap those and make a decent tripod for cheap. Thanks.

You've answered yourself regarding SD, it means "standard deviation." You can research the concept of standard deviation on line, it's a statistics concept.

For tripod, any tripod used for cameras or similar will work just fine. The screwhole is very standard and tripod heads will come with either a 1/4 screw of will have a 3/8 inch sleeve around the 1/4 inch, that retracts when you screw on something with a 1/4 inch hole.

It's important to keep the chronograph level and to always have it at a set distance from the muzzle. I have a cord with mine that measures 12 feet and I make sure the front screen is exactly the same distance to the muzzle using that cord.

 

[artbosco]

Chronographs are great for recording data for historical purposes only. Don't think that you work up loads with one.

You first find the proper barrel-bullet-powder-primer-brass combination that have you creating tight cloverleaf groups, then fine tune with neck tension and seating depth until you've created one hole groups. Once you've accomplished that, then pull out the chronograph to record what you accomplished with the above process.

A lot of the barrel-bullet-powder-primer-brass combinations for various popular cartridges can be found on the left side of this site's home page http://www.accurateshooter.com/ for initial combinations. No need to reinvent the wheel or scrounge through forums. The Experts or the Cartridge's Founding Fathers have done the heavy lifting for you.

Stick with one of those cartridges first until you get your feet good and wet. Then you can move on to others. Pull out the chronograph after you've got bullets going through the same hole.

 

[Quinc]

Chronographs are great for recording data for historical purposes only. Don't think that you work up loads with one.

You first find the proper barrel-bullet-powder-primer-brass combination that have you creating tight cloverleaf groups, then fine tune with neck tension and seating depth until you've created one hole groups. Once you've accomplished that, then pull out the chronograph to record what you accomplished with the above process.

A lot of the barrel-bullet-powder-primer-brass combinations for various popular cartridges can be found on the left side of this site's home page http://www.accurateshooter.com/ for initial combinations. No need to reinvent the wheel or scrounge through forums. The Experts or the Cartridge's Founding Fathers have done the heavy lifting for you.

Stick with one of those cartridges first until you get your feet good and wet. Then you can move on to others. Pull out the chronograph after you've got bullets going through the same hole.

I am going to have to disagree with this. Use it all the time. You might find your bullets are not going through the same hole because of the velocity spread between shots. That will then tell you if you need to tighten up your reloading process. It is also a great tool for shooting long range. Download an app like shooterready or strelok on your phone and punch in the velocity info for those long range shots.

 

[ShootDots]

Outdoorsman, I respectfully disagree with your assertion that you need to get "one hole groups" before you break out the chrono. Example: With my 284 Shehane, I was originally working with the Berger 180 Hybrids and H1000. My groups at 300 yards would break 1" without a problem and 1/2 to 3/4 were not out of the question. However, my E.S.'s were 35-40f.p.s. I spent MOST of my time trying to get the E.S.'s down to no avail. The accuracy came without too much effort. Since I wanted to use H1000, I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get the E.S.'s down. If I would have not used a chrono from the start, I would have put together a "great looking load "on paper", however it would have been of no use because the E.S.'s were too high for 1000 yard competition. The ONLY reason I spent the time on the load was because I wanted to use H1000 to keep the primer pockets tight. You can tell quickly if you are trying to develop a "dry hole" by using a chrono immediately. If you are shooting a relative barrel burner, then using a chrono becomes more imperative, possibly saving some barrel life.

 

[artbosco]

Chronographs are great for recording data for historical purposes only. Don't think that you work up loads with one.

You first find the proper barrel-bullet-powder-primer-brass combination that have you creating tight cloverleaf groups, then fine tune with neck tension and seating depth until you've created one hole groups. Once you've accomplished that, then pull out the chronograph to record what you accomplished with the above process.

A lot of the barrel-bullet-powder-primer-brass combinations for various popular cartridges can be found on the left side of this site's home page http://www.accurateshooter.com/ for initial combinations. No need to reinvent the wheel or scrounge through forums. The Experts or the Cartridge's Founding Fathers have done the heavy lifting for you.

Stick with one of those cartridges first until you get your feet good and wet. Then you can move on to others. Pull out the chronograph after you've got bullets going through the same hole.

I am going to have to disagree with this. Use it all the time. You might find your bullets are not going through the same hole because of the velocity spread between shots. That will then tell you if you need to tighten up your reloading process. It is also a great tool for shooting long range. Download an app like shooterready or strelok on your phone and punch in the velocity info for those long range shots.

You Don't need to be told by a chronograph that there is a velocity spread when bullets are not going through the same hole, You Can See It with Your Own Eyes. Your eyes and your brain are your built in meter. Maybe the bullets aren't going through the same hole because you're not shooting over wind flags. Buy a good set of wind flags before you buy a chronograph.

 

[artbosco]

The best chronograph in the world and all the data that it spits out won't tell you if you shot into a push or a let up but one of these will: http://www.brflags.com/flags.html

Flags are what you need for one of these: http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/lourail1501c.jpg

You won't see a chronograph in this picture but you will see the start of a row of flags: http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/lougroup1503.jpg

 

[Road_Clam]

Chronos are a great tool to observe velocity patterns when working loads. Example I have consistiant data that supports the fact my rifle really performs outstanding at about 2560 fps reguardless of powder brand. I also observe that it gets very finicky with consistancy when my velocities get up into the upper 2600's . I don't reguard FPS as a driving factor when handloading , but it's awesome usefull comparative data. Chronos are also very helpfull for extended range shooting velocity data when generating dope #'s.

 

[stinnett1981]

Thanks guys for the info. I figured I was on track asking about getting velocities at published limit and keeping them close together (ES). I guess I won't worry about SD. As long as I'm getting the proper velocity and the ES is close I will be fine. Thanks again!

 

[dmoran]

You won't see a chronograph in this picture but you will see the start of a row of flags: http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/lougroup1503.jpg

Wow.... now that is using deception to prove a point....
That picture was taken of Lou at a match. But most any body who knows much about Lou , also knows he has a 100yd tunnel and instrumentation that he uses for testing and load development. A very "el'lamo" comparison at best!.!
You should ask Lou if he used a chronograph in load development of that load. I'm betting he may have.... lol

 

[CatShooter]

The best chronograph in the world and all the data that it spits out won't tell you if you shot into a push or a let up but one of these will: http://www.brflags.com/flags.html

Flags are what you need for one of these: http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/lourail1501c.jpg

You won't see a chronograph in this picture but you will see the start of a row of flags: http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/lougroup1503.jpg

That's all well and good, IF you are a benchrest or F-class shooter... but there are a lot of other "Accurate Shooters", that shoot neither... so maybe they need the velocities as they develop their loads.

I would not test loads if my chrono was down. It would be a waste of time.

... and what dmoran said about the picture of Lou - that was "De' classe' smoke and mirrors"

 

[Road_Clam]

Thanks guys for the info. I figured I was on track asking about getting velocities at published limit and keeping them close together (ES). I guess I won't worry about SD. As long as I'm getting the proper velocity and the ES is close I will be fine. Thanks again!

I used to get all frustrated over ES's over 50 fps, now I just realize and accept that I suck at handloading and focus more on shooting technique an ES of about 60 fps is my norm. I know for a fact I can nail a .500" group @ 200 meters and I STILL will have an ES of 50 fps. This past summer one afternoon I asked a fellow shooter to pinch me when I read a 4 shot ES of 9 this past summer !!!!! But yes I tend to observe that low ES's (<30 ) do coincide with sub moa groups.