Which Chronograph to buy?

[bglenn]

Brian
Does The PVM-21 eliminate the problems we have with other chronographs? ,200/300 fps variation from the sun hitting from a different direction - not reading all shots on a Sunny day - not reading in the late evening) I wish NECO would show a picture with the Chronograph set up outside.
Thanks

Glenn

 

[jamesh]

Here is a comparison I did yesterday of the Chrony F-1,cheapest you can buy) and the CED Millenium.

	CED	Crony	difference
1	2908	2902	6
2	3005	2999	6
3	3009	3005	4
4	3035	3033	2
5	3010	3005	5
6	3051	3049	2
7	3046	3042	4
8	3070	3069	1
9	3089	3081	8
10	3090	3083	7
11	3155	3152	3
12	3155	3152	3
13	3156	3157	-1
14	3140	3147	-7
15	3172	3174	-2
16	3017	3014	3
17	3028	3030	-2
18	3027	2999	28
19	3047	3051	-4
20	3053	3054	-1
21	3087	3085	2
22	3101	3100	1
23	3120	3124	-4
24	3099	3099	0
25	3089	3092	-3
26	3146	3156	-10
27	3149	3158	-9
28	3172	3185	-13
29	3211	3220	-9
30	3207	3222	-15

You can be the judge of if it is worth the price difference.
The Chrony is also so much simpler to set up and less to carry to the range.

James

 

[bglenn]

jamesh
I have shoot over a Crony one day and got good readings then at a different time the next day and gotten a 150 FPS difference in readings. Same load different day and time. Other chronographs also.

Glenn

 

[jamesh]

jamesh
I have shoot over a Crony one day and got good readings then at a different time the next day and gotten a 150 FPS difference in readings. Same load different day and time. Other chronographs also.

Glenn

Glenn,
I had those problems too when putting the sky screens on in the high position. After I quit using the 2nd rod to hold the sky screens my results were much improved. I think placing a target accross the top of the sky screens helps too.

James

 

[JRS]

Having used the 35P for what seems like forever, the PVM is IMO the best and most accurate that money can buy. A couple of friends and I pooled our money in partnership and purchased one. An outstanding piece of engineering!!!

 

[bglenn]

James
I'm going to have to make some shorter rods for the sky screens on my chronograph and see if it helps mine.
Thanks

Glenn

 

[chris308]

This is by far the best thread dealing with chronographs I have read so far. I own a shooting chrony beta master which i have used far a number of years. So far testing it with a number of competition chamberings it seems to be on par with everyone elses reading and data.

James/Forsythe thanks for your side by side tests. I have always been curious to see a comparison with the more expensive chronos.

Glenn, I too have had a wide range of results with my beta master. If I spend a long day at the range I have noticed that the angle of the sun plays a big role with these chronos. Starting about 11am with the sun high in the sky to about 2-3 pm it seems to do well for me. Taking a break to clean,eat etc.. and shoot again from about 430-? with the sun at my back it starts to change and read goofy...I just remember to do my serious reading early and my longer range 'shooting,practicing' later.

I will try lowering the screens. This I never thought of..

take care great thread!! chris

 

[GentleBen]

Well, I have a Shooting Chrony and I am very well pleased. I shot the right rear tip off,flipped it four feet into the air), I shot the right front upright off and the right rear upright off and it is still performing nicely.,I bought four extra uprights.) Other than shooting it up, I have been taking good care of it and setting it up like the book recommends,12 feet, correct lighting and well aligned) and have a remote control. If I ever put a .223 or 6mm right between it's eyes, I might try another brand just for the heck of it. But for now, it works well and consistently. I figure maybe the inconsistent strings are about my,your) reloading.

I do recommend this tough little dude.

 

[holstil]

btrpr, I know that my batteries were dead that day at the range, but I'm telling you the cheapo shooting chrony ain't bad, esp. for the $. When we go to the range next you'll see how it works. Its not full proof, but what is for 35.00 ebay? My buddy Culpepper likes to remind me that it unfolds and that in and of itself would/could induce a variance in readings from use to use. Logically that makes sense. However for me the importance of the chrony is not so much exact speed of any particular load as much as ES, SD and general speed of load. My primer pockets and bolt will let me know when I get hot. Besides isn't it fun to figure the speed by moa to target and the BC program? Maybe when my wife's not looking I will indulge in the finer qualities of a better chrony. Lets shoot soon
Jim

 

[Clark]

I bought a shooting chrony for $80.
I shot a hole through it with a handgun.
I bought another shooting chrony for $80.
I shot a hole through it with a handgun.
I bought a pro chrono for $100.
I shot a hole though it with a handgun.
I bought another pro chrono for $100.

It has been a couple years now of rifles only, and I have not shot the 4th chrono yet.

I want the cheapest chrono I can get, because I shoot them with handguns.

The shooting chonys did not always trigger.
The pro chronos always trigger.

 

[GentleBen]

Oops, fixing my post #29 above ... I own the Competition Electronics ProChrono digital, not the Shooting Chrony. But I still do like it.

 

[MQ1]

Folks,

I have an old PACT chronograph that looks to be the same version as their current low end product.

It s about 10 years old, and for years it was the most persnickity, unreliable, POS that I have ever used.

When I called PACT for assistance, they told me that the system was still offgassing and that I needed to clean the connecting terminals and all would be fine. And despite their help...still a POS that didn't ever seem to record everything in a 5 shot string.

Then I moved from Ohio to California for work, and for some stupid reason I thought that I'd check some loads, and I loaded the POS PACT into the car with New Batteries, and off to the range I went.

It worked perfectly. As a matter of fact, flawlessly is the proper word.

What I realized was that this chronograph is very sensitive to the amount of ambient and direct sunlight. A bright sunny normal California day is perfect for use. A typical overcast or cloudy day in Ohio did not work.

Now, I can say that I'm happy with the PACT, but I have to ask myself this question: Why after no less than 3 phone calls to PACT Technical Support did they not think enough to ask me about the amount of light, or mention to me the sensitivity issues surrounding light?

I hope my experience helps.

P.S. I'm not going to admit how many 'ears' have been shot off, but I can tell you that I spend an extra amount of time ensuring that I will be shooting in the middle of the recording area...measure twice and shoot many times in a row

MQ1

 

[memilanuk]

Just curious... anyone else noticed their chrono being noticeably sensitive to shot placement through the screens? I thought it looked like one person,post #24) found better results with shorter skyscreen rods on their Shooting Crony. My experience was this: one time when shooting some rounds over my CED Millenium,original, not the M2) w/ IR screens, I had a pretty good ES/SD going on, and suddenly had one round nearly 100fps slow. Then the next round too. And the one after that. This with ammo loaded as precisely as I can manage. What I found... was that I was shooting from a bipod off a bench, and the gun has slid over to one side a bit throughout the string, and was suddenly just barely missing the skyscreen. Once the bullet was out of it's 'sweet spot' in the middle of the skyscreen, it started generating erratic readings - even with the IR screens.

I never have gotten around to trying to reproduce this, but thought it might help someone else out down the road.

Monte

 

[gambleone]

That's good to know. Thanks for the post.

 

[SooStan]

If you shoot across the screens at an angle the bullet is covering a longer distance and takes longer. The chrono will show a slower velocity. It is important that you shoot parallel with the center of the screens, not angled across or angled up and down to get consistant readings.

 

[tonyben]

Just ordered a CED M2 and then ran across this thread....

Glad I chose that one!!

Mine will be well used...

 

[BURL]

Arrived a bit late to this gun fight but I too have purchased a CED M2 after reading this post .I have a chrony chronograph -brand new but keep having problems with error readings , 100ft difference in speed just because the light changed a bit ,with the error readings I tended to shoot a little more to the left side and it registered but I had plenty of error messages even with out sun hitting the unit ?? Anyway will pick the CED M2 up tomorrow

 

[CyaN1de]

The CED M2 has a large memory and can be downloaded to a PC very easily with the included software. I works well and the only strange readings I have had with it was when the 9V battery was nearly dead,12 months old). Keep fresh batteries in it and enjoy using a truly great chrono.

I built my own infra-red light source from 18 IR LEDS in series with a 100 ohm resistor,2 IR screens = 36 LEDS) and powered from a 24V volt battery source. I used 2 mini SLA 12V batteries in series for the 24V supply. It works great, I even chrono'd my sons .177 air rifle at 780fps.

The IR screens I made attach to the underside of the CED's sky screens. I might have to give the info for a DIY project if there is interest.

Since BURL already necroposted this one yeah.....show us the DIY (lost of pics for us less "electronically inclined") if you would.

 

[DaveWhite]

Thunderdownunder,

That is fascinating that you built your own IR skyscreens. I'd be interested to hear what it took and how much it cost.

Any chrono users out there know why a third skyscreen is not used (except by Oehler)?

Dave White

 

[GSP7]

I have been reading up on different chronographs,

Midway has the Chrony Beta Master on sale $114. And im looking at the Pact one that is about $125.00

The Pact has those wide screen sides, is that relivent or beter than the thin wire uprights that the Chronys have?

Im still not sure which one to get?????

Rick