Is a chronograph a must have?

I plan on loading 9mm, 223, 308 and 300 blackout supers and subs at some point. I know I will more than likely needs a chronograph for the 300 subs. Though I guess I could always earball it :rolleyes:
 
Yes , sub sonic loads , power factors or bullets that need to reach specific velocities to operate correctly are all things the a chrono comes in handy for .
 
Going along with others

Welcome to TFL.

I'm with most of the others: It's not necessary.

Or should I say, it's not necessary as long as you're loading middle-of-the-road range shooting ammo from reliable published data.

It becomes necessary when you want/need to know how fast you're making bullets go ;)

I chronograph a lot. So I'm "that guy." Well, I shoot at an outdoor range, where there's a cease-fire every 20 minutes. I'm assuming your indoor range doesn't have cease-fire periods (normally). If that's the case, maybe it would be good to go at a time when there's only a few people shooting. (??)
 
I loaded for about 40 years without a chrono so it ain't necessary but it's good know how your loads perform velocity wise. Big difference in 45 acp loaded in mixed brass vs all same head stamp but I expected more uniform velocity from same brass vs mixed brass, there was a heck of a difference. Also was surprised to get 900 fps from a 2" 642 with 125 XTP's, not +P. Fun to play with but not really a must unless you are a match or benchrest shooter and even then I'd shoot for accuracy, it'll be group size that matters. More uniform velocity doesn't always mean smaller groups.
 
I think something that everyone should understand is that company's that make products for shooting sport's don't design many products you actually need! Chronograph is just one of them. What thy deign are product's to make shooting sport's different. Take the tool that fits into your action to measure the distance to the lands. What it's supposed to do is assist you in getting the bullet .oox inch's off the lands. Don'6 need it. Use the cleaning rod and a bullet and using the same bullet for a dummy you can measure the distance off the lands! Ya see, the distance from the ogive of a bullet to the point of the bullet with the same bullet is exactly the same. Once you have the distance from the bolt face to the tip of the bullet and set it just off the lands it will not matter if you move the tip or the ogive .oox inches as both will move equally! The people that make those product's say sure but our way is much easier and more accurate!
 
Talk about needed reloading equipment reminds me of a chat years ago with a guy that had just recently moved from mainland China to Houston (worked for Compaq back then). His name was Ming, and we were having coffee one morning and he mentioned that Americans were great at marketing. That seemed an odd thing to say, so I asked him to explain. He said that his pregnant wife had just given him a two page, single spaced list of what they needed for the new baby. He said that if they had been back in China, the list would have been short, with just the basics, but over here the wife had gone full in on what American wives (and marketing) said they would need.

It's a little like our reloading addiction. But that's Ok.
 
The Best Shot I Ever Made

Y'all that have or had chronographs: Have you shot your chronograph yet? I have. Wasn't totally my fault, either. The d@#*ed thing made me do it. It was begging for it. "Another ERROR reading! The darn thing can't see my bullets! Is it blind?! I'll put the next one closer. Why, you piece of, (insert expletive)! I'm gonna lay the next one right over your sensors!" And then BLAM!!!; pieces of metal and electronica scattered about. Surprisingly, I felt no pain of loss for the equipment and its cost. But rather, a warm sense of vindication, even justice. It was oddly satisfying; and then my emotions swung towards humor. Years later, I still feel quite cheerful about it. It's perhaps the most satisfying loss I have ever incurred. Drilled it exactly though the read-out. It was the best shot I ever made!
 
Yes I have shot one. I needed another 8 inches on top of the makeshift stand I had it sitting on and it wasn't that stable. The wind was blowing and it turned and fell back right as I was firing, whet right through the front display.

I now use a tripod that it screws into and I can hang weight from a hook on the bottom so I don't repeat that episode.
 
Two here

I've shot two chronographs. Both were terminal.

The first time, the battery was dying and I had to keep shooting (revolver) lower and lower for the sensors to pick up the bullet. I knew I was getting close to it. One got a little too close. Probably should have just waited for a cease fire and replaced the battery. Yes, I had a spare battery - which makes it even more dumb/lazy.

The second time was with a rifle (AR15). I'm pretty new to rifle but I was aware of parallax effect when using scopes. Again, I knew I was getting close. Yep, through n through - it was a neat shot. I'll give it that ;)
 
I have not shot mine yet. If i get a couple of errors, i move it out a couple of feet. Usually solves the problem

I got a Beta Master on sale for about $100.

Use it often. Of course, i shoot 1 wildcat (7mm-08AI), and a 257 Roberts at +P levels.

I also shoot bullet/powder combos that aren't published.
 
If you are shooting a handgun, the indoor range here (OKC) will let you rent a chronograph by the hour or for an afternoon and one of their people will assist you with it.
 
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Chronograph? I see them as a nice to have but certainly not necessary to make really good shooting ammunition. Working from a reputable load manual with a minimum to tools you can make ammunition which will shoot fine and be accurate. I classify the chronograph as a nice to have and that is about it.

Working up loads you will learn what signs to look for on your spent cases. You will see how your groups look and there is no great reason to know how fast your bullets are traveling.

No I have not shot mine yet but did wing one of my sky screen slats. Oehler replaced it and sent me a few spares. Mine is an old Oehler 35P my wife gave me as a gift about 25 years ago and it still serves me well.

Ron
 
It's not convenient to set up a chrono at our local outdoor range, and nearly impossible at the indoor one.
So, I just set the chronograph on the bench, and put a piece of cardboard in front of it to protect against muzzle blast.
The cardboard has an aiming spot to ensure the chrono doesn't get wounded.
Works fine that way and no need to interfere with the other shooters.
Mine has been wounded a few times, but nothing mortal.
 
Enough said!

It made me a little happy to be honest, gave me the excuse I needed to pony up for the MagnetoSpeed V3 chrono!

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Just saying:

I'm all for new and exciting gadgetry. But for another individual on a limited budget.

Such discretionary monies considered for a gadgetry purchase that a chronograph is. Perhaps those limited funds would be best spent else where's.

i.e. additional reloading tools or up grading of bench tools & of course component surplus is always a welcome situation to be in due to today volatile marketplace behavior. "Feast or famine like shelf stock of components or not."

IMHO: Probably many {average} home reloader's have had a hard time justifying the spendy novelty tools purchasing. [chronograph.] I know I have.
 
IMHO: Probably many {average} home reloader's have had a hard time justifying the spendy novelty tools purchasing. [chronograph.] I know I have.
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Chronograph is not a novelty item. They are actually a money saver if you are making precision ammo. For starters, without a chronograph, you will have to dope your loads by shooting at least from 100-500 yards in 50 yard increments and then plot the path/drop on a spreadsheet. With my chronograph and a cell phone app I can get into the 8 ring at 1000 yards from a 100 yard zero.

Then there is new powder lots.. all your old info may be off significantly with a new lot of powder. But with a chronograph you can work back up to exactly where you were before without burning up a bunch of ammo.

Also, a chronograph helps diagnose issues like erratic burns causing high extreme spreads. It helps indicate if you are getting close to maximum pressure.

The manual published velocities are often off by 150 fps or more in my rifles. Especially if you are seating close to the lands.

I would argue you are much better off owning a chronograph than upgrading equipment or buying components. They aren't much more expensive than a good set of dies...Heck one of my Forster micrometer seating dies cost almost as much as my gamma chronograph I got on sale ($115).If you are a serious reloader, or even just a hunting plinking reloader, you have to have one. It will pay for itself quickly.

Back before chronographs existed, they had to do what I said above, shoot at various distances and fit an arc to the discovered bullet drop. I doubt you want to do that or have the time and money to do that if you are on a budget.

I guess if you just want the gun to go bang and only shoot 200 yards or less you can get bye, but I would hate to have to start all over every single time I switched powder lots , shooting ladders again and re doping my loads.

There are a lot of tools I have that I would get rid of before I got rid of my chronograph.
 
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