I am looking to add a chronograph to my load development process. I have borrowed a magneto speed from a friend a couple of times and the more I use it the more I think I may not want to go that route.
I think what I want is a old school traditional chronograph. The magneto speed has enough impact on group sizes for me that I don't feel like I can use it to get group and speed data at the same time. I'm also interested in using it for pistol loads, but that is far down the list of priorities.
A Labradar would be the ideal solution it seems, but that is definitely not in the budget.
I am not super hung up on getting an exact velocity measurement, as I plan to verify drops out to distance and true ballistic calculators off of that information anyway. I would be mostly looking to get a rough idea on speed but more important would be finding loads where I have both good group size and low ES/SD.
Am I correct in thinking that the old style optical chronos' reputation for inconsistency comes from getting one velocity on a sunny day and another different reading when overcast or sun setting, and from inconsistent setup (distance from the muzzle)? If I'm firing three or five shots, am I likely to get good data on how close those shots are in speed, even if the absolute number may not be correct due to lighting conditions and setup inconsistency?
Where have you landed on how and when to use a chronograph in your load development process? If I'm under or over estimating some factor here, I'd definitely appreciate any input from the experienced hand loaders here.
Lastly, any recommendations for a good value chronograph to accomplish these goals? The basic Caldwell? I don't (right now) have anything crazy fast or big or small, if that makes a difference.
Thanks!
Eric
I think what I want is a old school traditional chronograph. The magneto speed has enough impact on group sizes for me that I don't feel like I can use it to get group and speed data at the same time. I'm also interested in using it for pistol loads, but that is far down the list of priorities.
A Labradar would be the ideal solution it seems, but that is definitely not in the budget.
I am not super hung up on getting an exact velocity measurement, as I plan to verify drops out to distance and true ballistic calculators off of that information anyway. I would be mostly looking to get a rough idea on speed but more important would be finding loads where I have both good group size and low ES/SD.
Am I correct in thinking that the old style optical chronos' reputation for inconsistency comes from getting one velocity on a sunny day and another different reading when overcast or sun setting, and from inconsistent setup (distance from the muzzle)? If I'm firing three or five shots, am I likely to get good data on how close those shots are in speed, even if the absolute number may not be correct due to lighting conditions and setup inconsistency?
Where have you landed on how and when to use a chronograph in your load development process? If I'm under or over estimating some factor here, I'd definitely appreciate any input from the experienced hand loaders here.
Lastly, any recommendations for a good value chronograph to accomplish these goals? The basic Caldwell? I don't (right now) have anything crazy fast or big or small, if that makes a difference.
Thanks!
Eric