Chrony’s

[Almondgrower]

I have used 5 other chronographs and none are worth mentioning except these three .

I have a labradar but one thing I don't like so far is Is it has a FPS limitations. Don't quote me but I think it's like 3800-3900 FPS . I have not looked into it yet but that may be a issue . I like it because it's a quick setup but it's a little picky to get aimed at times . On two of my varmint rigs I'm shooting lite Bullets at 4800fps and another is at 4950fps and it won't pic it up . It also could be the small light Bullets too but like I said I have not looked into it .

My magnetospeed is very handy too , sometimes I'll only be checking for pressure and I may just shoot into a bank to verify and it's very quick and easy . I do not shoot groups because it changes barrel harmonics therefore not a real world shooting situation , causes a point of impact shift also most of the time .

My Oehler35p is ALWAYS my go to , the first two screens measure once then the 2nd-3rd verify for errors. A lot of the time I'll run the labradar and my Oehler to be sure I don't miss a shot , it does happen from time to time on both but not much . For my varmint rigs I only can use the Oehler and depending on the use I'll sometimes use the magnetospeed . You won't be disappointed with any of these 3 , pic the one that fits you best and I'll bet you will eventually end up with all 3 .

 

[Stockbroker]

Highly recommend LabRadar. Pay attention to barrel placement near the unit. Read the instructions and call them for recommendations. Get the external battery pack for better power supply.

This. I have 4 years plus on mine, calibres 204 to 50. Works best for me on a tripod separate from the bench.

 

[davidu]

I'll have to respectfully disagree with dmr400 on the Caldwell's inaccuracy compared to other chronometers.
Recreational Software did a review of the Labradar's Doppler technology comparing it to other technologies used by Magnetospeed,Oheler, CED m2.
"It is our opinion the CED M2 chronograph will continue to be the best general -use value for shooters. It is accurate, will work with any caliber or arm and will not change the point of impact. It's large display can still be used to get down range velocities "
Though I'm jumping from one similarity priced optical chronograph brand ( CED M2 ) to another ( Caldwell), the point is optical chronometers are reasonably accurate 0.25%
The review's opinion include "Labradar's level of sophistication is way beyond anything else available to shooters but may not be for every one."
Value is important as long as meaningful accuracy isn't compromised.

 

[shootski]

I have been shooting for at least 62 years starting with bb guns, then airguns, then small arms, then canons on aircraft, and now back to bb guns (adult airguns to include Big Bore up to .575 caliber) started out with ballistic pendulum, Oehler mounted on 12' DIY rails to extend the distances between the screens for data improvement. I have placed any number of chronograph downrange to try to collect BC data points and I also now own any number of spare chronograph parts! Lol! LabRADAR is easy to set up at the range or even in your basement/barn/shed/garage shooting into a SAFE trap. I have had a LabRADAR for two years and get the most accurate actual BC and other data without the need to turn cheap/expensive chronograph into parts piles. It is true that the Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) limits the ultra high velocities that the current LabRADAR is able to measure...how fast are your bullets? It works on hand guns, airguns, muzzle loaders, arrows, bolts and slingshot ammo!
LabRADAR does have a learning curve especially for folks that refuse to read Owners Manuals or watch the available Training Videos.

It IS the most accurate device available to the average consumer today. It takes multiplying the price by at least 200 to get the next level of performance; if you can get authorization to buy it!

shootski

 

[dmr400]

I'll have to respectfully disagree with dmr400 on the Caldwell's inaccuracy compared to other chronometers.
Recreational Software did a review of the Labradar's Doppler technology comparing it to other technologies used by Magnetospeed,Oheler, CED m2.
"It is our opinion the CED M2 chronograph will continue to be the best general -use value for shooters. It is accurate, will work with any caliber or arm and will not change the point of impact. It's large display can still be used to get down range velocities "
Though I'm jumping from one similarity priced optical chronograph brand ( CED M2 ) to another ( Caldwell), the point is optical chronometers are reasonably accurate 0.25%
The review's opinion include "Labradar's level of sophistication is way beyond anything else available to shooters but may not be for every one."
Value is important as long as meaningful accuracy isn't compromised.

Davidu:

Meaningful accuracy WAS compromised, as tested by using the caldwell and the labradar side by side. I assume the labradar is t he more accurate of the two, and testing them side by side showed the caldwell to be off by more than 20 fps on almost every shot, with no consistency to whether it was high or low. When the difference in extreme spread that I am trying tk measure is less than 10fps, the caldwell didn't show enough inherent accuracy to be useful to me.

 

[Blacktailer]

I've had an Oehler 33 for about 35 years. The cost was about double what a M70 or M700 cost back then and I split it with my brother. Best investment I ever made. It still does what I ask and has always been the gold standard of accuracy. I was lucky enough to have my own range and had posts set to take the skyscreens so set up was a breeze. That said, I wouldn't consider trying to set it up at a public range and you don't need to break the bank to get a decent chronograph today. If I was going to get a new one it would be a Labradar.

 

[davidu]

dmr400,
Not to beat a dead horse, but again my comment has to do with value vs results
There's no doubt the Labradar is superior to a optical chronograph like the Caldwell.
Labradar has a 0.1% accuracy
Caldwell has a 0.25% accuracy
Hypothetical 3000 fps MV results in :
Labradar ~ 3 fps error
Caldwell ~ 7.5 fps error
Maybe your Caldwell was defective or some kind of outside influence created your 20fps error
My point is for a lot of folks that 4.5 fps difference isn't so great when factoring a selling price of $84 for the Caldwell
vs $560 for the Labradar

 

[sea2summit]

dmr400,
Not to beat a dead horse, but again my comment has to do with value vs results
There's no doubt the Labradar is superior to a optical chronograph like the Caldwell.
Labradar has a 0.1% accuracy
Caldwell has a 0.25% accuracy
Hypothetical 3000 fps MV results in :
Labradar ~ 3 fps error
Caldwell ~ 7.5 fps error
Maybe your Caldwell was defective or some kind of outside influence created your 20fps error
My point is for a lot of folks that 4.5 fps difference isn't so great when factoring a selling price of $84 for the Caldwell
vs $560 for the Labradar

But if you are chasing 10 fps or less SD that Caldwell sure could ruin your life

 

[FEENIX]

dmr400,
Not to beat a dead horse, but again my comment has to do with value vs results
There's no doubt the Labradar is superior to a optical chronograph like the Caldwell.
Labradar has a 0.1% accuracy
Caldwell has a 0.25% accuracy
Hypothetical 3000 fps MV results in :
Labradar ~ 3 fps error
Caldwell ~ 7.5 fps error
Maybe your Caldwell was defective or some kind of outside influence created your 20fps error
My point is for a lot of folks that 4.5 fps difference isn't so great when factoring a selling price of $84 for the Caldwell
vs $560 for the Labradar

No one needs to justify what they want to invest their money on. We all have a different value system, personal preference, experiences, and income.

 

[Coldfinger]

I'm looking at buying a chrony. I'm tossing up between a lab radar or I've seen a oehler 3 window chrony. I don't need a lot of features my main concern is accuracy of readings.

has anyone used a oehler or is there a better option than both.

Cheers

I have 3 different chronographs, I sure wish the lab radar was out on the market 10 years ago. I think it's the way to go. That magneto speed gadget looks nifty too.
Chronos are good enough and simple but mine don't work under a roof or too cloudy out.

 

[arch408]

I have a Chroney and I'm at a point that I'd like to find some S.O.B. I don't like and give it to him. I think that it is "slow" and Chroney refused to do any thing about it. I've confirmed it by by never achieving advertised factory ammo velocities and even by putting another chronograph behind it and confirming it. It works great for load development because it shows inconsistent loads, but I don't believe the velocities. But what irks me the most is that when I upgrade my computer, I have to buy new software to input the data into my computer. I've already spent twice as much for software than than what the original cost of the chronograph. I would love to get the LabRadar, but I'm leaning toward the MagnetoSpeed due to the operational convience.
So research them all, get the one that suits you the best. just remember that with sky screens, you may have to add artificial light if ambient light isn't bright enough. Also, once I had to shoot about 20 feet from the sky screens with my 7STW because I was getting velocity readings of 6500 FPS probably because of the muzzle blast

 

[340PR]

Have both Magneto speed and Lab Radar. Ran them side by side for 2 months, and found the LR to average 4fps faster. I also experienced the LR dropping or misrepresenting shots (5-10/hundred). The V3 has been flawless for over 3 years.

Next developed an "off barrel" mount (see pic), to resolve the harmonics concern (pic rail clip-on).

Now, I run the V3 for every shot (except matches), collecting data in all weather variables, generating a huge knowledge base to use.

 

[highdrum]

Labradar, piets recoil trigger, USB battery pack, quad Pod w/ ball head, km precision aiming sight. Rarely ever miss a shot with this setup.

 

[highdrum]

Have both Magneto speed and Lab Radar. Ran them side by side for 2 months, and found the LR to average 4fps faster. I also experienced the LR dropping or misrepresenting shots (5-10/hundred). The V3 has been flawless for over 3 years.

Next developed an "off barrel" mount (see pic), to resolve the harmonics concern (pic rail clip-on).

Now, I run the V3 for every shot (except matches), collecting data in all weather variables, generating a huge knowledge base to use.

I tried the non barrel mount exactly like you have there, my rifles recoil too much and require constant repositioning of magic arm. Got a labradar with a recoil sensor, and I might miss 1/100 shots.