Help me understand the importance of measuring velocity for reloading.

[Lenny Foffa]

Last year ( at age 75 ) I just purchased my first Chrono!! Lab Radar used $450.00 !! 5 min after I purchased it, the new Garmin became the Darling of the range. The important point is that I now can SEE what I was just GUESSING AT before. I was guessing pretty close, but now its " Real" for me. This allows me to make slight adjustment, if needed, in the load. It also confirms that you have achieved the velocity you wanted and needed, and that in turn lets you run a ballistic app, using that verified velocity, with greater confidence. So, in my humble opinion, if you're just sighting in your 30-06 for a 100 yard zero, and might shoot a deer at 200 yards, it may nice to have but not a necessary tool, BUT if you're making up loads with the clear intention shooting targets or game at 500, to 1200 yards, you REALLY want one. By the way , I really like my Lab Radar!!

 

[fozzy]

Knowing velocity is key to LR shooting. It helps the shooter fine tune their loads and aim for lowest possible ES.

 

[tony d willIiams]

I started reloading without a chronograph. I hadn't done any shooting for a decade "or so". I was using a popular factory ammo, and I started my trials and relearning at 1/4 mile. Couldn't hit paper.
I purchased a sled to lock that/those rifles down, legs a bit buried, sandbags on top. Still couldn't hit paper.
Scope had been leveled and centered @ 100 Y, in a valley on windless days. Leveled ±0.0002" X&Y, per foot. I am anal.
So i began to reload. I had a lot of brass. Been saving since I was a young kid, looking toward the future.
Immediately was making ± 4 inches from POA.
Not enough data. I tried different powders. Best Magnum powder was one suggested by "Halbrooks Carving & Guns".
Not enough data.
When I went to purchase a chronograph, my wife asked why, I hadn't played my guitar for at least 4 decade, I can barely dance, and coyotes love my voice, neighbors call the law. She is funny, been married long enough that we have a similar sense of humor.
The data that came in was wonderful. I had speed, was it consistent, repeatable, temperature stable. What changed when my GPS location changed, altitude, humidity, variance in lot numbers of powder and bullets. Which was not at fault, or was it just me?
No longer reloading and shooting a lot of rounds overall, trying to get data without the tools, between ears was okay. After ladder tests and initial load testing, 3 of each type. and I had more than enough data to take home and study.
The chronograph has saved me massive amounts of time, energy, and travel expenses. 200 miles + to where I practice. No motorcycles or the gun-hating government to worry about.

 

[Axl]

Knowing velocity is key to LR shooting. It helps the shooter fine tune their loads and aim for lowest possible ES.

The only thing that is "key" to long range shooting is the target. The best way to fine tune long range loads, is to shoot ladders at long range. If the load shoots good, who cares what the Es is? A chrono is not a shortcut to proper load development. Many times a load with higher Es will shoot best. I aim for the smallest possible group.

 

[Allen Kitts]

Knowing your velocity is just one part of an equation to getting consistent accurate loads. As many have stated if your shooting at 200-250 yards or less it won't make enough difference to justify the cost. Its just a neat toy! If your going to shoot long range it will just help you get to where you need to be considerably faster. Nothing beats going out and shooting at distance to verify your load data but the chronograph will get you there ten times faster. You pull the trigger get the data and punch it into a ballistic calculator and it gets you in the ball park right now. Will it be perfect, absolutely not but it will get you close then you have to do the work to fine tune it. BC's, velocities will all possibly be changed to get your load perfected. These numbers are general numbers and will generally need to be manipulated up and down to get you where you need to be. The only way to perfect the data it is to shoot! If you shoot a lot and develop loads for your rifles a chrono is just a great/handy tool to have. Sorry I hate to contradict others on this forum but I do not agree with the statement on the ES. If you have a large extreme spread the farther you shoot the larger the group can be. This just adds one more thing that can go wrong when making that shot at long distance. All you have to do to prove this is to punch the numbers into a ballistic calculator and see what the spread difference will do to your final solution. JMO Good Luck

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'm not quite sure I care what the velocity is on a lot of the loads I shoot. Especially for mid range paper punching. If it exits the barrel it will make a hole.
That said, I own a Oehler 35 (I'll probably buy a radar based chrono this year- waiting for the dust to settle), My Pops has a Labradar, and my brother has a Garmin... Why? To see what the uniformity is of the loads we are working with. Velocity is known more coincidentally.
Most of the cartridges I deal with are big enough they will develop plenty of velocity, even if it falls a bit low of book. A crap load is a crap load though, so you've got to loose those before you load up on them and can't hit a dang thing further downrange when you need to. I've seen a few loads tossing 100 fps x spreads. Those aren't good past a couple hundred yards on a good day. 10-20 fps x is getting decent.

 

[bobinpa]

I've been reloading for long range for a while and have a chronograph but don't use it very often. Help me understand importance of measuring velocity for reloading. Very interested in the new Garmin but that's a lot of bucks just to measure velocity. Maybe there's something I'm missing. Any intel would be appreciated.

I didn't read all of the replies so if someone covered this, I apologize. For me, accurate reloads depend on consistency. Consistent brass, consistent seating depth, consistent neck tension and consistent powder charge etc should all equal consistent velocity. You need a chronograph to actually measure and check velocity. Without a chrony you're just guessing. To shoot long range, you need a chrony to check velocity and help determine bullet drop. You can do this without a chrony, but having one helps.

 

[skipglo]

I've been reloading for long range for a while and have a chronograph but don't use it very often. Help me understand importance of measuring velocity for reloading. Very interested in the new Garmin but that's a lot of bucks just to measure velocity. Maybe there's something I'm missing. Any intel would be appreciated.

You can use a ballistics app if you have one and very, very closely figure your velocity out. Enter the speed from the manual you are told you will get.....shoot the load...measure it....higher faster lower slower....adjust speed to equal the impact...some will say adjust the B.C.....I don't..the B.C. the manufacturer should be fairly certain of....adjusting speed is easy and just me here...I believe more accurate. But I'm hooked on my Garmin.....

 

[Mike Matteson]

I've been reloading for long range for a while and have a chronograph but don't use it very often. Help me understand importance of measuring velocity for reloading. Very interested in the new Garmin but that's a lot of bucks just to measure velocity. Maybe there's something I'm missing. Any intel would be appreciated.

It helps in determining your SD & ES. On your reloads. Example: 30fps variation change your bullet @ 1000yds by 8.5", and @ 50fps changes by as much as 14" @ 1000yds. Chronograph helps in determining what you reload is doing. If you are getting groups at 1/2" or under @ 100yds, Then extending your yardages out to much longer ranages, will help you tell what's going on.
To me theres a lot that goes into building a reload for a rifle. I generally one shot one type of bullet and powder in my reload for that rifle once I get what I want out of it.
Other things that go into the reload is what type of weather do you hunt in. or range of weather temps. My temp ranges varys as much as 130 drg. Some powder vary as much as 1.75 fps per degree. Taking the middle of the temp range to build you load, that turning into as much as 113fps change in velocity. Remember what I said above about fps and velocity change. The chronograph use in different weather condition will help with your load and what it's doing.