My Labradar came with the acoustic trigger or microphone, and there is also a sensitivity adjustment in the menu.
LabRadar - tips and tricks to keep it from missing shots anyone?
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It relies on muzzle blast and can be finicky with placement. Inertia trigger negates all of that nonsense.
RegionRat
Well-Known Member
I would not say that it isn't effective just based on being magnum. If anything, the larger the shock wave the more likely it has enough amplitude to trigger. But that is not the point.
Some magnums use muzzle brakes, and if anything that side or rearward blast can actually knock the unit around and beat up the internals in the process. By the time you align your barrel and LR so the brake blast doesn't cause trouble, you may have an unreliable trigger.
Have you ever had a magnum with a brake blow things off the neighboring bench?
Then by that same token, it can misalign the LR that is just inches away. So, if you are then forced to place the LR too far away due to the brake blast, you then see how there can be a conflict with the magnum but this issue can also be true of a lesser caliber with a muzzle brake as well.
In the end, you play a trade between how the bench is laid out versus what you need to get the LR to trigger from sound alone.
You can get a feel for the internal trigger without being on a range or shooting by just tapping the side of the unit with a tool and playing with the software settings. Just keep in mind that a direct tap is not really the same as an external sound wave. The two have very different frequency content, but the useful part is the amplitude being above some threshold.
The microphone sold by LR is really meant to trigger for things like airguns, rimfire with suppressor, bows, etc., or in so many words the quiet ones which are the opposite of a magnum with a muzzle brake.
The JKL Trigger worked great. I added the picatinny rail and magnetic mount to the order. I ended up using the magnetic mount this time.
I only have one complaint. You know how on the old cartoons a hammer would come out of a hat and smash whatever cartoon character needed smashing? The JKL needs one of those because I am apparently too stupid to enable the trigger before I shoot. Twice, first and 4th string.
Today was range day. Due to another brain glitch on my part I didn't shoot them lowest powder charge to highest. Powder is H1000 (recommended powder in the Barnes loading manual)
String 1, 1 shot :/
64gr 1921 fps (I don't believe that number)
String 2, 3 shots
66.6gr SD: 24.88, ES: 45.73, Avg: 2,866 fps
String 3, 3 shots
64.3gr SD: 10.9, ES: 24.8, Avg: 2,811 fps
String 4, 2 shots :/ where is that hammer?
67.0gr, SD: 5.37, ES: 7.59, Avg: 2,393 fps
String 5, 3 shots
65.7gr, SD: 32.41, ES: 64.0 Avg: 2,851 fps
I shot the groups at 200 yards. I always do that. It makes it real easy to see what's not working and what is. I aim at the same spot and accept the grouping where it falls. I'm not looking for accuracy yet. Just tight groups.
The best group was string 1. 1" grouping outside to outside at the widest separation. I'll have to reload this charge and test with my head on the outside.
String 3 grouping was 1.5" outside to outside at the widest separation.
String 4 and 5 grouping was 2.0" outside to outside at the widest separation.
I'm not real fresh on my statistics (never have been) but I think only having 2 rounds to calculate SD and ES mkes that group less useful. Group 4 needs to be tested again. I'd love to see the ES stay at 7.59. You might say to yourself yeah but the best group was #1. It was. It was also cold barrel. I put 12 rounds downrange in 10m, with 20s-30s between shots in the groups. By group 4 the barrel was toasty. I shot my suppressed .22 and 9mm for about an hour, came back, and shot group 5.
There's a lot that I like about the Labradar. I wondered about spacing between shots and how long I took between groups and it's right there in the data.
I'll use 3 rounds on the next tests and let the barrel cool longer (than 20s) between shots. I know better... I just forgot to bring it with me.
Feel free to disagree with me.
I think I'll throw out 4. Min recommended charge weight for 150gr TTSX and H1000 is 61gr (2,758 fps) and Max is 67.7 gr. (2,998 fps).
I think I'm going to load something along the lines of:
3x 64.3 gr. H1000
3x 64.0 gr. H1000
3x 63.7 gr. H1000
3x 63.4 gr. H1000
3x 63.1 gr. H1000
I'm looking for low ES primarily but if I get low ES and nice groups I'll take it.
I only have one complaint. You know how on the old cartoons a hammer would come out of a hat and smash whatever cartoon character needed smashing? The JKL needs one of those because I am apparently too stupid to enable the trigger before I shoot. Twice, first and 4th string.
Today was range day. Due to another brain glitch on my part I didn't shoot them lowest powder charge to highest. Powder is H1000 (recommended powder in the Barnes loading manual)
String 1, 1 shot :/
64gr 1921 fps (I don't believe that number)
String 2, 3 shots
66.6gr SD: 24.88, ES: 45.73, Avg: 2,866 fps
String 3, 3 shots
64.3gr SD: 10.9, ES: 24.8, Avg: 2,811 fps
String 4, 2 shots :/ where is that hammer?
67.0gr, SD: 5.37, ES: 7.59, Avg: 2,393 fps
String 5, 3 shots
65.7gr, SD: 32.41, ES: 64.0 Avg: 2,851 fps
I shot the groups at 200 yards. I always do that. It makes it real easy to see what's not working and what is. I aim at the same spot and accept the grouping where it falls. I'm not looking for accuracy yet. Just tight groups.
The best group was string 1. 1" grouping outside to outside at the widest separation. I'll have to reload this charge and test with my head on the outside.
String 3 grouping was 1.5" outside to outside at the widest separation.
String 4 and 5 grouping was 2.0" outside to outside at the widest separation.
I'm not real fresh on my statistics (never have been) but I think only having 2 rounds to calculate SD and ES mkes that group less useful. Group 4 needs to be tested again. I'd love to see the ES stay at 7.59. You might say to yourself yeah but the best group was #1. It was. It was also cold barrel. I put 12 rounds downrange in 10m, with 20s-30s between shots in the groups. By group 4 the barrel was toasty. I shot my suppressed .22 and 9mm for about an hour, came back, and shot group 5.
There's a lot that I like about the Labradar. I wondered about spacing between shots and how long I took between groups and it's right there in the data.
I'll use 3 rounds on the next tests and let the barrel cool longer (than 20s) between shots. I know better... I just forgot to bring it with me.
Feel free to disagree with me.
I think I'll throw out 4. Min recommended charge weight for 150gr TTSX and H1000 is 61gr (2,758 fps) and Max is 67.7 gr. (2,998 fps).
I think I'm going to load something along the lines of:
3x 64.3 gr. H1000
3x 64.0 gr. H1000
3x 63.7 gr. H1000
3x 63.4 gr. H1000
3x 63.1 gr. H1000
I'm looking for low ES primarily but if I get low ES and nice groups I'll take it.
Well, I think I FINALLY have a day with low wind to do some more testing. I was going to go flying but someone has the plane blocked out. Shooting will work just fine. I don't know if I mentioned this but 5 years ago work transferred me to Farmington, NM. I thought it was for a year so I didn't move the entire house. I kept my place here (TX) and rented there. I moved back last May. That was a really, really long year :/ All of my vacation time was used to come home and visit kids and grandkids. Apparently it was also used to buy things 
So... when I say "I found some powder, bullets, complete AR upper, etc" I really mean I found it.
I found some .308 168gr TTSX in my stash of bullets. So, instead of one rifle, I'll take two and see how the Rem 700 Tactical shoots. Other than the trigger change it's a factory rifle and hasn't had many round put through it. I think I'll shoot one rifle , then while it's cooling shoot the other rifle.
I sense a total sh*tshow coming trying to keep that organized and remember which shot is which in the LabRadar so I may shoot one ladder test then the other.
I tried to find "jam" in the .308 but it has a porn star throat like most factory rifles so I went with COAL. I loaded .075 past COL and the dummy bullet chambered fine (that irritates me to no end. There's no good reason for them to do that). The Barnes load data that I got off of the web showed the TTX COL as 2.810" and the TTSX COL as 2.735. The tipped bullets are just the TSX with a tip added to it so that can't be right. As I adjusted the seating die on the first round I realized something wasn't right. Page 5 on the Barnes site
Hopefully it's a good day at the range. It's shaping up to be a good day to fly.
So... when I say "I found some powder, bullets, complete AR upper, etc" I really mean I found it. I found some .308 168gr TTSX in my stash of bullets. So, instead of one rifle, I'll take two and see how the Rem 700 Tactical shoots. Other than the trigger change it's a factory rifle and hasn't had many round put through it. I think I'll shoot one rifle , then while it's cooling shoot the other rifle.
I sense a total sh*tshow coming trying to keep that organized and remember which shot is which in the LabRadar so I may shoot one ladder test then the other.
I tried to find "jam" in the .308 but it has a porn star throat like most factory rifles so I went with COAL. I loaded .075 past COL and the dummy bullet chambered fine (that irritates me to no end. There's no good reason for them to do that). The Barnes load data that I got off of the web showed the TTX COL as 2.810" and the TTSX COL as 2.735. The tipped bullets are just the TSX with a tip added to it so that can't be right. As I adjusted the seating die on the first round I realized something wasn't right. Page 5 on the Barnes site
Hopefully it's a good day at the range. It's shaping up to be a good day to fly.
RegionRat
Well-Known Member
You will be fine. With the LR, you just have to start a new "series" and it assigns a serial number to it. When you keep notes or mark the targets, it is very easy to just use that series number and you are all set as far as keeping it sorted.
If you were working in Farmington, NM... you were very close to some Blue Ribbon trout water coming out of the Navajo Dam. The San Juan is productive all year long because of the water temperatures from the reservoir. so I hope you are a fly fisherman.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
Or just write the velocity down after you shoot it. It stays up on the screen until you take the next shot.
I do what he ^^^ said and keep it one ladder, one shot string. But I'm not a hurry trying to shoot multiple ladders at once. It's rare that I try to do multiple serious workups at the same time in one trip. This is why 22LR exists: put up a spinner next to your target and keep shooting while your big rifle cools down.
Good tip on the JKL. My LabRadar has occasionally missed a shot, so I ordered the trigger with both of the optional mounts.
Funny thing - Kestrel is paying for an ad on this page, but when I click on it, I get a 404 error.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't get very far with the 7 mag. I'd close the bolt and it wouldn't fire. It wasn't cocked. I "figured out" that if I could pull the bolt back, move the safety to safe, then close the bolt it would shoot. I WAS NOT comfortable with that at all. The second time I tried it, the rifle was on the rear bag and front rest (forget the brand but I can raise and lower it with a wheel or by loosening the t bolt and raising / lowering the column). It's a very secure way to support a rifle at the range without buying an F class or Bench Rest sled. Anyway... I took aim, pushed the safety forward, and the rifle fired. That was the end of any testing. I put that thing back in the case. It's probably the trigger but ****... that was unnerving. Only 3 rounds into the target.
The .308 testing was interrupted by the bluetooth disconnecting. Frikken annoying. The app is current. I don't know why it disconnected so much. I could not arm the LaRadar unless I used the app. I could disarm it with the button but it would not arm. Even if I turned bluetooth on my phone off. Double frikken annoying. I managed to get some data. I didn't shoot the last 9 of the series (3 shots per) because some doofus (me), probably while jacking around with the LabRadar, knocked the box of bullets over and the last three groups spilled out. I shot them in one string so I may be able to pick them out by velocity. Idk. I'm pretty sure I had some ES readings in the 10 - 15 range so I should be able move to seating depth.
The range was crowded today. The red flashing light that lets shooters know the range is now safe to go check your target wasn't working. It's switch operated and various stations. That's not horrible if you have people that are regulars at the range. There was a group (that kept letting guests in) that yelled "are we good" which usually means good to go check targets... then proceeded to send rounds downrange with an AR. A couple of us jumped back up on the pad, shrugged, and waited. The range is nice to go to when there's only one or two there. If I have any decent data I'll post it up.
The .308 testing was interrupted by the bluetooth disconnecting. Frikken annoying. The app is current. I don't know why it disconnected so much. I could not arm the LaRadar unless I used the app. I could disarm it with the button but it would not arm. Even if I turned bluetooth on my phone off. Double frikken annoying. I managed to get some data. I didn't shoot the last 9 of the series (3 shots per) because some doofus (me), probably while jacking around with the LabRadar, knocked the box of bullets over and the last three groups spilled out. I shot them in one string so I may be able to pick them out by velocity. Idk. I'm pretty sure I had some ES readings in the 10 - 15 range so I should be able move to seating depth.
The range was crowded today. The red flashing light that lets shooters know the range is now safe to go check your target wasn't working. It's switch operated and various stations. That's not horrible if you have people that are regulars at the range. There was a group (that kept letting guests in) that yelled "are we good" which usually means good to go check targets... then proceeded to send rounds downrange with an AR. A couple of us jumped back up on the pad, shrugged, and waited. The range is nice to go to when there's only one or two there. If I have any decent data I'll post it up.
That's what I did. The bluetooth app problem made it tedious because I couldn't arm it without it for some reason. But I got around it.
I had big plans to go trout fishing when I was there. There was even a coworker that talked about taking me on his river boat. Personally I prefer fishing from the bank or wading but that never happened either.
Dr. Vette
Well-Known Member
While I have rarely had problems with it disconnecting I always use the app to arm it. I'd much rather do that than press the button too hard and lose my target alignment.
RegionRat
Well-Known Member
If that ever comes up again, and your friend is even just average at handling that boat, grab that opening and you can tell me later if you liked it or not. There is a huge advantage to presentation when the water, boat, line, and fly all drift together. Not to mention you can't always wade in the deeper sections and the boat is a great platform for sight fishing cause you are elevated. Life can be short so Carpe Diem!
Also, yes the Blue Tooth part of the LR is the worst and very annoying. I was so happy when it came out since it meant the bench layout was improved because I would no longer have to break position to arm and disarm. In any case, I still run the LR most of the time and put up with the bugs.
Sorry to hear about the malfunction on the rifle. If you are not inclined, it won't take a gunsmith long to fix it.
Good Luck with all of that and in for the range report.
