GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Guns And Related Accessories Review Gates => All Air Gun Accessories Gate => Topic started by: Hayfoot on August 15, 2018, 02:28:04 PM
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Hi and hope this is the right place for this question, so here goes... as a wise man once said, "if you intend on getting serious in this hobby, you need a chronometer".
which begs the question:
? what am I looking for in a good model?
I've seen simple, fancy, and also one that hangs on the end of a barrel... even one that hooks to your smart phone.
Is there a go-to model most of you use?
thanks for any tips!
Mike
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Hello Mike,
Naturally you are sure to get several varying responses.
I have had 3 different chrony's. These include the Shooting Crony, the Combro 625, and the Caldwell Precision Ballistic.
Out of these 3, I like the Caldwell the best. It seems to have the least errors, and comes in a premium kit that includes tripod, and the IR light kit, as well as sun shades and all associated cables, for around $120.
I have even used mine directly under fluorescent shop lighting (using the supplied IR kit) with no errors. That's pretty impressive.
The Combro 625 is also pretty good, but it has some limitations, and it should not be used on bigger bore, higher power guns, due to muzzle blast from the more powerful guns can damage it.
Hope this helps.
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Thanks Ron, that helps alot.
M
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I have a Competition Electronics Pro Digital and it gets the job done, but if i had it to do all over again, I'd grab the Caldwell kit. Everything you need is included. With the Pro Chrono, it's not and the parts and pieces depending what you want are all extra.
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I moved this over to the Accessory Gate, hope you don't mind. I also vote for Caldwell.
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this i the kit I was talking about.
$115 including shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/Caldwell-Ballistic-Precision-Chronograph-Shooting/dp/B00HTN5290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534400675&sr=8-1&keywords=caldwell+premium+chronograph (https://www.amazon.com/Caldwell-Ballistic-Precision-Chronograph-Shooting/dp/B00HTN5290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534400675&sr=8-1&keywords=caldwell+premium+chronograph)
I will say that it does eat up the 9v battery fairly quickly, (maybe 2 or 3 hours ?)
but we fixed that by replacing the regular 9v battery with one of these...
https://www.amazon.com/Philmore-Battery-Holder-Standard-Connector/dp/B000LFVFU8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1534401120&sr=8-4&keywords=6+aa+battery+holder&dpID=31ZnsfW0R4L&preST=_QL70_&dpSrc=srch (https://www.amazon.com/Philmore-Battery-Holder-Standard-Connector/dp/B000LFVFU8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1534401120&sr=8-4&keywords=6+aa+battery+holder&dpID=31ZnsfW0R4L&preST=_QL70_&dpSrc=srch)
It will not fit in the battery compartment, ... but the chrony's battery connector wires are plenty long enough to just let the AA battery pack hang down under the chrony while on it's tripod. We easily tripled the run time going this route, and AA batteries are cheaper than 9V batteries.
yeah, I know,... We cant resist tinkering and modding ANYTHING !!
I've even modded my HF ding donger to have about a 200 - 250 yd range now !
LOL ! ! !
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Whoa, you guys are the best. I don't know that I trust the reviews on Amazon, but I trust the years of experience on GTA!
especially love the battery idea! thanks Ron.
Parts are now on order :-)
I'm sure I'll have more questions now on how best to use it.
Much appreciated ~
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The chronograph is a very useful tool in any kind of shooting sport. I've owned two Chrony Brand chronographs and currently own the Caldwell model which I love because I can shoot strings and send the data to my smart phone instead of writing each shot down manually.
One thing that is true with any chronograph using a short distance between sensors is the path of the projectile travels over the sensors. My first Chrony brand model had a fiber board enclosure around the sensors (each side and front) plus a white plastic diffuser on top. The front face of each diffuser panel had an oval hole approx 4-5 inches high above the sensor level which forced one to shoot thru these ovals. The idea was to keep the projectile the same basic area as it passed over the sensors. I did a quick search to see if I could find a picture of this old model but came up short. During my search I did find a link to a page that described why it's important and what can happen if one shoots at extreme angles over the sensors.
I don't post much so I hope this link is OK in this reply.
link:
http://precisionrifleblog.com/2012/07/20/chronograph-accuracy-tips-15-practical-tips-to-increase-accuracy-reliability/ (http://precisionrifleblog.com/2012/07/20/chronograph-accuracy-tips-15-practical-tips-to-increase-accuracy-reliability/)
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Good article thwakk.
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I have the Chrony brand Alpha Master. I got it because the readout was separate from the unit as i was worried about shooting the thing.
I've never shot my Chrony but unless you're the patient type I don't recommend the brand, either. It is very light sensitive.
I use it so little that if I had it to do over again I wouldn't bother with a chronograph at all. I am not a competition shooter and I have a pretty good feel for how my guns are doing just from shooting them.
I'm not saying chronographs don't have their place and I'm sure I'm in the minority when I say I feel their usefulness is over rated.
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Hi Thomas,
thanks for the reply. I guess as a beginner I'm thinking this will help me to better understand the functions and capabilities of my gun(s); so I was wondering what a 'reliable' one was.
Once it arrives, I'm sure I'll have more questions, and you guys are always so helpful!
thanks,
M
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You can shoot all sorts of projectiles over a chronograph. Arrows, BB's and the usual handguns and rifles.
It is a good diagnostic tool for airguns.
Establish a benchmark and if something goes wonky, chrony your gun first. (The new units are EASY to set up.)
If it's where it is supposed to be, THEN start looking for other things like loose screws and mounts.
That way, you don't mess up any settings causing a shift in your POI.
That's what works for me ... YMMV.
Cheers,
Smoketown
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Thanks for the education, GTA! I learning so much reading the forum, this is great!
You recommended it, and well, I just ordered a Caldwell as well. ;D
Way down South where I live chronos are rare, so a friend brings me one from the U of A. This 10.000.000 people city I live in has a handful of gun shops. The top of them also has a gun repairshop and an in-house gun range. But even they don't have a chrono...! ::)
I've been wanting a chrono for over a year, when I understood this (thanks to GTA, esp. Bob/ rsterne, Harry/ Yrrah et al!):
Any ballistic calculations (for long range shots and wind doping etc.) are totally depend on how hard a particular gun kicks each of the varied pellet model in the butt and out the muzzle – i.e. muzzle velocity.
And the other critical number is the actual ballistic coefficient (BC) of the pellet – not the manufacturer-published BC, or one with a gun twice the power than mine, or a static BC number – but the BC for the speeds that I shoot certain pellets at.
For that I need a chrono.
Well, unless GTA's brightest keep up their research and eventually present the airgun world with BC curves adapted to their velocities. The most helpful I found so far is this one here, for 5 different JSB .22 pellets:
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=29256.0 (https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=29256.0)
For those who are afraid to hit and kill their chrono – I certainly am 100% competent to take that shot..., here's an idea:
I found this on the AirgunGearShow, at ..... – oopps, I'm not allowed to post outside links yet.
But a screenshot of the pellet shield will do....! :D
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I'm still happy with my F1 Chrony ;D
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That is what I love about this site !! As soon as I think of a question I need an answer for I look for it and somebody has asked and you all have answered. Still practicing with pictures . Have not mastered that yet .
Looking forward to a Caldwell chronograph