Just got my first chrono. Excited to give it a try.

Quick question. Do most people try to set up the chrono so that you can shoot groups through it or just send a few rounds through without trying to aim at something down range? I hate to just waste shots, but seems like you could get distracted by targets and end up shooting the chrono. Also seems a bit tricky to line up the gun, chrono and target. If you do, any special tricks? Bore sight and then set up the chrono to line up?

Best advice I can give is don't let anyone else shoot through it, and bring spare parts

Seriously, or perhaps more seriously, only one of those is definitely true.

Beyond that, it depends a bit on your chrono and what you are shooting. A scoped rifle is probably the most frequent cause of optical chronos earning a Purple Heart. There's often a struggle between trying to shoot low enough over the sensors (and inside the uprights) to get a reading, and giving yourself enough clearance to allow for the fact that the barrel and the bullet's path are ~2" lower than what you see through the scope. When you pull the trigger and no hole shows up on the target, you'll remember that again

IIRC, I could see an entire 8.5" x 11" landscape target through the chrono when things were properly aligned. Whether you can hit (eg) 8 POAs on that paper depends on your chrono's sensors and maybe environmental conditions. Start out using the upper portion of the available chrono zone and learn what your chrono is capable of recording that day. If shots don't record, move down carefully.

Some folks put colored tape bands on the skyscreen's sidearms at the same height over the sensors as your scope is above your barrel. These may be visible through your scope depending on magnification, and will mark the hard deck you don't want to let your crosshairs wander below. Once you learn your chrono's capabilities, you can put a second pair of marks at the height above which shots are unlikely to be recorded. Then you can align things so that as much of your target as possible is within those bounds. That will tell you whether you can shoot the groups you want to shoot on one setup, or whether multiple setups will be required.

For me, the only advantage to an optical chrono is that I could get the MVs of the rounds I actually fired for groups. That wasn't possible when I used a MagnetoSpeed because attaching it to the barrel affected the POI and, IMO, group size.

Enjoy the chrono, they're helpful.

I put all my rounds over my chronograph. The more rounds, the more accurate the data. There have been many days I have sent 200+ rounds over my oehler experimenting with different loads.

All of the above.  If working solo, it takes a while to do right.

This way, you get velocity, point of impact and accuracy for your test groups.

It takes a while to do it right and set up a chronograph.  It really helps to have two people; two that know what they're doing.

I always bring spare batteries, spare sky screens and spare support rods for the screens.

I place mine as far away as possible to minimize the various muzzle blast effects.

You can also set it up at the target to get terminal velocity.

One of the most important things is to have an aiming point instead of trying to just shoot over it. I used tree limbs, etc.

I finally got a Labradar and now just shoot groups while getting the readings.

I always shot for groups through the chrono. I figure if I'm aiming at a 1" dot 100 yards downrange with any success there's little chance I'm going to be far enough off to hit the chrono if (and it's a big if) everything it set up and aligned correctly. Never had a problem doing this and have since moved on to a Labradar.

i just set it 10 ft and shoot through mine. the reading area is pretty big.  put some blue painters tape on the about 2" from each  end of the rods  to mark the shoot through area.  i usually look for the velocity i want first, and then when i find one that works i make more to check for accuracy.   i rarely make more than 10 of any given test load.

Thanks for all the feedback. Guess I'll try to shoot groups through it and hopefully not hit it. Thanks for the tip on adding some tape to the support rods so I don't shoot too low.

That labradar looks cool but pricey.

Until you forget that the scope is how far above the line of bore?

... and that wind gusts blow the skyscreens and support rods around,... quite a bit

About 2.5", and it's not difficult to compensate for.

I've put thousands of rounds over a chrono and the only time I hit it is when I got a little cocky with a .40 pistol. 'Twas but a flesh wound and it lived on to fight another day.

Like I said, if my window down range is 2-3" on a bad day, it's going to be about about .25" at ten yards...with proper set up there's no reason you'll ever hit the chrono if you're grouping decently downrange. I never did, and I did a lot of it.

Redbirdxx!

Don't want to jinx you or anything, but since you've been so successful at not shooting your chrono, how about listing the steps you do at the range to set your chrono up......that is, past the retrieval of your guns and equipment from your vehicle, and setting up the targets you plan to shoot.

Us beginners would like to have a dry run......from a distance of a few hundred miles!  Seriously, it would be very interesting to see how your methodology compares with others.  How about a simple numbered list.....or even a couple, one for pistol and one for rifle!

More than one "experienced" user of chronos have suggested that "there are two kinds of chronograph owners......"them's who have shot them and them's that will."  

Me?  I have one.......unshot.......but unused too.  Yup total beginner......waiting for the weather (spring wind to die down).....and the courage to learn a new skill!  Waiting on pins and needles!

Oh, I've shot my chrono, but I did it with a pistol. ;)

I'm about to eat, but I'll try to type something up later tonight or tomorrow.

I'll soon be using my chronograph for the first time in a long while.  It's a CED Millenium II model.  I'm bringing

spare batteries (lots!)
spare skyscreens
duct tape


In fact, there happens to be a complete, spare chronograph in the box (older PACT Pro model).

That's the same model I bought....and the infrared skyscreens too......based on my research....was looking for a unit where at least the main unit is safe on the bench.

Replace skyscreen rods with wood dowels or straws and aim high.

Why would that matter? Dowels or straws that is. I get the part about aiming high.

What about running some duct tape between the rods right above the chrono? If you started to drop too low you would see a hole in the tape before the screen of the chrono. Would the tape mess up anything with the chrono's ability to read? Doesn't seem like it would.

If you hit them they won't transfer nearly as much energy to the chronograph itself as a metal rod.

My setup method for rifle, as requested. Sorry for the delay-

1) Set up unloaded gun on bench (bagged, rear bag and bipod, whatever your method) with the scope or sights on target. Doesn't have to be exact, but get it as close as you can and it should be stable.

2) Set up chrono between gun and target. This will probably involve going back and forth between sighting down the barrel of the gun and adjusting the placement/height of the chrono a couple times. Don't touch the gun, but do take a peek to ensure your scope or sights are still on target. Remember the window your bullets will be traveling through should be well under an inch, so just get it so the barrel is aimed 3-6" above the sensors. Absolute precision is not required.

3) The first few times I did this I pulled the lower and the bolt (AR) without displacing where the bipod was sitting, put the scope on target and sighted down the bore just to be sure. If you're 3-4" above the sensors you might be surprised how much you have to angle down to see the chrono through the bore. I don't bother with that step anymore, that'll be your own call if and when you get comfortable.

That's it. Not claiming to be an expert but it works for me. I've always felt better with an exact aiming point downrange even if I'm not shooting for groups.


edited to add- I often set up as many as three 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper with five targets each on them and shot them all through the same "window" with no reading errors. A two foot or so adjustment downrange at 100 yards never translated to enough of an adjustment at the chrono to matter.

I set mine up on a photography tripod amd just shoot to chrony

record the data, ....shoot for groups separately



chony - focus on chrony

accuracy- focus on shooting accurately

.

At the range, the chronograph worked well, though I'm glad I brought spare batteries.  Two I thought were new were, in fact, used almost dead ones but I did have at least one new one.  Whew!  

Then, when I first got home, I thought I'd lost all my data.  The W7 machine could not access the data!!!   A day's testing lost?

What I have discovered since is the version of the software I have does not work with Windows 7 (haven't tried W10).  I had to boot up an older computer I keep around that has XP on it.  It worked like a charm on that machine.  

All is well, again.



The thing I miss about my PACT Pro is the paper tape print out that gives you a hard copy back up of the data while still at the range.  I wish there was also an output interface for that little, portable, stand-alone, battery-powered Hewlett Packard printer.  I like back ups.

Assumes your chrono uses rods.  Neither of mine does.

But now that you mention it, maybe I should modify the skyscreen set up to use rods/straws.  

One time I hit the screen holder (equivalent to your straw).  The chrono survived but the sky screen diffuser was damaged (duct tape to the rescue!).  I'll have to check into this for a possible redesign.

Honest question, what are you aiming at when you collect your chrono data? I mean, you have to be at least accurate enough to put them over the sensors, so what's the downside to shooting groups while you're at it?


Not trying to being argumentative, just trying to understand the opposing viewpoint.

What ever I see downrange, in the middle of the Chrony screens.

getting chrony data is not wasting ammo, IMHO, it's gathering data

working on groups, is another task, that I enjoy also.


sometimes, I combine both tasks at once, and shoot for groups, and through the chrony.

but usually, I do these things separately


.

Whenever possible, I do them together.

To me, grouping (accuracy) is more important than speed.  If I can get \both, that's great.  Until a load has proven itself accurate, it is not adopted.  This is why I shoot Varget and not TAC in my 223 match quality loads.

Well, . . . if you ever shoot USPSA IPSC or IDPA, etc.,  you'll need both velocity and accuracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor_(shooting_sports)

https://www.dillonprecision.com/power-factor-calculator.html

None of those require anywhere near the type of accuracy some here are speaking of, which explains the bit of a disconnect. Hitting an 8" circle at <20 yards is not the same as hitting a 1" circle at 100. Different games, different methods.

DVC spoken here.

I am mostly a rifle shooter these days but was knocking on the door of A Class in stock class (limited?) when I switched to rifle.

Still, almost all of reloading comments are about reloading for rifle.  I always forget to mention that but it is important for context.

I have often though of making a really robust housing to hold the chronograph sensors and skyscreens.  The standard tripod with 2' bar and skyscreens is a really flimsy arrangement and the wind is pretty rough on that arrangement.  It waves around causing malfunctions and misread shots.  It knocks it over and,... well, nothing good happens when it falls over.  

I was thinking of a wooden carrying case that unfolds and into the housing and stand.  Well, it's a thought.

Make a chrono coffin like they use at the big matches

I usually have limited time to set the chrono up while the range I use is cold between hot rounds.  So, I learned to do it quickly.

Behind the line - set up the chrono on the tri pod.  Adjust height to approximate bench height.  I painted my rods orange about six inches up so I can see how high I need to shoot fairly easy.  I turn it on there so I don't forget.

When the line is cold I set up my target in line with my bench.

Next, I move the chrono out 10 to 12 small steps.

If I have help, I have the other person look from the bench to the target and tell me which way to move the chrono, left/right, up/down.

If I don't have help, I run back and forth, looking from the bench to the target, run adjust, go back and look, etc.

Once the chrono is set up and the line goes hot I just double check looking through the gun sights, above and below, to make sure the height is right before I shoot.

Before I put the chrono away when I first got it I marked the tripod with black marker so I can repeat the adjustments next time.  I usually only use it at one range, so the markings are a good place to start each time.

Final tip - if you are using a readout, iPhone, etc. practice setting the chrono up and using in the house.  Use an air gun/pellet pistol to shoot.  It will register around 500 fps and give you practice working the program.  Mine works in the garage using the normal sky screens, but it has the lighted screens to if needed.  It's a cheap Caldwell, but works good.

I like to do both

I've never seen a "chrono coffin".  What is it?  Any pics?

it's a box they put the chrony in at USPSA matches

everyone has to submit pistol and ammo
bullets are weighed ..rounds are chrony'd

PF recorded on scoresheet



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About 90% of my chrono usage is with rifle rounds. I set up targets at 100 yards and sight in through the sky screens. it takes a little extra time to set it up right, but all of my rounds are shot for accuracy and velocity at the same time. It makes note taking much easier when you are shooting that particular load at the same time. Not to mention the huge cost savings (100%) of not having to shoot the same load twice.

Now I see.  That is more or less what I was thinking except it is quite large and not easily transported.  I was thinking it could fold down into the storage box for the chronograph.

I can work on my foldable version,  If that fails, then, perhaps I can fall back to that design which would be permanently installed at the range (requires Board of Directors approval).  


I noticed they have two CED Millenium 2 chronographs.  That is the unit I am using.

Me, too, but I'll admit I don't do much accuracy testing with most pistol rounds.

I'll chrono them to see how hot I am and to check for power factor when I shot IDPA (I haven't in a couple years), but I've never been a bullseye shooter and if I can keep them on an 8" target out to 25 yards they're good enough for my purposes. So when I think "accuracy testing", I think rifle- but that's probably just me.

When you hit a skyscreen metal rod it will destroy the plastic housing it's inserted in almost every time.

Hit a straw and you're saved the grief.

Thanks, Redbirdxx and RLR350 for the insight on setup.  And thanks to the rest of you for your input.  I just may take it out this month and get it dirty.

My Millennium 2 came with a booklet that showed how to make the tunnel contraption that Derek45's pictures show.....that interests me too, as I am the Newsletter Editor of our Local Gun Club/Range and our club does not have such things....yet......least ways not owned by the club.  Since I don't compete, I haven't seen what they do to police competitor's loads at handgun events like IDPA, USPSA-IPSC, and Cowboy events.

I think I'll go to some events to see for myself what they use.....interest perked.  Any articles I publish on those events are written and turned in by event officers....I just edit and make them pretty.