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Is this a good Chrono? Seems like a good deal.

PigPknHeat said:
https://www.amazon.com/Caldwell-Bal...=1488122470&sr=1-5&keywords=rifle+chronograph

Anyone have any experience with this one? What draws me to it is that it come with a tripod.
Click to expand...

The only thing I can see being a problem is if your device to use the app does not have a head phone jack it can't use the app.
I like that it comes with lighted Sun shades.
I have a shooting crony the 80$ one and it's OK for what I need.
I did how ever have to make new Sun shades or diffusers.
 
It may be a good chrono--though I personally have never used it before.

I've used this one quite often, and think it is an excellent chrono for the money:

https://www.amazon.com/Competition-...ion+Electronics+Prochrono+Digital+Chronograph

Scroll down and you see the "frequently bought together" menu.

This chrono and a tripod is $130.

Midway also has an additional 262 reviews.

One downside is that it does lack remote features unless you buy the bluetooth adapter for $59.

You could skip the tripod altogether and go with the Magnetospeed chrono, which attaches directly to your barrel and is not effected by changing light conditions, as it calculates velocity electromagnetically instead of optically.

https://www.amazon.com/Magnetospeed...88244043&sr=1-1&keywords=magnetospeed+sporter

If I was to buy another chrono I would be sorely tempted by the Magnetospeed.

ETA: The less expensive Magnetospeed (i.e. the "Sporter") has some limitations. It will not attach to some barrel configurations. The more expensive Magnetospeed V3 has more mounting options, and with an adaper acessory can even be mounted to the picatinny rail under a pistol.
 
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I own this model. The app works well (iphone) and is convenient.

As far as absolute accuracy/repeatability... all I can say is that my firing solutions based on velocity measurements are pretty much dead on at 350 yards.
 
That looks like a great package. The lighted sun screens can be a big plus. These days pretty much all artificial light (fluorescent, sodium vapor, etc) flickers at 120Hz and makes the chronograph useless. I assume the lighted sunscreens would make it usable at indoor ranges or outdoor ones at night.

As far as accuracy goes, I'm an electrical engineer and design similar stuff to what's inside these chronographs. The really expensive ones are no more accurate than the cheap ones. It's all digital logic and super accurate crystal timebases. I have a cheap 15 year old Chrony that's just as accurate as a top end Oehler. Build quality and software are about the only differences you'll notice.
 
Most chonos are decent, until they eat a bullet :)

I'm not dissing the product just suggesting... use caution when setting them up. Even guys who have used them forever have blown them up by accident. [laugh]
 
cockpitbob said:
That looks like a great package. The lighted sun screens can be a big plus. These days pretty much all artificial light (fluorescent, sodium vapor, etc) flickers at 120Hz and makes the chronograph useless. I assume the lighted sunscreens would make it usable at indoor ranges or outdoor ones at night.

As far as accuracy goes, I'm an electrical engineer and design similar stuff to what's inside these chronographs. The really expensive ones are no more accurate than the cheap ones. It's all digital logic and super accurate crystal timebases. I have a cheap 15 year old Chrony that's just as accurate as a top end Oehler. Build quality and software are about the only differences you'll notice.
Click to expand...

Are there differences between chronos WRT the amount of light required? My cheap $76 chrony works well but if the lighting outside is variable it gets fussy. I found the best results on overcast days ironically enough.
 
You might consider dropping an extra $60 for the Caldwell with Bluetooth it you'll ever use the remote feature.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/169483/caldwell-ballistic-precision-chronograph-g2

For the price it's a better package than the CED. Chronos are pretty simple - a quartz timer and a couple light sensors. A lighting kit (included with the caldwells) is necessary indoors and usually an extra $50-$60.

Outdoors they usually work well if it's overcast, and work well with Sunscreens (the white strips overhead) if the sky is clear. They all struggle to some extent it's cloudy wth moving shadows, and at dawn and dusk.
 
drgrant said:
Are there differences between chronos WRT the amount of light required? My cheap $76 chrony works well but if the lighting outside is variable it gets fussy. I found the best results on overcast days ironically enough.
Click to expand...
OK, that's something I forgot about. The expensive ones may have better optics. The optics don't affect the accuracy, but yes, there can be a difference in the light required. Like Peter points out, the sky screens are needed for clear days and on overcast days you probably don't need them. So long as it's not in the shadow of a no-blue-sky structure at the range, my old, cheap Chrony has never had an issue with lighting so the difference in optics didn't occur to me.
 
drgrant said:
Most chonos are decent, until they eat a bullet :)

I'm not dissing the product just suggesting... use caution when setting them up. Even guys who have used them forever have blown them up by accident. [laugh]
Click to expand...
yeah, it's the reason i don't let anyone shoot over my chrono, i do the shootin'. still going strong after close to 30 years. it's so old the remote is plugged into the machine down range via a cord. hell, bluetooth wasn't invented when i bought it, lol, but still seems to be accurate. i'll retire it soon.
 
it probably better to resurrect this thread than to make a new one.
i got a newer version of this chrono - a $129 ProChrono DLX with bluetooth and it worked pretty nice today on a cloudy day.
with shots placed above the unit it did not miss a single one, 68gr CMP match ammo measured from 2838 to 2877, with most around 2844/55.
tula 55gr measured at 3009 - so it seems to be more or less correct.

major thing is that is is wireless and app on the phone shows the speed after each shot, plus you can download 'strings' it records.
caldwell seems to be garbage based on what some people say, plus, a connection via audio cord is no more possible anyway.
View: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FTJYQ9Z
 
drgrant said:
Most chonos are decent, until they eat a bullet :)
Click to expand...
peterthefish said:
You might consider dropping an extra $60 for the Caldwell with Bluetooth it you'll ever use the remote feature.
Click to expand...

I've got a BT-enabled one, and now I'm considering adding some angled AR500, enough to shield the sensors and electronics but not block the signal.
 
I have it and like it. You can use the newer iPhones or iPads with the earphone adapter.
 

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