Going to the range today

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Aqualung

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
823
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Going to try out the new chronograph.

I've re-read my thread with all your tips on how to use the damn thing. I took my .22 rifle to try out before using the big stuff.

I'll let you all know how I make out.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Aqualung
 

Aqualung

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
823
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Overall, had a decent day at the range...even with the couple snags, it was surely better than working ;)

Anyhow, I got everything set up. Luckily, there was a guy at the range who knew about chronographs, so he helped me out a lot and gave me good advice.

Anyhow, I'd brought my .22 bolt rifle, so I could shoot away cheap ammo to get the chrono set up (and not blow away my good, handloaded ammo)

Anyhow, I was getting errors and really wacky info. Then, while sighting through the scope and between the wires, one of the bullets tagged the upright on the right side and bent it up. Well, I went downrange and fixed around at the bar. The front eye was knocked a little catty-wampus, but it was OK when I realigned it.

Something was strange...So, I stepped off to the side of the chrono and sighted in on the target with my .22. I fired 5 shots and none were anywhere near the paper! WTH!!!??? then, I remembered that about 20 years ago, I took the scope off that rife and swapped it with the one on my pump .22. I'd never sighted in the bolt .22!

So, I got out my Enfield No4Mk2. No scope to muck around with and I know where that one hits. I put a shot over the chrono and SUCCESS!!!

It went like clockwork from that point on. I tested in strings of 5 and wrote down the readouts...I know the thing stores the data, but I'd rather work it that way.

In all, I shot the following:
No4Mk2 Enfield - .303 British
No5Mk1 Enfield - .303 British
Savage 99 - .300 Savage
Super Blackhawk - .44mag
Blackhawk - .38spec & .357mag
SP101 - .38spec & .357mag

I had different loads and bullets to try and got a lot of data.

Some interesting things I learned:
- Barrel Length makes a BIG difference. About a 7% difference between the No4 and the No5 (a carbine). Major differences between the 2 1/4" SP101 and 4 5/8" Blackhawk (14% - 25%).
- My .300 Savage loads are very close to Remington Factory in terms of velocity (about 30fps less)
- My .44mag JHP hunting loads are very close to Winchester JSP Factory in terms of velocity (about 45fps less)

Then came one of the snags...

The chronograph developed a strange "flutter". Strangely, it wouldn't work and give me any usable data. The error message isn't in the instruction manual...maybe you can help me troubleshoot

Here's a photo:
0819091655.jpg


yep...

In all prior instances, I was single-action firing my SP101. I had 2 rounds left in the box lof my 125gr JHP loads and figured I'd shoot them over, just to get rid of them and also, just to play more with the chrono. Out of reflex, I double-action fired the last round...and must have pulled it low.

So, that brings me to one more thing I learned...a .358" diameter, 125gr, Jacketed Hollow Point traveling roughly 1200fps will turn a chronograph into a pile of busted-azz parts. :oops: :cry:

Upsides to the session:
- Learned a lot about my handloads
- Got my deer rifle sighted in
- Got my deer handgun sighted in
- had to stop shooting a couple times to let the deer walk through. One time, a doe and fawn, the second, a nice 8+ point and Y-buck bachelor pair, and then a spike came right within 20 feet of me *while I was shooting* and decided to graze right in my shooting lane.
- Now I have something to do at the reloading bench.

So, even with the busted-azz chrono, it was a good day.

Aqualung
 

c.r.

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
436
Location
Texas
OUCH!

Some tips I picked up from this forum are:

Replace the metal uprights with wood. that way if you nick one, it splinters the wood instead of transferring the energy to the chrony unit.

I place black electrical tape on the uprights, i believe it's 5" above the chronograph unit (or whatever distance the manual suggests to shoot above the sensors. I use this as a reference to my line of sight.

I have a piece of string that is cut to the length that the manual suggests the unit be away from the muzzle. I use this to measure the distance from the front of my bench to where I set up the chrony......right or wrong the distance is consistently the same.

I then get the tripod/chrony level, sit down at the bench, and basically sight as if i'm shooting at that black electrical tape, pick the spot on my backstop that is in line with the black tape, then hang my target on that spot. My backstop is 15 yards. I don't shoot over the chrony at distances any further. All shooting is off sandbags.


double check the sighting one last time, to make sure that when i sight on the target that I'm still in line with the black electrical tape.

then test fire on a completely seperate target to make sure that the load is shooting to point of aim at the 15 yds. adjust stights as needed.

Then finally shoot 10 shots of each load over the chrony.

Sounds like a bit of work, but i'm never in a rush when i go to the range, it just becomes part of my routine.

Now i'm not sure if you've given it much thought yet, but I THINK, you can contact chrony and purchase just the "sensors", for a reasonable price. or ship it back to them for repair. I think that's another benifit of having the remote read out, is all the brains are in that remote unit. I'm not sure about this, i just thought I read that and it might be worth looking into.

~c.r.
 

Cherokee

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 21, 2003
Messages
472
Location
Medina, Ohio, USA
Been shooting over Ohler Chron for 25+ yrs, my day is coming and I already have spare sensors. I have a target set up at the end of mine to give me a reference and start out aiming high. Works for me.
 

pvtschultz

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
553
Location
West Allis, WI, USA
I'm sorry, but I about died laughing when I saw the Chrony. I've yet to buy one myself, but I'm sure that will happen to me in short time as well.
 

I_Like_Pie

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
659
Location
Chattanooga, TN
pvtschultz":38mdy83m said:
I'm sorry, but I about died laughing when I saw the Chrony. I've yet to buy one myself, but I'm sure that will happen to me in short time as well.

Yeah...I chuckled a bit too. Couldn't have hit it any more square than that! Yikes.
 

Aqualung

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
823
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
When I did it, it was thet "mixed emotions" thing. Part of me thought it was funny as all hell and the other was ticked at the money the thing cost...

I e-mailed the picture to Shooting Chrony and asked what I should do. They told me that I can buy the housing/eye unit for $50.00. I asked if there was a trade-in and she told me they didn't want to shot up unit.

Aqualung
 
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