marko@hutch (Mark O'Shea) (06/19/91)
Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply to my request for info on chronographs. Based on what I have heard from all of you, I am leaning toward the timer/chrono package. I'll have to smuggle it into the house, however ;-). Maybe in a Pampers box? BTW, I belong to more than one gun club-different interests. Last week at the club where I shoot sheet, one of the guys had a chronograph with a home made sky screen rig. Seems he sustained some major structural damage to his original factory rig ;-). Anyway, he had a 2x4 3' long and the sky screens were mounted into it. He used a drill and a router to make the mounting slots. The frames for the shooter to aim thru were coat hangers bent square over the sky screens. The whole thing was set upon a wood tripod made from broomsticks. I will be losing my access to the net on the 21st of June. I may be back, it depends who I hire out to-such is the life of a mercenary ;-). Thanks again. A summary follows. Gun Control Means Being Able to Hit Your Target Mark O'Shea ---- There are only two problems with a Chrony: 1) The electronics are down range, so if you screw up the repair is an expensive proposition! With more expensive chronographs, the sensors are down range but the electronics are up-range, so repairs aren't too bad. And, you *WILL* need to do repairs eventually. Especially if you are going to chronograph shotguns :-) 2) Reports are that as the batteries wear down the Chrony reports *higher* than actual speeds. This could spell disaster when you show up at a match and discover you really have a minor load. Of course, the easy solution is to use fresh batteries! With fresh batteries, we've found a Chrony to report the same speeds as the Competition Electronics combination timer/chronograph. If you are going to buy the timer anyway, then the chronograph addition is the better way to go. If you already have a timer, or are planning to buy one, I consider the Competition Electronics version to be the best buy. Hal Berenson ------ My guess is you would be dissatisfied in a short time. I bought an Oehler model 33 to work up maximum handgun loads a number of years ago and am now using it in ways I had never forseen. When I bought an S&W .44 spl with a 3" barrel I checked the existing factory loads (Silvertips and the Federal SWC-HP) to see how mush better they were than the round nosed loads. I was disappointed to find out how slow they were really going. I pulled some of the factory bullets and worked up loads from existing data for other bullets of the same weight to see if I could reach their design velocity and still have reasonable accuracy. Accuracy deteriorated long before I could approximate the factory claimed velocity and there was no need to guess at the velocity. This BTW was not an inexpensive experiment. ------- When I decided to purchase a chronograph I thought long and hard to decide between the PACT and the Oehler. Also being an IPSC shooter the features of the PACT appealed to me and I chose that model. I beleive a person is better off with one of the quality units. Anyway, all of my chronographing seems to center on IPSC shooting. Obviously I want to know the power factor. I spent a long time fine-tuning loads for different duties. When I started using a 38 Super the chrono became even more valuable. Almost as valuable as the chrono is a good ballistic program. When I wanted to develope a light load for shooting steel with the .38 Super I could go chrono loads with each and then plug the results into the computer to come up with a light load which would be accurate to 50 yds and not require me to change my sights. Likewise for certain clubs who run falling plate events, I knew that a light .45 load I had just barely took down the plates. Knowing the velocity on these loads I could develope .38 Super loads with similar knock-down power. Don't even get me started on using the chrono with my rifles. :-) In short, I rely on it so much I can't emagine reloading without it. If your considering the PACT unit and you combine all the above with the indespensability of the timer, you have an unbeatable combination. If I were *only* buying a chrono I may have gone with the Oehler. If your an IPSC shooter who does much practice, I strongly recommend the PACT. BTW, I havn't tried it with the shotgun yet. John Gayman, WA3WBU | UUCP: uunet!wa3wbu!john ----- There are a number of chronographs out there. Mainly, the differences are the number of features provided, and COST. I myself use a Shooting Chrony for my needs. Since I can run a calculator and use a pen, I find this INEXPENSIVE tool very useful and accurate enough for my needs. As far as accuracy is concerned, all available offer enough accuracy for even the perfectionist. Although, the further the distance between sky screens may mean potential for more accuracy. I would recommend the Shooting Chrony to anyone. Since it costs only $80, it can be a cheap stepping stone to any of the more advanced models. If you want statistical information, buy a $15 Sharp scientific calculator. It is compact, easy to operate, automatic reset between shots, and combined with a good tripod, easy to adjust. One warning though - If you test shotshells or load HOT ammunition, cover the LCD panel with a 1/2 - 3/4 " thick piece of clear acetate/plexiglass to protect against the wads and disintegrating bullets (From experience). Chrony offers some unique servicing for the units. A new LCD panel costs $25, and a direct hit costs $65 (?) - just send them the remains ! +------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | John Jenkins | '89 Katana 1100 | | Rochester, New York | | | Computer Consoles, Inc. | | | Email : jnj@ccird2.cci.com | "A man's got to know his limitations"| +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ The problems I've encountered with the Crony are too small screens and it seems to be overly sensitive to lack of sunlight. At midday the one I used was fine but would have been nice to have a bigger window to shoot through. Later in the day I had trouble getting it to work and the only thing that had changed was the suns position. We moved it around to get more light and it helped. The unit I used was new and in good shape. Dillon has an offer right now for a Pact for $219.00. From what I know of it thats a good price. Also, there are some neat accessorys for the Pact. I don't have the catalog with me but as I recall they will sell crono and timer for something like $360.00. If your seriously considering this it might be a good idea to check with Dillon for exact prices. It struck me as being a very good deal. Hope that helps. --Steve Midway has a deal on a Pact chronograph this month - the electronics box with case, screens and mounting bar for the sensors for $179, about $40 savings. I got one, and it's pretty nice. My only wish would be for a serial port interface of some kind, so that I could download all the results to computer and digest them there. Good luck, drc