Chronographing Standard and Pet Loads
Chronographing Standard and Pet Loads
Have any of you fellas chronographed your loads to see how close they are to published info from the bullet makers given similar conditions? Or do you do the same as myself and go on blind faith how many feet per second the load runs?
Deacon in the Church of the Mighty Krag. Member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals). Liberty Works Radio
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butlersrangers
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Re: Chronographing Standard and Pet Loads
I believe the Reloading Manuals and powder manufacturers data.
They have way better equipment and expertise, than I do.
The important issue for me is how a load groups on the target and that it does not exceed Krag chamber pressures.
I enjoy economical shooting, not conducting 'lab experiments'.
I don't want to carry more crap to the Range, especially stuff that distracts and takes attention away from shooting basics.
If I owned a chronograph, it would probably get shot or get corroded from neglected leaking batteries.
Paper target doesn't care how hard or fast it's hit!
They have way better equipment and expertise, than I do.
The important issue for me is how a load groups on the target and that it does not exceed Krag chamber pressures.
I enjoy economical shooting, not conducting 'lab experiments'.
I don't want to carry more crap to the Range, especially stuff that distracts and takes attention away from shooting basics.
If I owned a chronograph, it would probably get shot or get corroded from neglected leaking batteries.
Paper target doesn't care how hard or fast it's hit!
Re: Chronographing Standard and Pet Loads
A few weeks back, a guy showed me a Garmin Xero chronograph, a little gizmo about the size of a flip-phone that has fold-out legs, sits on the bench next to you, and gives a digital readout of bullet velocity. Must work like a radar. Cost about $600. Not cheap, but pretty amazing. He was chronographing different brands of .22 Long Rifle very high speeds and comparing group sizes. Pushing a couple of tiny buttons gave mean & SD of each group he shot. Has a place for a wire thingy to hook it up to your cell phone or laptop. I'm not a digital geezer, don't know many details. The guy said his kids gave it to him last Christmas. I've got a plastic tree that sits on a table. That gizmo would look pretty good under my tree.
Our range is close to the ocean. We use a sand dune for a backstop. Last summer, we were shooting 22 LR at 200 yards. Difficult to see bullet holes. Another guy came up with a cell phone camera that he mounted on a tripod. For stability, we buried half the tripod in the sand, pointed the camera at the target. Had a remote link to the guy's laptop on the next bench. Showed the bullet holes very well. If you looked at just the right time and didn't blink, you could see the bullet hit the target. I'm impressed.
Our range is close to the ocean. We use a sand dune for a backstop. Last summer, we were shooting 22 LR at 200 yards. Difficult to see bullet holes. Another guy came up with a cell phone camera that he mounted on a tripod. For stability, we buried half the tripod in the sand, pointed the camera at the target. Had a remote link to the guy's laptop on the next bench. Showed the bullet holes very well. If you looked at just the right time and didn't blink, you could see the bullet hit the target. I'm impressed.
Re: Chronographing Standard and Pet Loads
I have been reloading for 50 years and have a library of reloading manuals, modern and vintage. I keep the outdated vintage manuals to find data on vintage cartridges for vintage rifles.
Using published data will usually keep you safely enough in the ball park. If you compare the "same" load data published in three different reloading handbooks you usually see variations in the data. Sometimes big differences.
I have learned to use a chronograph to verify the results of the ammunition I have assembled. Something that is often overlooked when selecting reloading data in manuals, are the variables in the components and firearms used by the published charts. With just a single powder selection with different brands of brass, primers, bullet configurations (same weight), firearm action and barrel lengths will produce some wide variations in bullet velocities. Test to verify.
For those reasons I like to use a Chronograph to verify the results when developing and testing handloaded ammunition. My choice for many years has been the small portable digital "Chrony" instrument. Still available. Not too expensive, takes some time to set up the alignment in front of the muzzle. Tripod mounted and battery powered. Never liked the Press this, hold that, instructions about features I never could figure out. But it provides reliable velocity data, is readable and I only damaged it once when a .30 Cal gas check came off from a Krag round and it hit the display. Lesson learned there.
The latest chronograph technology for shooters and reloaders uses radar to measure velocities. Several brands have been available for a few years. With mixed reviews. Size of the equipment (large), mounting and setup and price being drawbacks expressed.
Waterman just mentioned the "Garman" chronograph that has been available for about three years. Simple, small, easy to use but with a $600 price tag. Recently another devise has been introduced by Athlon to compete with the Garman. The Athlon Rangemaster retails for $300. Very similar to the Garman design in size, shape and set up. I expect to receive one soon. Amazing technology.
Jeff The Caterpillar man
Using published data will usually keep you safely enough in the ball park. If you compare the "same" load data published in three different reloading handbooks you usually see variations in the data. Sometimes big differences.
I have learned to use a chronograph to verify the results of the ammunition I have assembled. Something that is often overlooked when selecting reloading data in manuals, are the variables in the components and firearms used by the published charts. With just a single powder selection with different brands of brass, primers, bullet configurations (same weight), firearm action and barrel lengths will produce some wide variations in bullet velocities. Test to verify.
For those reasons I like to use a Chronograph to verify the results when developing and testing handloaded ammunition. My choice for many years has been the small portable digital "Chrony" instrument. Still available. Not too expensive, takes some time to set up the alignment in front of the muzzle. Tripod mounted and battery powered. Never liked the Press this, hold that, instructions about features I never could figure out. But it provides reliable velocity data, is readable and I only damaged it once when a .30 Cal gas check came off from a Krag round and it hit the display. Lesson learned there.
The latest chronograph technology for shooters and reloaders uses radar to measure velocities. Several brands have been available for a few years. With mixed reviews. Size of the equipment (large), mounting and setup and price being drawbacks expressed.
Waterman just mentioned the "Garman" chronograph that has been available for about three years. Simple, small, easy to use but with a $600 price tag. Recently another devise has been introduced by Athlon to compete with the Garman. The Athlon Rangemaster retails for $300. Very similar to the Garman design in size, shape and set up. I expect to receive one soon. Amazing technology.
Jeff The Caterpillar man