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Best entry level chrono
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I'm looking for an inexpensive chronograph. I want to spend 120 max. I dont need any fancy calculation capabilities or options. I just want a basic chrono that is easy to use. It would be nice if I could read the velocity and operate the chrono from the bench without having to get up.
 
Posts: 428 | Location: Bozeman, MT | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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Picture of 17rem
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F-1 Shooting Chrony
Look on Midway,I got mine there, they had the best price i could find at the time.


Religion is for those who fear hell, Spirituality is for those who have been there...
 
Posts: 43 | Location: e.WA | Registered: 26 December 2004Reply With Quote
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I agree about the F-1 starting out. I got the printer also. Just more convient that writting everything down for me.
 
Posts: 330 | Location: Picayune, Ms | Registered: 03 May 2002Reply With Quote
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I'd go for a prochrony, the F1 is altogether too light sensitive and will drive you nuts IMO...very little difference in price...


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 42158 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Yes the ProChrono from Competion Electronics works great,Is that the one your talking about Ray? Have shot thousands of fast rounds,with big bullets, through mine and no trouble.Should be able to get for less than a $100


MZEE WA SIKU
 
Posts: 27742 | Registered: 03 February 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
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Dang hubel that must be a great chrony...cause mine quit working right after my friend shot 1 round of 308 right thru mine... Roll Eyes


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10134 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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I am not an expert on the subject, but have been using a ProChrono for 3 years and in that time have had maybe 2-3 bad readings. It does not seem to be sensitive to light conditions. Mine is the plain jane model so I read the display with binoculars and write them down. I think I paid $70 from ArmsandAmmo.com.
 
Posts: 1095 | Location: Idaho | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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I have been pretty disappointed with my recent F1 purchase. I shoot to the north at the range I shoot at the awning shades the area where the crony sits. I can tell you the thing doesn't work far more than works. It pretty much sucks so far.


in times when one needs a rifle, he tends to need it very badly.....PHC
 
Posts: 1755 | Location: slc Ut | Registered: 22 December 2002Reply With Quote
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CC, I have felt your frustrations!!! Sometimes taking the "sunshades" off and just shooting thru the rods helps.....have you tried that? Another trick is to take a SHARPIE or MAGIC MARKER and color the bullets black!!!! It would be nice to just set one up and shoot and not worry whether it was going to work from 17HMR to .458Winchester!!! The problems someone mentioned with a BIG caliber haven't been a problem!!! It's the little fast, speed demons(17, 204, various .224's that are humping it!!!) that give the most problems with no reading and changing light conditions!! GHD


Groundhog Devastation(GHD)
 
Posts: 2495 | Location: SW. VA | Registered: 29 July 2002Reply With Quote
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I have to chime in and echo the posts of popenman and hubel458. I used one of the Prochronos from Competition Electronics for a couple of years and was very impressed by its' reliablity and consistency with bullets from .22lr to .44 mag. and centerfire rifles from .223 up through my 30-06. Can be found for around $100 and seem to be a little better designed than the Chronys. i am going to be getting another one soon, since a buddy either borrowed or bought mine a few years back....


Bullets are pretty worthless. All they do is hang around waiting to get loaded.
 
Posts: 515 | Location: kennewick, wa | Registered: 18 May 2004Reply With Quote
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Picture of jeffeosso
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shooting chrony RECONDITIONED f-1, 50 bucks, all day, every day

scroll down to product 105.

http://www.shootingchrony.com/products_SCMMCM.htm

that's the best entry level, and when you figure out the simple rule "put the screens on EVERY time unles it's not' reading, then take them off" you'll have great results...

and, for 10 bucks, you can replace the wires and screens... so WHEN (this is not a question) you shoot them, you can replace them.

here's a trick... aim JUST BELOW the shade, not just about the box and RTFM!

jeffe


opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club

Information on Ammoguide about
the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR
What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR.
476AR,
http://www.weaponsmith.com
 
Posts: 39632 | Location: Conroe, TX | Registered: 01 June 2002Reply With Quote
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Totally off topic, but 17rem, I love your sig:


quote:
Religion is for those who fear hell, Spirituality is for those who have been there...


Absolutely!!!


********************************
A gun is a tool. A moron is a moron. A moron with a hammer who busts something is still just a moron, it's not a hammer problem. Daniel77
 
Posts: 1275 | Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Registered: 02 May 2002Reply With Quote
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I'll tell you what I have found, and some may disagree with me.

I have shot the same load, same components, same day and time through a Chrony, Pact and Oehler and the biggest difference or spread was less than 5fps.

I may be using an Oehler, but that was a gift and if I had to buy one myself I would get the Chrony from what my experience shows.

IMO, the only difference is the bells and whistles that come with the more expensive models.

If you can calculate std dev, avg. vel, etc. with a cheap scientific calculator, you really don't need the expensive models.
 
Posts: 265 | Location: Bulverde, Texas | Registered: 08 February 2005Reply With Quote
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Another vote for the Prochrono . My experience is limited to one Chrony , belonging to a friend , and it is a frustrating bastard .

With that experience , I bought a ProChrono for less than $100 . The only shot it has ever missed is .17 caliber bullets at around 4000 fps in a shaded area. Put it in some sunlight and it picks those up too .
 
Posts: 1660 | Location: Gary , SD | Registered: 05 March 2001Reply With Quote
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Mike D--The only time I hit any part of
the rig was when a 400 gr bullet unglued and
parts of jacket hit the rods.Using BB hard
brass and reading 3400.And I only
planned on shooting 3
of these loads, came apart on third.In all my wild hairy load testing and
shooting I have angled iron block in front of
chrono.Oh and mine has tested hundreds
of arrows and paintballs also.Ed.


MZEE WA SIKU
 
Posts: 27742 | Registered: 03 February 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Reloader
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I've got the F-1 and the Pro-Chrono. I like the F-1 much better. The f-1 is more compact and fits into my range bag much better and It is mnade from metal instead of plastic.

I have more trouble getting a reading from the PC in shaded areas than from the F-1. I get far more error readings on the PC. The PC is a fine chrono in well lighted areas and it has more feature than the F-1 but, I really can't say it's any better by any means.

If you want a good chrony for a low price , get an F-1.

Good Luck!

Reloader
 
Posts: 4146 | Location: North Louisiana | Registered: 18 February 2004Reply With Quote
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The PACT #1 has been a good unit for me; never missing a shot, same load different weather/lighting repeatability and it does a good job with shotguns up close as well.....

BigRx
 
Posts: 208 | Location: Idaho Rockies | Registered: 25 December 2004Reply With Quote
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Picture of fredj338
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Don't bother w/ an entry level chrono, you'll jsut end up buying what you should have up front. For $200, you can get an Oehler 35. I have a PACT & while servicable, it's not 100% reliable. I have yet to get a bad reading w/ my Oehler regardless of light quality. Nothing more frustrating than heading to the range w/ a bunch of loads to test & having to retest later because your "other" chrono doesn't like the light. Frowner


LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT!
 
Posts: 7752 | Location: kalif.,usa | Registered: 08 March 2001Reply With Quote
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The ProChrono is great... I've had mine for about 8 or 10 yrs now and never had a problem except when my buddy launched a bullet THRU it instead of OVER it (it's life expectancy is much less when you do that), hehe

I think it was $99 and it works every time.


.22 LR Ruger M77/22
30-06 Ruger M77/MkII
.375 H&H Ruger RSM
 
Posts: 863 | Location: Mtns of the Desert Southwest, USA | Registered: 26 February 2004Reply With Quote
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