I have seen two articles in magazines where professional gun writers 'fessed up about blasting their chronys. Both were shooting pistols. I don't remember the authors names but one was testing a Kimber 45ACP and I don't remember what the other was testing except that it was a short barreled revolver.
I have heard a couple of stories about shotgunners who put their chornys to far from the muzzles with with skeet chokes. The chronys both took a couple of pellet strikes. One of them had the sky screens schredded.
I have never shot through a chrony so I don't have any stories to tell on myself.
Chuck Graber
[This message has been edited by Chuck Graber (edited 02-16-2002).]
Posts: 567 | Location: Kansas | Registered: 02 February 2002
Longbob, Are you shooting a howitzer? I shoot over mine at about 6 feet from the muzzle.
I haven't shot mine yet. The other guys I know who have them haven't shot theirs either. I always shoot from a fully supported position. I've also painted the sky screen rods orange so I can see them through my scope. I also never shoot over it with out the rifle at least being boresighted. This doesn't mean that I will never shoot my chrono. I just mean to say that if you are carefull and don't hurry you will lessen your chances of doing damage.
------------------ Endeavor to Persevere
Posts: 281 | Location: MN | Registered: 27 May 2001
Almost! It is a 458 Lott. After a few shots from my 270 or 7-08 it will give way also. The Chrony is new. The screens seem to slide too easily over the rods in order to adhere.
I always set up my Pact @ 5yds from the muzzle. I then use the balistics data to interpolate the muzzle velocity by adjusting it until the 5yd velocity equals my chrono reading.
Setting up @ 5yds also allows me to set the target so that the line of sight is midway between 5" and 8" above the skyscreens. This is the optimum distance that is reccommended by Pact. I have marked the defuser supports with red electrical tape @ these increments. By checking with a variable scope set to 2x or 3x, these marks can be seen in the field of veiw.
It is kind of a pain in the arse to set up this way, but as long as I follow these proceedures, I think it is unlikely that I will be shooting my skysreens, buuuuuuuuuut, time will tell!
------------------ Life is more exitin' when yer stickin' suppositories inta a wildcats behind!
Posts: 2440 | Location: Northern New York, WAY NORTH | Registered: 04 March 2001
Longbob, the pamplet that came with my Oehler suggest placing a 4'x4'x1/2" piece of plywood with folding legs on the backside, and a 1" slot cut to about mid section, in front of the chronagraph, and shooting through this slot to controll muzle blast.
Don't Know?
Phil
Posts: 1478 | Location: Southern California | Registered: 04 February 2001
I blew one up. It was that cheap red one that unfolds in one unit. Forget the name. Actually I shot it twice, it kept acting up. The second time was after sending it in, I blew the thing up with my 7mag....it was kinda funny looking up from the scope real fast and watching this red blob go flinging thru the air! Lucky for me nobody saw it neither. I bought a Pact and never looked back. sure-shot
Ashamed to admit it but...my Chrony got away from me and I had to put it down. Did it well tough...didn't muff the shot. Straight into the first light sensor with my .500 A-Sq. What a mess! Chrony guts everywhere...
When I called the outfit to see if the machine could be brought back from the dead, the woman who answered the phone sounded like they did it everyday. I upgraded.
I have and luckily it still works. I don't care, as it is a shooting chrony, and you can get the base model (refurbished) for 50 bucks or so. Mine's the base model, but bought brand new. seems like it is a common thing, that's why the companies have "upgrade" services. Kinda funny, you shoot your chrony, knowning all the time that you might shoot the next one, but you get suckered into upgrading in the process!!!
Uhmm, shouldn't the real Q be "How MANY chrono's have you shot?"
I have a habit of trying to measure terminal velocity for BC calculations and such and have popped two at 500 meters (guess I can't shoot!), furthermore a buddy helped with No. 3.
Number four will never move further than 200 meters from the muzzle though...
I've shot the metal bars that hold up the sky screens two seperate times.
At our range, you have 30 minutes to shoot between breaks, so I set up a couple of targets at 100 yards and switch guns a couple of times. One time, I set the Chrony up with the rifle aimed at the top target and then I switched rifles and aimed at the lowest target. Shot right through the metal posts.
When you call Shooting Chrony up and ask for replacements, they do act like they get multiple calls each day with the same request.
Posts: 1430 | Location: California | Registered: 21 February 2001
Guilty Shot one of the defuser up rights with a 9mm pistol and the skyscreens have the odd shotgun pellet in them. Haven't killed anything yet but it's just a matter of time.
quote:Originally posted by Longbob: I haven't hit mine, but the muzzle blast keeps blowing it apart. I set it about 15 feet away. How do you guys keep the sky screens from flying off?
I use KDFs on my overbore cartridges shooting lightweight bullets to keep the muzzle blast from increasing the yaw. Screens 5 feet way don�t wiggle.
You can build a stand with a protective steel (armor) shield for your chrono AND still be able to get your readings without getting up - anyone know how or do I have to tell you?
Posts: 1946 | Location: Michigun | Registered: 23 May 2002
I did!!!!!!! I got a CLEAN kill on my Chrony!! I was testing 500grs. max loads, off hand on approx. 15m, with my 460 WBY. It's no muzzlebreak on the rifle, and the recoil was starting to get quite stiff. I put a nice hole in the frontpanel and the whole thing took off, and after a looooong flight it came down again DEAD! I've bought a new one (i did not get any new one on the warranty, witch I dont understand??) and don't like to use it without a rest after this experience.
------------------ Shoot well, and hit hard.
Arild.
Posts: 736 | Location: In the deep Norwegian woods. | Registered: 22 May 2002
Arild, Did you send it back? The company uses those parts that are salvageable and gives you a credit towards the new Chrony. Or...maybe you hit your Chrony too cleanly?
After killing my PACT lenses by misjudgement of the hight of the scope, I attach a little laser level at the barrel which ensures a fast and save setup.
At xtremeaccuracy they have a voting booth- one topic is our topic: it seems to be easier to hit the chrony than the target.
Posts: 367 | Location: former western part of Berlin, Germany | Registered: 25 August 2001
I don't care what anybody says. The 375 H&H is a good stopping round on a charging chrony! One shot kill. And shot placement wasn't that good. Good hunting. "D"
Posts: 1701 | Location: Western NC | Registered: 28 June 2000
Roger. I can ensure you; there was NOTHING to send back. But I now have a spare -display. I have the type of Chrony with loose display, wire conected. But I'm agree with D Hunter here too; I'm not afraid next time I run into an angry Chrony......I know I can take him!!!!
------------------ Shoot well, and hit hard.
Arild.
Posts: 736 | Location: In the deep Norwegian woods. | Registered: 22 May 2002
Um, let's see, $58.00 will fill a hole in the red shooting chrony left by a .284 cal 140 gr. Barnes X bullet going at 3350 fps. That is all I know about that. Oh, and 230 gr. .45 acp hardball loads will throw the little sky screen wire about 200 feet straight up and 40 yds down range.
I drilled mine about the second time I used it, but I have a good excuse ... really!
Set up the Chrony using my Rem 78 06 and got it reading just fine. Then I switched to my AR-15 with the scope mounted atop the carry handle. So, can you figure out what happened next?
My first shot from the AR drilled straight through the Chrony. What I hadn't anticipated was that with the 06, my bore was only 1.5 inches below the scope. But on the AR, the bore was a good 2.5 inches (or better) below the scope. So when I put the AR crosshairs on the same target, the bullet was actually a good inch lower than from my bolt rifle.
Chrony fixed it right up for something like $20-$25, I believe.
The literature Pact sent with my PC2 specifically warns against using metal shielding due to the back-splatter that can send bullet fragments in your direction at high speed.
I have been splattered by hard cast lead bullets fragmenting on steel falling plates before, so I have first hand experience with the veracity of the idea. However, feel free to bequeath us your ideas - that's what bulletin boards are all about.
YES I did. Funny you should ask, I just got back the parts to fix it up again. I bought plenty of extra's just in case it should happen again......sure hope not.