I have a Forster CO-AX press Forster BR dies & Forster case trimer. Loads are shotting so I'm happy with progess so far. Which should be my next investment a case & cartridge inspector gauge to check run out wall thinkness ext. or chronagraph. I like 2 of the loads I have worked up but don't know which is giveing me better velocity. I am working on a varmit gun so I looking for best overall performance.

Everyone else will tell you to get a chronograph, but I've always gotta be different!

Get the Casemaster by RCBS. I've ruffled a few feathers over on another forum with my opinions on the use of chronographs for load development (distractions, mere distractions!). I'll pull a little of that text over here to explain why the concentricity gauge is more important than a chronograph:

My own admittedly unconventional point of view is that chrongraphs are not necessary for good load development. While many load development methods are chronograph dependent, I believe excellent results are possible without the data they provide. I actually believe that they can misdirect and distract as often as they direct and enlighten.

Before I arrived at this way of thinking, I spent a fair amount of range time with chronographs, and I've compared my own procedures and results to those of fellow shooters who routinely use chrongraphs.
If the name of the game is shooting small groups at often extreme ranges... well, let me simply say I regularly do it with loads which I have no velocity numbers for...
Many of the OCW loads I've developed I have chronographed, but that was only as a result of questions by folks who wanted to know the velocity.

I haven't yet chronographed my 6.5 x 55 Swede long range load. I'm busy charting its trajectory and recording sight graduations, but as to the actual velocity, I'm not even curious at this point... Heresy?

My philosophy is that even after all of the charting and crunching of numbers, the ultimate determiner of success or failure is on the paper, or in the boiler room of a swiftly killed animal.

Regardless of whether the numbers look good or bad, if a long range load is printing MOA or better at all ranges it will be called on to reach, it is a good load.

Handloaders have been successfully developing excellent loads long before chronographs were commonly available--at least to the average handloader.

It's true that chronograph data can be used to spot a "plateau" in velocity which can often be an indication that you're approaching maximum pressure. That would be good to know, of course. But how many of us continue adding powder until we see the traditional signs of over pressure, i.e. hard bolt lift, case head marks, primer indications, etc.? I think most of us do. Hell, I'll admit that I do...

So, I stake the seemingly lonely position that good load development need not be chronograph dependent.

I believe that a concentricity gauge is a far more essential tool for achieving good results downrange than a chronograph.

Dan Newberry
green 788

I forgot to add that I think it's a good idea to chrongraph the finished load at some point, especially hunting loads. This will give you an idea of the velocity of the finished product, which should (but may not) be indicative of terminal performance.

My thoughts, my opinions...

Dan

If the rifle shoots well at say 200 yards your all set! All the gauges in the world don't make the ammo or aim it.

For the velocity just look in two sources and estimate it. That's close enough.

Doing things right and in a consistant manner is what counts and the rifle will confirm it.

That said a RCBS casemaster is a nice item and far more valuable than a chronograph.

Check that your neck walls are uniform. You can do this with a caliper. If they are not then turn them.

I vote the chronograph.I buy surplus military powder for my hand loads.I'm not guessing at loads when I'm using 25-30 grains of powder.the 25 grain loads are accurate but I can tell that they are lacking velocity.I'm not doing any load developement by the seat of the pants.my brass have been shot 5-10 times so far so they all have extraction marks etc.you'll lose your brass before they wear out anyway.

Tough call, but as far as each piece of gear, I LOVE my CED Millenium chronograph.

Gotta have it for calculating drop charts...I'll also be different and tell you I really like the Sinclair runout tool better than the casemaster.

You've done good with the Co-Ax! It's a great press....

Until you learn what velocities you are really producing and perhaps more importantly, how much deviation your loads are producing, you will never really know just how good the loads are that youve developed. Good groups @ 100 yds are great, but what happens when a you begin shooting longer ranges only to find that the shots arent doing what their supposed to do? In this aspect a chronograph can save countless hours and $ on reloading components. I wish I had my chrony long befroe I got it. It put my load development leaps and bounds ahead of where I would have been without it just by KNOWING whats coming out the end of the bbl with every component change.

Another thing Ive found extremly usefull is to be able to produce test loads on the shooting site. I live in the city, so my approach to this was to get a Lyman Acculine hand held press and take my trailer with all the equipment I needed, one trip this way can be very productive. An hour or two of this whith a chronograph can show a rifles tails that you never knew existed.