I started to reload ammo in the 60's - quit for about 25 years - and now have started again. I used to take the numbers in the Lyman reloading manual as gospel ..(only had one book) and now that I am working from several books, new bullets, calibers, and powders, I find that the numbers are different from manual to manual Looks like I should be working up loads with a chronograph and get my own numbers- (chronographs were not available in the 60's) My question:who makes the best, most accurate unit ? - I see several on the market out there .. Thanks - MPB

Oheler 35; I have one since 1998 and I'm very satisfied. I believe that a chronograph is a must have for a serious reloader. - Lorenzo

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who makes the best, most accurate unit ?

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Dr. Oehler's latest and greatest, the model 35, with or without the printer. And it's because they have those wonderful patent-protected sky screens. I have yet to hear of anyone ever trading in their Oehler for some other brand. My 35 and 43PBL, which use the identical sky screens, catch every bullet, even the 50 grain 22-250's going almost 4000fps.
And I never have to wait for optimum light conditions to do my shooting; bright noonday sun or cloudy and overcast. I will admit that I do have to blacken the tiny, highly polished bullets from Nosler to avoid the 'glint' problem. But I would imagine that's a problem for any brand. Most of my varmint and target bullets are moly coated anyway, so that problem is moot most of the time.

Unlike some other brands which stick the whole unit out in harms way, only the easily and cheaply replaced sky screens go in front of the muzzle. You'd be surprised how many posters to this forum have 'Texas heart shot' their Chronys!

Three or four years ago, my wife bought me an Oehler 35P and I am very pleased with it.

It is hard to fault an Oehler but I would also take a look at the various model Chronys. I have used several and compared them right along beside the Oehler. Accuracy is outstanding and you can't beat the price.

I think most units on the market today are within a % or two each other in accuracy. I have a Pact M1 and had a old shooting crony that seemed to read about 10 fps of each other or better when set back to back. The crony went when I wasn`t paying attention and took out the unit with one well placed shot from my 45.
The extra price you pay gets better sensors (maybe), and more features, balistic calulators, ect.

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Originally posted by MarkP:
I started to reload ammo in the 60's - quit for about 25 years - and now have started again. I used to take the numbers in the Lyman reloading manual as gospel ..( Thanks - MPB

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Dear Bewildered: Had you a chrono back when using the Lyman book, you'd have discovered that their velocities weren't gospel, either!

Oehler makes the best affordable chrono, no doubt about it. But the "Shooting Chrony"'s are very serviceable, a lot cheaper, and much easier to carry around and set up! I have both an Oehler and a BETA Chrony, and use the Chrony almost exclusively these days! It sets up in five minutes, and is as accurate as the Oehler. It just has a smaller area that you have to shoot through, but at ten feet that's easy!

The electronic guts of any chronograph are very inexpensive, and extremely accurate. They're all referenced to a crystal controlled clock for timing, so the main variable in accuracy is the spacing of the sensors.

I use Shooting Chrony. With that brand, you have to do your chronographing on days that are bright enough that you can see the shadow of the tripod. If I do that, mine practically never misses a shot. Plus, it is very convenient to set up and use, and the repeatability on it is super... that fourth digit it reads is really meaningful.

If I were looking for a new one, I'd probably take a look at the CED, because it has an optional LED light source, that allows indoor chronographing.

The Oehler 35P that I have is an excellent product. The only thing that I have a problem with is recording the data. It does print out a little paper tape but I have so many of them that I have not kept up with organizing the results. As I understand it the Millenium will put the data right into your laptop?

I intended to buy a CED Millenium and just when I was ready to order it a friend came up with the 35P at a good price.

This is about the only problem I have with the Oehler.

As mentioned above the 35P is a little cumbersome to set up. On the other hand it comes with two tripods which are excellent for the sharp grade in front of our firing line. Also the two supports reduce the chances that muzzle blast will knock the alignment of the screens off.

Perhaps someone will post the prices of the CED Millenium and the 35P side by side. I know you said you wanted the "best" but they are not the same even if the prices were similar.

I have had a "chronograph" since the late 1950's. I made a ballistic pendulum and they work! Then I got a Accuchron in the 60's. I kept up with the data from that one as it was so slow to change the metalized screens that I wrote everything down. Since I got the Pact thats now replaced by the Oehler I do have many records and much to memory but as I say I want the CED Millenium now. Oh heck I just want everything.

CED

Oehler

I looked at just the Oehler price on the site above and what I have would cost $395 from them.

As to the CED "dumping" data I am not sure how easy or fool proof this is. For instance I am not sure I would want to leave my laptop which costs big $$$$ on the bench while I blast away.

The bottom line is that I just had a good discussion with myself and I am keeping the 35P.

My first chrongraph was a Schmidt-Weston,(circa 1975). I still have it, but it doesn't work anymore. It was extremely crude by todays standards, but it did what it was supposed to do, read velocities. Thats ALL it did! No storing of strings, no calculation of ES or SD.

I had a Oehler 35 for a while, it was a very reliable unit. Now I have a Pact model 1 that does all I want from a chronograph. Of course if I ever win the lotto, I will have a Oehler 43 with the pressure tester strain guages and 100 yd sonic sensors for flight time an BC readings! Yeah dream on!

The millenium sounds like a good unit. I'd look into one if I didn't already have the pact.

As Denton says, the "guts" of all of them are essentially the same, and are cheap, accurate, and reliable. The difference comes in the screens. Oehler has always been the most dependable and consistent, but their competitors are fine IF the light is right. The new technology CED may be superior to the Oehler, but I can't say.

By the way, the Oehler is so dependable that I didn't bother to buy the proof (middle) screen. If you have a mistake with the Oehler, you're going to know it without the proof screen. The most common source of error (other than mismeasuring screen spacing) is setting the start screen too close to the muzzle and having the shock wave preceeding the bullet trip the start screen, thus giving you a false slow reading. I had this happen just last week, and amazingly enough, the three shots that registered with "false" trips showed velocities within 50 fps of each other and 1700 fps slower than the actual velocity. Moving the screens four feet further away cured the problem.

I wouldn't recommend spending money on "bells and whistles" like memory and fancy calculating functions. You need to write down each shot on paper as soon as you record it, otherwise your going to forget what it is that your chronograph is remembering!

Thanks guys.. all information appreciated .. you have given me enough to chew on for awhile .. mpb

Here's the ad for crony http://chrony.ca/

They are right about light conditions with the crony,but I have as almost as much in the cheapest tripod I coulf find as I do in a rebuilt F-1.You have to work your way through their site to find it.

Buy a rebuilt Crony it will be around $50. When you shoot it (and you will) they will replace it for around $30. A great read only memory is a pencil and a piece of paper. For the majority of us and the number of shots we fire S.D. and such is not of much value.
Good luck1

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Originally posted by hawkins:
Buy a rebuilt Crony it will be around $50. When you shoot it (and you will) they will replace it for around $30. Good luck1

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I suppose that as long as I use a chronograph, the possibility is there to shoot one. But I have been using these gadgets since about 1965, and haven't shot one yet - knock on wood!

Friend of mine let me use his while I was standing with out any rest. Perhaps he was just thinking about an upgrade or something.

My beta chrony went back to the factory three times. Very picky about it's light and some days when light was to my best guess perfect it still decided to with hold all numbers. My busy schedule will not tolerate equipment that does not perform. I got a oeler P35 and have not looked back.

El Deguello: Since nature distributes things in a "Bell Shaped" curve. It is people such as myself that make people such as you posible.
Good Luck!