Is the third screen necessary or is two sufficient?

Chuck

Depends on what you want to do with the chronograph. If you're just after an average speed over several rounds, a cheapo will certainly do. If you want to see how big the fps swings are with your new handload, you'll want the 35. My growing appreciation that fps swings mean far bigger pressure swings are happening, will lead me to buy a 35 when I return home from overseas. I can imagine that anything from a bug flying by to the odd cloud can distort the reading from time to time. I've always wondered if the fps swings I see are real or glitches. If you have a friend with another cheapie, the two of the them back to back should give you much the same effect, but with the 35, you'll be getting better accuracy since the final reading is based on the time of flight over the outer screens, and the farther the screens are apart, the more accurate will be the timing.

I have a 35 & love it's consitency. I only use 2 screens, no doubt the 3rd would increase accuracy but it's not as portable, cost a bit more too. I'm looking more for final avg. vel. SD is nice but the final word is how any load shoots downrange.

I also have one and just use 2 screens. For my purposes - developing good safe handloads, it works fine with just the 2 screens. I find the average velocity and the SD (standard deviation) the most useful information. There is a good correlation between a low SD and accuracey.

Chuck,

I have the three screen 35, buy it and you are done. It doesnt take hardly anymore time to set up and it all fits in a single guncase. Just dont shoot your screens, it is not hard to do if you start chronoing saboted bullets, or let someone else shoot through it. And beleive me someone else will want to test their load.

HBH

I use the 4' rod and three sky screens with my Oehler 35 and it only takes about 10 more seconds to set up than two screens. The third screen tells you if there is an error that you wouldn't detect with only two screens. I love my 35 and have yet to see an error.

Do you need the printer?

I love the printer because I just staple the tape to the target and can later refer back to that information when determining where to go next. Good shooting.

You don't need the printer, but it saves you from jotting down the results after each shot. I like to save the printed log and post them in my loading notes.

I use the Oehler 35P with 3 screens and it's really added a new dimension to handloading. All my loading notes are now classified "BC" or "AC" (Before-Chrony or After-Chrony) with "BC" being of the dark ages. I kick myself for not having purchased one earlier.

Just bought one with a printer.I have always dreamed of owning one.I trust fellow members that this is the creme de la creme of chronographs.

You will not be disapointed grasshopper . Did you get the printer? I write the avg./sd down after each group. Lets my bbl. cool a bit & one less thing to hook up, buy paper for, etc.

I too waited far too long to buy the Model 35 w/printer & (3) screens. I second what above posts have stated. Bought mine last year on eBay; was like new and saved over $150!!! Maybe just got lucky; but I love it!

I bought an El Cheapo "Chrony", the highest model they had w/ printer. It was a piece of junk in my opinion. I immediately took it back for a refund. It was very, very sensitive to the lighting and when I backed it up to a 35, it proved that the 35 was more forgiving when it comes to light or detection of the bullet about 3 to 1. Also the 35 is available with the 3 screens, which I always use.

As a long range shooter I am very anal about spreads and it is important to get the most accurate reading possible. I would also get the printer. It saves tons of time writing down all of those numbers, when you can just tear it off and staple it to the target for your records. It should be an easy decision to make.