FFP1000,

For quite a few years I used the $600 Oehler brand three-screen chrono. For decades it was considered the best. And it probably still is the best screen-based chrono out there.

But even it would sometimes fail to read in tricky light conditions. If you have to drive a ways to shoot, you NEVER want a failure-to-read situation. And setting up the screens was a bit of a pain in the but. And of course for those who shoot at busy public ranges, it's especially inconvenient to set up screens given the range safety issues and rules.

Thank goodness the MagnetSpeed Chronograph hit the market several years ago followed by the LabRadar. They have both been proven by industry experts like Brian Litz in side-by-side testing of all the top chronos to be at the very top of the heap in terms of accuracy. And their ease of setup and use is truly a game changer.

Both systems take a completely different approach to measuring bullet velocity compared to traditional chronographs and I am so glad they do! Are you ready to ditch that frustrating old chronograph?

-Len-

With the MagnetoSpeed it is not practical to test accuracy simultaneously with velocity, so you often end up shooting twice as many shots. I've heard some argue that the muzzle attachment doesn't change the point of impact, which may be true with some guns, particularly those with beefy barrels. But for a light-barreled sporter, no way I would trust it. Besides, I just don't like anything attached to some of my finer rifles, either.

The LabRadar seems to be an excellent system; but as I do shoot at my own private bench I find the good old Oehler 35 to be exactly what fills the bill for me.

I moved entirely to the LabRadar system, which is an exponential leap forward. You can calculate BCs with it.

I have the MagnetoSpeed, which I use to check velocity in the field, under hunting conditions. I like to shoot long range. It only takes a few shots.

The major drawback of the LabRadar is that it is expensive. And, it doesn't completely like 22 caliber or lower projectiles.

How much does the Magneto Speed cost? I am going to save up for the Lab Radar, but the Magneto Speed is also attractive. Does it work off of batteries?

The magnetospeed runs on batteries. I have used one for a couple of years now with no problems.

thanks for the vote of confidence, impala#3.

I have a version 2 magnetosphere I'll let go for 125 shipped.

I must be a Luddite . . . my $89 Chrony seems to do just fine.

This is nice link for a discussion of chronographs for the "long range shooter".

http://tacticalclassroom.com/w...long-range-shooting/

MagnetoSpeed straps to the end of your barrel and uses electomagnets to measure the speed of bullets. It is extremely accurate and never misses a reading. It is quick and easy to strap on, then push a button or two and you are up and running and measuring muzzle velocity on just about any type of projectile from airguns to .50 cal.

Pros:
•Compact.
•Simple and easy to use.
•Very accurate.
•Never misses a reading (practically).
•Relatively low price, especially the Sporter model which is a real bargain.
•V3 models handles suppressors and large, aggressive brakes well.
•Excellent Battery life.
•No chance of picking up neighbor's shot at a busy range.
•Small company out of Austin, TX with great customer support and warranty.

Cons:
•Uses different size shims to align the bayonet relative to the center of the barrel. This can be a little putzy. Once you have the shims figured out for a given gun attaching the MagnetoSpeed is a snap. Switching between guns can be a hassle though.
•Because MagnetoSpeed attaches to end of barrel, harmonics can be affected causing slight change in point of impact or group size. If you only need mv this is a non-issue.
•Does not work with bows or crossbows.
•Can't attach to some pistols (with long slides for example).
•To pick up airgun projectiles and some small rimfire calibers a sensitivity setting may need to be adjusted which can be a bit tricky.

MagnetoSpeed Sporter

$179.00

The MagnetoSpeed Sporter provides you with the same electromagnetic technology and accuracy as the V3 but at half the price. They trimmed down to the core operating features to be able to offer a more budget friendly alternative for the basic rifle shooter.

The Sporter works on barrels from 1/2 inch up to 1 inch in diameter. It can also accommodate muzzle brakes, flash hiders, etc, up to 2.7 inches in length. Ideal for contoured rifle barrels (sporter barrels) and long-barreled revolvers.

4.8 out of 5 Stars - 5 Customer Reviews

MagnetoSpeed V3

$380.00

The MagnetoSpeed V3 ballistic chronograph kit was designed to be used on barrels and suppressors from 1/2 inch all the way up to 2 inches in diameter. In addition to the larger diameter tolerance, the V3 also has one inch more clearance in the blast zone to account for longer (up to 3" in most cases) muzzle brakes, flash hiders, etc.

It also offers some other feaures the Sporter doesn't, like a better display and 3-button navigation menu, an adjustable sensitivity setting needed for airgun and small rimfire, an sd card for saving and working with data on a computer, and a rapid fire mode.

4.9 out of 5 Stars - 22 Customer Reviews

LabRadar

Doppler radar is known to be extremely accurate and reliable but in the past there were no relatively inexpensive consumer models on the market. Then came LabRadar.

Attach LabRadar to any tripod or the optional Bench Top Mounting Plate and place it next to your weapon, point the LabRadar in the direction of the target, push one button to turn it on and another button to arm it - and shoot. LabRadar is extremely accurate and never misses a reading. The controls are simple and intuitive. You can store data on the unit or use the optional sd card to work with the data on a computer later.

We use LabRadar to verify muzzle velocities for dozens of students during our LRH Shooting Classes each summer in Wyoming and it can be done just so darn easy and with 100% confidence.

Pros:
•Extremely simple to use.
•Very accurate.
•Never misses a reading (practically).
•Handles most suppressors and brakes well.
•Measures most any projectile from airgun to .50 cal.
•Switching between multiple guns requires no adjustment (in most cases).
•Works with bows and crossbows using the optional Archery Trigger Adapter.
•Because nothing touches your gun you can confidently work up loads and check mv at the same time with no chance of it affecting point of impact or group size.
•US Distributor is a small company in Michigan who does a great job with customer support and warranty.

Cons:
•To avoid picking up neighbors' shots at a busy range a sensitiviy setting may need to be adjusted which can be a bit tricky.
•To pick up airgun projectiles, some small rimfire calibers and some suppressed rounds a sensitivity setting may need to be adjusted which can be a bit tricky. (An optional Airgun Trigger Adapter may be needed to pick up the sound of the shot to engage the radar.)
•Uses 6 AA batteries and battery life isn't the greatest. The optional

USB Rechargable Battery Bank is a wise investment.

LabRadar $559.00

I have gone to labradar and not looking back

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
I have gone to labradar and not looking back

Same. And I have most of them. Shooting crony, Caldwell, magnetospeed, ohler 35P, etc. Nothing beats the simplicity and features of the lab radar.

the ease of use is amazing .. alone, on my lease, or at a busy range.. sure, it has quirks to figure out ... but so does everything else -- i love mine, easy and fast to use, get batteries, but hey, do you know what 6xAA? well, 6*1.5v =9V .. more of a hassle to change 6 than one... there, there's one negative about it... it takes longer to change batteries than a shooting chrony --

i just take the batteries out, anyway

j

I have a Magnetospeed and love it. I also have a Shooting Chrony and a PACT both of which are a pain and very time consuming to set up at my very busy public range.
Some rifles the POI changes---some don't. I had to change the sensativity to a higher one to get readings for a .22 LR.
The Magneto's strap sucks--it is stitched together with cotton thread. Mine tore and I had to have it resewn by a shoemaker. Also you have to follow directions to tighten the strap or the unit will eventually fall off the barrel with heavier recoiling rifles.
Shimming the unit----simple! Thin barrels---THICK spacer. Heavy Barrels-----THIN spacer.
The Sportsman model can't be used with rifles with tubular magazines.

Hip

I'm doing a lot of load testing for subsonics. I went with a Magnetospeed V3 and am quite pleased with it. I do sometimes have to adjust the sensitivity when shooting cast bullets but that is easily done.

There is a frequent shooter on the same range using a Lab Radar and it is quite impressive. He had been using a Magnetospeed V2 and did a side-by-side comparison for accuracy and found them nearly identical.

Not having to dink around with screen set-up and clouds/shadows is nice. I've gotten pretty good at switching the strap mount arrangement from gun to gun. If there is POI shifts I can't detect it at the 50 and 100 yard shooting I'm doing with my subsonic stuff.

So to sum it up, I'm very pleased with the Magnetospeed V3.

So how are they at measuring pressure?

quote:

Originally posted by Ray B:
So how are they at measuring pressure?

None of them measure pressures, they measure velocities.

I bought a PACT 1 in 2015 because I got tired of waiting for the LabRadar to come out. My old PACT 1 from 1984 gave up the ghost in 2014. The new PACT has been faultless since I bought it.

Does Labradar work in an indoor range??

I have just sent an email to them, but would like to hear from anyone who has used one indoors.

Fjold,
By knowing velocity, and the science of the calculus, you can integrate up to pressure, power and work done.

Saeed,
Since it is s doppler radar it only "sees" moving targrets. It will work wonderfully indoors.Have a happy shoot sir,

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Does Labradar work in an indoor range??

I have just sent an email to them, but would like to hear from anyone who has used one indoors.

Saeed: Indoor, I use "low power setting". Sometimes, you can have some reflections or whatever, but I always set it working very well. I will never look back for anything else. It is triggered by "shooting sound", so if somebody close to you is shooting too, you can set lower sensitivity. It will not be triggered by air rifle at its own, so you need to buy "external microphone" for triggering it (it is just an accessory). There is also accessory for working with bows. I just use bow accessory for air rifles too, mounting it somewhere close to the muzzle of air rifle (not on rifle).

Jiri

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
the ease of use is amazing .. alone, on my lease, or at a busy range.. sure, it has quirks to figure out ... but so does everything else -- i love mine, easy and fast to use, get batteries, but hey, do you know what 6xAA? well, 6*1.5v =9V .. more of a hassle to change 6 than one... there, there's one negative about it... it takes longer to change batteries than a shooting chrony --

i just take the batteries out, anyway

j

I just use a rechargable battery and use the supplied USB. The kind you buy to charge your phone on the road or I just use 20V dewalt batteries with the little Dewalt USB adaptor and it works good.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Does Labradar work in an indoor range??

I have just sent an email to them, but would like to hear from anyone who has used one indoors.

Saeed we have a newer range in town that I went and shot at. It was quite similar to how your range looks like. It is in a basement of a gunstore and you are shooting down a 100 yard concrete tube. I could not get my lab radar to work for some reason. It was quite new to me then so maybe I had something set up wrong. But I have yet to try it again there. Everywhere else it has worked great.

Don 't know if LabRadar will work indoors.

To get mine to work, the bore needs to be quite close the unit - within inches to the side. It's ok, no harm comes to the unit.

Also, remember that the position of the unit is where "muzzle velocity" is calculated.

Haven't tried indoors, there's few ranges that can absorb my normal calibers.

I haven't had issue at all with alignment, especially when i am at the lease - i just place it reasonably behind me, aimed at the target, slightly offset from my shooting position ... REALLY easy

Saeed, I have a 23 yard shooting range in my basement. I used my Labradar to develop a subsonic load for a 308 bolt action with a silencer. We fiddled with the position of the radar unit and increased the sensitivity and got it to function properly. Found a good load by increasing the weight of Trail Boss powder until we reached just subsonic velocity.

quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
Fjold,
By knowing velocity, and the science of the calculus, you can integrate up to pressure, power and work done.

Too many variables. To calculate the pressure you'd have to know the exact cross section of the upset bullet base, the gas leakage, the expansion rate of the gases, the friction coefficients of the barrel and bullet, etc. Also how each of these vary with different pressures in the barrel, different temperatures, etc.

Saeed, I would defer to the vendor on your question about indoor ranges. The EU version is supposed to be low transmit power only. I do not know if this will work indoors. The trigger sensitivity can be changed and that may be necessary for indoor use if there are multiple shooters. If the backstop is steel, reflections may limit the distance over which the unit can track and compute velocity. Outdoors, I can track a .375 well past 100m.

I have an old Ohler and a pro-chrony..actually I like the prochrony as Ive compared the two for accuracy and they have always been very close..

The prochrony is a $150 give or take $25.00s...I use it more than the Ohler these days as its way more handy..

The little red box chrony is so light and shadow sensitive that it wastes a lot of time and ammo IMO..

quote:

prochrony

Ray, is that the "shooting Chrony" [F1, alpha, beta, etc.] or the Digital Electronics "ProChrony"? I've used both and found both reliable though neither are 100% problem free.

When I have time at a range I set up two chronographs one behind the other. Usually they are very close, with one typically about 20 fps different from the other. This adds confidence when those occasional readings occur of +200fps for no apparent reason. If the other chrono remains as expected. also, I sometimes find one chrono missing a reading while the other keeps on producing reliable readings.

This doesn't work so well if others are on the range at the same time because I usually have to walk out 20 ft. to see the second reading or else move about 3-4 positions down the bench row to view the reading from the side.

DE ProChrony I use it at 12 ft. walk to read it but I have the read out just don't usually go to the trouble to use it..Im really happy with it..It light and handy easy to haul, but mostly I shoot out my shop door so leave it on the tripod and covered with a sheet..It works everytime and is super accurate for a $150. gizzmoe...

prochrony isn't a shooting chrony

quote:

I have a version 2 magnetosphere I'll let go for 125 shipped.

Mac

Thanks for selling me the unit Mac!
Perfect for getting velocities out on BLM "multi-use" land.

quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
Saeed,
Since it is s doppler radar it only "sees" moving targrets. It will work wonderfully indoors.Have a happy shoot sir,

Thank you.

Labradar does not work indoors - at least that is what they told me themselves.

Magnetospeed has been a bit of a hit and miss with us here, so our original Oehler is still tops.

Works day in day out.

We have tried practically every other chrono on the market, nothing works as well in our indoor range.

Geeze...guess my 35P is obsolete, eh? Anyone need one?

I have a Competition Electronics model and it's worked really well so far. You can get a Bluetooth adapter for your phone so you don't have to walk up to it to change strings or something. Worked well so far and was less than $100, so I have more money for ammo!

Labradar looks nice. I'd consider it.

I've had the ProChrono Plus since 98. Works great. My replacement would be the ProChono USB. I think the Plus is now called the Pal. The USB feature feeds a laptop and does most of the math. Obviously not BC.

I've shot ammo at 100 yards and figured scope adjustment for 1k with it and hit an 8 for my first sighter.