[1badmagnum]

anyone have any experience with shooting chrony's,compared to pact oehler etc?

 

[Jack Monteith]

I've got an old F-1 Chrony, works. It's not an Oehler, but it's price competive. I won't mind having a Master with the remote readout. Usually I set up 10 ft. from the muzzle and I can read it from there, but some fireball powders and black powder will trigger the sensors at 10 ft if it's getting dark. So sometimes I set up at 20 ft., eyestain distance. One time the Chrony quit when I was shooting the flinter. Found a patch sitting on the rear sensor.

Whether you buy a Chrony or an Oehler, first thing you do is round up 3-5 .22 rifles & a box of Long Rifle and put 10 rounds from each over your unit. Very educational. When you set up, run a few .22s over your unit before you start popping Noslers. Sometimes you have a bad battery or a bad setup. If possible, set up so the sun's at a right angle to your line of fire so your sensors aren't getting direct sunlight on them.

I had one problem that drove me up the wall last year. The Chrony worked with subsonic and full snort .30-06 loads, but gave me goofy readings in the 1200-1400 fps range. The female side of the 9V battery connector was loose, and I think the shock wave from the bullet was jiggling it enough to make the Chrony lose count. The `06 bullets were over the second sensor before the shock wave hit the battery.

Bye
Jack

 

[1badmagnum]

I bought some surplus powder for $80 for 8 pounds including shipping and hazmat charges and will be shooting indoors till spring.any tips for using these units indoors?
thanks for your reply,very helpful.

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, 1bad:
Number One! No chronograph works under fluorescent lights.

My old Chrony needs a fair amount of light. The new ones might be better, don't know. If you're using artifical light, be sure the sensors are evenly lit. I tried hanging a couple of trouble lights over the Chrony and the standard deviation went way up. If you plan on shooting indoors, get the indoor light fixture.
http://chrony.ca/

Here's a review of the Master Gamma Chrony.
http://www.realguns.com/Commentary/comar44.htm

Wish I could find powder at that price.

Bye
Jack

 

[1badmagnum]

GIVE GIBRASS A CALL.
jeff will hook you up with a good deal.many forum memberas give gibrass high marks for quality and pricing of reloading componants.

 

[Odessa]

I have both a Beta Master Chrony and a F-1 Master Chrony. The Beta Master was rebuilt from a very old Beta (the "eyes" where the small old type and they went on the blink). I really prefer the Master version - when the sun is hot and shining on the read-out of the standard Chrony's you get "grey-out" and cannot read the display. Additionally, if you are on a public range you cannot always go up to the standard unit and reset it when you want to. If you have the Master version all of the controls as well as the read out is right by you at your bench. Odessa

 

[greystoke]

Good reply Jack on the savings aspect - vis-a-vis
shooting .22s as a set-up method. Expected readings with them would be a good indication that everything is proper at a lower cost than setting up with a [As an extreme example]..say a - .460 Weatherby!
Greystoke

 

[Bench Shooter]

Chrony's

For all who are interested, just the facts. I purchased a Chrony Master Gamma 3/15/2010. I found that the unit would display an ‘error’ every time someone else would shoot next to me. I sent the unit back to the store and was provided a new one. Again I found the replacement was defective. I sent the replacement back to Chrony in New York. They replaced all the electronics and provided unit number 3. Once again it failed and this time I videoed the problem. Same problem all 3 times. Chrony will not refund my money. So far I’m out the cost of shipping (x2) and the cost of the chronograph and case. I provide this information to all who are in need of a chronograph. Just the facts.

Mark

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I had one some years ago when they were still called the Master Beta, which I though was a very funny name. It was my first chronograph, I didn't know what to expect and I had lots of problems with it. I always had to fiddle with the angle, tilting the tripod this way and that to get readings and it never was reliable. The cheesy printer which came with it soon died and eventually I gave it away. I replaced it with a Pro Chrono digital for about the same price and the improvement was marvelous, very seldom a missed reading regardless of the angle of the light.

 

[MikeG]

For all who are interested, just the facts. I purchased a Chrony Master Gamma 3/15/2010. I found that the unit would display an ‘error’ every time someone else would shoot next to me. I sent the unit back to the store and was provided a new one. Again I found the replacement was defective. I sent the replacement back to Chrony in New York. They replaced all the electronics and provided unit number 3. Once again it failed and this time I videoed the problem. Same problem all 3 times. Chrony will not refund my money. So far I’m out the cost of shipping (x2) and the cost of the chronograph and case. I provide this information to all who are in need of a chronograph. Just the facts.

Mark

They can all do that. Don't set it up next to other shooters.

 

[HardBall]

I replaced it with a Pro Chrono digital for about the same price and the improvement was marvelous, very seldom a missed reading regardless of the angle of the light.

I'm thinking about getting a Pro Chrono myself. I've had two Shooting Chrony's and never had any real problems with either other than the occasional "err" if I've got it close enough to actually read the display or the occasions where It'll show the exact same velocity for two or three shots which is almost certainly a missed reading.

I shot my first Chrony with a muzzleloader and the one I have now has some chips in the display from bullet lube so I had planned on getting another Chrony but with the separate display but, honestly, I get tired of putzing with the 2-piece sky screen rods and the 3-piece plastic sky screens.

Are the rods and sky screens on the Pro Chrono 1-piece?

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Nope, three pieces, two steel rods and the plastic diffuser.

 

[Bill Mannatt]

Use the Master Chrony all the time-- have to stay within power factor specs for IDPA competition and the various classes. The remote readout is the way to go. Very pleased with the unit and the price. Loads have never failed inspection at a match.

 

[unclenick]

In addition to light angles and other nuisances, I think a lot of people just set up too close to these machines. Everything from false readings to adjacent shooter muzzle blast effects are mitigated if you get them out at least 5 yards. For some magnum rifles 6 yards seems necessary.

I think people get discouraged by the amount of fiddling they have to do to get the screens lined up at the greater distances. I find a good way to set the chronograph up promptly and with the least fuss is to set a rifle up on bags so the sight stays on the target. Put a laser bore sighter in. Check that the sight is still on the target with your hands off the gun. Then go out and adjust the chronograph position until the laser appears on your palm at the center of both screens areas.

I also have a yellow plastic ECI (empty chamber indicator) flag that I stick in the chamber when I am doing this. With a Sharpie I have written on it "Take The Laser Out". I've seen a couple pictures of muzzles blown by people who didn't remember to do that.

 

[HardBall]

I find a good way to set the chronograph up promptly and with the least fuss is to set a rifle up on bags so the sight stays on the target. Put a laser bore sighter in. Check that the sight is still on the target with your hands off the gun. Then go out and adjust the chronograph position until the laser appears on your palm at the center of both screens areas.

That's a great idea!

 

[Bill Mannatt]

You can also use a small precision level from a combination square. Don't have to stick them in the muzzle.

 

[unclenick]

Are you talking about a laser level? How do you make it line up coaxial with the bore? I have a circular bubble level I use on the chronograph beam for roughing it in, but still need the bore-aligned sighter to get its middle located in the bullet path.