[Keeter1911]

Hey folks! I may be posting this in the wrong area, but I figured that some of the competition shooters might be of some help. I am getting ready to buy my first chronograph to be used primarily in conjunction with a ballistic program. I have a couple of Nikon Monarch 3 BDC rifle scopes and have downloaded the Nikon Spot On software. In an effort to get the most out of both the optics and the software, I need to enter, among other things, the muzzle velocity. I have absolutely no experience with chronographs. Any suggestions and the pros and cons of the various chronographs on the market would be appreciated. My budget is $1,000.00 for the entire setup. Is it possible to get a decent chronograph, printer, etc. for that price?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Keeter

 

[mp9werks]

You should check out the MagnetoSpeed chronograph. I use it.

MagnetoSpeed

It's state-of-the-art, simple, compact, accurate and doesn't suffer the liabilities of optical chronographs.



Caution: Pseudo-science explanations of magnetic fields and amateur photo's / diagrams were used in this post.

 

[Keeter1911]

Thanks! Is the data downloadable to a computer?

Edit/Addition: Never mind Re: computer download. I just looked at the website and answered my own question. Thanks again.

 

[jason bourne]

The magnetospeed is a fantastic product. Well worth the money in its own right.
In all honesty though, most chronos (as long as they are set up properly) will usually be very close to a true velocity.

I have a cheap Pro Digital that ran me 100.00. It is consistently 30fps off from much higher end chronographs.

30 fps is a large deviation but it's usually still close enough to get you very close to where you want to be.

You will have much more of a margin of error from incorrectly inputting environmental data into your ballistic software.


If you do want a high end chrono and want a more traditional style, look into Oehler chronographs. The usually run about 400-500 and are just about as accurate as the magnetospeed.