doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Double Rifles, Paradox Guns & Gauge Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Chronographs

Who among you uses one, and do you deem them essential? If so, any you'd recommend?

Kid,
I use them all the time, especially working up loads for a new(may be ahundred years old)rifle.I try to duplicate factory velocity with about factory wt. bullets;so the load will "follow the sights".If you depend on traditional pressure signs when loading for these guns, by the time you see a sign, the gun may be blown up.It is very helpful to ID loads that give large velocity variations, and need reworking.Around the hunting camp , there are usually a couple PRO-CRONYs.Not an endorsement, but ours seem to work well and they are economical.
Mike

I don't believe I would consider them essential....but not far from it. Especially when working with old double rifles for which little data is available. Also, as Mike mentioned, old rifles in general. Those are the two most common uses for me these days. When I was shooting a lot of long range stuff, 500 yards and out to 1000, the data derived was a help in calculating trajectory and from that sight settings. And, it's just plain fun to know what's going on with your load.

My first was a Chrony back when they first came out. I didn't like the screen on the unit because you had to walk down to the unit, or use bino's, and then record your data. I also learned that the Chrony would not survive a direct hit from a 45-120 Sharps cartridge at about 12 feet. I see that the Chrony's of today have recorders remote from the unit, which is an improvement. I don't believe they have overcome a direct hit from a bullet. I replaced it with a Pact and I do like it better. I believe the screens on the Pact are bigger and I like that.

Many Thanks, Guys - Working up loads for ancient rifles would be my main use. A new email today tells me that Midway happens to have a couple on sale.

I'll take a look at the others you've mentioned as well to try and get the most bang for my buck. But "You get what you pay for" is usually my guiding light whenever opening my wallet. A lesson hard-learned.

Thanks again - Marc

They are certainly worth the little money that say a Competition Electronics� ProChrono costs. I will say that I see using one as essential when developing loads for double rifles considering the nature of "regulation" where the balance of bullet weight and velocity determines the time that the path of the projectile is being influenced by recoil. As you may know regulating DRs is all about the Devil being in the details. I use mine for all of my load development, even scoped guns, just because I like knowing what my loads are doing but I'm sure most could do without one if they're shooting scoped single barreled guns and following recipes from a reloading manual; I went without one for a long time before I bought my first double.

I personally have been using a ProChrono for years and it has served me well.

Midway's got them for $120. This in the right ballpark?

That's right about where they usually are. Mine was a Christmas present that came to me by way of my brother-in-law buying me a $100.00 Cabela's gift certificate at a time when Cabela's had them on sale for $100.00. Sweet!

Had that not have happened I would have bought one anyway for $120.00. As I said earlier, they're worth it.

Message received. Two members are backing it. I'm going back to the page and buy it.