How important is it to own chronograph if you tune your gun? And why?
- Thread starter Wosku
- Start date
I think its very good to know so you can tune your rifle properly , probably not so important if you are plinking in the backyard only and don't have much distance.
If you are pesting you can tune to a certain fps with a certain projectile and can determine the right FPE so you don't have any blow through, very important if you are shooting indoors or around property you can't damage.
If you are pesting you can tune to a certain fps with a certain projectile and can determine the right FPE so you don't have any blow through, very important if you are shooting indoors or around property you can't damage.
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Chronograph is definitely needed as you won’t know how your tune is if you don’t know the fps. Once you have your speed your looking for or the pressure you want to be at then you start looking at your groups and adjust until it is what you want.
If you don’t know your speed your just playing and not tuning. If you don’t have the chrono you can’t figure out the fpe or a bc either. The chronograph is on the top of the list for accessories when purchasing a pcp.
As far a FX chrono goes, I own one and it can be finicky if you don’t keep fresh batteries on board…
If you don’t know your speed your just playing and not tuning. If you don’t have the chrono you can’t figure out the fpe or a bc either. The chronograph is on the top of the list for accessories when purchasing a pcp.
As far a FX chrono goes, I own one and it can be finicky if you don’t keep fresh batteries on board…
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I have a Caldwell and an FX chronograph. The Caldwell is easier to use but it is bulky. The FX can be a real PITA and eats AAA batteries. However, it is small and fits in my range bag. FX's app is OK but lacks data. I like Caldwell's app better, interface and the email results has more data.
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I liked my caldwell as well, I could never get the app to work on my android phone though. Then I accidently shot the chrono graph and decided to try the fx. I like the fx but it is really finicky as far as placement which is understandable but sometimes with certain rifles you need to get creative with mounting under the barrel.
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I apply these words to many areas in my life.
“You can’t improve what you don’t measure.”
I use a Caldwell chronograph. I tune my guns in the basement and I’m shooting into a trap just a few feet away. I don’t believe the FX chrony is good for that.
“You can’t improve what you don’t measure.”
I use a Caldwell chronograph. I tune my guns in the basement and I’m shooting into a trap just a few feet away. I don’t believe the FX chrony is good for that.
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I use one of them cheap china ones that a bolt on barrel type. Dont guess i ever bolt it on anymore ..lol.
Ya,. You need somthing to keep tabs on stuff / troubleshoot. You notice little inconsistent things or what pellets used give best strings , maybe seal going bad, ECT.... Its nice to like once a month run a string and compair to last months string to see if it spot on or somrhing changed for good or bad..
I think this one was like $28. Nothing fancy just does the job i need it to do.
Ya,. You need somthing to keep tabs on stuff / troubleshoot. You notice little inconsistent things or what pellets used give best strings , maybe seal going bad, ECT.... Its nice to like once a month run a string and compair to last months string to see if it spot on or somrhing changed for good or bad..
I think this one was like $28. Nothing fancy just does the job i need it to do.
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You might do a search for FX Chrono reviews to see what many people think. Like this. - https://duckduckgo.com/?t=lm&q=FX+Chrono+review&ia=web
I'm happy with the Caldwell. It's every bit as good as the Chrony I loaned to a friend and never saw again. It's been a great help in finding the happy medium that I look for with my pumpers and Co2 guns. It also tells me when a gun isn't doing as well as it should.
This is wisdom right here - “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.”
Be safe,
J~
I'm happy with the Caldwell. It's every bit as good as the Chrony I loaned to a friend and never saw again. It's been a great help in finding the happy medium that I look for with my pumpers and Co2 guns. It also tells me when a gun isn't doing as well as it should.
This is wisdom right here - “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.”
Be safe,
J~
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Because, you cannot...tune a gun without a chronograph !
Without knowing what the pellet speeds actually are, you have no idea where to go from your starting point, or anywhere else.
I have a Magnetospeed V3.
I like it because I don't need a bench/table to set it up on. The Magnetospeed attaches to the barrel, similar to the FX. While the FX is a little easier to setup, the Magnetospeed has (so far) none...of the FX's battery eating problems that many talk about. I've tuned all (a bunch !) of my adjustable guns, some more than once, all on the same batteries. It seems pretty repeatable also.
Mike
Without knowing what the pellet speeds actually are, you have no idea where to go from your starting point, or anywhere else.
I have a Magnetospeed V3.
I like it because I don't need a bench/table to set it up on. The Magnetospeed attaches to the barrel, similar to the FX. While the FX is a little easier to setup, the Magnetospeed has (so far) none...of the FX's battery eating problems that many talk about. I've tuned all (a bunch !) of my adjustable guns, some more than once, all on the same batteries. It seems pretty repeatable also.
Mike
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chrono is an absolute must IMO
otherwise youre just speculating.
i always hated using one till i got the fx chrono.
i got a 3d printed picatinny mount for it
that i attach to the forward side rails on my impact,
i leave the mount attached to the chrono,
and i can just pull it out of the case,
slide it on the rail and go,
its just a snug slide on fit,nothing to tighten.
i literally dont know how i lived without it so long lol
battery life is pretty good id say considering its only 3 aaa's,
and i love not even having to take my eye out of the scope to see the numbers,
because the nice lady speaks them to me lol
otherwise youre just speculating.
i always hated using one till i got the fx chrono.
i got a 3d printed picatinny mount for it
that i attach to the forward side rails on my impact,
i leave the mount attached to the chrono,
and i can just pull it out of the case,
slide it on the rail and go,
its just a snug slide on fit,nothing to tighten.
i literally dont know how i lived without it so long lol
battery life is pretty good id say considering its only 3 aaa's,
and i love not even having to take my eye out of the scope to see the numbers,
because the nice lady speaks them to me lol
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I never had a Chono for a decade and was doing just fine, killed a ton of wild boar and mongoose with anything from .22 to .50
Again, I don't think a chrono is a necessity,......I finally ended up getting one since I was doing gun reviews and at that point you actually need to post numbers.
I had an Alpha and was a bit of a pain, then a Caldwell and I liked it better, got a cheap 50 bucks Amazon one about a year ago and that little thing is wonderful, works in any contitions and the numbers match the Caldwell
This is the one:
Again, I don't think a chrono is a necessity,......I finally ended up getting one since I was doing gun reviews and at that point you actually need to post numbers.
I had an Alpha and was a bit of a pain, then a Caldwell and I liked it better, got a cheap 50 bucks Amazon one about a year ago and that little thing is wonderful, works in any contitions and the numbers match the Caldwell
This is the one:
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From my Early days of Long Range Varminting/Reloading... a good Chronograph is a must!
From working up loads to troubleshooting accuracy... You will always need one!
For Airguns, it is the same needs....
For working up your baseline Reg pressures and Hammer Pre-loads.
Also for troubleshooting accuracy...it help you isolate the problem!!!!
Also the addition of voice readout is must!!
Keeps you from always looking away to check the velocity!!!!
Stuart
From working up loads to troubleshooting accuracy... You will always need one!
For Airguns, it is the same needs....
For working up your baseline Reg pressures and Hammer Pre-loads.
Also for troubleshooting accuracy...it help you isolate the problem!!!!
Also the addition of voice readout is must!!
Keeps you from always looking away to check the velocity!!!!
Stuart
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Even with a springer a crono helps so you know what FPS a pellet is traveling . a 7.2 gr, or a 10,4 gr and then you can figure FPE at the target .
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A Chronograph is a Health monitor and tuner for any gun. It let's you know when its sick and when you increase or decrease velocity levels depending on pellet weights.
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I have two chronographs, both inexpensive ones made in China. I used to have a "Shooting Chrony" conventional chronograph but I shot it one too many times and it died. I first got a clamp on chrony and it works fine but it shifts my POI to put it on the barrel. So I got one that has a female thread for tripod mounting. I don't do that, I put it on a block of wood on the handrails of the porch where my bench is.
It is useful to know your velocity and therefore energy as others have stated. But it is vital to know what direction your velocity changed and by how much to properly set your hammer spring. The regulator on one of my guns did not work properly until I turned up the hammer spring a little. It came set too low for the regulator setting. On some of my guns the hammer spring setting has a strong influence on accuracy. But changing it can also affect velocity so I want to know if it does and by how much. You could buy a air rifle and never change it and get by without a chronograph but you will not get the most accuracy or the flattest trajectory or the highest shot count unless you tune it and for that you need a chronograph. When you can get one for under $50, why go without? The inexpensive chinese ones come with rechargable batteries, by the way, unlike the FX.
It is useful to know your velocity and therefore energy as others have stated. But it is vital to know what direction your velocity changed and by how much to properly set your hammer spring. The regulator on one of my guns did not work properly until I turned up the hammer spring a little. It came set too low for the regulator setting. On some of my guns the hammer spring setting has a strong influence on accuracy. But changing it can also affect velocity so I want to know if it does and by how much. You could buy a air rifle and never change it and get by without a chronograph but you will not get the most accuracy or the flattest trajectory or the highest shot count unless you tune it and for that you need a chronograph. When you can get one for under $50, why go without? The inexpensive chinese ones come with rechargable batteries, by the way, unlike the FX.
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As stated above by all, consistent accuracy is determined by consistent fps....the only way to get that is through the use of a chronograph! 
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I have the ProChrono DLX and love it ! And yes, a chronograph is a must
for tuners as well as for monitoring the health of your airgun.
for tuners as well as for monitoring the health of your airgun.
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Ahhh to heck with them things, I personally like just turning those adjustment knobs like a wildman. With every turn comes a new surprise as far as accuracy goes, it's an adventure with every shooting session. Using a phone book works just as well, just fire into it and count the pages until you reach the projectile. That'll give ya the speed, it's a very accurate way to measure and you don't need to spend $80 on one of them fancy calculation machines. 
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You dont need a chrono to tune a rifle. You can determine if you have tuned the rifle good by accuracy and if you play around with a chrono long enough while tuning you will notice that sometimes even a small es does not equate to top accuracy. Its easy to record how many turns or what number an adjustment is on and record data while you adjust and shoot for accuracy. A chrono ads data to a tune but you can tune without one if you can keep data on the adjustments you make. You dont need a chrono to create a drop chart either. Set out targets from 20 yds to what ever you want to go out to and record the drop. I think some people dont really know what a dope card is. Data Of Previous Engagement in other words data collected from earlier shooting sessions to determine what that rifle will do at a given range. You dont need a chrono to build a dope card either just accurate distance info for the engagements. A chrono ads valuable info and helps but its not an absolute needed piece of equipment if you just want accuracy and dont need to know exact fps or fpe. Thats my humble opinion.
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Information is power..
A great thing about a chrony is being able to empirically calculate the BC for any projectile. If you trust yourself (to not shoot the damn thing) you can set up the chrony at a significant distance out 15-20 yards and read the data via bluetooth (Caldwell unit can do that). With MV and velocity at other known distances you can directly calculate the BC.
A great thing about a chrony is being able to empirically calculate the BC for any projectile. If you trust yourself (to not shoot the damn thing) you can set up the chrony at a significant distance out 15-20 yards and read the data via bluetooth (Caldwell unit can do that). With MV and velocity at other known distances you can directly calculate the BC.
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