Best chronograph and why?

Well, spring is here and it is time to go to the range and try out new loads. One problem. The chronograph my Dad gave me is old, tired and no longer works. I guess I need to get a new one.

Which one do I get and why? Which one/brand do you prefer?

This is a whole new can of worms for me.

Thanks

I have 2 chrono's.

my first one was the CED M2 and it is a good chrono and has served me well for 3 years so far. I like how it has a remote readout/brain and when done you can hook up to the computer and download the data and open it in excel files. as with any normal chrono you have to pay attention to lighting out and if it gets to be dusk it won't read unless you get the ir set up for it. all in all i give it a 7 out of 10.

my new chrono is the magnetospeed v2. I love this thing with one exception. i had to come up with a new plan for developing loads because with it on the barrel it effects poi and group size. so now i run a pressure ladder with the chrono on to get velocity and read pressures. then i do my ladder testing find my load, run seating depth test and then run more over chrono to verify velocity.

with the ced i would get velocity and shoot for groups at the same time but you had to get the chrono and target all lined up just right and it will miss a shot here or there if there is too much light or not enuff.

but man i love how easy the magnetospeed it is to hook up/set up, you don't have to worry about hitting the chrono or light because it doesn't use light. and it don't miss shots. you archive the strings to a micro sd card and then you can put them on your pc and open with excel also, i love having my data stored in excel work books because i cant remember crap and my writing sucks.

you asked best chrono well that depends on what your criteria is but from my research the ohler 35p is probably the best standard chrono out but with a premium price to go with it.

personally you couldn't go wrong with the ced or magnetospeed either. if i was to start over right now i would just have the magnetospeed especially if i had to go to a public range, you don't have to walk 15 feet in front of the firing line to set up and back and forth to get it adjusted.

I was afraid of your recommendation. I have heard many good things about the Magnetospeed. I wasn't really planning on spending that much. Buying a new chrony is taking money from the Africa Hunt kitty as it is. Maybe I can find someone reputable selling an older, but still good chrony. I'll have to put my feelers out and will probably suck it up and get a new one anyway. Thanks for your input.

the new v3 is coming out so some guys may be wanting to upgrade. heck make me an offer on mine i could upgrade also it is about 3 months old, didn't do my research to see the v3 was coming out.

I've been using a Shooting Chrony for years. The small size and easy set up works for me. IF, that is.

I've found that the Chrony is amazingly sensitive to being set up right on the tripod. Any angle off center, or tilting of the device, immediately skews the results. This may in fact be true on any chronograph though. So, light sensitivity, angles, too close or not close enough?t all seems to be a bit more sensitive to the Chrony.

But, I own it. And it's paid for so until I inadvertently shoot it I'm going to keep using it!

I also have a simple Chrony and it works plenty well.
I have tested it together with 2 much more expensive ones with 3 different calibers and my bow to see if there was much difference in how they measured.
As I remember was the average largest difference between the 3 chronographs 10-12 fps and my Chrony was about in the middle between the two others all the time.
So I am perfectly happy with my Chrony
Only thing I have found, is that it is very sensitive to the muzzle blast, so you need to be sure that you set it up 15 feet away or more.
Specially when I test my 375 Ruger loads

I have had a Pact chronograph for a few years. For the price it has proven to be very good. It gets carried to the range more often than the more expensive one (Oehler) does.

I have seen guys at the range pop their Chrony models with sabots, arrows, and shotgun wads a few times. This seems to make them unhappy.