Do you need a chronograph?

If you are still using the box of bullets you bought five years ago, then no, you do not. If you are constantly tweaking your rifle or pistol to get better performance, then a chronograph is a valuable tool.

I can say with perfect confidence that the published velocities on your box of ammo, or in your reloading manual, are not what you are getting in your firearm. Individual differences in chamber and barrel dimensions, barrel length and wear, and even the lot of powder can affect velocity.

Let me give you some examples. Just the other day I worked up loads for two rifles. One rifle hit maximum published velocities well below maximum published powder charges. The other rifle was still going several hundred feet/second slower than published velocities with a maximum charge of powder.

How about factory ammunition? Earlier this year a major ammo maker got called on the carpet when users found out that they had changed the powder, and thus velocity, of their ammo, but didn’t update the published velocities on the ammo boxes.

Why do we care what velocities we are getting? Well, if you are shooting far enough to compensate for drop, then accurate velocities will give you accurate bullet drop. If you want to shoot long range, velocities can’t vary by much. A 50 ft/sec variation is a miss way out there.

It is also helpful to know that you are getting the most performance out of your firearm. Why carry a .300 Magnum if you’re only getting 2,700 ft/sec?

Or are you pushing your loads too hard? Your .308 should not be going 3,200 ft/sec. That is dangerous.

And various bullets are designed to perform at different velocities. Will it work like you want with the load you are using?

Chronographs have come a long, long way since I bought my first one 20 years ago. It had two screens about 15 inches apart that the bullet had to pass through. It is still working, but that type of chronograph is difficult to get set up and not very accurate because everything has to be just so, and usually it isn’t.

Magnetospeed has one that mounts to the barrel of your firearm like a bayonet. It is pretty accurate and easy to set up. However, you’re not using it on a semiauto pistol. You also can’t use it while sighting in or checking accuracy, because it changes the harmonics of your barrel.

Garmin recently came out with one that is about as big as a deck of cards. You just set it up next to your firearm, select the right settings and start shooting. It calculates average velocities and slowest and fastest shots.

While it is the best I have seen, it is also the most expensive. However, at a dollar or more a shot these days, it may be worth it. If you are looking to get the most out of your firearm and ammunition, a quality chronograph is a wise investment.

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