My wife and children got me a Caldwell precision chronograph, which I don't get to open till Sunday of course. After over 20 years of loading without one, I'm both excited and nervous to have one. Afraid I'll shoot it right away, or that I'll learn I've got to relearn a lot about loading. I would love any tips or advice you guys can give me. Thanks, Bret.
New chronograph for Father's day, any tips or advice
- Thread starter BretN
- Start date
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 36,935
- 5,129
Use the chronograph judiciously. It is a great tool for the hand loader. Don't allow yourself to be ruled solely by what it presents. Accuracy is still the aim, and low standard deviations demonstrate that your technique is solid.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,503
- 4,720
Don't shoot it! :mrgreen:
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 36,935
- 5,129
Guy Miner":3gh18axn said:
Excellent advice!
When I set mine up I turn my scope to the lowest power and use it with the widest overall view of barrel alignment with relation to the chrony.. Once satisfied I then take a peek along side the barrel to confirm what I thought I saw through the scope.. So far I am on my original unit with no mishaps.. Good luck and enjoy.. Happy Fathers Day too.
wisconsinteacher
Handloader
- Dec 2, 2010
- 1,973
- 282
If you have a bolt gun, take the bolt out and look down the barrel to triple check after you looked through the scope and to the side of the barrel. After a while, you will be comfortable shooting with it in front of you.
truck driver
Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
- 7,207
- 740
I have a Chrony that I got from Fotis and the first thing I asked him was how far up between the rods do you aim. The rods that hold the sun shades on the Chrony are two piece and have a brass socket that holds the two piece rod together. He told me to aim between the two brass joints and I should be safe from shooting it. So far that has worked. If the rods are one piece on your Caldwell I would get some red electrical tape and wrap a piece in the center of each rod and that should keep you from shooting it as long as you remember to shoot between the tape markers. I also have a piece of twine 10' long that I use to measure the distance from the muzzle to the Chronograph this saves from carrying a tape measure with me which sooner or later you will forget.
My set up procedure is to first put out the target, then I set the rifle up in my shooting bag rest so the rifle is aimed at the target, I set my Chrony up so it is centered on the muzzle looking threw the up rights that holds the sun shades, I then look threw the scope on set on the lowest power to make sure the Chrony is level and centered in the scope and target.
Where most of us get into trouble is that we shoot for accuracy threw the chronograph while getting or velocity readings and try to get too fine with the sight alignment on the target or shooting multiple targets set at different heights or side by side. Shoot one group and then change your target making sure you put the new target in the same place as the one you just shot. It's a pain but you get lots of excursive walking back and forth.
My set up procedure is to first put out the target, then I set the rifle up in my shooting bag rest so the rifle is aimed at the target, I set my Chrony up so it is centered on the muzzle looking threw the up rights that holds the sun shades, I then look threw the scope on set on the lowest power to make sure the Chrony is level and centered in the scope and target.
Where most of us get into trouble is that we shoot for accuracy threw the chronograph while getting or velocity readings and try to get too fine with the sight alignment on the target or shooting multiple targets set at different heights or side by side. Shoot one group and then change your target making sure you put the new target in the same place as the one you just shot. It's a pain but you get lots of excursive walking back and forth.
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,152
- 1,857
here is how I have mine set up . when I look through the scope I can tell if the chrony is level front to back and side to side .
if you're going to shoot a muzzle loader with a sabot bullet make some kind of a shield for it . the sabot got mine right on the read out screen.
my shield . it won't stop a bullet , but it should help with a sabot .
if you're going to shoot a muzzle loader with a sabot bullet make some kind of a shield for it . the sabot got mine right on the read out screen.
my shield . it won't stop a bullet , but it should help with a sabot .
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