Why would you, after having been reloading for many years, finally get a chronograph (chrony)?

In the first place, all reloading equipment should include a chrony, as much as case lube for standard equipment.

But back to my initial statement. Way back in the early 1980’s Jim Carmichael, the shooting editor of Outdoor Life, told me never to chronograph my favorite loads. It will take away your confidence in that load if it is not above your expectations. Boy, how right he was, as I had just ordered my first chronograph, and was waiting for good weather to get out and really work on my loads that spring.

At that time, I was head over heals in love with my 30 Gibbs. The Gibbs line of improved cartridges was supposed to be god’s answer to everything. I had used mine for years, and it killed deer, antelope, caribou, and moose with ease. I figured my 180-gr bullets were going at least 3,000 fps out of a 22” barrel, as that is what Gibbs’ data showed using 3137 fps with 64½ gr. of IMR 4350.

Low and behold, when I finally got to shoot my 30 Gibbs over the chronograph, it was doing barely 2,800 fps with 64 gr of 4350, and 2,750 was closer to the truth.

I was so disappointed, that I never used that gun for hunting again. It was at that time I met up with the late Bob Hagel of Handloader Magazine. As it so happened, he was about to write a story about Gibbs cartridges anyway, and he would like to use my rifle for the tests.

(I still have the original documentation and letters from Bob dated March 5, 1978 along with the original paper work from Rocky Gibbs circa 1960’s).

All this came to light again this past week while I was at the range, when a fellow walked over with his 308 Win and asked if he could run a few over my chrony. I said sure, but let me shoot them.

My partner piped up, “but you don’t like to shoot other people’s reloads”. Ah, but if I shoot them and I hit the chrony I’m sad, if he shoots the chrony I’m mad, better I’m sad, than mad.

So I took his M 70 Feather-Weight 308 Win reloads and asked him what were in them. He said 42 gr of 4350 and 165 gr Hornady Spire Points. Seems 42 gr is about all he could get in the case and not crush the powder too badly when seating the bullet.

“Are you sure you want to know how fast these are going?” “Yes”, he replied. “But why do you ask”?

I asked because if they do not come to your expectations, then you won’t be happy any more with this load.

It kills deer just fine, and most just fall over dead, he said. OK, here goes. Five shots later, I’m not sure I wanted to tell him about his load. First of all on the positive side, I put 4 of the 5 shots into “one hole”. The sad part was the fact that they were only traveling 2,356 fps average. That is just a little over what a 30-30 or 300 Savage does.

In the Nosler book, they show up to 50 gr of 4350 for 2,792 fps. Even that seems a bit optimistic, but their test gun was a 24” Lilja barrel, and not a 22” Winchester.

What a chrony does, is separate the “liars from the Bullsh….ers”. It reminds me of a time last year when two brothers were shooting next to me. They had just come from the local sporting goods store and, boy, were they were primed for action.

Brother number one, had purchased a Remington M 700 30-06 with a 24” barrel, and brother number two had been talked into a foreign made 300 Win Mag with a 20” barrel, and a big scope.

The noise that thing made was terrible, but it sure impressed him.

Finally unable to stand him running off at the mouth to his brother any longer about how that pip-squeak 30-06 was not big enough for their Elk hunt, I told him to give me that gun and a few shells.

“Let’s just see how fast this thing is really going, I may need to get me one of these, as it really sounds powerful to me”, I told him. He was so impressed he could not get to me fast enough with his 180-gr SPCL Remington Green box ammo.

After the first shot, I was not sure if the chrony was working properly or not, as the velocities were very low. Like 2,606 fps, and they should be up closer to 2,900.

Then I asked the other brother to give me his 30-06 to see how it compared. He was mentally prepared for the worst.

Low and be hold, his 180 gr Remington SPCL did 2,707 out of his 24” barrel. You should have seen his eyes light up, but brother number one with his 20” 300 Mag, just did not know what to do with himself. He had just figured out he had been suckered by the sporting goods salesman, like he had bought a lemon of a used car that just fell apart.

I’m not sure what he ever did with that gun, as I never saw those brothers on the range again.

Again I really want to emphasize that every reloader should have a chronograph. There are inexpensive ones, and laboratory grade fancy ones with memories and ability to download data into your lap top computer, as long as they tell you how fast your bullets are going, is all that counts. I certainly would not go to the range without mine. To go with a chronograph, it is like flying an airplane without a compass and altimeter. Sooner or later you are going to crash.

Chronographs can also tell you when you are about to get into trouble. If your velocities of a given load are “too fast”, you have something wrong. Maybe you loaded the wrong powder, and have been lucky so far and not blown a primer at the very least. Nothing else will tip you off what is wrong.

When changing lot number or canisters of powder, always check to see if the new one is close to the old ones. I just had a case this past month, were I ended up using 74 gr of powder instead of 78 gr of the same powder from previous lot number. The new one was just that much faster. Something did not feel just right when I fired those, but without the chrony, and I would not have known what was wrong. Likewise you could get a very slow lot, and now you are 200 fps too slow and not know it.

So be careful, write everything down, and pay attention to details.