WP sense of humor Tee’d it up. I thought his was one of the better posts Ive read. Lets cheap out on every thing but the most outrageously expensive chrono.

I think, Dstroud, pretty much closed down any arguments on the accuracy of any of the units. probably the most in-partial and level headed guy on THF,

The classified has been littered with LabRadars for $+-300, as people traded in Credit card points and gift cards for the latest and greatest Garmin. Few people on this thread that might actually have some kind of valid thought every once in a while if they owned one.

I have one! That I have never used. LOL. Been in the closet for several years. Decided on a recent range trip I was going to take it. It uses a mini headphone plug to the phone... phone doesn't have the hole to plug in to. facepalm.jpg

My uneducated guess would not even be in 1 in 10,000 don't shoot over a chronograph. Kinda like a discussion on one of the shooting forums many years ago about using a bore scope to check your bore. Hawkeye was about the only one out there at the time and for a hefty price. Now there's all sorts of them that will connect to a smart phone or computer at a fraction of the price of a Hawkeye. Still most shooters that isn't a blip on their radar to inspect there bore..

Most folks just like to hunt and shoot. There's a small percentage of us who are super serious about shooting and we use those tools. Just MHO!

IMHO, bore scopes and chronographs are much like other specialty tools that you may use only rarely. I own many such tools, which is probably why I own both a bore scope and a chronograph. But just like other specialty tools, there is no substitute when you need them.

I suspect the specialty tool I use the least often is one that pulls the cartridge out of Moen shower valves. I bet I use it no more than once every ten years.

I have never used my chronograph either but I have one. Bought one, set it up indoors to test on NERF guns, took it out once, it failed to work. Sent it back for a free replacement. Received it and put in in the closet. I don't reload for competition or even hunting much. I reload so I can make my own ammo if one day I can no longer buy it. So the chronograph hasn't been a need for me.

I haven't worked up loads without a chrono in many years. Anything can happen, and I don't take the chance excess pressure showing up when it shouldn't.

I think, Dstroud, pretty much closed down any arguments on the accuracy of any of the units. probably the most in-partial and level headed guy on THF,

BoBo got this right !!!


RL-26?

I have seen factory premium ammo from both Winchester and Federal match or exced published velocities in overbored or otherwise hotrod cartridges. 270win, 7mag, 30-06 are the ones that come to mind. 270 very often was faster by a little bit more than what was on the box. Weatherby always matches factory specs assuming the same barrel length. My info dates to the early 2000s and may not fit today.

Riiiiiight........come to think of it, what ammo manufacturer wouldn't want their ammo to exceed their stated velocities? What could possibly go wrong?

Well not everyone is into the last fps.

It wasn't a huge difference; 60fps was the most I ever saw if memory serves me correctly. Could have been caused by my habit at the time of building rifles with 26" barrels. Did a 7mmSTW once with a 30" or 32" barrel and picked up 250fps with slow powder. It was insane but really finicky with loads I think because it wasn't a very heavy profile barrel.

The only “fast” factory ammo I’ve seem was shockingly Sellier & Bellot 110 PTS 6.8 SPC ammo. Box said 2550 and the magnetospeed said 2625 from a 16.5” bolt gun.

@JG. Thank you! Your original post shows the ammo that I shoot. Now I can adjust my dope accordingly.

Your ammo, and what I was shooting are probably not the same. Since you most likely have a completely different lot number, your velocity is probably different.

And DOPE is Data On Previous Engagement. You have to physically shoot it, and document, to get DOPE.

I have shot it, maybe this would fine tune. Get your point on different lots though. They aren’t the same.

Also,

You're not going to see significant elevation correction changes until 500 yards. Are you shooting it that far?

Here we go again. A Howa 6.5 PRC. 24" long, 1:8 twist. I cleaned the barrel, checked torque on all the screws, and verified the barrel was free floated.





The real story...

2780 fps, 2823 fps, error
Cooled
2839 fps, 2834 fps, 2812 fps
Cooled
2838 fps, error, 2879 fps

So, that's an average of 2829 fps. And if I throw out the clean cold bore shot, an ES of 67 fps.

Almost the exact same speed I'm getting from my 6.5CM...albeit from a 26" barrel. But, still...

Very anemic! I got the 6.5 PRC 156 Bergers to 2990, got a little bolt lift and backed off a half grain. Now its at 2940 and liking it.

I have yet to see but one lot of that ammo shoot what the box claims and have a respectable ES. That was in a 300 PRC.

The last two I worked up loads for were with 153.5 Berger Hybrids. I had them well over 2950 fps.

A 143 gr should be well over 3100 fps.

I've never believed advertised velocities. Just seen them proven exaggerated too many times. Kind of like Nosler data.

A couple of years ago my uncle, who used to reload back in "the day" but never serious about it enough to own a chrono, was bragging about the Hornady 270 ammo he was using that advertised 3200fps with a 14ogr bullet. I commented that their test rifle must have had a 30" barrel on it and he pushed back. I told him we'd setup my chrono and bet a steak dinner on it, he backed off. Not saying you can't push a 140gr 270 that fast, just that ammo wasn't going to do it.