Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons => General Interest => Topic started by: bluelake on July 31, 2009, 10:09:45 PM

Title: Chronograph
Post by: bluelake on July 31, 2009, 10:09:45 PM

I have a chrono that I use for checking the velocity of my arrows; I stand about a meter away when shooting.  How about with a muzzleloader?  How far away should the muzzle be from the chrono?

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Post by: DEADDAWG on July 31, 2009, 10:30:26 PM

1 to 2 meters is fine. That's about where I place mine.

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Post by: Bigsmoke on July 31, 2009, 10:59:54 PM

Depends on the gun.
If it's a biggun, it has to be further away, or the muzzle blast will obliterate the readings.  For testing 8 bores and 4 bores and such, we wound up placing the screens about 10 yards away.
I also made a piece of wood to cover the front of it with, having a small hole to shoot through.  That keeps a lot of the spray from coming over the screens.

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Post by: bluelake on July 31, 2009, 11:02:54 PM

Mainly it is for my .45 cal. matchlock smoothbore and .45/.50 cal. flintlock pistols.

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Post by: Uncle Russ on August 01, 2009, 01:13:32 AM

Oh Boy! Another chronograph about to bite the dust!

I almost hate to comment on this, having destroyed a few of these gadgets over the years while using Muzzleloaders.
However, I can speak with some authority when I say 20 / 25' minimum,  and that's if you're using sky-screens and placing cellophane over the sensors, 30 / 35' if you're using open sensors.

I think my last one (Chrony / Master Beta) recommended something like 12 to 15' using smokeless, and didn't recommend using it with back powder at all....same with no.7 shot.

It may be a good idea to call the manufacturer, or Brownell's, and see what they have to say. I know Pact, and Competitive Edge Dynamics (CED) will say not to do it at all, but the newer Chronys may be different.

Uncle Russ...

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Post by: rollingb on August 01, 2009, 01:20:45 AM

I now place my chrony at least 30 feet from the bench,... I totaly distroyed the screen once with my 50-140 Sharps (same cartridge as .500 Nitro Express) when bullet lube hit the screen 20 feet away (the lube even put a big dent in the metal part of the chrony at that distance).  

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Post by: R.M. on August 01, 2009, 07:29:55 AM

Yup, bagged one with a 44 mag. Never did figure out how to skin that thing.  

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Post by: bluelake on August 01, 2009, 09:30:12 AM

Wow!  At those distances I would probably nail the chrono (and, like R.M., I wouldn't know what to do with it afterward...).

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Post by: vermontfreedom on August 02, 2009, 02:22:29 PM

My "F1 Shooting Chrony" says 10 feet and that's about what I use.

Works probably 90-95 shots out of 100. Those few failures I'm guessing have to do with smoke/gas confusing the sensors or perhaps a patch.

My machine started getting residue on it, presumably from the smoke and gasses, so I started putting a strip of clear scotch tape over the sensors and replacing it every shooting session just to prevent possible permanent failure.