Here's a pretty informative video I think every chronograph user should see. Based on what I learned by watching it, I would not put a lot of stock in the stats delivered by any of the cheaper chronos.


[video:youtube]<iframe width="392" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EzNKUAgpKNY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/video]

There's two chronographs I pretty much trust the numbers from.

Lab Radar
Magneto Speed

I'm still gonna verify those speeds with distance, though.

It would be interesting to see how the 35P compares if the experiment was carried out like it was done in the video.

Good video RR. Speeds all over the map on the cheaper model vs the 35P. No sense in getting worked up about ES of 30-50 fps on a mid-level optical chrono. Makes the results from my latest test seem very good, and it makes me not worry too much about the ES of 71 on my best Varget load.

This is pretty much my plan. I think I'm going to load up the 23.7 CFE for fun shooting and work it out to distance to confirm/adjust DOPE and then work up a ladder test with Varget, CCI400, and Lake City brass to see if I can find a good node. Might be a trip to your place in the not-so-distant future.

Maybe buy a magneto or borrow one then start over. Its going to be hard to find the accuracy node without a reliable chrono or, do a ladder test at 300 or 400 yards.

Already found the node. CFE223 works great with 23.7 grains in summertime (75-100 degrees) and 24.6 grains works great in winter (<70 degrees). Speed still varies some, but not enough to worry about with a 223 at the distances I'm shooting.

Varget also shot good with 23.7 and 24.2. I'm probably going to do a ladder test at .2 grain intervals to re-check.

When I run out of CFE223, I'll probably start loading Varget exclusively to avoid having multiple loads. Not a big deal right now as I don't shoot competitively and I'm good enough at math to handle it.

Update:

23.7 grains of CFE223 is shooting really well in warmer temps (80-100 degrees at least).

Did a ladder test at 300 yards with Varget and CCI400 primers. 5, 6, 7, and 8 were about a 1.85" 4-shot group.



1 - 23.1 grains
2 - 23.3
3 - 23.5
4 - 23.7
5 - 23.9
6 - 24.1
7 - 24.3
8 - 24.5
9 - 24.7
10 - 24.9

Going to try some loads in the 24.0-24.4 range. I've been loading using the beam scale and it appears to have improved my ES (tested on the 23.7 grain CFE and my Varget foulers).

Long story on why there is muzzle blast near the #1 hole. I took a first shot and realized I couldn't see bullet holes at 300 yards with a spotting scope, so the guy next to me at the range gave me one of the shoot-n-c targets, and I replicated the first hole after the fact with my 10/22.