There are certain calibers, and certain powders that seem to be at their best when loaded near max, or at max velocity/pressure. It's all about pressure and you can't achieve max velocity without pressure. That's why I like having the chrono handy. Is it mandatory? I never said it was, but I can't imagine working up loads, especially in a newer rifle, without one.

Yup! ...but I'd just rather not know at all

I found loads on 7mm-08 A.I. while fire forming in three rifles. Found the MV on the range. Then found three loads, with two bullets, on two different rifles, on fired brass, didn't chronograph one single shot.

But, if a guy only has 100 or 200 yards to work with, then a good chronograph is helpful.

Couple other areas a chrono comes in handy in load workup, if you are going up in powder say .3gr and see 25fps on each increase then get to where it spikes or stops increasing you have reached a stopping point most of the times. Another there is a correlation between pressure and velocity that can see a problem sometimes before serious issues are reached.

be honest I break mine out more when loading for a wildcat or old cartridge data isn't easily obtained and would be old if found.

Lately I am sure it happened. I got a shiny ring around the case head, no extractor marks, no flat primers. And the last three in the ladder test did it. I bet that's where pressure peaked. If a 7mm-08 A.I. aint a wildcat, I don't know what to call it. There was no data available for my powder/bullet combo, so I had to shoot to see what I saw. I would have kept going, even with a chronograph, and would have had MV to document with each shot.

End result would have been the same. And that was, I focused on the grain of powder before the shiny ring happened. That's where it was shooting well.

It's hobby for me. It also gets me to the range more. When I'm reloading, I'm tinkering which means I shoot more. There is also a little more satisfaction to me having used a handload on a successful hunt.

you didn't read my OP but you just excited about chasing Axis with Mike and Tyler

Oops! It was short too. No excuse!

Started reloading .222 in mid/late 60's with one of the little LEE loaders.
Put plenty of bullets down range and usually hit what I aim for.

I only hunt pigs these days and while I feel stretching out to 400, 600 and even a 1000 would be an interesting exercise, it would serve no practical purpose for me right now.

As for a chrono, I only got one about 18 months ago.
A friend thought that since I reload, I _NEEDED_ one to be safe so he gave me HIS new one in the box.
He never used it either but only shoots factory ammo.
I did put batteries in it but haven't bothered to take it to the range yet.

Maybe someday?
But right now, I don't feel like I need one as most of the pigs I shoot are DRT and I've never heard one say he thought that bullet was too fast or slow.