do you own a chronograph, and do you verify velocities

[rimrock]

do you own a chronograph, and do you verify velocities, I have a good friend, (JACK) who has been using a 7.5" ruger super black hawk in 44 mag for many years just like Ive used a S&W 29 with an 8.375" barrel length for hunting deer and hogs, my load is 20 grains of h110 under a hard cast LEE or NEI 300 grn bullet, hes used a 240 grain hollow point speer for years and we both have killed deer/hogs, but at the range recently he remarked as to how my cartridges seem to shoot flatter out at 100 yards
I know after chronographing , mine several times that they are just under 1300fps
hes been using 11 grains of unique and he swears its supposed to be at about 1200fps
(both the most accurate loads in our respective revolvers)
but hes never chronographed the load, and a quick look at my reloading books, shows hes probably close to correct, but I found it amazing that in 30 years hes never actually verified his favorite load, velocity, even thru someone else,s chronograph, so I told him the next trip to the range thats on the list.
I got to wondering how many other guys just trust the manuals and never verify loads



http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=44%20Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammunition/44mag_081005/

btw my brother-in-laws used 11 grains of blue dot, under a 158 grain hard cast bullet in his 4" 357 mag revolver and his marlin carbine for years and has no clue and doesn,t care about velocity, when I asked him if he wanted to join us and check his loads, his response was "why they kill deer just fine, do I really care or need to know"

http://www.handloads.org/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357%20Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

[Hi Ball]

Yes I do own a Chrony and Yes I do put my handloads in a reloading journal, dated for future reference always. ;)

[MOGC]

I have a CED chronograph and consider it an important part of my shooting/loading equipment.

[rimrock]

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=48648/pid=23171/sku/Professional_Chronograph_XP?mc_id=10000

I have a pact chronograph

if the outside lights bright and over head it works fine, if its overcast or the lights to the side its less than reliable in my experience,
I really wanted a oehler Model 35 Proof Chronograph, but when I went to buy one they said they were not currently selling them, now I notice they are for sale again so Ill start saving

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=951290

[Bushman]

I'd say that I am in the camp with your brother-in-law. Even when I was loading for pistols and rifles, if the load was safe and accurate... I was done messing with it. Reloaders by nature are a pretty analytical bunch so it is something else to factor into their reloading equation. Knowing that I wasn't getting 50 more fps with one powder over another would be the kind of thing that would keep me awake at night. On the range or in the field I can't tell the difference from one load to the next. I know, ignorance is bliss, but what am I missing? It isn't the targets or the game.

[Bill Gunn]

I have one, but I first look for the most accurate load I can find.
THEN I check the speed with the chronograph only to run a drop table.
The speed of the load (to me) is secondary to it's accuracy.

[Perry]

My thoughts exactly anyone can put together a fast bullet, but speed doesnt help anything if you cant hit anything with it.

[MOGC]

A chronograph isn't only for measuring velocity.

[Hi Ball]

MOGC & Bill-T. ___ I picked up my new Glock model 21-SF today, nice looking handgun. I can't wait to make the trip to the range and through a few bullets down range.

[crawfish]

The chronograph has busted more egos than almost anything else in the shooting world. I can't tell you how many times I've had shooters swear that their big boomer was doing (insert your fps here) only to be deflated by a chronograph. I like Bill Gunn use mine to build drop tables. Once I find an accurate, safe load I'll fire through to see what I got. Funny thing all my .41 caliber loads fall into 1150-1280fps depending on the gun that is used to shoot it. Haven't use a rifle since 1988 so all my work in with handguns.