How many shooters out there have ever thought about the exact ballistics of your bullets? I know we can all read the box of ammo that specifies the bullet velocity and weight, but what if you reload your ammo or are shooting a different-sized bullet than the ammo suggests? Do you just take the label as gospel and ignore the many variables that impact your accuracy or take charge and do your own research?
Today, I want to give our readers a better understanding of what a ballistic chronograph can do for overall accuracy. As I continue to reload my own ammo, I’m learning something new every day and have realized that I must have a ballistic chronograph if I want to optimize my ballistics. There is one ballistic chronograph that stands out as the best ballistic chronograph and is affordable for all budgets; The Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph Premium Kit.
A ballistic chronograph is a tool that is designed to measure the velocity of a projectile in flight, normally from a gun or bow. Until I started researching, I didn’t realize that the first-ever ballistic chronograph was developed in 1765 by Alessandro Vittorio Papacino d’Antoni. His design was based on the first ballistic pendulum created 23 years earlier by Benjamin Robins as a way to measure the velocity of a bullet.
Fortunately, technology has increased enough that ballistic pendulums are all replaced by chronographs. The first chronographs were so much more complicated and unreliable that changes were inevitable. For example, the first ballistic chronographs were made using a spinning wheel, measuring the rotational speed of the wheel and the angular difference of the bullet passing through an attached sheet of paper to give them a rough bullet velocity. Incredibly brilliant for the times, but modern ballistics are too advanced for an accurate reading using this method.
How Does a Modern Ballistic Chronograph Work?
There are 3 types of modern chronographs that work well with modern ballistics, the employment of a doppler radar to measure bullets in flight, the use of artificial light with 2 sensors on each side of the framing rods, and a barrel attachment that extends from the barrel and measures bullet velocity as it leaves the barrel.
As you can see from the Caldwell Ballistic Chronograph, they use 2 optical sensors that measure the time it takes a bullet to pass through the artificial light inside the framing rods. This method of measurement is the most accurate because it measures the velocity electronically in real-time, faster than a Doppler radar can pick up speeds of 2,750 ft/sec.
The modern chronograph consists of two sensing areas framed by rods that allow a bullet to pass through, measuring the time it takes a bullet to enter and exit the sensors. The time it takes the bullet to travel the distance between the sensors is measured electronically from which velocity is calculated and displayed.
It really depends on the type of chronograph that you’re using because the optical sensors with electronic artificial lighting are more accurate than doppler radar. A Doppler radar uses microwave signals that hit an object and measure the return of those signals.
As accurate as the Doppler radars are, as a former police officer, I’ve had a handful of cases dropped because a lawyer was able to put doubt on the effectiveness of the Doppler Effect. Although it was a ploy to get out of a ticket with little validity, a Doppler radar just isn’t as accurate as optical sensors.
The majority of modern ballistic chronographs reach for an accuracy of +/- 0.5%, which is really good and will give you enough information to know when to adjust your ballistics based on performance.
Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph
The Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph is used to measure the velocity of a projectile in either Foot per sec (FT/s) or Meters per second (M/s). Caldwell has ensured that their chronograph has been calibrated by an advanced computer with a 48 MHz processor for impeccable accuracy that you just don’t see from any other company.
The high-speed processor is able to read and populate speeds that we can’t see with an accuracy of less than +/- 0.25%. You can use this chronograph when using a gun, bow, paintball gun, slingshot, and even a hand throw projectile.
The most accurate ballistic chronograph on the market below $400
The App has shown not to work well with outdated phones (iPhone 8 and below) and Androids older than 2015
Velocity is read on an LCD screen with both FT/s and M/s
The App can be harder to use in rural areas with no cell service
Comes with a 15-foot cable to record your velocity to your smartphone
The on/off switch is easily flipped, causing battery shortages without knowing until you’re on the range.
Has a free App for both Android and iPhone
It ships with extra-wide sunshades to provide better reliability
The App calculates Average Velocity, Standard Deviation, Min, Max, and Velocity Spread for the shot string
A very broad range of measurement from 5 FT/s to 9,999 FT/s, providing incredible versatility of accepted weapon systems
Most Affordable Chronograph for the features included
How Accurate is the Caldwell Ballistic Precision chronograph?
The Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph is the most accurate chronograph that I’ve seen for less than $400 online with an accuracy of +/- 0.25%. With an average accuracy for their competition being 0.5%, Caldwell has twice the accuracy and consistency of the industry standard.
Does Distance Impact Accuracy of the Chronograph?
Yes, the distance you’re standing from your chronograph will have a negative impact on the readings you get. For example, if you’re standing within 5 feet with a pistol or less than 12 feet with a rifle, the muzzle blast from the gun will give you a false reading. My recommendation is to stand 7-10 feet away with a pistol, especially anything bigger than a 9mm, and up to 12-15 feet with a hunting rifle.
Many of the complaints people have with this tool is getting inconsistent readings, but fail to understand that the muzzle blast will trigger the sensors. It’s an easy fix and helps to have the tripod that comes with the kit.
How Do I Use the Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph App?
Download the App by entering “Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph" into your App store.
Once downloaded, connect the audio jack to your phone and click to open the App.
The home page of the App will display the default settings, which are in Imperial settings. Once, connected and you see this screen, the top right will show a green connection, instead of the red you see now.
4.
You can start to enter your ballistic data from your bullets in a New Group and the Chronograph will automatically enter the stats listed below. To add bullet specs, press the blue down arrow to customize each bullet type.
5.
If you do want to change the setting for literally the rest of the world that uses the Metric system, it’s as easy as clicking the metric button. The app is very intuitive and easy to use, so this should be quick and simple for everyone to change.
6.
Once you shoot and are ready to read your stats, the most recent testing will be displayed in this tab for you to easily save and convert into your email or text message format.
Why Should I Buy the Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph?
If you talk to any of my friends, they will tell you that I enjoy a good conspiracy theory and my trust in authority has run out. I’m just a believer that every single company that I buy something from should prove their claims to me before I trust them.
Before digressing too far, my point is ammo companies that post their velocity and specs on the box make shooters believe this is a universal number. That’s like saying that everyone that is exactly 6’0" and weighs 170 lbs will run the same speed in a foot race. There are so many variables that can impact a person’s ability to run fast that it would be asinine to believe everyone can run at the same speed.
This concept applies to guns as well because each 9mm pistol has different barrel lengths, rifling, components, and some of us shoot better with some pistols over the other. The importance of these analogies is that you won’t know the exact ballistics of the ammo and gun you’re using until you measure the velocity of the bullet with each weapon.
Do You Reload Your Own Ammo?
If you reload your own ammo, there is no question that you will see a significant difference in your accuracy once you use a chronograph to measure the velocity of your bullets. For example, I was expecting to see a velocity of 2,7000 FT/s, but instead, it was closer to 2,600. My rifle has a shorter barrel (22") than the 24" that is recommended so my velocity will obviously be slower. If I didn’t have the Caldwell Ballistic Chronograph, I wouldn’t have known that I need to seat my bullets deeper and use the higher end of my gunpowder to make up the difference in barrel length.
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