Precision science equipment isn’t the hottest of topics, but if you want the very best out of your ammo and out of your firearms — you’ll need some fancy science.
But with chronographs ranging from $50 to $600 it can be a real gamble on what is worth the time and money just to measure the speed of bullets.
From the ultra-cheap to the ultra-expensive and the weird tips and tricks I’ve learned in-between, I’ll help demystify some of the dullest and most important pieces of shooting equipment you can have in your inventory.
Let’s get to it!
THE QUICK LIST
-
Editor’s Pick
-
Best Entry-Level
-
Best Upgraded Option
-
Best Mid-Grade
-
Advanced Users Only
Table of Contents
Loading…
How We Tested the Best Chronographs
Input for this article came from the editorial staff and freelance writers at Pew Pew Tactical. Every chronograph listed below has been thoroughly tested by someone here at Pew Pew Tactical. Not to mention, these are ones we regularly use for testing guns in our reviews.
These chronographs have recorded thousands of rounds for us over the years and represent the best when it comes to features, reliability, durability, and value.
Best Shooting Chronographs
1. Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph – Editor’s Pick
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Garmin Xero C1 Pro Pros & Cons
Pros
- Compact
- Bluetooth capable
- Easiest to use
- USB-C Rechargeable
Cons
- Most expensive
The Garmin is arguably the best on this list because its its operation is clean and simple. It doesn’t require the deployment of apparatus, and you don’t have to attach anything to a gun or shoot through anything!
During testing, I found it to be rather forgiving, measuring anything between 100 FPS and 5,000 FPS with ease. After setting it up and turning it on, I simply shot 5-15 inches above the unit.
Plus, its compact size makes it easy to pack up and carry anywhere. Some shooters have even been mounting them to the sides of their rifles for immediate confirmation of velocities.
The Bluetooth capability allows you to pair the unit with your phone and use the ShotView mobile app to easily keep track of all your shot data. Also, the USB-C chargeable battery lasts up to six hours.
While the price is a little tough to swallow, the unit is IPX7 rated, doesn’t appear to be finicky with varying conditions, and offers peace of mind that you won’t shoot something you didn’t mean to.
We have more details in our full review of the Garmin Xero C1 Pro!
2. Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph – Best Entry-Level
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph Pros & Cons
Pros
- Affordable
- Accurate
- Lightweight
Cons
- Must shoot through
- Light sensitive
This chronograph is what the vast majority of people will get the most value out of.
The Caldwell chronograph is a simple light sensor design that does what you need it to do and nothing else. It’s lightweight, easy to set up, and really has nothing you can screw up.
Just turn it on, wait a few seconds, and shoot. The number is clear to read or you run an Aux line to your phone to record the data.
It has some downsides, though. This is the cheapest type of chrono for a reason. Mostly, it’s not super accurate over the long term.
Each range session will be accurate in itself. If one bullet reads 1,000 fps and the next one reads 1,200 fps, there was very likely a 200 fps difference between the two.
But if you took the first reading on Monday and the second reading on Friday, the gap between them might be a little more… iffy. Because it relies on light, the Caldwell is susceptible to weather conditions, cloud cover, etc.
Testing the same lot of ammo over and over in the desert, we got the same readings within my expected extreme spread. But if you live somewhere that has a lot of cloud cover, then you might see some funny readings now and then. Get to know your chrono, and this won’t be a real problem. The readings will get you very close if nothing else.
Another concern is that you need to shoot through the chrono for it to work. The field is fairly large, so it’s not really that hard, but accidents happen.
Fun fact: Even after shooting in the back-of-the-head mob execution style, it kept on trucking. We don’t recommend shooting yours, but we were super impressed that it didn’t kick the bucket.
You can get the Caldwell on its own, but we strongly recommend the Premium Kit, which comes with extra battery cables, a tripod, a soft case, and other goodies.
3. Caldwell G2 – Best Upgraded Option
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Caldwell G2 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Bluetooth Capable
- Rechargeable battery
- Accessories included
Cons
- Must shoot through
- Light sensitive
This is the bigger and meaner older brother of the first Caldwell and comes with some nice upgrades out of the box.
First off, Bluetooth! No more aux cable, having to write down your data like a caveman or voice-to-text talking to yourself out in the desert like a crazy man.
The second huge change is the rechargeable lithium-ion battery instead of those stupid 9volts.
Other than that, it’s just bigger, stronger, and better in every way to the little bro. And since it comes standard with a soft case and tripod, the extra $50 over the Premium Kit seems well worth it.
If you want to treat yourself without breaking into a piggy bank, get the G2. You’re worth it.
What do you think of this Caldwell? Rate it below!
4. Magnetospeed V3 – Best Mid-Grade
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Magnetospeed V3 Pros & Cons
Pros
- No shoot through
- Good display
- Instant feedback
Cons
- Point of impact shift
- Doesn't fit all applications
As the name might lead you to think, the Magnetospeed uses those cool electromagnetic fields to track the bullet’s speed.
This has a couple of major gains. First, you don’t have to shoot through points A and B to get it to work.
Strap on the bayonet and get shooting!
Great for rapid shooting, shooting groups while you track data, or getting instant feedback while you are shooting something important, the Magnetospeed gives you a lot of flexibility in your chronographing.
But…it does have some tradeoffs.
Because it is a large bayonet that straps onto your barrel — this can shift your point of impact while it is attached. It can also mess with your rifle harmonics and open or close your groups oddly.
These can be worked around depending on the firearm you’re using. Many high-end precision rifle chassis have rod attachments you can use to mount the Magnetospeed to them to keep it off your barrel. Also, if your barrel is thick enough to start with — you might not notice any problems.
Able to work with airguns, rimfire, pistols, and rifles — plus can fit barrels or suppressors up to 2 inches in diameter, the V3 is simply bigger and better in every way.
Critically, it also comes with a more advanced display unit with more options and better tracking.
If you’re into precision long-range shooting, this is the model for you — it’s easy to use and straightforward. Just make sure to use the included offset rod to make sure that the bayonet is far enough away from your bore.
5. Labradar – Best for Advanced Users
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Labradar Pros & Cons
Pros
- Versatile
- Accurate in all conditions
- Can store data
Cons
- Finicky
- Expensive
Oh man… where to start? Labradar uses Doppler radar to do its magic, and it really is magic. It’s also very expensive, coming in at around $550-$600. And that is just for the base unit.
From arrows to rimfire to big bore rifles, it can work with just about anything… kind of. While the Labradar is considered to be the cream of the crop in chronographs, I really didn’t have a good experience with it.
To use the radar, you need to aim it very precisely at your target. They give you the most useless of V notches to do this with.
If you Google around, you can find a dozen or more DIY or 3D printed “aiming” devices to help you aim the Labradar.
The second major issue we had was actually triggering the unit. While it claims that it can work with rimfire and airguns, I found it nearly impossible to work with my NRL22 rifles without buying some of the extras that Labradar offers.
The best settings I was able to use got it to track 8 out of 20 rounds of rimfire. If you want a more sure way of triggering it, you’ll need an external mic. And the only one that works is the one Labradar sells. How convenient.
That said… if you can get it set up and working, it is a magical tool. The accuracy of the information is dead on in all weather conditions. The unit is robust and can take a beating. Storing the information on an SD card and pulling it off later is super easy and can pack a ton of information.
Best of all, it tells you the velocity not only at the muzzle but also at any range you set downrange. It will track and calculate the velocity at up to five different points downrange.
For centerfire cartridges, the Labradar never failed to track. But getting it to work with rimfire was a beast. I would only recommend the Labradar to users who really want the very best information and are willing to spend the time and effort in setting up and learning the system.
Plus, be prepared to DIY or buy some extras to help you make the most of the Labradar. It really eats us that a $600 tool needs *extras* to get the most out of it. For the supermajority of users, I think the Labradar is a bit much.
What Exactly Is a Chronograph?
Basically, it’s a science thing that lets you measure the speed of projectiles. These can be bullets, arrows, bb pellets, shotgun pellets, and more, depending on the kind of chrono you pick up.
There are several ways to do this. The most common and “basic” way is with light.
The chrono looks at the light above or below two sensors set apart by about a foot and waits for the light to be disturbed. The light on the first sensor is disturbed, and then X milliseconds later, the light of the second sensor is disturbed. Math happens, and a speed is given.
Others work on a similar method, but a different form. Instead of light, small electromagnetic sensors are set along a line.
A projectile disturbs the electromagnetic fields, and math happens, and a speed is given.
Finally, the fanciest type is through Doppler radar.
The same thing that weather stations use, Doppler radar shoots a microwave signal and uses the signal bouncing back to measure the distance and velocity of whatever it is aiming at.
Why Do I Need One?
For the average shooter, a chronograph is probably useless.
I mean really, it’s a fairly niche case that you need hard data on the exact speed of your bullets. But if you reload, want to shoot precision long-range, or shoot competitively — a chronograph can be critical.
For reloaders, you want to be able to find velocity nodes, check the speed you’re getting from different loading methods, and check for safety.
Precision long range is very velocity dependent. Having accurate data on your ammo is a must-have for proper DOPE. All of the ballistic calculators in the world won’t help if your velocity is off to start with.
Not sure if you have enough energy on target to take your next hunt? Checking the actual speed of your cartridge through your rifle and a little math will solve that problem.
The list goes on. But basically, it’s an advanced user kind of thing. But don’t let that scare you — they’re actually easier to get into than you might think.
Final Thoughts
So, after all of that, do you need a chrono? It all depends on you. If you do need one, you cannot do without it. Even the cheapest option is better than nothing.
Even if you don’t need one, chronographs are handy pieces of equipment to keep around for when you do. Stick around in shooting sports long enough, and eventually, you’ll find that you wish you had one.
What is your go-to chronograph? Let us know in the comments! If you’re looking to get into long-range shooting, take a look at the Best 1000 Yard Guns and the Best Long Range Rifle Scopes!
Latest Updates
June 18, 2024: Added the Garmin Xero C1 Pro. Included more data and metrics on how we tested the best chronographs. Also included more supplemental information and media to each product.
18 Leave a Reply
Doppler radar units are certainly the most convenient to use, however the Labradar has proved to be unreliable due to its narrow beam and very shot battery life. The new Garmin Xero's operation is almost flawless. The most accurate unit used by many ammo companies is the old standby Oehler 35P that has a proof channel.
Your doppler diagram isn't very accurate. What your diagram shows is a pulsed radar; not a doppler radar. Doppler radar does not stop transmitting to wait for a return pulse; it transmits continually. Radar reflections that show no change in frequency from the transmitted frequency are filtered out so the receiver never sees them. It only detects radar returns that are higher or lower in frequency than the transmitted signal.
a few years ago when I asked every person at the gun range if they liked their chrono? and would they buy it again? Or buy something else.. At that time 80% said buy Labradar. It costs more but its better..Well several years later I asked the same question to about as many people as before at the gun range and competitions..The answers have change with alot of rants on Labradar.. It misses Shots..It wont connect via Bluetooth half the time.. It will disconnect after 3 shots.It quit working when using my suppressor..I had to buy the Air Gun Trigger to make it work .The Doppler misses shots.
Some will say the MagnetoSpeed changes the POI...Who cares,.Im checking Velocity on my loads I can dial up or down..
Yes I own a LabRadar and a MagnetoSpeed..Which one gives me better consistent numbers? MagnetoSpeed does with missing any shots.Which is more convienient ? Labradar.Do I still use Labradar? yep..But unless they do something about the bluetooth connectivity I fear it will keep moving down the ladder.And someone will build something better than it.
well this is a good place to say this.I own both Labradar and a MagnetoSpeed..The main reason I use a Chrono is to check Velocity of my reloads.
All Chronos have Pros & Cons and before I purchased my 1st Chrono which was the Labradar I asked probably close to 100 people that I saw with any type of Chrono.. Do you like what you have ? Would you buy it again? If not what would you buy now? A few years ago 80% of people said if I can afford it buy the Labradar.
But a few years have passed and Ive been asking the same questions.The answers have changed.RE; Labradar..this is what they say now..Oh Im the maintenance director of at my local gun range with 2,250 members.. and Im there shooting almost every day or 5 of 7 days easily. So I get to see what they use and ask people question..
this is what people say about Labradar now..It misses too many shots... It wont connect Via Bluetooth half the time..It disconnects after 3 or 4 shots.. People near me conned ct to my Labradar and get my shot information.It quit working with my suppressor on.I had to buy an air gun trigger to get it to work with suppressor.It reads wrong with my muzzle brake.But the Bluetooth conectivity is by far the most common issue and it misses shots.
The MagnetoSpeed is it changes my POI.. It wont fit my big barrel. But it does not disconnect and it does not miss shots..
My 2 cents..Im here checking my bullet velocity..I could care les if it changes my Point Of Impact..I can dial up or down.However Im not shooting with it in my competitions or hunting with it own.
I have the cheapie Caldwell model with the add on kit for the LED lights. Problem is it won’t turn on anymore and calls and e-mails to the company or companies which appear to have bought each other out are undeliverable. How do I get service or is this a lost cause? A direct email would be helpful.
I had the same problem mine ended up in the bin
Mine went into the trash!
Waste of money. Back and forth with tech support. Never functioned well now won't do anything but waste my time.
Trash time...
Fool me once, there won't be a twice.
While I have a Labradar and finally got it to work as they developed things, their customer service is the worst I have ever seen. I am on my third one in two years. I have paid for two of them and Amazon gets the credit for refunding my cost on the third one. Although I have now paid for two units and only have one goes to show how crappy they are. I had sent one back for warranty coverage and they indicated it was out of warranty. They then refused to return my original unit unless I paid shipping. I have contacted them at least a dozen times and asked how they would like payment to ship my old one back as they indicated that it simply needed a firmware update. They still will not ship it back. So I now have one that seems to work but in total it took over a year to get it and my final cost was over $1500.00 due to accessories. Had I not already had all of the stuff to go with it, I would have gone with a different company. They even ignored the BBB trying to contact them to help resolve the issue.
I also use a LabRadar, as is with no external trigger. I have to admit, when I first got it, it was a bit finicky. It behooves the new user/owner to read the product manual, get it out and play with it, then read the manual again. I have had an occasional issue with trigger levels but not as often as this review would lead you to believe. If you pay attention to the distance between the weapon and the LabRadar so it's close to what you set in the set-up menu, AND you place the unit so it is on the same plane as the end of the barrel, I've gotten pretty reliable operation. A tripod help too especially when shooting a pistol. Another thing is if you gather enough data (shots recorded) you can manipulate the data set, post range session and toss out the garbage shots.
Having used it for the past 4 years, I've come to love this chrono after having owned several other models not featured here. To be honest, I've never tried a MagnetoSpeed. While I have looked at them, I never liked the fact that you have to attach something directly to the barrel. If you're like me and shoot a lot of rounds, particularly during load development, I would think you could start melting things to the barrel... but not on my rifles! Plus how does a magnetic sensor work for a pistol?
With the LabRadar, you get a string of data per shot, 5 user pre-set distances out to 99 yards. So you get much more information than just the muzzle velocity. Loading for multiple rifle and pistol calibers, the LabRadar allows me to get into the nitty gritty of fine tuning my reloads.
It helps me quickly identify a good component combination. I can load up a few boxes varying the amount of powder charge in each. If you're trying to match or improve on factory loads, you'll need to start the session with 10-12 rounds of factory ammo to obtain a baseline data set. I then shoot my reloads from each of the boxes I've loaded up. I will also shoot out of different guns (of the same caliber) so I can compare my reload performance with different guns, makes, barrel lengths, etc. Doing it this way, you do have to pay attention and take meticulous notes so you get the data back home, you can make sense of it all.
Price aside, the LabRadar isn't for everyone. But if you love to tinker, have a fair knowledge of Excel to manipulate and chart your data, it's an invaluable tool for (re)load development. (PS I use Calc by LibreOffice... it's open source and comes at the best price... FREE)
I use the labradar with the JK Precision magnet trigger. As soon as the gun recoils, it starts the unit. This means that the direction and position of the radar is not important (as important). It is amazing and never misses a shot. Mine is placed towards the front of the rifle and when the sensitivity is changed to 4 - never records the movement from the bolt. It makes a great product almost flawless. Got more accurate readings than my magnetospeed sporter too even though they are supposed to be similar in their reading. One big advantage is that it doesnt change POI due to different barrel harmonics with or without the bayonet.
Oh, I forgot to mention. To use the LabRadar to its full potential, you need a good solid tripod or bench mount. You can't have the thing flopping around. I use a photographic tripod, and it works great.
Check out the magnetic trigger from JK Precision. It triggers based on recoil. Makes the labradar flawless. I set my sensitivity to 4 as per their suggestion and no false recordings from the bolt. Now it isnt sensitive to placement and as sensitive to direction. Place it anywhere you like (I like behind the muzzle by the bolt) and point it in the general direction of the target - and it records all the time.
I took the plunge and got the LabRadar about 2 years ago to replace my Oehler P35. Setting up the sensors downrange was kind of a pain, and it wasn't super reliable on cloudy days. Once I got the LabRadar set up properly (Save yourself a lot of frustration and read the manual thoroughly before you start.) it ran like a champ. I can measure velocity and measure for group size at the same time. You can't do that with a MagnetoSpeed because attaching anything to the barrel will change the harmonics. I handload for about 12 different cartridges, so the LabRadar is a real time-saver for me. I agree that it's not for everyone, but for the shooter who wants to tune up the best load for his individual rifle, or do some serious long-range shooting, nothing else can touch it.
I would have liked an opinion on the Competition Electronics ProChrono DLX. $126 at Midway and top reviews.
I work at a gun range with access to all three of these chronographs.
With an IR light unit added on (whether Caldwell's, or any other- including diy lights I've seen) the Caldwell has been the most reliable and doesn't suffer from lighting condition problems.
The magnetospeed does not work with all ammunition. It is heavily dependent on the bullet metallurgy and mass because it uses magnetic induction to detect the bullet.
The LabRadar requires a LOT of configuration prep work, precise placement in relation to your muzzle, and does not like facing any kind of steel target or trap at all. It also has finicky performance at close range (<20yds) It also has a very high tendency to be affected by other shooters when using microphone triggering instead of doppler mode, causing it error out almost every shot, even with the external microphone.
Most of the triggering problems are solved with $50 Piet Recoil Trigger. Just experiment with several temporary attach methods for best results. I use a plastic sight attached to top of the LabRadar but placement relative to muzzle blast is tricky. Not mentioned in the article is the bluetooth phone app that makes all the difference with remote control and data collection. The total investment was high but gets far more use than buying another gun for the safe.
One thing I have found is that you have to select the sensitivity of the LabRadar carefully to prevent it from being triggered by other shooters on the firing points nearby. You have to experiment a little to get it working right, but once you have the right settings, it's fine.