Which piece of equipment is more important?

[JR1200W3]

Nope, incorrect.

"Reliable" chronographs have been around since the 70s.

Perhaps they were not convenient but they were certainly reliable.

BTW, you are not the only one to make this error. I've heard two or more, highly respected, people say the same thing.

Buford, good to hear from you. You are absolutely correct. Reliable chrono's did exist but they weren't mobile or particularly affordable so in practice people that shot in austere conditions did without. Hence Accuracy 1st codifying the act of truing for people that didn't have backpack capable Oehler 35's and System 88's in their charge bags. Most people here won't know the resources you had available to you back then.

BTW, I remember you showing a slow mo video of a mic indicated on the end of a barrel during firing to demonstrate the bullet exiting before the barrel started to move. Have you seen the recent video from AB showing the barrel moving before the bullet exits? What do you make of that? I used to use your demonstration I saw in VA Beach back in 2016 as an example but this recent video contradicts it.

 

[giumau1]

For me the Garmin specifically was a real game changer. Not having the chance to shoot more than 2k rounds a year including competitions, it gave me the intimacy with the behaviour of my gun+ammo that I was not able to achieve before. The Kestrel is all you need on top of that.

 

[ECK]

When I first went down the rabbit hole of rifle shooting a Kestrel was the first thing I got. I use it for all my rifles from rimfire to centerfires. Very useful piece of kit. And unlike a chrono, borrowing or sharing a Kestrel with somebody else is awkward to say the least. I borrowed a friend’s chrono for a few years before I got my own.

I realize that Garmins are super useful (and I own one now). But unless you’re planning on having it strapped to your rifle for every shot you take I think you’ll mainly use it for load work up and a starting point for the profile you build in your kestrel.

Have you considered a MagnetoSpeed? You can pick them up for a ridiculous amount these days.

 

[Buford Boone]

BTW, I remember you showing a slow mo video of a mic indicated on the end of a barrel during firing to demonstrate the bullet exiting before the barrel started to move. Have you seen the recent video from AB showing the barrel moving before the bullet exits? What do you make of that? I used to use your demonstration I saw in VA Beach back in 2016 as an example but this recent video contradicts it.

I've seen a few from AB. I got a call from Bryan to let me know his video showed barrel movement.

I reminded him that mine did, too. Only the movement is straight to the rear. The dial indicator was to measure vertical, which was not observable prior to bullet exit (I've only ever heard "harmonics" blamed for vertical, never horizontal). He said his didn't show any vertical, either.

The AB videos I've seen support my, earlier, videos as opposed to contradicting them.

If AB has one out that shows vertical movement, I've not seen it. I sure want to, though. I did the first video series to prove what I'd been teaching and only proved I was wrong. Perhaps new video will prove I'm wrong, again (would that mean I was right in the first place?)

I agree that chronographs have only become convenient in recent years, and am happy for it. I doubt I'll ever use skyscreens and long spacings again.

And, I'll also say that "truing" is a fantastic, and brilliant, adaptation to not having instruments to actually measure inputs. The bullet is the truth.

I hope that truing will continue to be taught, even though convenient chronographs are available. Truing - I wish I had thought of it, but I'm not that smart!

 

[JR1200W3]

I've seen a few from AB. I got a call from Bryan to let me know his video showed barrel movement.

I reminded him that mine did, too. Only the movement is straight to the rear. The dial indicator was to measure vertical, which was not observable prior to bullet exit (I've only ever heard "harmonics" blamed for vertical, never horizontal). He said his didn't show any vertical, either.

The AB videos I've seen support my, earlier, videos as opposed to contradicting them.

If AB has one out that shows vertical movement, I've not seen it. I sure want to, though. I did the first video series to prove what I'd been teaching and only proved I was wrong. Perhaps new video will prove I'm wrong, again (would that mean I was right in the first place?)

I agree that chronographs have only become convenient in recent years, and am happy for it. I doubt I'll ever use skyscreens and long spacings again.

And, I'll also say that "truing" is a fantastic, and brilliant, adaptation to not having instruments to actually measure inputs. The bullet is the truth.

I hope that truing will continue to be taught, even though convenient chronographs are available. Truing - I wish I had thought of it, but I'm not that smart!

Ya, I assumed the rifle/ barrel moving rearward wouldn't be able to move without some vertical as well but I could be wrong. The video I saw didn't have a mic in it so I just assumed.

That's one of my little petty claims to fames, lol. When I was talking to Bryan, getting his BCs for the bullets I was shooting, I ran the idea of basing my ballistic computer off BCs and changing the MV to get my data to line up and he thought it was sound. A year later it's called "trueing" as part of the A 1st instruction. I probably didn't think of it first, it was more likely a common realization by quite few people borne by the necessity of not having access to quality chrono's.

People got a lot of shit done back in the day without chrono's. We're definitely better off for Magneto Speeds and Zeros, but if you want to go super analog and are open to field expedient methods they aren't strictly necessary.