every verify your handload velocities

[grumpyvette]

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
the first chronograph I saw at the range was one of the cheap CRONY, i was less than impressed when it stopped working because if was subjected to a light rain shower we got unexpectedly caught in at the range , it impressed me as junk, so even though
I loved the idea of having a chronograph , I looked elseware.
http://shootingchrony.com/

back about 20 years ago I purchased a PACT chronograph
http://www.pact.com/ while it worked it was not in my opinion ideal, it required you to be in bright sun light that was almost directly over head before it worked correctly and it stopped working after several years, i replaced both sky screens and it had zero effect so it was and is just wasted money in my opinion.

one of my richer buddies purchased a Oehler
http://www.oehler-research.com/model35.html
he still has it and it still works, 25 years later,once more a good indication that you tend to get what you pay for!

http://www.oehler-research.com/model35.html

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/d...&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/d...&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


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, most of the time, if its overcast or the lights to the side its less than reliable , or fails to work at all,in my experience,in fact lately its failed to work at all most of the time!
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

257 wby --120 grain speer
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/778546 ... box-of-100

270 win--150 grain speer hot core
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/232123 ... box-of-100

30/06-- 200 grain speer
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/572391 ... -box-of-50

44 mag--- 310 grain lee cast gas check
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/511417 ... -gas-check

450 marlin-- 405grain remington
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/160121 ... soft-point

 

[warrants]

I do. I competed in Hi-power nra rifle matchs for years, and always checked my loads. I shot a .308 with a 28 inch barrel, and it was generally close to the reloading manuals. I clocked my handgun loads just out of curiousity. I didn't hunt with them so it didn't matter what it was doing really, I just liked to know.
I have on occasion worked up loads for my friends, and always clock them so they will know just what their individual rifle is doing. The latest one was a Rem 300 ultramag. It was shooting a 165 nosler over 3600 fps at 15 feet. Shot real good too, but about 20 rounds was all you wanted at a session. I think it was a little over kill on a white tail, to say the least. It shot flatter than my 22-250.