Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph with FPS and MPS Readings, Sun Screens and Large LCD Screen for Range Shooting

THIS IS MY FIRST CHRONO AND I CLOSED MY EYES AND WENT FOR IT! After spending a whole day reading reviews and watching videos of different units I bought this one. First time users of course have to experience the world of (exceptable) lighting conditions and all that comes with the dance of maintaining the right kind and amount of light above the 2 sensors so that the unit works and is accurate. As far as reviews go, check out the reviews for the higher priced units and yes you will find the same complaints regardless of price. My strategy/approach was to buy the cheapest unit I could find that had enough good reviews to indicate that the unit could work well enough to get the job done. Many people gave this basic chronograph good reviews and like the better units some complained of getting a lemon. After playing with this chrono for just a few hours ( and doing the research) I am comfortable in knowing what to look for in a chrono I believe. Fortunately this (my first ever) unit seems to work perfectly out of the box and with all types of projectiles both fast and slow. For example i have a spring loaded BB pistol that shoots at 100 FPS and have shot hand loaded bullets at over 3700 FPS with consistence accurate readings. The phone/tablet app loaded fast and worked as described (except the app will not allow for deletion of error shots without saving then editing) This unit is basic in that it will only give a readout of the speed and do no calculations UNLESS it is paired with a android/apple phone or tablet and a external source application for various computations. This I like because my eyesight is poor and I would rather have my data displayed remotely next to me. Plus I can customize my remote display device and type. The unit is well built well and is sturdy and the readout is large enough and instant. Basically just 3 functions on one switch which are OFF- feet per second- meters per second. Other than that their are 2 ports for data connection to a external device which are a usb type port and a ear phone type plug. This unit takes a 9 volt battery and the battery compartment is big enough to hold a spare battery. This unit does have a camera mount type thread receiver on the bottom for using on a tripod or other type holding set up. I feel fortunate that I bought a unit that works as advertised,of good quality, and really cheap ($69.00) Not sure if I will ever need anything more but I can understand the value and preference of having a unit that does the string calculations WITHOUT having to utilize external devices and cables so this model may not be what some need or want, especially when you can get such features for for just a few dollars more. UPDATE JULY 14 2017 Have since purchased 2 more of these units to have on hand at different locations that I travel to and have had no issues with the units as long as I set up the lighting environment adequately. I wish the unit would reset automatically after having a read error when not using the remote app.

Worked perfectly for me. Easy to set up and the phone app is great..Those getting the "error" codes probably have it setup improperly. A few things I've learned using this unit. 1: works best on an overcast day, if the sun is blowing out the sensors, it can't read the shot. A few pieces of cardboard on the sun shades to block the sun works well. I also made "extended" sunshades by cutting up a translucent fluorescent ceiling light panel made for drop ceilings 2. the bullet needs to pass close to the center of the unit, both Vertically and Horizontally, to pickup the shot. 3: you can't place the unit too close to the muzzle, I've found that 8-10 feet away is about perfect. Follow those 3 things and it will perform very well..I was a little leery about the quality considering the low price, but I assume by requiring a phone app download to handle advanced functions and leaving out all the electronics and software to track shots and save strings gets the cost down. Everyone has a smart phone nowadays anyway, so it just makes sense to produce an affordable, good quality chronograph and let the smart phones serve as the "brains"...Tried it on an overcast day and it recorded every shot..I know from using my handloads on more expensive units that it is as accurate as the more expensive ones because it registered very close to the speeds my handloads got on a competition electronics Pro Chrono. I do suggest getting an inexpensive tripod..I ordered this one and it works perfect. AmazonBasics 50-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Bag

This is the basic Caldwell chronograph. It reads in feet per sec or meters per second. It is accurate if used properly. It can be light sensitive when the sun is very low in the sky (very early or late in the day). It comes with a sun/sky shield which provides a uniform white background that makes the optical sensors spot the projectile a little easier in less than optimal lighting/weather. This unit will not work indoors without an optional light kit (not included). Caldwell has a free app that will collect data when connect to your phone via a 1/8 audio mic style cable. You may need addition adapters if your phone doesn’t have a mic or speaker jack of this design. All new iPhones will require an adapter. With the adapter inline, the chronograph communicates with the app and you can save shot string data. The app is easier to use then my labradar chronograph app. The chronograph is easy to use. Just line it up properly and send the projectile through the sensor space between the sun shade and the body of the chrono. MAKE SURE your aim is clear of the chronograph before releasing the projectile or you may shoot and destroy the unit. It can happen easier than you think. This is my second Caldwell chronograph. The first one developed a short in the unit and cuts off unexpectedly. It also no longer communicates with the chronograph app, so I cannot capture data automatically. So if it’s broken why am I purchasing another just like the first? All these issues developed from frequent use over 4+ years of ownership. Even though this old unit has failed, I still consider the Caldwell chronograph to be a very well-designed and cost-effective tool for its intended purpose. Otherwise I would’ve not invested my money a second time. Can you buy better, yes. Can you buy better that this price point… probably not. This is my opinion, but I did back it up by purchasing the same Caldwell chronograph. If you need a chronograph, this at least is reasonably priced and well made and will likely serve you well. If you reload or are into air rifles a chrono is almost a must have.

My first ever chronograph, and I bought this particular one over others because of the iPhone app. The app works really well, and there is no lag between the readings showing up on the chronograph and on your phone. I am not sure if this is common for chronographs, but the area over which you can shoot to get dependable readings is narrow (no more than a few inches- probably better for rifle or handgun with nice scope/laser or in a vice) at 20 feet, meaning you have to be a pretty good shot to use this well, or you will get a lot of error codes. Also, I had this at 15 feet, but noticed I was getting readings from the muzzle blast/flash (I mean, there is no way my .40 was producing 3000+fps!) and this led to some erroneous results. I clipped on some LED lights (these CAT 4-pack LED Worklights with Magnets, and Includes 12 Duracell AAA Alkaline Batteries ) to the shades, and wasn't having any trouble using this in an indoor range. I had an idea of what the loads I was using should read (900-1200fps) and most of the readings were in this range, so it works! You also do have to make sure this is aligned well or you will also get some lower readings than you should. This, with the narrow reading area would have me leave it with 4 stars, but I added one for how rugged this thing is. Toward the end of shooting 150 rounds through this thing, one literally went through it and ended the measurements for the day. Luckily the bullet missed the circuit board and sensors, but tore up the battery and battery connector, but was stopped by the back sensor. This chronograph gets a star for its toughness, and ease to fix, as a trip to radio shack and a little basic wiring got this working again! Lastly, the case is a nice touch and I really like that the metal supports for the shade clip onto the shades to keep them together.

Had one of these years ago, worked great; no issues with reads and the app worked flawlessly. Don’t remember what I did with it, so I bought another; what a mistake that was. Forget using this in any kind of overhead light. Thing was throwing error codes just from the ceiling LED light in my garage. Moved it away from the light and it throw an error code. Took it out in the sun and the error codes came right back. Took it out for some load development and kept it under a canopy. Things were going good until…. Less than 20 shots through it and it stopped communicating with the app. Then it just stopped communicating, and then started with error codes again. Turning it off and back on worked for maybe a few shots then back to no communication and error codes. Now I’m turning this think off and on every 3-4 shots. Then the readings start going haywire. All my hand loads are very precise, yet same grain bullet and same grain powder showing 150 fps difference. Rounds that I have increased powder weights are showing the same speed, or less, than rounds with less powder. Getting same speed readings for powder weights with a 5gr difference. Nothing but hot garbage

I'm pretty new to reloading and bought this to check my loads. For under $100 it has been very useful. You can spend a lot more for a chronograph but this one does everything I need. The good news is that it works well for me even when the lighting isn't ideal. I'd read that these work best on overcast days but I haven't had any problems even on bright sunny days. The bad news is that I couldn't get the remote readings to work with either my Fire tablet or Android phone. I kept getting a connection error. But both my tablet and phone are ancient as electronics go and I didn't do a lot of fiddling around trying software updates, so that might just be a problem with my equipment. At any rate I didn't deduct any stars from my rating over that problem because it still does all I need. The LCD display on front is easy to see from the distance (12 ft) that I shoot from, and I'm shooting from a rest so I just keep good old fashioned pen and paper on my lap and record the speeds that way. Then when I go home I enter them into a spreadsheet so I have a permanent record. I would buy again if I eventually shoot it as everyone tells me will happen some day, although so far I've been careful and haven't come close to hitting it.

If you're expecting to set this up quickly and shoot, think again. Its finicky, but I believe that's the case with all similar units that rely on shadow detection. The only other option that I believe is better/simpler than this shadow approach relies on radar and is $550+. In my experience these units are *very* sensitive to light, ambient or otherwise. You have to figure out what light settings work best: what amount of light, what angle the light hits, the types of bulbs (if indoors) etc. It's not simple or quick. Once you've done that, and figured out that you need to shoot as close to the top of the unit, straight down the middle (I use this for pellets at 830-900 fps), it works fairly well. Just getting to this point takes time and many shots, even when I setup the chronograph in the same place indoors a day later. The Android app is nice, the unit-phone cable (provided) is plenty long enough, and the app works reasonably well to record and analyze shot data. The only thing the app is missing is a way to quickly delete a shot (press and long hold on a shot should offer to delete it). As a shadow-detecting chronograph amongst its peers, it's a 4 star item, but the overall hassle of getting this setup, even in repeat environments indoors leads me to 3 stars. It works once you get it setup and get a feel for it.

If I had written this review last night, I would have given the unit 1 star (only because you can't give 0 stars!) I have been having issues with this chronograph since I purchased it. It was constantly giving me error messages. I was rarely ever able to get any useful data. It made the product basically unusable. I chalked it up to purchasing an inexpensive unit. However, after another terrible day with it at the range yesterday, I decided to search and see if there was anything online that addresses my issues with this chronograph. Lo and behold, Caldwell issued a statement on their website for the chronograph that certain units manufactured right before I purchased mine had faulty sensors and were producing the errors that I was having. I called the number listed this morning and spoke with a very nice gentlemen. He asked me a few questions about the issues I was having. He then asked for my address stating a new model will be delivered to me within 5-7 business days! I really appreciate a company that looks out for its customers. I already own several other Caldwell products, but their customer service has now cemented my loyalty to them. Keep up the good work! On another note, a friend of mine that has this chronograph, only a little older, loves it and his works flawlessly. I would not hesitate to recommend this chronograph to anyone, especially with Caldwell's great customer service.

Dopo aver restituito in un battito di ciglia l’apparentemente più blasonato cronografo base della Caldwell, questa scatola di latta con le istruzioni in cinese mi sta dando delle soddisfazioni. Paragonato ad altri cronografi fi fascia superiore è assolutamente in linea con le misurazioni. E funziona anche con una giornata con sole ma diffuso. Non mi sembra che lo dicano nella descrizione dell’articolo, ma nella confezione ci sono anche dei ricambi, e questa è una bella cosa. Raccomandato.

Nach dem ersten Auspacken waren die Sonnenabdeckungen schnell montiert und das Gerät bereit zum Testen. Auch wenn sich das Plastik nicht unbedingt hochwertig anfühlt, ist der Chrony super. Bei 20 Schüssen nur eine Abweichung von 1 fps. Geschossen wurde ein Kinderrecurvebogen mit 92 fps und ein Lever-Bow mit 195 fps. Aufzeichnung mit Iphone SE war problemlos möglich. So macht das Gerät einen guten ersten Eindruck. Für den Bogenschützen nur zu empfehlen.

J'utilise cet appareil pour vérifier la vitesse de sortie des flèches quand je règle mon arc. En MPS ou FPS. Il fonctionne très bien en tir extérieur, à l'intérieur il faut un bon éclairage. Très pratique et précis.

Cronógrafo excelente , como tudo da marca, recomendo

The chronograph looked brand new contrary to another review and functioned perfectly. I love the smartphone connection with the cable where you can view from a distance and save the groups. A bit of trial and error to work out the operation of the app. I tested it on a cloudy day without the screens. I replaced a very old Chrony Delta which I shot up accidentally. It was a blessing in disguise. For the price, it was the best around and the Amazon delivery was super fast.