Re: Chronograph's ??
I completely agree that if a guy shoots enough bullets down range at really long ranges and pays strict attention to drops, winds, and direction of fire, that enough shooting time and ammo can lead to a respectable combination of BC and MV back-calculated from measured drops while tweaking input values for MV until the drops match those measured in the field. Other than when I'm specifically developing a long range hunting load for a rifle, I don't average 15 shots per year through my hunting rifles. There are no 1000 yd ranges within 500 miles of where I live. I have to create my own 1000 yd range on a power line easement, because the land is forested.
You mentioned that the BC discrepancy exists no matter how we arrive at a MV, and that's not true for me. I measure bullet velocity at the muzzle and then again at 1000 yards. I use these two bullet velocities to calculate the BC for the bullet out of my rifle. I don't use the BC from the manufacturer or Bryan Litz's published values.
So you use your method because you shoot a lot. Evidently enough to be content that your methods work well enough for you. I rely on my ballistic software because I don't shoot a lot because I don't have opportunity to shoot a lot at long yardages, and basically none at the elevations where I hunt sheep and Mt. goat. About the only time I shoot at elevations exceeding 2200 feet is while I'm hunting sheep, goat, bear, or caribou. Which again goes back to the point that what works well for you is not a practical possibility for me. What I do is a practical possibility for anyone.
Now, even if I were to only establish my MV with a chronograph, at least then I'm only left with the unknown variable of BC when tweaking data in a ballistics program to match measured long yardage drops. On the other hand, you have two unknowns to juggle, leaving it to guesswork as to tweaking the BC or the MV when you're matching measured drops with your ballistics program. You have no way to know which is correct, or if either is correct, because you're left with two unknowns which have been juggled in some fashion to match your measured long range drops. I hear you saying that you consider your BC values to be proven values. Well they were out of someone's rifle if you're using Litz's values. They may or may not be proven BC values out of your rifle.
I completely agree that if a guy shoots enough bullets down range at really long ranges and pays strict attention to drops, winds, and direction of fire, that enough shooting time and ammo can lead to a respectable combination of BC and MV back-calculated from measured drops while tweaking input values for MV until the drops match those measured in the field. Other than when I'm specifically developing a long range hunting load for a rifle, I don't average 15 shots per year through my hunting rifles. There are no 1000 yd ranges within 500 miles of where I live. I have to create my own 1000 yd range on a power line easement, because the land is forested.
You mentioned that the BC discrepancy exists no matter how we arrive at a MV, and that's not true for me. I measure bullet velocity at the muzzle and then again at 1000 yards. I use these two bullet velocities to calculate the BC for the bullet out of my rifle. I don't use the BC from the manufacturer or Bryan Litz's published values.
So you use your method because you shoot a lot. Evidently enough to be content that your methods work well enough for you. I rely on my ballistic software because I don't shoot a lot because I don't have opportunity to shoot a lot at long yardages, and basically none at the elevations where I hunt sheep and Mt. goat. About the only time I shoot at elevations exceeding 2200 feet is while I'm hunting sheep, goat, bear, or caribou. Which again goes back to the point that what works well for you is not a practical possibility for me. What I do is a practical possibility for anyone.
Now, even if I were to only establish my MV with a chronograph, at least then I'm only left with the unknown variable of BC when tweaking data in a ballistics program to match measured long yardage drops. On the other hand, you have two unknowns to juggle, leaving it to guesswork as to tweaking the BC or the MV when you're matching measured drops with your ballistics program. You have no way to know which is correct, or if either is correct, because you're left with two unknowns which have been juggled in some fashion to match your measured long range drops. I hear you saying that you consider your BC values to be proven values. Well they were out of someone's rifle if you're using Litz's values. They may or may not be proven BC values out of your rifle.
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L! I'm all good, just enjoying my morning caffeine before facing this thing they called work. 
