Labradar accurate or hype?

[Allen Kitts]

I have used the LabRadar exclusively the last two years and the results have been pretty spot on. I can only practice out to 600 yards consistently as that is the farthest our local range goes to but the data has been solid and the shooting I do in the field when I get bored and pick out objects in the distance that need to be shot at, has been good to as far as about 1400 yards. I have done some BC adjustments to my ballistic program but the velocities have been good. I also have a Oehler that I occasionally set up when I have the time and they match up within a few FPS every time.

 

[wldcat]

Sorry not for sale, it was a birthday present.

No, not solely. I'm using the Labradar for velocity. I used the Berger G7 published BC in the Strelock Pro solver. I shot it at a 1000 yards during different range sessions, to true the velocity, and then confirmed the truing at 800. I had entered all environmental factors in the app. I had to adjust the velocity in the app (trajectory validation) to match the come ups. The app added 60 fps to solve the balistic problem. I didn't adjust the BC since Berger is smarter than I am and I trust their bc is well vetted with that bullet.

Back to point. Have others experienced inaccurate velocity readings with a Labradar?

Berger advertised BC is not always accurate, for that matter no manufactures BC is absolute as it can and will vary from rifle to rifle. In my opinion my lab radar has always given good readings, but I always have to adjust bc to get ballistic software to agree with actual bullet drop

 

[BrentM]

Interesting question to me. I don't have a chronograph but use Strelok to give me a ballpark estimate of velocity by drop. It has a true data feature but I am not sure how to use it. I assume you basically shoot other distances for drop, enter that by playing with velocities until that matches your drops and you should be close to what it is. Am I even close to understanding it?

You enter the drop data at the distances referenced in the app and it gives you the corrected fps. Generally is called truing your data.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Optical chronographs are notoriously known to be inaccurate, especially the less expensive ones. The best one available is the Ohler but I still believe the LR and MS units are inherently more accurate.

Have you verified your readings with actual drops on target?

 

[Greyfox]

I have been using both LR and MS chrono's since their introduction. Both are generally within a a few FPS of each other with very good LR ballistic confirmations I gave up long ago on the consistency of optical chronographs….

 

[dmr400]

The post above talking about BC is where your problem is I suspect. BC can be affected by many things in your rifle system. When the folks that make match bullets talk about truing, they take the labradar as close to gospel and adjust their BC to match. That said it might be worth finding someone else with a labradar or MS and shooting your labradar side by side with one or two others. Every product can have variances.

 

[A A Ron]

Yes I did verify on Target at long range. That is how I noticed the need to true. The Target doesn't lie. The hits at range are the only thing I really trust. With the trued velocity I get repeatable hits at different ranges. The Labradar accuracy conversation is purely academic, because regardless of what the Labradar says or Berger says, I still have to dial what my rifle wants to get hits.

 

[JuddL]

Yes I did verify on Target at long range. That is how I noticed the need to true. The Target doesn't lie. The hits at range are the only thing I really trust. With the trued velocity I get repeatable hits at different ranges. The Labradar accuracy conversation is purely academic, because regardless of what the Labradar says or Berger says, I still have to dial what my rifle wants to get hits.

^^^ not uncommon in my experience

 

[Pdvdh]

The best thing you could do with those Shooting Chronys is shoot them.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

A little off topic but ...

The best thing you could do with those Shooting Chronys is shoot them.

Ahahahaha - I did that with an arrow. LOL

 

[kgunz11]

Sorry not for sale, it was a birthday present.

No, not solely. I'm using the Labradar for velocity. I used the Berger G7 published BC in the Strelock Pro solver. I shot it at a 1000 yards during different range sessions, to true the velocity, and then confirmed the truing at 800. I had entered all environmental factors in the app. I had to adjust the velocity in the app (trajectory validation) to match the come ups. The app added 60 fps to solve the balistic problem. I didn't adjust the BC since Berger is smarter than I am and I trust their bc is well vetted with that bullet.

Back to point. Have others experienced inaccurate velocity readings with a Labradar?

Berger shot that bullet in your rifle and gave you the BC based on how it performed in your specific barrel? How much did that cost?

 

[eshell]

I have a MagnetoSpeed and a LabRadar, and had access to an Ohler 35P. I found the Ohler had more variation (error) than the other two, and all had slight (<5 fps) offset from one another. I use the LabRadar and have more confidence in its data.

Sorry not for sale, it was a birthday present.

No, not solely. I'm using the Labradar for velocity. I used the Berger G7 published BC in the Strelock Pro solver. I shot it at a 1000 yards during different range sessions, to true the velocity, and then confirmed the truing at 800. I had entered all environmental factors in the app. I had to adjust the velocity in the app (trajectory validation) to match the come ups. The app added 60 fps to solve the balistic problem. I didn't adjust the BC since Berger is smarter than I am and I trust their bc is well vetted with that bullet.

Back to point. Have others experienced inaccurate velocity readings with a Labradar?

Muzzle velocity and theoretical ballistic coefficient are not the end of the story. Slight instability due to in-bore yaw can be detrimental to BC and cost you velocity that may not be easy to see. BC doesn't return to theoretical values until the airstream pushes the bullet back into concentric flight.

Berger shot that bullet in your rifle and gave you the BC based on how it performed in your specific barrel? How much did that cost?

Rhetorical, but on point. "your specific barrel" may or may not perfectly stabilize any given bullet. The old timers used to say some of those long VLDs need to "go to sleep", and while they have not yet gone to sleep, their BC is compromised by yaw.

 

[A A Ron]

Berger pubishes BC values for their bullets in G7 and G1. It's free information just click on their website. They also publish twist rate information.

 

[Bob Wright]

Almost everyone here has answered for me.
I use the muzzle velocity for load development, then everytime I target shoot to make the corrections in Strelok, based on what the target tells me. Once they line up, go hunting