Labradar accurate or hype?

[FEENIX]

Ditto. 5 years ago for us. Recommend to everyone.

I just looked at our initial document; it was started in 2017. It is incredible how much we have accumulated/saved financially and how ill-prepared people are regarding their estate. My sister passed away last month, and I cannot believe they did not prepare for the inevitable day. I credit them for getting a burial plot, but that was it.

 

[Opa-lopa]

Radar is accurate to within 0.1%, or 3FPS/3000fps, not 1%.

 

[CaneBrake]

I appreciate the input from all. A scope error could explain what's happening. (LEUPOLD VX 5) I have never noticed it not dialing where it was supposed to though. The groups at range move the appropriate amount.

No offense, but I would like to refocus the discussion back to the Labradar. I agree it has definite improvements over my Shooting Chronys.

I noticed a comment from Wallie about Suppressor position. I am shooting suppressed and I don't have an external trigger. In order to get any readings suppressed I had to move the Labradar just ahead of the end of the Suppressor with an 18 in offset setting. Is there a chance it is not picking up the muzzle velocity but something farther down range to get the lower reading?

Leupolds have a terrible reputation for tracking and repeatability. The Mark 5HD is the only one I've seen that is somewhat decent. I've had a Mark 8 completely fail, and Mark 6s and Mark 4 never tracked right brand new from the factory. Trust me, do a tracking test. If it's repeatable then you just need to figure out the error. Scopes do not track exactly. For instance, my issued Mark 8, before it failed, had an error of 3%. So instead of .1 mil per click I was actually at .103 mil per click. It doesn't seem like a lot but if not accounted for and you dial 10 mils you would be off by .3 mils.

 

[A A Ron]

That is good information about Leupold scope tracking.

 

[Wallie]

No offense, but I would like to refocus the discussion back to the Labradar. I agree it has definite improvements over my Shooting Chronys.

I noticed a comment from Wallie about Suppressor position. I am shooting suppressed and I don't have an external trigger. In order to get any readings suppressed I had to move the Labradar just ahead of the end of the Suppressor with an 18 in offset setting. Is there a chance it is not picking up the muzzle velocity but something farther down range to get the lower reading?

Man, we are definitely having a hard time keeping your thread on track!
I absolutely believe you are skewing your readings with incorrect positioning. However I believe having your radar in front of your gun would give you an artificially low velocity.
Disclaimer: I never shoot around other gunfire, the issues I've heard of while at public ranges could be a problem for you… false triggers, reading other people's shots, frequency overlap etc.
For me, in my private range, the external microphone has worked wonderfully. I shoot almost exclusively suppressed, and I rarely miss a shot. I have this:

But I don't use the bracket… I just lay the microphone out in front of my suppressor on my shooting bench.
I have tested moving my LabRadar away from a muzzle brake, and I decided it skewed my data to much. I built a blast baffle box, shielding my LabRadar from muzzle blast.

Bottom line, if you get an external trigger (microphone if you shoot alone, one of the recoil sensor triggers if you shoot at public ranges) you will get reliable sensing. If you have the actual rifle muzzle (not the exit of the suppressor) precisely aligned with the face of your LabRadar so they are on the same plane, also position your rifle as close as possible you will get excellent data. The farther away your rifle is offset the more potential for extrapolation error, as it causes your projectile to enter the cone of projected radar farther down range, which eliminates some of the initial data points the radar is gathering to extrapolate the muzzle velocity.

Air Gun Trigger Adapter

Product UPC: 708022203613 The Air Gun Trigger Adapter kit is used for guns that do not discharge sufficient muzzle blast to trigger the radar. This adapter should only be used on Air Guns, Rimfire or center fire cartridges that have little or no muzzle blast and some suppressors. The Kit...

buymylabradar.com

Labradar Trigger Gen 2

This is the gen two trigger for the LabRadar chronograph. It will work on anything from a 22LR to a big bore rifles. The trigger works great with suppressors and crowded ranges. The new, removable …

jklprecision.com

 

[hicountry1]

Mine is dead on

 

[A A Ron]

I will minimize the offset and adjust the suppressor position and see what happens. Even if that does change the result I may do scope test.

 

[Justice1327]

Like everyone else in this thread I'm very happy with my LabRadar, and its accuracy.
If you are positioning the forward facing surface perpendicular to your muzzle (not the end of a suppressor, and not clear back by your action so it's easier to touch the buttons) it will give you good data.

Berger also advertises as the lowest manufacture BC value SD, implicitly stating that the BC value is actually an average of possible values, this from a manufacturing perspective.
It's also accepted that every barrel will impart a small, unique, and repeatable change in BC to a projectile, by the way the rifling scribe grooves into the jacket bearing surface, and then those rifling cuts effect drag as the spin through atmosphere. This effect was marginal in my past experience, until I started playing with homogeneous alloy lathe turned projectiles, where the same lot gives noticeably different BC values in different barrels.

To your point, we don't think YOU are experiencing inaccurate velocity readings with yours. There are many factors that can result in your need to "true" your ballistic problem.
The tracking of your turrets is as much as +/- 3%, I've ran into that. Even high end ($3k or more) scopes that I have track +/- 1%. Try inputting 1.1 or .99 in your Strelock as your value per click and see if that doesn't make your dope line up. Test your tracking by performing a tall target test at EXACTLY 100 yards (measured from tip of muzzle to surface of target, measured with a tape measure) and I bet you dollars to doughnuts your scope tracing isn't perfect. None of the dozen or so scopes I've tested have been.
The accuracy of your actual target distance is critical, at 800-1000 yards each foot of actual range makes about a third of an inch of vertical, so being off on range by one yard could cause your 60fps correction also.

You can get in the weeds, or you can just accept that there are tolerances in every part of your shooting system, sometimes they stack with each other some times they offset or cancel each other out. It's very possible to figure out what the tolerances are in your system, (I'd start with scope tracking)
OR just let Strelock change that 60fps, make sure that you get the results on target you want, and drive on with life.
I wish you happiness either way you go. I love this hobby and hope you do too.

Like everyone else in this thread I'm very happy with my LabRadar, and its accuracy.
If you are positioning the forward facing surface perpendicular to your muzzle (not the end of a suppressor, and not clear back by your action so it's easier to touch the buttons) it will give you good data.

Berger also advertises as the lowest manufacture BC value SD, implicitly stating that the BC value is actually an average of possible values, this from a manufacturing perspective.
It's also accepted that every barrel will impart a small, unique, and repeatable change in BC to a projectile, by the way the rifling scribe grooves into the jacket bearing surface, and then those rifling cuts effect drag as the spin through atmosphere. This effect was marginal in my past experience, until I started playing with homogeneous alloy lathe turned projectiles, where the same lot gives noticeably different BC values in different barrels.

To your point, we don't think YOU are experiencing inaccurate velocity readings with yours. There are many factors that can result in your need to "true" your ballistic problem.
The tracking of your turrets is as much as +/- 3%, I've ran into that. Even high end ($3k or more) scopes that I have track +/- 1%. Try inputting 1.1 or .99 in your Strelock as your value per click and see if that doesn't make your dope line up. Test your tracking by performing a tall target test at EXACTLY 100 yards (measured from tip of muzzle to surface of target, measured with a tape measure) and I bet you dollars to doughnuts your scope tracing isn't perfect. None of the dozen or so scopes I've tested have been.
The accuracy of your actual target distance is critical, at 800-1000 yards each foot of actual range makes about a third of an inch of vertical, so being off on range by one yard could cause your 60fps correction also.

You can get in the weeds, or you can just accept that there are tolerances in every part of your shooting system, sometimes they stack with each other some times they offset or cancel each other out. It's very possible to figure out what the tolerances are in your system, (I'd start with scope tracking)
OR just let Strelock change that 60fps, make sure that you get the results on target you want, and drive on with life.
I wish you happiness either way you go. I love this hobby and hope you do too.

I believe it is better to measure from your turret, rather than the end of the muzzle. But yes, use a tape measure, pull it tight and set target on the 100yd line.

 

[A A Ron]

Update

I made it back out for some testing. The Leupold scope appears to be part of the issue.

I made a tall target to test the scope. At 100 yards 10 mils should be 36" of elevation. My scope gives 37.19" when I dial 10 mils up. My correction factor is .968. 3% error.

At 887 yards the correction made up exactly half of the .6 mil difference and half of the velocity. Still not perfect, so I will fall back on my actual field data. (The target doesn't lie.)

 

[CaneBrake]

Update

I made it back out for some testing. The Leupold scope appears to be part of the issue.

I made a tall target to test the scope. At 100 yards 10 mils should be 36" of elevation. My scope gives 37.19" when I dial 10 mils up. My correction factor is .968. 3% error.

At 887 yards the correction made up exactly half of the .6 mil difference and half of the velocity. Still not perfect, so I will fall back on my actual field data. (The target doesn't lie.)

3% is right about what I've experienced with any leupold that actually tracked. Glad you figured it out. That's why I strongly recommended you do the tracking test. The .3 mil difference could just be as simple as a BC or Form Factor tweak.

 

[captainemil]

I have a 300 PRC with a 22'' Proof barrel with a Radial Break, I am using 230gr Hornady A-Tips for development , The FPS are all over the place. I have had the unit 6'' from end of the barrel to back to the scope. The speeds could be 2790 2795 2830 2815- the next round might be 2775 2780 2785 2810, Then I ran some 225gr Hornady Match NEW in box to see if Factory is better and got a 2677 2733 2709. When I am reloading ,I have 3 different scales to make dam sure the powder is the same. On the factory Ammo being MATCH AMMO I would think speeds would be closer. Where is the Problem ?

 

[338 dude]

I have a 300 PRC with a 22'' Proof barrel with a Radial Break, I am using 230gr Hornady A-Tips for development , The FPS are all over the place. I have had the unit 6'' from end of the barrel to back to the scope. The speeds could be 2790 2795 2830 2815- the next round might be 2775 2780 2785 2810, Then I ran some 225gr Hornady Match NEW in box to see if Factory is better and got a 2677 2733 2709. When I am reloading ,I have 3 different scales to make dam sure the powder is the same. On the factory Ammo being MATCH AMMO I would think speeds would be closer. Where is the Problem ?

Of course this is just (swag) a scientific wild *** guess but I believe the problem would be your load. Think of it like an engine if it's running too rich or too lean meaning too much powder too little powder it is not efficient you must get the mixture just right, and it does not take very many tenths of a grain to get out of the proper burn rate.

 

[captainemil]

But if were the same amount of powder, would it be a consistent speed ?

 

[338 dude]

But if were the same amount of powder, would it be a consistent speed ?

Again, my engine analogy engines. Missing clear up for a second Miss again clear up for a second miss again up down same with your speed. But there are so many other variables. It's hard to nail just one, but that is my guess.