Doppler radar technology offers improvements over ballistic chronographs with older-style optical sensors and screens.

by Robert Kolesar

Every hardcore shooter needs a chronograph. If you’re a reloader, even more so. If you don’t have one, you’re just guessing. I did a lot of that (guessing) in the past. I attempted to get a more accurate velocity picture by talking to the ballistics experts at the various ammo companies but those became “educated” guesses over the phone. You can’t factor in barrel length, bore wear, temperature, etc. when trying to figure out accurate velocities for your particular load. It becomes even more of a crapshoot if you’re testing reloaded ammo. Shooting a rifle accurately is a precise science; guessing is not the way to go when estimating bullet drop or comparing your favorite load to similar cartridges. Each rifle and round is different; some radically so. The same is true for pistols.

Enter the LabRadar. No screens to shoot through, easy to set up, and simple to use. It’s compact, light, and goes anywhere; it looks like an average laptop computer when it’s in its travel bag. For a guy like me that resisted the computer technology onslaught in the early 80s, it’s easy to figure out. The instruction sheet is basic, well written (as in understandable) and uncomplicated.

Read more in the February 2019 issue.

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