LabRadar - a report on my experience

[joepistol]

Rather than an detailed extensive product review, I'm offering my brief experience with using 1 machine.
I was at my range & saw another shooter, whom I've gotten to know, as we same to be at the range at the same time.
We share guns , and experiences. The other day, he broke out his LabRadar, and began setting it up.

As I've watched several videos on this product & considered purchasing one, went over to check it out.
The design / concept seems great..better than conventional chronos, anyway. I was a bit surprised by some info about the unit:
high initial cost,+need to purchase other items you'd think should be included in the purchase price, driving up cost higher.
(this info from watching the link added below) This has kept me waiting , before ordering a unit.
Website said they were taking orders, waiting for parts to build more units..( ! ) to fill current orders.

I should add that I've owned a chrono for ) 25 yrs. a Pact Chrono is the brand, bought from Midway back in the 90's (?)
It worked well the first few times I used it..then quit working. hadn't done anything to damage the unit,
had handled & stored it carefully, etc.. tried a new battery with ..nothing. Decided I should send it back for testing..& that was that.
Still sits in it's box in the garage, somewhere..( maybe I should look for it ?)

Back to the labRadar..Clocking rds shot thru a King Cobra, he was getting consistent reading ranging from about 850-900 fps.
from the 38 Spec.load he was shooting. I asked if I could try clocking some rds..he said, "sure"
I had some 9mm rds I was shooting from my PSA AR-9.. 115 gr. and 147 gr loads.

Before firing a shot..unit started having problems..power not working. Unit is powered by (6) AA batteries, or optional an battery pack.
Owner had a battery pack..which said it had 95% charge. He had another battery pack, smaller, that said it was @ 100% charge..it didn't work either.
Got out his owners manual ..I started reading it, as he went to fully charge his larger battery pack.
I discovered the message being sent was not low power, but an incompatibly w/ memory card being used. Removed the card & the unit powered up.
Strange.. the unit worked fine with the memory card in place, when he was using it earlier .. ???

Anyway started clocking loads..115gr JHP w/ 4.5 gr Clean Shot.. website says should = 1090 fps..
got readings of 523 fps.. then 664, 748, 788, 1234, 1244, & 1236 fps neither consistent or accurate , IMO

tried my 147gr.FMJ load data from Lyman 49th ed. says 4.1 gr 231 should = 957 fps
got readings of 1037 and 1060fps..

I fired more rds than I recorded results, because some fired rds didn't register..at all.
Of both loads..but the 147 gr. load had more unread rds fired.

at this , I decided to switch to try reading a few 223 loads I had for another rifle,

1st had to change chrono to "rifle"setting, change bullet weight etc..

My 223 load is a 55gr FMJ loaded with 24.5 gr of A/A 2230.. a very accurate load in my AR's in this caliber.
according to Accurate's online load data 24.5 gr of 2230 should = 3240fps.
For whatever reason, I got fewer "unread" readings on rds. fired in this caliber, but the accuracy is suspect:

Here's the readings : 2772 fps, 2727, 2676, 2679, 2660, 2726, 2635, 2659, 2665
I am skeptical of these reading, as I usually hand weigh each powder charge,
and reject (re-throw) any charge that is > + or - .1 gr

I accept I'm not familiar with the setup & use of this chrono..
I relied on the owner's knowledge, & experience of the units owner,
which I came to understand is limited.

I was / am still disappointed with the results, as well as "ease of setup and use" of this unit.
Maybe I'll get the opportunity to try it again, after the owner gets more experience in use of the unit.

If you're considering purchasing a LabRadar, I'd suggest you view the link below..
it does a good job of providing + and - aspects of a purchaser's experience..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC3CjPXVzMg

[Jailer]

I know someone who has one and they are a finicky beast. Have to be precisely aimed and as you discovered you'll have missed shots if they are not. When everything is set up right they are pretty amazing. Getting it right is the difficult part.

I'll stick to my simple cheap Chrony. It's withstood a 22 round right in the face that lodged in the front sensor and after removal of the lodged round it still works!

[Ol` Joe]

I started with a Shooting Crony way back when the 1st came on the market, but somehow got it in my mind a “newer” design by Pact in the 1990s would be a better unit. I tried both back to back once and taking the claimed 1% +/- accuracy claim (read it somewhere) in to account they read about the same.
I’ve still got and use both, although rarely anymore. The Shooting Crony is in good shape, no holes or other apparent damage. The Pact however has had the shade rods hit by an errant pistol slug and a near fatal hit to the sensors by a 6.5 Swede pushing 140 grain Ballistic Tips that gave complete pass through, but left it still working.
I never was happy with how it (Pact) acted in bright sunlight coming in from below the shade so I bought a infrared sensor set up and promptly put a 52gr 223 HP IIRC round through it. Both work, the infrared better then the std sensors even with holes in them. In my opinion the both do best on a cloudy day without shades or with the sensors turned away from the sun a catching the light reflecting off the shades. JMO

Anymore I don’t worry so much about vel, SD’s and ES as long as my loads are accurate at the modest ranges I shoot. The books offer for speed what the lab got in testing and I don’t expect to see the same from my rifles and have learned to live with it. A new chrono whether more accurate or easier set up doesn’t hold the lure they once did.

[JimSig]

I have a Caldwell chrono for about 6 years now.. Used it so many times and never had any problem.. I got it as a father's day gift in 2016 and I think it was around $85 at that time.
LabRadar are sophisticated and very little used by reloaders, so the industry is not challenged enough to refine the design or to make them more robust.

[Tom S.]

Good review. Unfortunately, unless you are willing to pay more than double their list price from scalpers on ebay, they are unavailable, even from the manufacture. l was looking for one last week.

[Buffman]

I reviewed one 6 yrs ago. It was very finicky. I discovered it works best with plenty of down range area aka my rifle range. I want to review and possibly move over to using one, they are spendy:
https://youtu.be/h8moh9kJas0

[apipeguy]

I’ve had mine for about 5 years. Think I paid 400 for it. I’ve used it outside and indoors and never had any issues at all. I’ve always used a battery pack and not internal batteries.

It has been extremely reliable and never any issues getting it “aimed” properly. Only know one other person that has one and he has not had any issues either.

[JamesCC]

Yeah trying to find these are hard to come by right now.