Marksman Path

Printable chronograph log sheet

A range sheet for chronograph sessions: each shot’s velocity, string by string, with room for the average, extreme spread and standard deviation your chronograph reports. Write down the conditions too; a velocity with no temperature beside it cannot explain a change next season.

Two places to use the numbers afterward. The average is the muzzle velocity the ballistic calculator needs; set its source to Chronograph and its likely range narrows. And if you are testing loads, keep this beside the reloading log from the bench and the ladder test worksheet for the groups.

Prints on Letter or A4, in black and white. Save as PDF from the print dialog.
Date
Rifle & barrel length
Chronograph
Distance from muzzle
Temperature
Altitude or pressure
Units (fps / m/s)
StringAmmunition or batch12345678910AverageESSDNotes
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10

Shot columns are each shot’s velocity, in order. Average: add the velocities and divide by the number of shots. ES (extreme spread): highest minus lowest. SD(standard deviation): most chronographs show it, so copy theirs; by hand it is √(Σ(velocity − average)² ÷ (shots − 1)). An SD from five shots moves a lot from string to string; judge it over ten or more.

Notes

A velocity is evidence about your rifle and your ammunition, not a load to copy. If a velocity is well above what your manual lists for the same charge and barrel length, stop and find out why before you fire another round.

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