Randy Barnett
Garmin Chronograph Review
Saturday, May 03, 2025, 11:12

Waterboy was inquiring about the Garmin chronograph below, here is a review I wrote for a magazine last year.

Product Review: Garmin Xero C1 Chronograph
I believe it’s safe to say that we, the handgun hunting community, probably fire more rounds of ammunition per year than most rifle hunters. Being proficient with a handgun in the hunting field requires an individual to stay on top of their game and that means a lot of practice during the off season. Because of this, the majority of the handgun hunting community probably loads their own ammunition. They do this not only for the cost savings, but to tailor their load for a specific firearm and for the game animals being hunted.
If you are in the majority that loads their own ammunition, you realize how valuable a chronograph is. The velocity readings from your ammunition can tell you when you’ve reached the maximum loads, tells you which powder is the most proficient, and is used to calculate bullet drop especially when shooting bolt action and single shot specialty pistols.
If you’re in the market for a chronograph or are ready to upgrade your current model, the selection has never been bigger. I purchased my first chronograph in 1991. It was a Competition Electronics ProChrono unit with an indoor lighting kit. I chose this model because at the time I was shooting a lot of competition 3D archery and knowing the exact speed of my arrow was critical. Fast forward thirty-three years later and I still have this unit and it works as good as the day it was purchased. I have also owned an Oehler 35P, Magnetospeed, and a Labradar. The Oehler is the industry standard, but the three skyscreens mounted on a tripod and all the cables make this unit cumbersome time and consuming to set up. The Magnetospeed is as accurate as the Oehler and doesn’t require skyscreens. You simply strap it to your barrel and fire away. Because of this type of setup, it is almost impossible to use with revolvers. The Labradar is a nice unit, but has difficultly picked up subsonic shots and 22LR without the trigger adapter, goes through batteries quickly unless you have the rechargeable battery pack, and is prone to missing shots if not set in the perfect location. I have had mine pick up shots from other shooters at the range if they were set up close to my bench. This can really have a detrimental effect on your average velocity not to mention your standard deviation and extreme spread!
Well, now there’s another player in the chronograph market. Garmin Electronics released their Xero C1 in the fall of 2023. I purchased mine the day they were released, but had to wait about two weeks before it shipped as they sold out within hours.
The actual chronograph is about the size of a deck of playing cards and weighs less than 6 oz. It comes with its own tripod and charging cable. The unit does not take batteries and can be easily charged from any USB port. I will sometimes charge mine on the way to the range if I forgot to before I left home. I can easily get 5 - 6 hours on a single charge and haven’t had any issues reading shots as the charge gets low on the unit.
Setting the chronograph up to use is where the Garmin has a big advantage over other brands. Nothing attaches to your gun, there are no skyscreens to set up, nothing is placed downrange of your gun with the chance of being struck by an errant bullet, and there are no cables or external microphones to attach. You simply set the Xero C1 on the bench beside and behind the muzzle of your firearm and point it towards your target. The recommended distance 5 – 15 inches for both. I just make sure the unit is out of the way of any muzzle blast and is pointed at the right spot downrange.
The unit only has four buttons; Power, OK, and UP and DOWN scroll. After turning the unit on, you simply select “Start a new session”, select “Pistol” or “Rifle”, then select the velocity range that you will be shooting. The two ranges available whether in Pistol or Rifle are 500-1700 and 1700-5000. If you are shooting a high velocity handgun that the shots will be in the mid 1000’s, go ahead and select “1700-5000”. I did miss a couple of shots once when I was shooting my Freedom Arms 357 magnum and velocity was in the mid 1600’s and I had selected 500-1700. Now if I’m shooting anything that I know will be above 1200 fps, I select the higher range of 1700-5000. After selecting the velocity range, the unit will tell you to position the chronograph 5” – 15” beside and behind the muzzle. You are now ready to shoot.
The Garmin chronograph will record each shot and compile the data until you end the session. At any time you can review the data by simply hitting “Pause Session” and going to “Review Session”. The session review will tell the number of shots fired to this point, the average velocity, and the difference between the highest and lowest velocity (ES), and the standard deviation (SD). You can enter the projectile weight and the unit will calculate the kinetic energy. Any shot can easily be deleted from the string if needed. When finished shooting the string, hit “End Session” and the unit is now ready to start a new string of shots.
There is an app for the Garmin chronograph that can be downloaded to any smartphone called “Shot View App”. If you open this app while using the chronograph, the chronograph and your phone will sync and automatically download the data to your phone so it is available to view at any time. Individual sessions can now be opened on your phone and notes added such as weather conditions, load data, firearm, etc.
The unit includes the chronograph, tripod, charging cable and detailed instructions. I purchased a small waterproof hard case to store my unit in and protect it from damage while in my range box. The retail price of the chronograph is $599 and this price is set by Garmin, so it’s doubtful that it can be found cheaper in different stores. $599 is a lot to pay for a chronograph so small that it fits in the palm of your hand, but is it worth it? When I returned home from my first range session using the Garmin, I sold my Labradar and Magnetospeed chronographs as I saw no need to keep them around.
If you’re looking to purchase your first chronograph or simply upgrade what you currently are using, give the Garmin Xero C1 a serious look. You won’t be disappointed.

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