The Garmin Xero C1 Is The Chronograph We've All Been Waiting For

I was always so impressed by all the firearm articles where someone used this mysterious tool called a “chronograph” to report the speeds of bullets. They’d then use formulas, bullet weights, ballistics coefficients and what not to determine an approximated trajectory with velocity and energy along the way. I even bought one once and instantly hated the hassle – I had to set it up, shoot between the wires, don’t let the light mess with the readings, etc. I always wanted someone to come out with an affordable, easy-to-use, radar chronograph. When Garmin released the Xero C1 and reviews came pouring in, I knew I had to buy one.

Features

Uses 24Ghz microwave radar
Measures projectile speeds from 100 to 5,000 FPS with a +/-0.1% error margin
Needs at least 20 yards to measure rifle bullets, less for slower pistol rounds. Arrows can be measure in about 7 yards
I haven’t read a maximum range though I am sure there is one. The minimums are stated above plus it is recommended the units be 5-15″ from the muzzle
Lithium-Ion Rechargeable battery – recharges via USB and is good for 2,000 shots or up to 6 hours
Shotview App runs on your phone to collect data
It’s small and portable – 3″x2.4″x1.36″ without the tripod that detaches
Weight is only 0.23 pounds without the tripod or 0.35pounds with it
The display is 1.3″ x 1.7″

Unboxing

I bought the Garmin Xero C1 Pro unit and a hardshell case off Amazon. It arrived in a suprisingly small and light Amazon box.

Two of my curious meat head dogs wanted to see what was going on and take part. Well, I figured I’d include them in the photo.

The unit itself is surprisingly tiny. I wear XL sized gloves to put the 3.03″ x 2.38″ x 1.36″ dimensions in perspective.

This is the microwave emitter side of the unit plus the small included bipod. The unit on the bottom is threaded for the standard 1/4-20 UNC thread.

Here it is assembled. It’s about 5.1″x4.5″x5.5″.

Setup

No more juggling batteries, hauling crap around, etc. You plug this thing in and let it charge. Download the Shotview app to your phone and install it. Once the Xero C1 is charged, follow the instructions for pairing the Bluetooth to your phone. That’s it and that’s also assuming you want to use the app.

Getting ready to actually use the Xero C1 takes less than a minute after you turn it on and follow the on-screen prompts.

Range Visit

Wow is it fast and easy to set up. Open the case, thread on the tripod and open it. Turn it on, answer the questions on the screen and it’s running.

Five shots from my Zastava M77 using old Remington 168gr match ammo that I wanted to use up. You can see the Minimum, Maximum and Average for the session as well as the velocity of the last bullet fired in big numbers.

We were shooting all of the .308s at 100 yards and nothing seemed to phase the little Xero C1. No error messages or wildly different velocities. It was a bright sunny day and the temperature was around 75-80F.

German Hirtenberger StG 58 7.62mm ammo fired from a .308 IWI Galil Ace.

With the app you can record sessions and see the various velocities bullet by bullet if you want. You can also user the Xero C1 standalone if you want to do your own thing.

Summary

All I can say is “WOW!”. I don’t even know where my old chronograph went but when I find it, I’ll donate it. The Xero C1 is amazing and at this price point, they knocked the socks off everyone in the industry. I heartily recommend this.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

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