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If you love shooting anything from a bolt action rifle to a compound bow, you need to keep reading. Acquiring speed data for your bullets and arrows may have never been easier. We've used other chronographs, but the Garmin Xero C1 Pro obtains the accurate information you need, almost effortlessly.
Let's start by saying that people have been killing deer and larger game like elk for years without ever using a chronograph. However, having the ability to use one sure does seem to make things easier!
You’ve seen us use a chronograph for a while, especially in our reviews of the Vortex range-finding binoculars and Burris Veracity scope - each having ballistic calculator functions.
When we saw that Garmin came out with a much smaller chronograph, we had to try it out. We wanted to see how easy it would be to use as well as how accurate it is.
We’ve been using it about every way we could come up with, so we’re ready to tell you what we think.
One of the main features that Garmin advertises is how simple the Xero C1 Pro is to use. That, as well as how small it is, was a major draw for us. I don't think setting up this chronograph could get much easier. After powering on the unit, basically all you have to do is follow the simple instructions by inputing the selections you want to use and follow the directions for placement.
That’s it! When you’re done with that session, hit okay and scroll down to end session. It stores your data right there on the device in the history. And, it can actually store at least 50 sessions of up to 100 shots each before needing to sync with the app on your phone.
The Garmin Xero C1 Pro is made of a pretty heavy-duty plastic and feels like it will be sturdy for years to come. I know we’ve dropped it a couple of times and thankfully haven’t had any issues.
It has a IPX 7 water resistance rating, which means you should be able to submerge it in water up to 1 meter for up to 30 min without any problems. Of course, I don't expect to be shooting underwater anytime soon, and we haven't tested the submersion rating simply because we don't want to chance it! But, I can tell you it’s been rained on and has held up well.
It has an internal lithium ion rechargeable battery, using a USB-C cable to charge it. Garmin says the battery should last up to 2,000 shots or about 6 hours of use. Again, we haven’t checked that out specifically, but we’ve had it a few months and haven’t recharged it yet since the initial charging. Since it is an internal battery, I just hope it has a long life overall.
The 2.2” display is sunlight visible, which means you can actually see the read out without having to shade it or try every different angle under the sun.
Another really cool thing is that it syncs via Bluetooth to the Shotview app, so, your data can be right there, easily displayed on your phone.
On the home page you can see each of your sessions and when you choose a session, you can see:
You can also make edits from here, so if you forgot to change the bullet weight, do it from your phone without having to change the position of the chronograph. It’s also pretty cool because you can add notes to that session if there is anything special you want to remember.
If you'd like, change the name of the session as a reminder. So if you want to name it by the projectile, method of fire, or if you have a suppressor - basically whatever you want. So, now you don’t have to write everything down when you’re at the range shooting and testing out loads.
One nice thing about the Garmin Xero C1 is that it uses radar to measure projectile speed. Which is actually another feature that makes it simple to use but also the reason behind why it doesn’t have to be "perfectly" lined up with your target. Nor does it have to be aligned just perfectly with your firearm as with others that rely on muzzle blast to detect a projectile.
Throughout our testing, I feel like we have found the Garmin Xero C1 Pro to be reliable. We’ve taken it to the range quite a bit, and I don’t think it’s missed any shots with a rifle. The only time it did was while we were intentionally testing how far in the wrong direction it could be pointing and still successfully render a velocity measurement.
Based on our findings, as long as you aren't deliberately trying to position it in the wrong direction, it will likely give you a measurement. The easy way to get the best reading though, point it in the direction of your target.
When we tried using the Xero C1 Pro to measure feet per second of arrows slinging from a compound bow, it only missed one shot. Of course, that was the very first one and after adjusting the position, it didn't miss any more shots.
For us, knowing it is going to consistently provide the velocity measurements we're looking for without extra effort, especially between shots has been amazing.
I will say, though, we haven't tested it at an indoor range to see if it would pick up other people's projectiles if they were shooting in the next lane. If you've used one at an indoor range, please drop us an email or comment on the Full Review Video and let us know how yours did.
I do want to add here, though, there is a 1-2 second analyzing period after each shot. So, if you are shooting quickly, it won’t track every shot - only the one you take immediately after it finished analyzing. So, you can shoot quickly, it will just miss some shots in between measurements.
The Garmin Xero C1 Pro can measure velocities from 100-5,000 fps, which is a huge range of projectiles. And it works with all sorts of weapons. We’ve used it most with rifles because we do a lot of range shooting, and like we've mentioned, it has been consistent and reliable.
It works great with a compound bow, but you will need either a chair or tripod to get the small chronograph into position. The 3 inch tripod that comes in the box when you purchase, isn't quite tall enough to allow placement ten to fifteen inches below the arrow.
We were also able to test it out with some of the other things Garmin says it will measure.
Then, since we love testing out turkey loads, we had to see if those would work. Garmin says it will measure slugs, so we were hoping that a tightly choked turkey load might actually register as close enough to a slug. However, based on our findings, it doesn’t seem to work with turkey loads. We tried a 410 and 20 gauge, and one time it was able to read a 410 small game load, but that was it, no turkey load measurements.
IF you have figured out a way to make it work with TSS loads, please comment on the video or email me, PLEASE! We’d love to add that to our videos next year.
It sure seems that the Garmin Xero C1 Pro can very likely fit your shooting scenario. Especially when you’re bench shooting - you can use the 3” tripod it comes with and just sit it right on the bench. The device tells you where it needs to be, and it takes up basically no room so it doesn’t get in the way at all. Plus, it won’t get knocked off from muzzle blast from a brake.
And, that mount also means you can use it with any tripod if you’re standing to shoot or sitting on the ground.
A: I'm not the most technologically inclined overall, but after charging the battery I was able to follow the instructions on the screen and start getting velocity measurements without difficulty. It's probably the easiest chronograph I've used so far.
A: While Garmin did not specifically design or test the use of this product to be mounted to a rifle, aftermarket manufacturers have tested the device mounted to a variety of rifle calibers and the Xero® C1 Pro chronograph has worked without issue. Garmin does not warranty the product when used in a manner outside of the design content.
A: Possibly up to 2,000 shots or 6 hours. We charged ours when we got it and have used it a couple of months without recharging. We haven't put 2,000 shots through it, but we have used it quite a bit.
Mainly, it depends on how much you want to spend. The Garmin Xero C1 Pro IS $600, and you know Garmin stuff pretty much never goes on sale. So, if you only use a chronograph every now and then, I’d say to stick with one of the much cheaper options out there.
say you’re building a ballistic profile for a long-range hunting rifle and want to make sure your dope is as exact as possible,
or if you reload,
or if you’re big into custom arrow builds,
That ease of use, plus it’s super small and lightweight size, plus the fact that we’ve found it to be very reliable so far, I would say it’s definitely worth it. Sure, I’d like to only pay $200-300 for it, but I’d say that’s a few years down the road. So, if you shoot as much as we do, you're probably going to give it a 5/5 just like we do!
Robbie has enjoyed the outdoors since he can remember. His earliest memories include hours upon hours of squirrel hunting and learning how to enjoy all aspects of hunting season in God's wonderful outdoors. Now he is always working hard and testing gear in the field to give you the best review and most thorough information he possibly can.
All opinions are ours. Some items we receive for free, borrow, or purchase at a discount, but this never impacts our opinions or freedom to report them.
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