Athlon, Caldwell & Garmin Compared

The Dutch band Golden Earring had a major hit in 1973 with the rock anthem “Radar Love”. It made its way to the U.S. in April of the next year, and reached No. 9 on the Record World chart, No. 10 on Cash Box, and No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was once called the best song on the radio by some people.

So why would I start an article on chronographs with this ‘70s hit? Because of the title. Radar Love. I have found that, radar love of sorts… well, like anyway… in the three chronographs we’ll examine herein. The link is that all three of these chronos are not optical, but use one of two types of radar to do their thing.

This article is designed to be basic. I won’t go into the weeds here, showing you numerous screenshots; that’s not the purpose of this report. I wanted simply to introduce these three chronos to you, in case you are considering buying one.

What Are They?

So what are we looking at? Here they are, in alphabetical order by company…

Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro

Caldwell Velociradar

Garmin Xero C1 Pro

The Athlon and the Garmin are roughly the same size and weight, while the Caldwell is much larger. It operates a bit differently than the other two… see below.

Let’s compare the specs of our trio.

Specifications Chart

* There is an included recoil-activated trigger that you can attach to your rifle to stop the unit from triggering from surrounding shooters

All three of these chronographs are easy to use and seem to be very accurate. I know of at least one loading company that uses one or more of them to measure the velocity of their loads.

The Athlon is the newest of the trio, being introduced this year (2025). The other two have been around a while, although all three are relatively new. The technology keeps improving. I’d look for even more in the future.

How Do You Use Them?

First, a bit of personal chrono history…

I started out my chrono experience by trading for a Shooting Chrony, the folding unit that took a 9V battery. I promptly missed the sunshade opening and shot the corner of the unit. I graduated to one of the Caldwell optic models, and then got their Ballistic Pro chrono that is upside down, with the sensors at the top. It is supported by aluminum “legs” with wires in them. I put a .22 bullet through a leg, but it went between the wires, so the thing still worked. I thought that was a pretty good shot…

I could not afford a LabRadar chrono, but later was able to get the Garmin. At this point, my chrono troubles ceased. 

In a sentence, there is no chance of shooting these radar chronos, as they sit next to you on the bench with no wires or sensors downrange. That is refreshing, because I know I am not the only shooter to ventilate a chronograph! 

Setting Them Up

All three work roughly similarly. After powering them on, you are presented with a few screens of options. Generally speaking, you will need to select or enter:

• “New Session”; 
• Whether you are shooting a rifle, pistol, or bow;
• The velocity range (lower for pistols, higher for rifles);
• The bullet’s weight. This is optional, but if you enter it, you’ll be able to get energy readings.

These are the basics. The Caldwell is a bit more involved since it will calculate downrange velocities and energies out to 100 yards… the others simply record muzzle velocities. 

After making your menu choices, set the unit beside and behind your gun muzzle, with the back of the unit facing the target. The smaller two models can sit almost anywhere behind & off to the side of the muzzle – Garmin recommends 15 inches both ways, and Athlon recommends 4 – 10 inches. Level or not, they should work.

The Caldwell is a bit different. It needs to be level and, to that end, includes a swiveling ball/socket head. You then place the chrono with its back facing the target and sight through a hole at its top center, aiming at the target. This is necessary to measure downrange ballistics. 

For a bow or shotgun, stand in front of the unit, off to the side a bit. It should pick up the velocity from both easily. 

That’s pretty much it. After data entry, the next screen you should see is a blank screen with dashes that will then populate with the velocities of each shot, in order. The Garmin takes a bit to “think” between shots… You get sliding B&W panels just before the velocity pops up. The Caldwell and Athlon are a bit quicker. I don’t have to wait between shots with them. 

After you’re done shooting the string, select “End Session”. Then you will be able to view your ballistic information on a summary screen, including velocity, muzzle energy, standard deviation, and extreme spread. The Caldwell will also display downrange velocities and energies out to 100 yards, as it utilizes a different type of radar technology, Chirp. The other two use Doppler. So, you’ll know what your bullet did at the muzzle (0 yards), and then 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards. 

Which One Would Work For You?

We’ve covered the basics of all three chronos. If you are still struggling with an optic unit and were wondering about getting a radar-based one, hopefully, you now have more information to help guide your decision.

What are each unit’s strengths?

First, commonalities…

• You can build a collection of guns in the settings that you can reference later to see how certain loads did in that gun.
• All three have a partner smartphone Bluetooth app that allows a deeper dive into ballistics and will remember hundreds of loads.
• All three are easily charged via a USB-C cable, included. No fumbling for batteries.
• You will include a chronograph in your range gear more often, since these are portable and so easy to set up and use.

The Athlon and the Garmin are very useful for sticking in a pocket as I head to my backyard range. They are easily set up and readied for the session. If you are a pistol, bow, shotgun, or airgun shooter (I clocked my granddaughter’s Daisy BB gun at 277 fps), and all you need are muzzle velocities, these are very handy and a little cheaper than the Caldwell. You can still get energy, SD, ES, etc. readings easily and build a database of those.

Rifle shooters who are interested in downrange ballistics should opt for the Caldwell. It is more expensive, but it does more. I mentioned its downrange capabilities. Rifle reloaders in particular are drawn to it for its downrange capabilities.

With radar chronographs now easily accessible, it makes sense to pick one up. I have all three… I’m a bit of a reloading nerd, and so no matter what I’m shooting, I’m covered. You don’t need all of them… one will do. For a do-all unit, get the Caldwell. However, if extreme portability is a priority, one of the others will suffice.

For the price of a gun, you can add a tool that will greatly enhance your shooting experience. More info is better for shooters, and these chronos will provide that. Radar Love, indeed!  

For more information, please find the following links…

Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro

Caldwell Velociradar

Garmin Xero C1 Pro