New Product Highlight: Athlon Velocity Pro

Chronographs are essential tools for understanding firearm ballistics, but they’ve been prohibitively tedious and expensive until recently.

Now, user-friendly chronographs like the new Athlon Veocity Pro are making it easier and more affordable than ever.

Is the Velocity Pro better than legacy chrono setups? Can it hang with the best modern variants?

We got our hands on one to get some initial impressions and bring you the scoop.

Athlon Velocity Pro Specs & Features

Specs

• Velocity Range: 65 – 5,000 feet per second
• Display: Transreflective LCD
• Display Size: 2.4”
• Display Resolution: 240 x 320
• Battery Run Time: 6 hrs
• App Compatibility: Athlon Ballistics
• Dimensions: 3.5” x 2.7” x 1.2”
• Weight: 4.7 oz
• Country of Origin: China
• MSRP: $499.99

Features

• Modes for rifle, pistol, archery, air guns, and other
• Quick, easy setup and use
• Detailed data and recordkeeping in the Athlon Ballistics app

Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro

$399

at MidwayUSA

Prices accurate at time of writing

$399 at MidwayUSA

• MidwayUSA (See Price)
• OpticsPlanet (See Price)
• Natchez Shooting & Outdoors (See Price)

Prices accurate at time of writing

Available Coupons

• 25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Inside the protective clamshell case is a chronograph that’s smaller than a deck of cards, and a folding metal tripod. 

The Athlon Velocity Pro fires up and displays clear instructions on how to position the device relative to your muzzle.

The menu is easy to navigate, and offers modes for rifles, pistols, archery, air guns, and other. After narrowing down the expected speed of your bullet, you can enter grain weight for more accurate ballistic solutions.

Within about a second of each shot, the Velocity Pro updates to show the most recent muzzle velocity, as well as your current mode, maximum/minimum/average muzzle velocities, shot count, bluetooth connection status, and battery life.

The display is easy to read in direct sunlight and you can choose between white on black and black on white color schemes.

Data is displayed in real time and gets logged in the Athlon Ballistics app once you pair the chronograph with your phone.

That’s where you can dig into detailed data and calculate precise shooting solutions. 

Athlon lists an MSRP of $499.99 for the Velocity Pro.

I used the Athlon Velocity Pro with an Umarex Origin air rifle during some testing recently, and it was remarkably easy to use. I got reliable data almost instantly and was able to keep tabs on everything with the user-friendly display layout.

So, how does it stack up to the competition after a quick shakedown?

Right off the bat, I can say that the Velocity Pro blows away the older chronographs we’ve tested. It’s so much more compact, intuitive, and fast that anyone can use it – probably without opening the user manual.

The biggest question is whether or not it can hang with the Garmin Xero C1 Pro. The two products look eerily similar, and Athlon street prices are $200 less. Right now, it’s too soon for me to say anything definitive.

Let us know if you want to see these two slug it out in a head-to-head comparison!

What do you think of the new Athlon Velocity Pro? Let us know below. For more great gadgets, check out our guide to Essential Shooting Range Gear!