I want to get a shot timer but don’t know which one to buy. What do you fine folks recommend?

Sorry moderators, this should be in the pistol section. Please relocate.

You can use them for rifles too - I use a Pocket Pro II, but there are several options. I did a class and the Instructor swore by the PACT model.

http://www.reloaderaddict.com/...-competition-review/

https://www.cedhk.com/ced7000-shot-timer


Mine has held up rather well over the past 10 years or so.

I also have a shot timer app on the phone. Surefire has a pretty decent one.

I use the CED and have for a number of years and different versions. We also use them for pistol matches at my local club and they seem to hold up well. The RF version is a nice feature for club use, but as a person you'll not likely find it worth the $.

I have used most of the ones in the market. The CED 7000 is my favorite because of its different modes (combined Comstock is really useful for multi-string drills). I find the PACT to be less intuitive than most and the Pocket Pro II to be acceptable, but I have had issues with the screen on mine.

Smartphone apps purporting to be shot timers all suck and are not worthwhile for anything serious. There is a smartphone based app that pairs with an external device that contains the actual speaker and microphone, but my experience has been mixed and I no longer find it online.

Short version: go with CED7000

I have a Competition Electronics Pocket Pro II, and it’s satisfactory, but not perfect.

Things I don’t like about it are the multiple steps to go through to change various settings. I have no need for backlighting (that drains the battery faster), but that’s a default that must be turned off. The total time of a string is very large and easy to read, but the individual shot times are quite small. One important thing I like is the ability to set it to ignore echoes, and echo readings were a major disadvantage and nuisance with my old CED 6000 units.

I also like the fact that the Pocket Pro uses a 9 volt battery. There is nothing stupider than a rechargeable battery in something like a shot timer that may sit unused for weeks or longer and then it’s necessary to remember to charge it up before a range session. I actually use my timer quite frequently, and the battery last months and months—far too long for me to keep track of. When the battery dies in the middle of a session, everyone waits for the two minutes it takes to pull out the old battery and install a new one, and away we go. If I see that the battery is getting low, I can change it then.

For what it's worth, the CED7000's battery is rechargable, but is lithium and seems to hold a charge reasonably well. The included charging cable uses an old style pin connector, but the other end is USB A, so I can plug it in to any USB port to charge it up. Lasts a couple months between charges with fairly regular use.

I have a PACT timer. Simple & easy to use. The instruction sheet is 2 pages and it runs on a 9V battery. I picked mine up on sale at MidwayUSA for around $115 about 3 years ago. Zero issues with mine and I just throw in the the range bag since it has an auto off function.

 
One club I shoot at uses the Pocket Pro II, the other club uses the PACT. Both work well, with one minor difference between the two can throw off a range officer running the shooter, especially if s/he uses both timers regularly. For the PP II, you press the button to sound the starting beep. For the PACT, you hold the button in and release it to make it beep.

Pocket pro or pocket pro ii depending on what features you prefer. Pocket pro is a little easier to adjust par times. The II has adjustable volume. I prefer the II, personally.

Thanks for all the input folks. I have decided on the Pact III - everything I need and nothing I don’t. The point regarding batteries is something I hadn’t considered, and made an impact on my decision. I also considered ease of use while wearing gloves. Got a great price from Brownell’s, I am excited to start incorporating it into my training.