Garmin Xero C1 Pro Compact Doppler Chronograph: First Look

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.

Garmin has just announced the release of its new Xero C1 Pro pocket-sized chronograph, which is capable of measuring the velocity a variety of projectiles (bullets, arrows, paintballs, even airsoft pellets) from 100 to 5,000 feet per second (FPS). Best of all, the system is rugged, compact, and extremely easy to use.

“With the Xero C1 Pro, Garmin is proud to introduce a new benchmark for chronograph technology,” says Garmin vice president of global consumer sales Dan Bartel. “Combining performance and reliability into a pocket-sized package, this highly adaptable device represents the innovation and accuracy that has become synonymous with Garmin engineering. Just shoot and immediately receive speed data and statistics for that string of shots. Simply put, gone are the days of cumbersome, fussy chronograph setups and missed shots.”

The Xero C1 Pro measures just 3 x 2.8 x 1.4 inches and weighs less than 4 ounces. A single four-hour battery charge lasts around 2,000 shots. Best of all, the four control buttons with easy-to-follow menus allows you to quickly set up and customize the chronograph for your needs. Garmin is also offering their ShotView app that allows the operator to view collected data, eliminate single shots or whole shot strings, change menus and more.

The Garmin Xero C1 Pro is threaded 1/4x20 on the base ships with a 3.8-inch folding tripod for quick setup. The unit is IPX7 rated and carries an MSRP of $599.99.

Setup & Range Testing

The Garmin’s internal battery charges using a USB-C cable (provided) and setup is quite simple. Downloading the Garmin ShotView app allows you to quickly control the settings, but even without the app using the Doppler chronograph is easy and straightforward. There are four primary buttons: OK, Back, Up and Down. The Up, Down and Back buttons are labeled with arrows, and the Back button doubles as a power button. To begin, simply press the power button on the system and within a couple seconds the Garmin powers up and offers the option for a new shot session. Pressing the OK button allows you to choose among rifle, pistol, bow, air rifle and other settings. Hitting OK allows you to then move to a screen where you select velocity range from 600 to 1,700 FPS or 1,700 to 5,000 FPS. Afterwards a screen will direct you where to place the Garmin (usually 5 to 15 inches from the muzzle) and then the screen will display four dashes to indicate it is ready to fire. After the shot, the dashes display FPS of the projectile, and the screen maintains a count of the shots in the string, as well as minimum, maximum and average velocity. Hitting the OK button allows you to view the session summary with data on standard deviation and more, and this screen can also be used to adjust display color, brightness and other features. The data is transferred to your ShotView app, and if you enter ballistic data you can develop customized measurements for your load, such as kinetic energy.

Garmin has made recording ballistic data so much simpler than ever before. The test unit gave very accurate readouts when tested against other Doppler devices and the display screen was visible in any light conditions. The Xero C1 Pro must be pointed in the direction of the target, but it isn’t particularly finnicky about precise aiming. It’s not affected by the sound of other shots, so as long as there is ample space between firearms you can get accurate readouts with other shooters nearby. 

Obtaining shot data no longer requires walking in front of the firing line or using large Doppler radars with short battery lives. The lightweight, compact Xero C1 Pro is one of the most revolutionary tech products for shooters, and it’s available now from Garmin.

For more information, visit garmin.com.

---