Calipers - Page 2

William T. Watts · September 1, 2013, 03:06 PM

Mitutoyo & Starret, owned both of them and like both, taken care of they will last a lifetime. For precision work the more expensive Mitutoyo and Starret cannot be beat. For the usual things a handloader needs calipers for the cheaper ones will do. William

Clark · September 1, 2013, 04:04 PM

In life we often think we get what we pay for, and then get disappointed after we pay big time.

But with dial calipers, we get what we pay for, and sometimes we get a real hummer for cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...Adial+calipers

As in getting an accurate rifle, we can 1) buy a rifle and have a custom premium barrel installed.... Or we can 2) buy a factory rifle and test it. If it is not accurate, sell it an buy another until you find one.

Likewise is calipers, we can buy 1) a premium dial calipers, or a 2) bunch of different cheap calipers, and we are likely to get lucky on one of them.

But for handloading, even the cheap unlucky calipers are good enough most of the time.

I have sets of pin gauges in the reloading room to use as a reference to check the calipers.
http://www.amazon.com/MC-1-P-061-250...ef=pd_sim_hi_3
http://www.amazon.com/MC-2-M-251-500...ef=pd_sim_hi_2

Colorado Redneck · September 1, 2013, 11:09 PM

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/154...tainless-steel

Didn't cost nearly that much 8 years ago. Works like a charm.

Brutus · September 2, 2013, 12:09 PM

When your job depends on it Browne&Sharpe, Starret or Mititoyo also never trusted electronic ones give me a dial anytime. I might add that I use a mititoyo electronic at my load bench, that's because I tried it, retired it and went back to dial calipers at work. Works fine at the loading bench and I like being able to switch from inch to metric. Hate it when the batteries go dead though.

Crankylove · September 2, 2013, 01:33 PM

I use an inexpensive (free to me) set of Frankfort Arsenal dial calipers, they're probably 10-12 years old, and work well enough for me. I've always been a bit skeptical of digital caliper accuracy, don't want play with batteries, and have never had issues using the dial version.

M1ke10191 · September 2, 2013, 01:44 PM

I use the digital one from HF and have had good results. Even though reloading is a very precise game, I don't think you need a crazy good caliper.

bt380 · September 10, 2013, 11:04 PM

Take a new rifled piece of brass, a long one so you can write on it as well as test the brass at three places on your guage, to somewhere who has a guage and measure it near the base as well as the length with multiple gauges to find the best average readings. Record the mouth opening as well. Write those readings on that piece of brass. Go to harbor freight and buy a cheaper backup guage that reads the same measurements you have on the piece of brass. Keep the piece of brass on your bench so you can use to check the calibration of your guages.

September 1, 2013, 04:04 PM	#27
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	In life we often think we get what we pay for, and then get disappointed after we pay big time. But with dial calipers, we get what we pay for, and sometimes we get a real hummer for cheap. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...Adial+calipers As in getting an accurate rifle, we can 1) buy a rifle and have a custom premium barrel installed.... Or we can 2) buy a factory rifle and test it. If it is not accurate, sell it an buy another until you find one. Likewise is calipers, we can buy 1) a premium dial calipers, or a 2) bunch of different cheap calipers, and we are likely to get lucky on one of them. But for handloading, even the cheap unlucky calipers are good enough most of the time. I have sets of pin gauges in the reloading room to use as a reference to check the calipers. http://www.amazon.com/MC-1-P-061-250...ef=pd_sim_hi_3 http://www.amazon.com/MC-2-M-251-500...ef=pd_sim_hi_2 __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

September 1, 2013, 11:09 PM	#28
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	Lyman Electronic Caliper http://www.midwayusa.com/product/154...tainless-steel Didn't cost nearly that much 8 years ago. Works like a charm.

September 2, 2013, 01:33 PM	#30
Crankylove Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2008 Location: 8B ID Posts: 1,753	I use an inexpensive (free to me) set of Frankfort Arsenal dial calipers, they're probably 10-12 years old, and work well enough for me. I've always been a bit skeptical of digital caliper accuracy, don't want play with batteries, and have never had issues using the dial version. __________________ The answer to 1984 is 1776

September 1, 2013, 03:06 PM	#26
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	Mitutoyo & Starret, owned both of them and like both, taken care of they will last a lifetime. For precision work the more expensive Mitutoyo and Starret cannot be beat. For the usual things a handloader needs calipers for the cheaper ones will do. William

September 2, 2013, 12:09 PM	#29
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	When your job depends on it Browne&Sharpe, Starret or Mititoyo also never trusted electronic ones give me a dial anytime. I might add that I use a mititoyo electronic at my load bench, that's because I tried it, retired it and went back to dial calipers at work. Works fine at the loading bench and I like being able to switch from inch to metric. Hate it when the batteries go dead though.

September 2, 2013, 01:44 PM	#31
M1ke10191 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2012 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 122	I use the digital one from HF and have had good results. Even though reloading is a very precise game, I don't think you need a crazy good caliper.

September 10, 2013, 11:04 PM	#32
bt380 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Posts: 331	Take a new rifled piece of brass, a long one so you can write on it as well as test the brass at three places on your guage, to somewhere who has a guage and measure it near the base as well as the length with multiple gauges to find the best average readings. Record the mouth opening as well. Write those readings on that piece of brass. Go to harbor freight and buy a cheaper backup guage that reads the same measurements you have on the piece of brass. Keep the piece of brass on your bench so you can use to check the calibration of your guages.