Recommended calipers

[HiBC]

While I was still actively in the trade,my old,way old,Lufkin satinchrome cardide faced ,friction thimble .ooo1 vernier 0-1" mic always came back with compliments from metrology when it came back from calibration.

The calipers I prefer day in,day out use,Browne and Sharpe dials.(Tesa,same thing)

If you are trying to measure closer than"this may be +/-.001"get the mic.Calipers are for general measurements like cartridge length,do I need to trim,etc.If you are checking bullets for quality

Well,get the jo-blocks and swede comparator!!But,not likely for a reloader!!

[alloy]

Anybody else gonna show their measuring tools? I put up a picture of mine...

[WCW]

I have an old dial caliper I bought years ago that I have calibrated yearly at work. A couple years ago I picked up a very cheap digital from Harbor Freight that I also had calibrated and it works great. They have them on sale locally for under ten dollars, so for reloading I don't think you can go wrong with them either. I've compared the readings of my two calipers many times, and they are both plenty accurate enough for any reloading task. A .005 difference in COL for example will make absolutely no difference in your load IMHO. With the money you save on very expensive calipers you can then buy a lot more loading supplies.

[vranasaurus]

I currently use a franford Arsenal digital that I got from midway for $12. I also have two RCBS dial calipers one metal and one plastic.

They all work and provide me measurements to a level of accuracy that meets my needs. Are they as accurate and precise as the more expensive models? No. But

If the budget wasn't limited I would probably buy an expensive caliper. But I can buy a lot of components for the price of these expensive calipers.

[Clark]

lll Otto lll My Mitutoyo is coolant proof, works perfectly, battery lasts for years...it ain't cheap.

My cousin designed the 3 phase phase detector and wrote the software for those coolant proof calipers. He got a patent.
So I had to buy a pair.
Otherwise I would have been too cheap to pay >$150 for calipers.

Great calipers.
And my cousin is a great guy, not just in diameter
He shot a bobcat in July 2009, with his 30-30, that was killing his hens.

[JAYBIRD78]

+1 on the Mitutoyo

Mine were a gift so I proudly use them. That being said, I originally bought a Frankfort Arsenal dial type from MidwayUSA and they work also.

IMHO use a digital for your primary and have a dial for a backup.

[hickstick_10]

Tell your cousin he designed part of the best caliper money can buy.

Forgot to add if you guys hate changing batteries, they have a coolant proof solar version http://www.mitutoyo.com/TerminalMerc...spx?group=1383

[chevelle383]

MY Mitutoyos are awesome, byt my $40 pair of Generals work just as good!

[Sport45]

I don't get it. What do we do in our reloading room that makes the Mitutoyo calipers a significantly better choice? They have a resolution of +/- 0.0005", but their published accuracy is +/- 0.001" which is the same as the cheap ones. I don't think a caliper will ever replace a good micrometer when you need an accurate dimension check, no matter what you pay for it. Calipers are great for checking dimensional consistency and that's what most of us are looking for.

[alloy]

If reloading is the only thing you use them for maybe it doesn't make a difference, but according to the op it might and I figured I already had them so...that's one way they get used. Regardless I can't imagine this thread if that's what he had.

[fella5]

I have two from Harbor Freight one is UST and the other is CEN-TECH.... They look the same to me The CEN-TECH is on sale at Harbor Freight for $9. Reading are pretty consistent.

[shooter_from_show-me]

$22.95 Harbour Freight here. 6" Stainless Steel model and seems fine to me. Don't need a $200-$300 caliper for what I will be doing with 9mm, .38spl, 357 and 44 mag. along with .45acp, .35 Rem and finally Rem 6.8 SPC. I'm a 200-300 meter shooter not a 1000 meter guy. To each his own, I guess.

[shooter_from_show-me]

Yup, mine is also a Cen Tech. But the store I get my tools from did not have it on sale

[colospgsAVID]

Is that a stock photo?

[DavidAGO]

Yeah, but if you are a REAL gun guy, you have to have calipers made by:

[hickstick_10]

I don't get it. What do we do in our reloading room that makes the Mitutoyo calipers a significantly better choice? They have a resolution of +/- 0.0005", but their published accuracy is +/- 0.001" which is the same as the cheap ones. I don't think a caliper will ever replace a good micrometer when you need an accurate dimension check, no matter what you pay for it. Calipers are great for checking dimensional consistency and that's what most of us are looking for.

The chinese ones will work just fine. Often for years, but eventually the encoders become unglued, as battery life fades the readings go to hell, get the slightest bit of crud and you have an error on the screen ect... The mitutoyo calipers have and will last for decades, under way more adverse conditions that your reloading bench because they were designed to literally be used all day in a grungy machine shop. The CHICOM ones were designed for tinkerers and hobbiests.

Calipers are not a 0.001 measuring tool, there not used that way in industry, youre right a micrometer is supreme for such measurements. That being said this recent "fad" of precision is a great way to get guys to spend there money to me more "precise" since individuals have a different feel on calipers and can deviate as much as 0.005 or more.

if a mans REALLY interested in some precision, get a 0-6 inch inch set of cheap chicom micrometers, and throw that old caliper out the window.

[MOREAMMO]

Working in the calibration and metrology field for 12 years now has made me VERY partial to MITUTOYO. Starrett is nice but they are quite expensive and not as easily repaired. My choices would be Brown & Sharpe and Mitutoyo. But there are alot of China brand calipers that aren't that bad for the price. The cheaper one's are fine for those of us who don't abuse them day in and day out. Not to mention you can buy a number of the cheapo's to one Mit. or Starrett, and Brown & Sharpe. I frequently check my calipers to make sure that they are within mfg/federal tolerance. Plenty of places out there that sell plenty of different calipers. Just my opinion.

[chevelle383]

My neighbor was machinest for like 40 years, and he said never to store them all the way closed. Just slightly open then lock them out. Just FYI for some people who dont mind suggestions

[Hammonje]

I have used the cheap Frankford Arsenal dial caliper for years. It is as consistent as you need a caliper to be for reloading purposes. I have been making sub-MOA loads for .308 Win and .223 Rem for quite some time.

As others have stated, variation in COL is the norm. The bullet tips are not regular and additionally the case lip can have length variation based on deformation caused by extraction. Usually, it's the bullet.

I would always skip the digital one's. I trust the dial, not electronics when measuring my rounds. I want accuracy out to .001 of an inch and I get this with my cheap Frankford Arsenal calipers. Don't make it more difficult than it needs to be!!!!!!!

The o-give should be consistent and get some Stoney Point gauges if you feel the need. Never needed that level of prescision...the bullet seating die does this for me as long as I run the batch with the same settings.

Aren't bobcats endangered or something????? There is no way I would shoot a bobcat!!!!!!! There too beautiful and........I'm from KY and we like our WILDCATS!!!!!!!! That's a shame....they have to eat to you know. I'm sorry, but that picture disturbed me. What a gorgeous animal and oh yeah, by the way it's dead!!!!! Cool, huh...