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Quality Calipers for Reloading?

K

kentuckyMarksman

Gunny Sergeant
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May 7, 2018
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#1
I find myself in need of some new calipers. I've been using a cheap $20 digital caliper from the auto parts store for several years. I know it's not the most exact, or repeatable set of calipers, but it got me by. Anyway, it crapped out on me the other day, and now I need to replace it.

Do you use a digital caliper, or a dial caliper? What calipers would you recommend?
 
#5
I use both dial and digital. Dial for checking o/a length and digital along with hornady comparators for ogive and shoulder measurements.

Any of the big 3 brands, Starrett, Mitutoyo and Brown&Sharpe, are good to go. I prefer Brown&Sharpe myself.
 
#7
All the cheap ones work, just need to take care that they don't get temp swings during use, check zero often, and they eat batteries turned off.
A $10 pair is the same as a $40 pair.



Now, the big 3 will get you stability across temp changes, very rarely will the zero "float", and they actually turn off.

Mittutoyo, Starett, or Brown & Sharpe are all the go-to for precision measuring equipment when you don't want to question the tool.
 
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#8
I was definitely experiencing some zero float. That got annoying... I always stored the batteries out of the calipers, so doing that, it didn't eat batteries.
 
#9
Not a caliper but just had to post my "Bargain"
A set of four micrometers, $52 Shipped :)
All four seem to use the same 1/10th mic head.
Frames seem to be straight and square but I don't have the flats to prove that.
Only have a few gage blocks and a pin gage set but they seem to be pretty good.
Obviously compare to my calipers and a name brand 0 to 1 micrometer.
Look at the individual prices on the receipt.
52Bucks.jpg


2-TO-3-MIC.jpg
 
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#10
#11
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