Calipers

Actually some of Fowler's stuff is very good.
I spent 30 years in the machinist trade and used my calipers a lot.I have my preferences.I like the Browne and Sharpe dials the best.Tesa is the same.
Swiss made,rack and pinion dial calipers.My buddy prefers Starrets.You can get into those for the $150,I think.
Myself?I'm not fascinated by digitals .One exception,supposedly Mitotoyos are sealed against coolant.
Great tools are,IMO,never a bad idea,but does a handloader require B+S calipers? No.
Helios,Peacock,Mitotoyo,SPI,Fowler, are all decent.

But I use another alternatine. Dials require cleanliness and care.A kernelof power can jump the pinion,then the needle does not point at "0" anymore.

For my reloading bench,and some other applications I use a true vernier calipers.
You have to learn to read them,but they will measure to .001 and .002 is easy.
If you need closer than that,a caliper is the wrong tool.

I like verniers because they don't have gears and racks.They don't go wrong on the bench and they nevdr need batteries.
They e-bay used cheap.

Etalon,Mauser,Fowler,B+S,Starret Mit..,Just get Satin Chrome.matte finish.

Look for pristine condition.Many of them spent decades in an engineers desk drawer. $25,$30 is not hard to find.Etalon is,IMO,the Cadillac,and they bring more.
Try a $30 e-bay set. Not much risk.

For measurements finer than .002,...case headsand bullets,use a good,quality micrometer.
 
I also have the Lyman, stainless steel, dial calipers and was shocked to see how often I use them. I got them from Amazon for a good price and free shipping.

They are setting on the wet bar right now after being used to measure the axle diameter of my new cannon.
 
I have been using Harbor Freight for a year or two and now suddenly it measures .002" short and has never been dropped. I would periodically check a .30 caliber Sierra Matchking and now they are measuring .306 and .452 .45 acp's measuring .450.
 
Harbor Freight here also, been working fine for 8 years and thousands of reloads. If they broke today I would go drop another $18 on a second pair. If it gives you a warm and fuzzy then go spend more, but your reloads won't care
 
Thank you all again. Of course, don't really want to spend a lot of money on a set of calipers if not necessary. Hard to choose from everyone's input though, which is greatly appreciated. Obviously they are working for everyone otherwise they wouldn't suggest what has been working for them.

Trying to save as much money so I can use it for the next equipment I have in mind.
 
For my reloading bench,and some other applications I use a true vernier calipers.
You have to learn to read them,but they will measure to .001 and .002 is easy.
If you need closer than that,a caliper is the wrong tool.

I like verniers because they don't have gears and racks.They don't go wrong on the bench and they nevdr need batteries.
They e-bay used cheap.
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The problem with true Vernier calipers is that the lines are so small it's difficult to see them and determine what the actual measurement is. I had trouble seeing them when I was 18, so someone older will certainly have even more difficulty!
 
If you need closer than that,a caliper is the wrong tool.
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For really accurate measurements, machinist tools like a micrometer and such are what is needed.
But for reloading, it's not necessary, unless you're making stuff from scratch from the raw materials.
 
Thank you all again. Of course, don't really want to spend a lot of money on a set of calipers if not necessary. Hard to choose from everyone's input though, which is greatly appreciated. Obviously they are working for everyone otherwise they wouldn't suggest what has been working for them.

Trying to save as much money so I can use it for the next equipment I have in mind.
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I use a cheap digital. It's gotten me by for several years. Batteries aren't a huge issue... I've found a set lasts a year or so. It is very cheap feeling, and you need to re-zero frequently. It measures accurately and is repeatable. So I can confirm that a $20 digital does the job.

That fowler dial listed on Amazon looks like a good value when you compare quality/price however. Better value than the cheaper digitals. I have to stick with a digital because I actually do have to go from metric to imperial with some things, and it is much easier with a digital.
 
I began with a Craftsman Vernier Caliper, and I still have it, somewhere...

Accurately reading a vernier caliper is becoming a lost art. And yes, it was much easier at 18 than it is at 60. :(

Been using a dial caliper for decades now, something Japanese, I forget the name...works just fine, and is my most often used measuring tool for reloading.

Digitals are convenient, but I'm not a big fan of battery operated tools, or scales. (I have and use a digital scale, but not digital calipers). Scale uses the regular 9volt, which are everywhere.

My biggest objection to digital is that when you don't have a battery you have nothing.
 
if there is a lot of machine shops in your area you might check the pawn shops. unfortunately if there are layoffs these kinds of tools end up in pawn shops. you might be able to get a good calipers fairly cheap. if the shop was big enough the measuring tools would have been part of an inspection program to make sure everything is correct and in specifications. I got a Starrett one inch micrometer for $15 that measures to .0001 and an Etalon 6 inch calipers for $50 that was like new.
 
Cheap digital calipers I've used are "battery eaters". Put in new batteries, next time I reload they are blinking indicating a low battery or they are dead. These cheap calipers I read stay on all the time and just the display turns off. I highly recommend these Mitutoya calipers from this company. There are supposed to be many many fake Chinese copies from sites on the web, ebay, and Amazon. Check these out.
http://www.msi-viking.com/Mitutoyo_500-196-30_6-Inch_Absolute_Digital_Caliper
 
I would not recommend any caliper that is made in China. They all have names on them that suggest that they are made elsewhere, but beware of all distributor brand names.

A Vernier caliper is actually more accurate than any other type of caliper but the Vernier scale is hard to read. A good dial caliper is probably the best bet for consistent accurate readings that can easily be read by the average reloader. I use a Swiss made set made by Brown and Sharpe.

Digital calipers are the easiest to use but BEWARE of those Chinese made pieces of junk.:(

The Japanese made Mitutoyo calipers are probably the best buy for the money today. I have used their products for decades in a manufacturing environment and have never found fault with them. NO! You can't buy a set for under $20.00 but they are worth what you pay for them. The same goes for the US and Swiss made calipers if you can find a set for a reasonable price.

One other issue to consider......How do you know that the caliper is accurate?
You should really invest in a set of gauge blocks to be sure.;)
 
there is one important question. What are your demands as far as precision accuracy? Getting a $30 or so dial caliper would absolutely amaze you. These things are laser cut and precise, machine built. Calibrate as you start to use it, and you can verify the accuracy using simple feeler gages, or even just measuring a few bullets of known diameter. In other words, zero the thing out, measure your .308 bullet, and does it read .308 on the dial?

A caliper isn't a micrometer. If you must have a device so accurate that you will be spot on to the thousandth inch, get a better anvil micrometer. Calipers are generally intended to use in more casual measurements, such as reloading work. Not precision gunsmith work. When measuring cartridge lengths or bullet diameters, case length, bullet length, etc, you don't need to go below 1/100 accuracy, and if you need more accurate measurements, IMO, a caliper isn't even the right decision.

The biggest concern for your devices are whether it is precise and well made. Feel the way it runs, look for well machined pieces, easily readable, etc.
 
Jumpingeezer,

You read my mind. I was already looking into gauge blocks as well. I think someone here mentioned something about it. Again don't know anything about these but have been seeing a lot of different prices on amazon. How to choose? Now I imagine no need to get expensive ones but then again I don't know anything on this product and not sure if there are really differences from one to another.

Also, I get visited by a tool truck here are work, it's a Mac Tools truck and low and behold they are selling calipers also. They come every Tuesday. They have a digital one on promotion for $70 plus you get a micrometer as well. They said it is lifetime warranty on the caliper and micrometer.
 
Briandg,

Not looking to get precised measuring. As I am an amateur on this subject, not looking beyond other than reloading at the moment. Thanks for your input.
 
As far as getting old and blind,another good tool is a 5x or 10x loupe!!
I'm 65. My eyes aren't so good. Part of reading a vernier is knowing what to look for. You will have misalignment left,alignment,and misalignment right.
Look for the opposing misalignment.

Shiny is bad.You need matte satin chrome.

I know,they are unpopular and old school(verniers). But they are low cost and the most dependable.

On gage blocks and standards. Depends. Carefully wiping the jaws clean and setting the calipers or a 1 in mic on zero is not the metrology standard for calibration.
But it is adequate for the loading bench.
 
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The one I bought from Amazon had a different brand name but was otherwise identical to this: https://www.amazon.com/OROROW-Precis...ernier+Caliper
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Amazing, I didn't think you could even make a cheap set for less than $30, that's insane.

So, just for thoughts and to chew on.

I have a Chinese made digital, Starret name on them. It does not use up batteries, 2 or 3 years.

I have a Japan made digital, it too has been good (odd ball name, have to look)

One dial is Sears, the other is Starett (nice deal on it)

What I don't like about the Sears is its a double scale, half the dial is one increment, the other half is another.

Hard to read in between and hard to read to .001 period.

On the other hand its never let me down and I can squint so its useful.

As I use the digital (home digital) for the OGive and the Shoulder, its setup full time with the adaptor on it. As I don't zero it but just use the full inch, I have a cross check that the scaling is right (close them and they read consistently 1.003 with the adaptor on it.

Saves switching the adaptor on and off, good enough me thinks.
 
I started reloading in 1967 , believe it or not they weren't required back then... I didn't get one until about 3 years ago. $30.00 Cabela's brand, dial caliper, hardened stainless steel , very well made and finished. Worth every penny.
I believe Dillion and Midway sell similar priced ones. I only bought this one because it was affordable and it was about time I had a way to measure actual bullet diameters and slugged bores and those OAL's . For this type of measuring the $30.00 Cabela's tool does just fine....I wouldn't want to go any cheaper...accuracy might suffer.
Dial or digital is your call. I went dial because it doesn't need batteries. Digital might be easier for some folks to read...but I don't have a problem reading a dial .
Gary
 
One other issue to consider......How do you know that the caliper is accurate?
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Close the caliper. Hold the closed jaws up to the light. Do you see light coming through between the jaws? No? Set the dial or digital to zero.

Yes? Clean the jaws and try again. If still see light, bad calipers.

If one really wants a gauge, buy a good gauge pin, not blocks. Pin will last just as long and be cheaper.
 
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