digital caliper

[NikatKimber]

Just to bump this...

I have two now at home. Don't know how I lived without them for so long!

 

[alank2]

Hi,

Just to bump this...
I have two now at home. Don't know how I lived without them for so long!

I agree, I too had on idea what I was missing before I has some digital calipers. I use them all the time for all sorts of things. I use them far more around the house or while working of projects than I do reloading.

Good luck,

Alan

 

[gaseous maximus]

I have 3 sets of harbor freight digitals (10 bucks on sale), and they measure .0005 decimal. and .00 metric. I also have a starret dial caliper, in like new cond. which I never use.A couple things I've not seen mentioned, is 1. the ease in which a decimal dem. can be converted to metric or vice versa with a digital. 2. in my expereince, (30+ years machine & t&d shop) the digital will take more abuse, think chips and crud.

 

[338Shooter]

With poor technique .0001 is pretty meaningless. .001 is probably what I'd be after. .01 is pushing it on precision for reloading for me.

 

[okietom]

I'm pretty sure I picked mine up from OReilly's for $15 or $20, and it reads 0.001 +/- .0005 in inches.

This. I have some digital Mitutoyo's that are this accurate and I don't ever use the dials that i have.

 

[T.R.]

I used a vernier caliper for years, until I got old and could no longer see which marks were lined up without a magnifying glass. I picked up a Brown and Sharpe off Ebay at a fair price and never looked back. It reads to four decimal places.

 

[Rod Snell]

Maybe most people already know this, but display range and accuracy are not the same thing.
It is possible to buy a cheap instrument that displays .xxx but is not even accurate to .01.
For reloading, precision to .001 with accuracy +/- .0005 is desirable, especially when loading hot and shooting at long range.

 

[AllOut]

Maybe most people already know this, but display range and accuracy are not the same thing.
It is possible to buy a cheap instrument that displays .xxx but is not even accurate to .01.
For reloading, precision to .001 with accuracy +/- .0005 is desirable, especially when loading hot and shooting at long range.

This^^^
As a machinist I can tell you we are only as good as the tools we work with. A mic or caliper that has .0000000001 increments don't mean crap if they arnt calibrated, won't hole 0 or you don't know how to use them. Now, calipers especially digital are pretty idiot proof. But that don't help calibration. It's always a good idea to go ahead and buy a good precision 1" standard to check you calipers with, I'd check them every day you use them. Then if your using them for long periods of time I'd check them multiple time while in use.
For me, I'm pretty good about holding stuff while reloading to +/- .001 (I'm an anal machinist). So that said my tools need to read in the thousands if not tenths.

 

[Droff]

But that don't help calibration. It's always a good idea to go ahead and buy a good precision 1" standard to check you calipers with, I'd check them every day you use them.

Yea, but then you have to account for temp changes when using your gage block for calibration, then adjust accordingly.

I know, an old thread, but I'm checking out the reloading game.

 

[dennishoddy]

+1.

Dial calipers often hold the zero better than most digital, until you start paying big bucks and start buying Mitutoyo's and Brown and Sharpes.

Yes, my digital Brown and Sharpe has been calibrated many times in the last 20 years. Allways meet specs.