Best calipers for match-grade shooting?

delta1 said:
If my Caliper or as the fella says Vernier, was not repeatable I would be looking for something better. So far no need and when the dial says the same thing three times in a row I tend to belive it. When the piece I am machining I tend to beleive the Caliper dial also.
Regards
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The problem I have is believing you trust a calliper to .0001”. Only one of the following is good to .0001 and it is not a calliper. In fact the first three will give you the same measurement but some will be quicker to read.

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I make my living with high end measuring tools so when I'm at home I only use Mitutoyo because that is what I use for work.

However for just reloading purposes you do not need a top of the line set of vernier calipers. There is no need to measure in tenths (.0001) so don't worry about it. Buy what you can afford and take care of them.
 
I have the RCBS one. I can't quite remember how much it was but it was below $100. It's made in China...I was pretty choked about that when I got home. I should have looked closer. It does work very well though.
 
Aries- said:
something to keep in mind. Vernier calipers are not meant to be accurate beyond .001 of an inch, if you want to get to .0001 you need a micrometer.

yes digital calipers say they measure to .0001 try measuring the same part 3 or 4 times, bet you wont get the exact same reading.
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When I started my millwright apprentice, way back in the pre-metric era;), I found a large set of calipers to come in handy. In quite a few instances and locations where they may be required, lighting left a lot to be desired. For 'something' reliable and easy to read, I bought an 8" Mitutoyo set with a dial. Easy to read, easy to zero and no batteries to be concerned about. For at home to take care of most of my needs reloading, I picked up a 4" set of the same. Also while I was still on the tools, for some of the smaller more tiddly stuff, and for a required 1" micrometer, I bought a 1" Mitutoyo vernier micrometer that also has a metric read out on it. After I went off the tools on staff, and especially now that I'm retired, that 1" mic is also now on my reloading bench.
 
Starret makes nice measuring tools as well. I don't think you can go wrong trusting Starret or Mitutoyo. Not saying you have to buy them either, but if you want quality, they are respected names.
 
Toolman said:
I make my living with high end measuring tools so when I'm at home I only use Mitutoyo because that is what I use for work.

However for just reloading purposes you do not need a top of the line set of vernier calipers. There is no need to measure in tenths (.0001) so don't worry about it. Buy what you can afford and take care of them.
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The perfect answer. End of discussion.
 
Grizzlypeg said:
It's not easy to measure to .0001

You have to handle the micrometer like a pro. Even heat from you hand can throw off the reading.

delta1 said:
Heat in the item to be measured will also throw different measurements also. And yes measuring to 1/10000 is not easy, can it be done repeatably you bet.
Regards
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I was going to be a dink but I don't need the infraction.
 
I have a Lyman dial caliper that has served me well for years. I also bought one of those cheapo digital ones from CT and have been very disappointed ever since. Since I don't use it every day, it just seems that every time I need it I have to install a new battery. They just drain very fast, even when not used. I have resorted to putting the battery in whenever I need it and then just pulling it out when I'm done (I hope that didn't sound so bad :redface: )
 
Thanks guys. After hearing a lot of answers from people I respect, I'll be getting a Mitutoyo digital. Seems like I had a misunderstanding about the durability of digital calipers, and I'm feeling a lot better about them now. Thanks everyone for your input.
 
Mitutoyos are very good, so if you can afford them that's the way to go. I used to work for an aeronautical company years ago, and Mitutoyos were the calipers the engineers over there used the most.
 
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