Best calipers for match-grade shooting?

DrakeriderCa

DrakeriderCa

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I'll be buying a pair of calipers soon to complete my reloading/shooting kit, and I'm wondering what the general opinion is on which ones to get. I clearly won't need anything spectacular, but I'd like them to be robust and reasonably accurate. I'm fine with reading a dial, and I'd like to keep it reasonably priced.

What does everyone recommend?
 
"...reasonably accurate." ? You want the caliper to be accurate, otherwise there is no point to using one. I have a vernier(chinese made), a dial (Mitutoyo) and a digital(chinese from Cdn Tire) all measure within 1/1000 of each other. The dial raises ???s sometimes maybe because of spring tension in the dial system itself. Ranged in $ from under $10 to $60(back in the 80s).
The digital goes on sale periodically at Cdn Tire and they sell out quickly. The batteries cost almost as much as the unit itself.
The accuracy of any of these is fine for reloading.
 
the $20 one from princess auto. There's a digital one thats good to 0.000" and another thats only 0.00 go with the one with more decimal spaces

M
 
I use the CT Calipers, I buy batteries @ 10/$1 at the dollar store.

One set I have I trust wholeheartedly (confirmed readings from a high quality Micrometer), the other ain't worth it's weight in wet newspaper and the 3rd one I have is still in the drawer in it's packaging.
 
dryfire said:
"...reasonably accurate." ? You want the caliper to be accurate, otherwise there is no point to using one. I have a vernier(chinese made), a dial (Mitutoyo) and a digital(chinese from Cdn Tire) all measure within 1/1000 of each other. The dial raises ???s sometimes maybe because of spring tension in the dial system itself. Ranged in $ from under $10 to $60(back in the 80s).
The digital goes on sale periodically at Cdn Tire and they sell out quickly. The batteries cost almost as much as the unit itself.
The accuracy of any of these is fine for reloading.
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By reasonably accurate, I meant consistently accurate to a thou. I should have been more specific.
 
Some calipers that are marked accurate to 1 thou have a bit of tolerance for runout over the length. I was taught to trust a caliper within 2 thou, and if you require more accuracy than that, use a mic.
 
I buy CTC (canadian tire) for about $14 on sale. I also have Starrett and Mititoyo for well over $100. I am very tough on them spilling acetone etc., melting and smashing them into my bench. I have tested then against CTC and really can not tell the difference in accuracy. When you buy them five at a time I am very happy with CTC and they work better with better battery saver options all the time. I know of no general caliper good to more than .0005. I buy batterries on ebay, cheap.
 
Caliper & micrometer

I just bought the set from CTC a week ago didn't need them but hey it was a SALE. I've compared them to much more expensive brands I have and they're right on. Cost was $20.
 
Ian Robertson said:
I buy CTC (canadian tire) for about $14 on sale. I also have Starrett and Mititoyo for well over $100. I am very tough on them spilling acetone etc., melting and smashing them into my bench. I have tested then against CTC and really can not tell the difference in accuracy. When you buy them five at a time I am very happy with CTC and they work better with better battery saver options all the time. I know of no general caliper good to more than .0005. I buy batterries on ebay, cheap.
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Me too, I have a Mititoyo 12" digital at work and a $9,99 CT 6" at home, they all read the same if measure pin gauge, the only different is the battery of Mititoyo will run over four years and the CT one only lasting for one and half year. Ofcourse you won't have a harden steel blade on the CT one. reload is good to go.

Trigun
 
for both work and reloading, mitutoyo. i have a few. i also like starrett. both very high quality. i would advise you to use a dial and not digital... i tend to trust the dial a little more. imo you shouldnt cheap out. you get what you pay for. i would advise against second hand too as i have seen what industrial and misuse can do to these tools. they require calibration often enough in the workplace, and when they are tired simply dont give give consistant readings. hope this helps. pm for more details and model numbers of what i use daily.
 
lannard said:
for both work and reloading, mitutoyo. i have a few. i also like starrett. both very high quality. i would advise you to use a dial and not digital... i tend to trust the dial a little more. imo you shouldnt cheap out. you get what you pay for. i would advise against second hand too as i have seen what industrial and misuse can do to these tools. they require calibration often enough in the workplace, and when they are tired simply dont give give consistant readings. hope this helps. pm for more details and model numbers of what i use daily.
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The instructors that teach the machinist and millwright courses where my son went to school caution against using digitals because of accuracy issues.
they all recommend dials.
I use both.
Cat
 
Believe statements like this one:

mwjones said:
Some calipers that are marked accurate to 1 thou have a bit of tolerance for runout over the length. I was taught to trust a caliper within 2 thou, and if you require more accuracy than that, use a mic.
Click to expand...

Not this one:

delta1 said:
X2 for the Mitutoyo caliper's mine read out to .0001. The quest here is to be accurate each and every time. The plastic caliper's just do not cut it. Just my .02 cents
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Slang for a caliper is very near (vernier).
 
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.
 
cdnredneck_t3 said:
Believe statements like this one:



Not this one:



Slang for a caliper is very near (vernier).
Click to expand...

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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