Electronic Digital Calipers - recommendation please.

[BigDuncs]

I hope to start reloading again soon, now that I'm going to be back in the UK and would like to get a better digital calipers. The ones that I have seem to work OK but they are cheapo unbranded ones and TBH, I can't even remember where I got them 3 years ago. It has been around two years since I last reloaded and used them.

Can anyone recommend a decent digital caliper(s?) that I can have confidence in please? (Will be mainly reloading .303, .223 and .38 sp.)

Thanks in advance.

[BigDuncs]

I hope to start reloading again soon, now that I'm going to be back in the UK and would like to get a better digital calipers. The ones that I have seem to work OK but they are cheapo unbranded ones and TBH, I can't even remember where I got them 3 years ago. It has been around two years since I last reloaded and used them.

Can anyone recommend a decent digital caliper(s?) that I can have confidence in please? (Will be mainly reloading .303, .223 and .38 sp.)

Thanks in advance.

I didn't want to hijack the other thread but seen some reviews and this has come up on the other thread - igaging calipers. See them for about £27 so may go for those. Or should I get the mitutoyos......

[harvey_s]

The best idea irrespective of price is to get yourself a reference sample (a slip gauge or reasonably sized bearing roller) sized with a decent micrometer and then just periodically check your calipers calibration.
An expensive set of uncalibrated calipers is just as unreliable as a cheap set...
I been using the same cheapo ones from Aldi and Lidl at work and home and they are fine...

[BigDuncs]

The best idea irrespective of price is to get yourself a reference sample (a slip gauge or reasonably sized bearing roller) sized with a decent micrometer and then just periodically check your calipers calibration.
An expensive set of uncalibrated calipers is just as unreliable as a cheap set...
I been using the same cheapo ones from Aldi and Lidl at work and home and they are fine...

Thanks for the suggestion. Great idea

[MikB]

The best idea irrespective of price is to get yourself a reference sample (a slip gauge or reasonably sized bearing roller) sized with a decent micrometer and then just periodically check your calipers calibration.
An expensive set of uncalibrated calipers is just as unreliable as a cheap set...
I been using the same cheapo ones from Aldi and Lidl at work and home and they are fine...

My Aldi caliper worked OK for a while, but after a few months started reading low and required frequent rezeroing. The Moore & Wright badged one I have now is considerably better, and I've grown pretty confident in it to its half-thou resolution, which is good enough for nearly everything I do.


I use bits of ground silver steel for calibration - these are normally accurate and round to less than a tenth of a thou.

Regards,
MikB

[xbow]

I've got a tungsten carbide gauge set for checking Micrometers which contains 8 gauges of specific sizes from 3.1 to 25mm. Calipers aren't as accurate anyway but as they measure over a much wider range I doubt a single gauge will really prove much. I've found with Lathe work that calipers only get you close, not bang on. If you want to be that accurate buy a 0-25 and a 25-50 micrometer, they aren't that expensive.

[markH]

I've had a couple of cheap digital calipers and they didn't last more than about 6 months. Get a mitutoyo dial caliper, it'll last a lifetime and more.

[Parabuteo]

I've had a couple of cheap digital calipers and they didn't last more than about 6 months. Get a mitutoyo dial caliper, it'll last a lifetime and more.

What he says

[BigDuncs]

Thaks gentlemen. You learn something new.......

I'd never heard of slip gauges before so e bay and £30 sorted me out with a set which had given me enourmous fun. Thanks all for your comments!

Heading back to play with my slip gauges......

[BigDuncs]

I've had a couple of cheap digital calipers and they didn't last more than about 6 months. Get a mitutoyo dial caliper, it'll last a lifetime and more.

Dial better than digital?

[harvey_s]

My Mitutoyo dial didn't last too long, but perhaps mine was the exception rather than the rule as normally their stuff is pretty good.
I still would take digital calipers in preference to dial type anyday

[Uncle Albert]

I found that my calipers (from Halfords) started to give false readings. Once I changed the battery they were back on song.

[BigDuncs]

I found that my calipers (from Halfords) started to give false readings. Once I changed the battery they were back on song.

My slip gauges show that my Chinese calipers are reading consistently 0.0005 low. Guess I can live with that....., at least for the meantime...

But Mitutoyos are certainly on my Christmas present want list..

[RobinC]

My slip gauges show that my Chinese calipers are reading consistently 0.0005 low. Guess I can live with that....., at least for the meantime...

But Mitutoyos are certainly on my Christmas present want list..

Hi Duncan hope you are well,
Sorry to hi jack into this thread, see you've now joined the reloaders, just need to wean you into proper target rifles and then the heat goes up to get accurate loads! The wife and I are loading our 6 mmBR's for our 300 mt rifles and have got them shooting tons and as tight as the factory ones (or better), but a third of the price.

Saw your other post on soft .303's, I'm currently working on soft 7.62's and as we now only shoot 300 mts ( getting old, don't do cold and wet any more! Its an indoor firing point, electronic targets) I'm working on getting those beasties to reach 300 mts accurately with as little recoil as possible, I have an indoor 100mt range locally to test on so have several soft loads to test.

Digital verniers? Pah, I still have and use my Mitutoyo vernier and Mitutoyo micrometer I bought when I was an apprentice! They were top money then as well but they have lasted 50 years and are still accurate, a good investment!

Have fun,
Good shooting
Robin

[1066]

What he says

I've had a couple of cheap digital calipers and they didn't last more than about 6 months. Get a mitutoyo dial caliper, it'll last a lifetime and more.

Me too.