What caliper is recommended for measuring groups.

I am using a $3 harbor freight one and need to upgrade. The harbor freight ones are cheap and I lose a bunch.

Looking for something electronic and stainless steel.

Thanks,

Mike

I found a rcbs caliper in my box of unopened reloading stuff.

I will use it till I lose or break it.

Will be on the look out for a good caliper.

Mike

just a thought, but you might try using "Range Buddy" or some similar phone based app to snap pictures and get automatic group sizes identified.

What do you use to measure OAL and other things while loading, and why not use them?

Starrett

quote:

Originally posted by Pegleg:
Starrett

We use INSIZE.

These are available here, and are extremely accurate and reasonable priced.

Starret are great, but are ridiculously expensive here.

We use INSIZE measuring tools of all types, including a bench mounted micrometer that goes to 5 places of decimal.

I’ve got a Mitutoyo that’s damn good.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
What caliper is recommended for measuring groups.

I am using a $3 harbor freight one and need to upgrade. The harbor freight ones are cheap and I lose a bunch.

Looking for something electronic and stainless steel.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike your problem is the operator.....

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
What caliper is recommended for measuring groups.

I am using a $3 harbor freight one and need to upgrade. The harbor freight ones are cheap and I lose a bunch.

Looking for something electronic and stainless steel.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike your problem is the operator.....

Most likely - I never had to a take a course in caliper use.

Besides it is to measure and send you my blaser groups. You don’t like my $3 harbor freight plastic one. Fu@king elitist

Mike

We have close to fifty at work that I get checked for calibration. The mitatoya give me the least problems. I like the coolant proof ones. MSC or Travers usually have them on sale.

#1- Starrett

#2- Mitutoyo

I have taught Machining Technology for 19 years. When I was hired, I bought Starret dial calipers. They are still going strong.

My son was just hired as a Machinist. His co-workers recommended digital mitutoyo. He bought the Mitutoyo and likes them.

It’s hard to go wrong with either. Starrett products are quality and well made.

Odds are anything further down than a tenth of an inch in the absence of some sort of centering device is statistically meaningless.

Can you reproduce your measurements with the calipers down to 0.01”?

If not, don’t bother with calipers, a simple plastic ruler is adequate.

I worked in manufacturing 50 years and 10 years of that I set up and managed the calibration labs at 2 different companies.
Starrett dial calipers were basic trash can material because there were no repair option or parts available.
Mitutoyo dial calipers were much more dependable.
I avoided all digital calipers due to dead batteries and poor repair capability.

If you cannot afford the Mitutoyos just get the $20 stainless calipers at Harbor Freight.
They are durable and accurate enough for handloading. If they give you trouble just toss them and buy new ones. Mine are 20 years old and still work well though they have had heavy use.

http://tresnainstrument.com/ac...s%20to%2080%20inches.

Read this.

I have a fairly new Starrett dial caliper and it is not repeatable at all, very sad. I have a Mitutoyo Digimatic 500-196 that I use for about everything. Battery life is almost forever. You can leave it on 24/7 and it seems to make no difference. I also have an older Mitutoyo 500-323 that has really short battery life. My Starrett digital dial indicator is about useless, its battery life is measured in a very few days.
C.G.B.

The dial on a mechanical caliper rides on a rack, like a straightened-out gear.
If you get dirt or swarf in the teeth, not even the zero is repeatable.
Keep it microscopically clean.

I use both a mechanical Starrett and a Harbor Freight digital, both have their advantages.
I also have joe blocks and micrometers for comparison.

I like Mahr. This model has IP67 rating and round depth rod. This rod can go easy through flash hole for example. Both metric and imperial, large digits easy to read. Just not cheap junk. There is also wireless communication to computer if necessary. I bought the same to my friend, just without that wireless stuff.

Jiri

Bought for Oregon friend here: https://store.gaging.com/41030...ystem?search=4103010

Measuring Blazer groups, well a yard stick will do.