Using dial calipers

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RetiredUSNChief said:
First of all, how accurate do you NEED to be?

If your tolerances are to the hundredths or thousandths, then reading out to the ten-thousanths might be a bit insignificant.

It's also really easy to be a wee bit off with a set of calipers when taking measurements 4 decimal places or more. Minor changes on the angle the caliper is being applied will do it. How light or heavy a touch you have on the adjustment dial will do it.

You can practice technique, as well as do a "calibration check", by getting a set of feeler gauges and practice taking measurements of them with your caliper. Obviously feeler gauges won't work for larger measurements as a calibration check over a wide range, but are perfectly adequate for checking repeatability and accuracy of your measurement techniques.
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learn something new! I’m going to try that with my feeler gague. get the feel right
 
Walkalong has tight neck chambered rifles. Reading to .0001" would be a must have, i think? Guessing would be dangerous.

My micrometer is easier to guess at, then the RCBS dial.

The left RCBS dial fell off the bench, on to cement. Broken after 40 years.

20220807_071644.jpg

My 357 mag bullets always measured .3575" out of a .357" H&I die. Till 1 day they didnt. Alloy spring back related.
 
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I have both digital and dial and prefer the dial. They are so much faster for me to use when I'm not doing critical work. I use my Mitutoyo's digitals when I need to get down to where the hair grows short.
They are in .0001" resolution but I never really took the ten thousands seriously. I don't machine any more so I don't really need that type of accuracy and they haven't been calibrated since I left my last job.
 
Soonerpesek said:
I know I am not as advanced as some of you, but I really don't see the need for measuring to the "tenths" in the reloading game.

Once again, I'm a minute-of-8"-gong at 100 yards or so, not a tiny hole group from a distant galaxy type of shooter...

.......IMO.........
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Very true, we rarely need true .0001 accuracy for reloading.
243winxb said:
Walkalong has tight neck chambered rifles. Reading to .0001" would be a must have, i think? Guessing would be dangerous.

My micrometer is easier to guess at, then the RCBS dial.

The left RCBS dial fell off the bench, on to cement. Broken after 40 years.

View attachment 1094672

My 357 mag bullets always measured .3575" out of a .357" H&I die. Till 1 day they didnt. Alloy spring back related.
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Also true, when loading for my (tight necked) .262 neck 6 PPC chamber I measured neck walls and loaded round thickness at the neck to the nearest .0001 my talent allowed, then used the old fashioned...... chamber it to see if it chambered freely, then fire a couple and see if bullets would pass into the fired neck freely..... method to verify I was safe.
 

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It might be worth your while to research the difference between Absolute measurement & Relative measurment. Absolute measurments are seldom, if ever, nessesary in reloading. It takes an awful lot of time to reset Absolute zero for each operation. You do not need to blueprint each cartridge. Unless of course you are into that, thats fine too. Im not.
 
I agree with everyone who says .0001” accuracy is not needed for most reloading. Measuring head expansion is the only application that comes to mind. That application calls for a good micrometer and a good touch. I prefer quality dial calipers for most reloading, specifically B&S. They are smooth, well hardened, and very precise. The dial has a point between each .001” mark so they can be read to the nearest .0005”, if needed. I have bought several good used ones on eBay for around $50.00 each.
 
Bcwitt said:
It might be worth your while to research the difference between Absolute measurement & Relative measurment. Absolute measurments are seldom, if ever, nessesary in reloading. It takes an awful lot of time to reset Absolute zero for each operation. You do not need to blueprint each cartridge. Unless of course you are into that, thats fine too. Im not.
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Dude, you need to stop being so wishy-washy. Take a stand on the issue and tell everyone who disagrees with you they're utter morons. I mean, "Unless of course you are into that, thats fine too?" Really? Have you no spine? Next time try "Unless of course you are into that, in which case your mental capacity must be the equivalent of a small cactus." How am I supposed to make a decision if you tell me I can do whatever I want?

Just kidding, of course. The point about relative vs. absolute measurement is well taken. It also reminds me that I may need to re-measure a lot of things with the new calipers, or at least compare the readings I get with them to the readings I got with the digital set to see if any adjustments are needed.
 
barnfrog said:
Dude, you need to stop being so wishy-washy. Take a stand on the issue and tell everyone who disagrees with you they're utter morons. I mean, "Unless of course you are into that, thats fine too?" Really? Have you no spine? Next time try "Unless of course you are into that, in which case your mental capacity must be the equivalent of a small cactus." How am I supposed to make a decision if you tell me I can do whatever I want?

Just kidding, of course. The point about relative vs. absolute measurement is well taken. It also reminds me that I may need to re-measure a lot of things with the new calipers, or at least compare the readings I get with them to the readings I got with the digital set to see if any adjustments are needed.
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Or use a standard like a precision pin or Guage block.
 
If it were me and I wanted to be ultra-precise on OAL for all my reloads, I'd just make a pair of go/no-go gauges with the maximum and minimum OAL for whatever caliber I reloaded.

If each round fits between the maximum and minimum set of gauges, it's SAT and I'm done.
 
AJC1 said:
Or use a standard like a precision pin or Guage block.
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I guess my point is that if I have a load worked up that specifies a CBTO length of 1.234" as measured with the digital set, I need to make sure the dial calipers give me the same length on an assembled round that the digital calipers say is 1.234".
 
barnfrog said:
I guess my point is that if I have a load worked up that specifies a CBTO length of 1.234" as measured with the digital set, I need to make sure the dial calipers give me the same length on an assembled round that the digital calipers say is 1.234".
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The suggestion from @AJC1 will tell you if the digital and the dial are on the same page.......
 
barnfrog said:
Dude, you need to stop being so wishy-washy. Take a stand on the issue and tell everyone who disagrees with you they're utter morons. I mean, "Unless of course you are into that, thats fine too?" Really? Have you no spine? Next time try "Unless of course you are into that, in which case your mental capacity must be the equivalent of a small cactus." How am I supposed to make a decision if you tell me I can do whatever I want?

Just kidding, of course. The point about relative vs. absolute measurement is well taken. It also reminds me that I may need to re-measure a lot of things with the new calipers, or at least compare the readings I get with them to the readings I got with the digital set to see if any adjustments are needed.
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Some guys just like to do things there own way. If you want to blue print each cartridge, go for it.
 
This kind of thread makes me glad to be a handgunner - and a revolver man in particular. My seating depth is my crimp groove, and my bullet diameter is whatever is marked on the lubrisizer die. And case length is whatever it is because who cares. :p
 
Life long machinist/mechanic background and while I have had a need to measure to +/- .0001", I have never needed that tight tolerance with any reloading or gun measurement. Quite often no closer than +/- .001" or even .002" is needed in gun work and very rarely in reloading. I use my "a little more than" or "a little less than" determinations when measuring with dial calipers "a little more than .355" or a little less than .430", etc., (I don't bother with digital) and my mics have .0001" hashmarks on the thimble but I can't remember any need for using except when checking mics...
 
Seedy Character said:
After years of working in calibration, I have that same gage block set and a companion weight set.

I am of the +/- group.

The final point being a non issue IN MOST CASES.

Telling a machinist you want a smooth, round, 12" disc. He will ask, how smooth, how round, how close to 12?
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Fit, Finish and Concentricity. :)

For most of handloading, there's not much to be gained with obsessing over a single measure. The combined slop of every other variable will quickly overwhelm any gain imagined from doing so. IMO, YMMV.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Fit, Finish and Concentricity. :)

For most of handloading, there's not much to be gained with obsessing over a single measure. The combined slop of every other variable will quickly overwhelm any gain imagined from doing so. IMO, YMMV.
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In reloading I agree. In barrel chambering I disagree. But that's off topic. Knowing where it's important and where it's not is just as important. I played measuring my dad's reloads for my 223 comp gun and .007 of difference in headspace is a lot. He never has an rcbs mic or a comparator but that amount of variation has to matter.
 
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