what's the best digital caliper and digital scale for the money?

[Walkalong]

While that has merit when it comes to extreme precision, the Chinese build to whatever price point the buyer wants. I have a Brown & Sharp dial caliper and micrometer, as well as Mitutoyo calipers and micrometers. They are great, but the cheap calipers that are good to .001 will do 99% of what the reloader needs. Yes, check them with something in the range you are measuring.

That said, if I want to trim my brass to 1.140 and it ends up at 1.142 because my caliper is off, it won't make any difference. I am not measuring and fitting fine parts together.

 

[Kaldor]

iGaging calipers here. For $40 they are hard to beat.

I use the scale from my CM1500 if I need a digital scale where I am taking lots of weights. However, I use my 505 a great deal more if weigh one or two of something, like spot checking a charge. Thats just simpler as I dont have to mess around with it.

 

[TheDomFather]

Hello I am new to reloading and have minimal experience and would appreciate some insight on what the best digital caliper is for the money. I took a shot and purchased a Neiko 01407A on Amazon for $20. It does not read accurately and will be returning it. Any recommendations as to which digital caliper and digital scale is best for the money? I am looking at the RCBS electronic digital scale for $70.

I use the Hornady digital caliper and it works great I dont recall what I paid for it as I purchased it a couple of years ago. Scales are another story. I have the hornady digital scale and it sucks, I also have a cheap one off of amazon and it sucks slightly less, I use a RCBS beam scale to double check things. Let me know what scale you wind up with.

 

[Whiterook808]

I am a happy RCBS Chargmaster Lite user. I also have a 10-10 scale and a Pact BBK2 for when I want to go that way. For calipers I have a set of Dillon dial calipers and the iGauging absolute origin calipers. The iGauging is a really great value, and in my opinion the best in that price range. I got by with the dial calipers for many years, but when I bought my Hornady bullet comparator I wanted a digital.

 

[santacruzdave]

Here is the caliper I thought was a good value and uses common CR32 batteries.
iGaging OriginCal 0-6" Absolute Origin Digital Calipers: https://www.amazon.com/iGaging-ABSOLUTE-Digital-Electronic-Caliper/dp/B00INL0BTS
Review:
I use an inexpensive digital scale for pistol calibers:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/WAOAW-Digital-Milligram-Scale-50-X-0-001g-Reloading-Jewelry-Weight-with-Calibrat/113283079861?epid=795886926&hash=item1a60329eb5:gMcAAOSwiqdbsh8r
and verify with an RCBS 505. Rifle loads all done on the 505.

 

[Hondo 60]

$15.99 Calipers - sometimes Harbor freight has 'em on sale for $9.99
Just make sure it reads to 3 numbers past the decimal.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/297498/national-metallic-digital-caliper-6-stainless-steel

The scale, I'd spend a bit more - like $100
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/340674/hornady-lock-n-load-bench-scale-electronic-powder-scale

Although I've heard of some people here using $25 scales - I personally would be afraid of doing so.
But that's just me.

 

[LiveLife]

I've heard of some people here using $25 scales - I personally would be afraid of doing so.

If the price of scales were not disclosed and scales consistently read down to .1 gr (5 mg/.077 gr for Gemini-20) and repeatedly verified check weights at powder charge range being used (say 4.0 gr, 5.0 gr and so on), what would keep you from using these scales for reloading?

And over time, if these digital scales outweighed Ohaus 10-10 and RCBS 5-0-5 in sensitivity, accuracy and repeatability, what would keep you from using these scales for reloading?

That was the purpose of "Myth Busting Digital Scales" thread confirming that digital scales can be accurate and consistent enough for reloading with the help of members who had access to lab/analytical scales with .01/.02 gr resolutions, even though they costed less around $20.

If the scales costed $200, would you feel more comfortable?

But the reality is they cost $20. But why would you feel afraid of using them? Is it because they cost $20?

Many of us paid less than $20 (some less than $10) for Harbor Freight digital calipers and members with gage blocks and machinists by trade kept verifying the accuracy and consistency of HF calipers. Many members were shocked at first in disbelief but over time came to accept the fact that HF digital calipers were accurate and consistent (Besides, they come with lifetime warranty). So what would keep anyone from using them for reloading?

I bought my Frankford Arsenal dial calipers on sale (I think less than $20). And like HF digital calipers, FA dial calipers consistently verified pin gages I have and also feeler gages to .001". Even though they do not have "Starrett" name like several other calipers I had, I feel absolutely comfortable using them for reloading.

 

[Kaldor]

If the price of scales were not disclosed and scales consistently read down to .1 gr (5 mg/.077 gr for Gemini-20) and repeatedly verified check weights at powder charge range being used (say 4.0 gr, 5.0 gr and so on), what would keep you from using these scales for reloading?

And if over time, these digital scales outweighed Ohaus 10-10 and RCBS 5-0-5 in sensitivity, accuracy and repeatability, what would keep you from using these scales for reloading?

That was the purpose of the "Myth Busting Digital Scales" thread that digital scales can be accurate and consistent enough for reloading with the help of members who had access to lab/analytical scales with .01/.02 gr resolutions.

If the scales costed $200, would you feel more comfortable?

But the reality is they cost $20. But why would you feel afraid of using them? Is it because they cost $20?

Many of us paid less than $20 (some less than $10) for Harbor Freight digital calipers and members with gage blocks and machinists by trade kept verifying the accuracy and consistency of HF calipers. Many members were shocked at first in disbelief but over time came to accept the fact that HF digital calipers were accurate and consistent (Besides, they come with lifetime warranty). So what would keep anyone from using them for reloading?

I bought my Frankford Arsenal dial calipers on sale (I think less than $20). And like HF digital calipers, FA dial calipers consistently verified pin gages I have and also feeler gages to .001". Even though they do not have "Starrett" name like several other calipers I had, I feel absolutely comfortable using them for reloading.

Ive stuck with my CM1500 scale because thats what I already own, but I hear where you are coming from. If it doesnt eat batteries, doesnt drift, and its repeatable, then $20 or $200, as long as it works. I guess the biggest reason I continue to use my 505 is just because its on my bench, setup almost all the time, so I guess its habit more than anything. In the case its not, it takes all of 30 seconds to assemble, and be ready.

I have a couple of pairs of HF calipers as well. They are decent, and I had a machinist friend check them vs his Starrets and they were right on, but they eat batteries. Thats why I bought a set of the iGaging calipers for $40, CR32 batteries are cheap and last a long time.

 

[k4swb]

If I did not already have the ones this replaces, I would feel confident in these.
I really like the features on these:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L7C6AZ8/ref=dp_prsubs_1

 

[Walkalong]

Having a caliper that does fractions would be handy for checking shaft diameters etc where everyone wants the fraction.

 

[Dudedog]

The problem is measuring them, don't measure them, problem solved.
I suppose I have measured one or two out of 20000 or so......

And trim a 9mm case never unless I am making 9Mak out of it.
OK, maybe not the best advice but on a serious note, I don't bother measuring 9mm cases.
I do case guage 9mm ammo every now and then.

I have a GEM20 I use if I want to measure small fractions, A RCBS 5-0-5 beam I like but most of the time I use a Frankford DS750 to verify thrown charges.

 

[Glock702]

Yep.

Yep again. Or pin gauges will work for less than ultra precise work (Like measuring a case).

View attachment 805814 View attachment 805815

.308 pin gauge +.0000/ - .0002 (You can barely see it on the gauge.)

Welcome to THR.

so just got done loading my first 9mm rounds using the $20 digital scale, i was hand loading with a lee hand loader 9mm tool so I could no get consistent measurements. My question is, what's the safest and easiest way to go about testing these rounds? I know the obvious answer is to just load it and shoot it, but i'm hoping there is a safer way to test rounds. any experience?

 

[Dudedog]

For my first one I had eyes and ears on as always, crossed my toes (both hands on the gun)deep breath and squeezed of the shot.
The rest of them went much faster than the first one, took a bit to shot it. Did I ... and did I .....
I suppose you could clamp the gun down and pull the trigger with a string, but if you did everything right and started at the start charge you should be good to go.
Do you have check weights to check the scale? You want weights in the range of the charge you are going to weigh.
An inexpensive set
https://www.amazon.com/American-Wei...&qid=1538630839&sr=8-2&keywords=check+weights
weightsare in grams so you need to convert to grains but the price is right $12

If you are not sure you did them right, get out the bullet puller and do them again. (maybe a bit extreme but your bullet puller is your friend, but hopefully not a close friend!)

Please let us know how it works out.
Welcome to the reloading adventure.

 

[Walkalong]

but i'm hoping there is a safer way to test rounds. any experience?

Safety begins and ends with the reloading process. Then cross your fingers and go shoot them like we all did on our first reloads. It's normal to be a bit nervous the first time out.

Use all the info you have at your disposal to make the reloads, double check yourself along the way (Pretty sure I triple checked the first ones at each step), and then go shoot them.