#13 in Digital calipers
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Reddit mentions of Hornady 050080 Digital Caliper
Sentiment score: 2
Reddit mentions: 2
We found 2 Reddit mentions of Hornady 050080 Digital Caliper. Here are the top ones.
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- Take Precise Measurements - having precision reloading tools and accessories such as the Hornady Digital Caliper measuring tool 050080 is ideal for accurately measuring case and bullet length, inside and outside diameters, primer pocket depth, overall cartridge length, and more
- Large, Easy to Read LCD Screen - this digital caliper is quick to setup, easy to use, and extremely accurate to 0.001 inch. This digital measurement tool has a automatic shutoff, is easy to zero and change between inches or millimeters. The measuring ruler reads up to 6 inches/160 millimeters
- Great Caliper Tool for Reloaders - Hornady digital calipers will ensure you have a properly measured case and cartridge for your next range day. The convenient storage case is perfect for storing the unit when not in use or for travel to take with you. Includes 1.55 Volt Silver Oxide Battery
- Easy to Operate - durable stainless steel digital caliper features quick repeat and measuring speed, easy to use adjustment wheel, and the knob at top of caliper can be tightened to lock down a measurement
- Hornady Reloading Equipment - Hornady offers a variety of measuring tools needed to get into the reloading zone and achieve better accuracy, reliable results, and having fun. Having a set of quality tools at your ammo reloading bench is crucial for an accurate shooter
Features:
Specs:
| Color | Black |
| Height | 1 Inches |
| Length | 10 Inches |
| Number of items | 3 |
| Release date | March 2010 |
| Size | 6 to 7.9 Inches |
| Weight | 0.76 Pounds |
| Width | 3.5 Inches |
RCBS Kit $300
Hornday Calipers $25
You need a case trimmer. I went for the WFT.
Then you need dies (sizer/seater). You can spend as little as $50 or so for this, I went with the most recommended which was Redding and cost $160.
All of this made sense for me because I knew I was going to keep it forever. But if you have the funds to do it right, do it right and dont skimp. Because even if you should decide in a year you dont want to do it anymore, you are more likely to be able to sell good components than cheap ones, and at less of a depreciation. I bought all this stuff a year ago, and I bet I could get an 80-90% return if I were to sell it now.
Just keep a few things in mind: Reloading, especially as a beginner, takes time. Expect 100 rounds of .308 from start to finish to take you 4ish hours. And add to the cost, you can see already that $500-600 is about where you will land with just components (accounting for the cost for a tumbler). Now components, lets do the math for 1,000 rounds. You have to buy Brass (expensive, 100 costs $50-80, but they are obviously reuseable), bullets (lots of 500 for $170, so $340 for 1k), powder (can be hard to find, and if you have to ship can be expensive, think $40/lb, 7lbs should get you a tad more than 1k rounds, so $280 for 7lbs+hazmat/shipping+$50ish), and primers (sold in lots of 1k for about $32, $27 hazmat shipping fee unless you pick up locally/ship with powder).
On the conservative side, assume you spend $500 on components to be ready to reload. +$70 (brass avg), +$340, +$330, +$32 = $772 for 1,000 rounds, just in components.
Now you are at about $1200-1300 for 1,000 rounds. But your next 1,000 are only components, so $772 (ish) per 1k from then on out.
But if you aren't even sure you want to do this for a long time, you may not make up the cost difference of the equipment. Which is where one of the fallacies of reloading lies, don't get into it to save money. Get into it to have complete and total control over the product that you shoot. If that's not worth it to you, just buy factory ammo.
Lastly, going back tot he $1200-1300, lets average it again to $1250, how much ammo can you get for that, right now? Assume you find Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 175gr (you wont) boxes of 20 are $35. Thats 35 boxes, or 700 rounds. Or you could go Hornady 168gr for $26.50. Thats 47 boxes for $1250, or 940 rounds.
Disclaimer, its early, still drinking coffee, please correct math if I screwed up somewhere (it's been known to happen). My close friend wants to build his first precision rifle, and he fell into the newbie mistake of thinking he could skimp on things, like optics. I wont say I demanded he 'spend twice what he did on the rifle, on the glass' or anything like that. But I told him I already spent more than his rifle will cost on reloading gear, which he can use, so he wont have to. So he has to spend at least $850 (Vortex PST 6-24x FFP) on his scope to use my gear. I think getting into this style of shooting you need $1k for the gun, $1k for the optics, $1k for reloading. There will be some the gun/optics category to fill in for accessories, or add to the reloading budget, but if you cant spend $3k for a .308 setup, shooting .308 is going to be too costly for you anyways.
I would invest in some case gauges and headspace gauges. This way you can do a plunk test to make sure they're in spec without actually doing a plunk test in the firearm. I tend to check every 5-10th round to make sure they all seem to be in spec.. There's nothing worse than loading 200 rounds and find out that you maybe accidentally changed something or something moved and they're all out of spec.
I use the Wilson Case Gauge and it works really well. Lyman has one for about $21 you can try. I was going to get that one and changed my mind after I heard a story or two about the Lyman one not being stainless steel and got rusty.. but I live in the desert and don't have a swamp cooler so I shouldn't have to worry about that. Didn't think about it at the time.
Right now for a cheap way to trim, I use the Lyman E-ZEE Trimmer attached to my power drill.
You'll also want a good pair of calipers. I use the Hornady Digital Caliper and it works well enough.
If I think of anything else, I'll update.