RCBS Matchmaster Full Length Bushing

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Nathan22Outdoors

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I'm starting to get into reloading and I was recommended to "buy once, cry once" and get a really good set of dies like the Matchmaster Full length bushing die set (over a standard FL sizer die and/or a neck sizing/bushing die)
So now introduces my problem, I've ordered this set and don't have it in hand yet, but of course I'm watching as many videos as I can of how to get it set up perfectly etc. but it seems like this die is catered more towards guys who want an upgrade (for ease of use and already have a reloading setup). I'm coming to this conclusion because of a few things,
for example, choosing the size of neck bushing I need, everything I've searched says "use a loaded round" but this being my first reloading die, how do I load a round (bullet into case, like a dummy round) if I cant properly size it yet to even get to that point of loading.
My second example goes hand in hand with this, how am I supposed to set my seater die by seating a projectile and checking in my chamber for the lands, if once, again, I cant size my brass at this point.

If I use a factory loaded round to measure my neck for the bushing, the brass thickness most likely wont be the same as my brass I'm planning to reload with because new vs once fired (I think will make a difference, correct me if I'm wrong) as well as manufacturer.

Excuse my ignorance, I'm just confused and would like a little bit of a hand

Setting up my seater die requires me to load a bullet and check for the lands but I cant do that without the sizer die set, but i also need a properly loaded projectile to check for what sizer die I need so I'm not sure what's the proper order of operations here.
 
I don't use Matchmaster dies but I do use Redding bushing dies. Finding the right size bushing is easy if all your brass has the same neck thickness. If you have different makes of brass you will have to sort it to the same neck thickness.
Lets say you are loading for .308 Win. and your neck thickness is .014". So you need a bushing that is .308(diameter of bullet) + .028 (.014"/side) for the brass. The you want to go about .002" less than that dimension to hold the bullet. So .308+.028-.002=.334 bushing.

When it comes to seating bullets start a little over what the book tells you. and try to chamber the dummy round. If it doesn't chamber turn the seating stem down on the die a little bit and seat the bullet again. Keep turning the seating stem down until the dummy round chambers.
 
You can use your chamber dimensions if you know them to determine a good starting bushing. The whole point is to be able to change them out and adjust to your liking, I found that more neck tension often gave me better results. You can probably just search a couple of forums and see what people are using for that cartridge to start with as well, a size or two either direction won’t result in unsafe ammo and you can start tuning things once you’ve fireformed the brass.
 
maynard said:
I don't use Matchmaster dies but I do use Redding bushing dies. Finding the right size bushing is easy if all your brass has the same neck thickness. If you have different makes of brass you will have to sort it to the same neck thickness.
Lets say you are loading for .308 Win. and your neck thickness is .014". So you need a bushing that is .308(diameter of bullet) + .028 (.014"/side) for the brass. The you want to go about .002" less than that dimension to hold the bullet. So .308+.028-.002=.334 bushing.

When it comes to seating bullets start a little over what the book tells you. and try to chamber the dummy round. If it doesn't chamber turn the seating stem down on the die a little bit and seat the bullet again. Keep turning the seating stem down until the dummy round chambers.
Click to expand...
Right, so based off the average of a few makes of brass, 0.269 would be recommended, but i should probably just purchase 0.268 and 0.270 aswell for some fine tuning
 
The diameter of the bullet, plus 2 times the thickness of the brass, minus .002" will give you the bushing size you need. If you go .001" or .002" smaller you should be good. The bushing dies are designed so you don't overwork your brass when resizing.
 
Nathan22Outdoors said:
Setting up my seater die requires me to load a bullet and check for the lands but I cant do that without the sizer die set
Click to expand...
You don't use a sized case to determine bullet seat depth. The neck tension on a sized case is way too high. The only way to correctly determine the distance to the lands is with the Lock-n-load bullet seating depth tool.

There will be a bunch of people jump into this thread to tell you about marking the bullet with a felt pen or smoking the bullet etc etc. ALL of those methods are BS and wildly imprecise. There is a proper tool for the job and that is the only way to accurately find the distance to the lands.
 
I Dont Care About You said:
You don't use a sized case to determine bullet seat depth. The neck tension on a sized case is way too high. The only way to correctly determine the distance to the lands is with the Lock-n-load bullet seating depth tool.

There will be a bunch of people jump into this thread to tell you about marking the bullet with a felt pen or smoking the bullet etc etc. ALL of those methods are BS and wildly imprecise. There is a proper tool for the job and that is the only way to accurately find the distance to the lands.
Click to expand...
Okay thanks, i should be able to figure it out, just waiting on some stuff still, then ill let you guys know how it went
 
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