question about FL bushing dies

[Islas82]

currently buying reloading equipment, am looking at the RCBS matchmaster dies and my question is can I still FL size my brass without using the bushing system? I know there's still an expander ball on the die, can I run them with out the bushings? I already contacted RCBS but I figured someone with experience here might have a faster response.

Thank you

 

[Rathmatik]

Without the bushing, it would effectively work as a body die. It would only size the body and not the neck. So, you'd still need something to accomplish that, otherwise your bullets would fall right through the neck of fired brass.

 

[Ckleeves]

You can pull the expander ball out, lots of guys just use the correct bushing for setting neck tension and no expander. Or no expander ball and a mandrel to iron out the inside of the neck. But like Rathmatik said with no bushing you essentially have a body die. You can bump shoulders but it’s not even going to touch the neck.

 

[Islas82]

Gotcha! I just dont have the tools to get the measurements for the correct bushing size so I guess I’ll look for other options, thanks.

 

[spife7980]

Gotcha! I just dont have the tools to get the measurements for the correct bushing size so I guess I’ll look for other options, thanks.

Do yourself a favor, make it easy.
Good caliper for not a lot of money

 

[918v]

I second the caliper recommendation, except don’t buy it from Amazon.

 

[Islas82]

I second the caliper recommendation, except don’t buy it from Amazon.

Why not Amazon?

 

[Islas82]

Do yourself a favor, make it easy.
Good caliper for not a lot of money

I was under the assumption that a ball micrometer was needed to take those measurements.

 

[spife7980]

I was under the assumption that a ball micrometer was needed to take those measurements.

If you want to get real anal but the caliper will be sufficient for bushing selection. .

 

[TwistedOneinSeven]

Gotcha! I just dont have the tools to get the measurements for the correct bushing size so I guess I’ll look for other options, thanks.

Accurate calipers at a very affordable price. Buy from your local bicycle shop
They measure consistently to the 0.5Thousand of an inch

Digital Caliper - Feedback Sports

With accuracy to 0.01mm (0.0004″) and a 15cm (6″) capacity, this all-metal caliper is twice as accurate as our competitors and sets the benchmark for Imperial and Metric measurement.

www.feedbacksports.com

 

[Rathmatik]

I was under the assumption that a ball micrometer was needed to take those measurements.

You would need to measure the loaded round instead (you could just seat a bullet in a few empty cases and then pull them, unless you're using brass from factory rounds and have any left). You're correct in saying that a ball micrometer is needed, only if you're measuring the case wall. Measuring a loaded round will suffice, just subtract the bullet diameter and divide by 2 to figure out the case wall thickness. You can just take the loaded round measurement and subtract .002"-.003" to get the bushing size (depending on what your goal for tension is, and if you're using a mandrel after).

For example, for 6.5 Creedmoor, say you measure a loaded round at .290". Your neck wall thickness for that brass would be (.290" - .264") / 2 = 0.013". This was my recent experiment with Starline brass, so I picked up a .288" bushing. I then follow with a .263" mandrel to make sure the inconsistencies go to the outside of the case (and get ~.0015-.002" final neck tension), yielding improved bullet runout.

 

[918v]

Why not Amazon?

Cuz you’re pay them to fuck us. Bezos and WaPo trash us every chance they get

 

[NiteQwill]

Cuz you’re pay them to fuck us. Bezos and WaPo trash us every chance they get

If you use Amazon Smile, you can contribute to a 2A friendly organization like SAF. Which is exactly what a lot of us do.