I am new to using bushing dies. I understand how to figure out what bushing size I need, but do I still need to use a FL sizing die for any reason? Does the bushing die bump the shoulder back? Do I need to use both? Thanks in advance.
- Thread starter JDLawrence3
- Start date
I probably should have added that I have RCBS Matchmaster dies. 
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That doesn't change anything. Always full length size, and choose the appropriate neck bushing.
So run a full length die, followed by neck sizing die? Then primer, powder, projectile, seating die?
Well I already have the full length bushing die set pictured above. Just curious if that will do it all in one step.
When I was sorting out my loading process for my 6.5CM rifle back in 2017, a lot of advice centered around neck sizing with a bushing to set the neck tension. So I played around with different sizes of bushing dies from .289 to .291 until I got what I thought was the right neck tension. Then after a few firings I was having a hard time closing the bolt and realized the neck die wasn’t bumping my shoulder back, so I bought a shoulder bump die w/ bushing. The rifle liked it so I stuck to that process for the last 5 years.
Fast forward to present day, I switched rifles and caliber to 6GT this fall. Being new to the caliber I did a bunch of reading to see what people were recommending. Nowadays it seems like full length sizing is the way to go, so that’s what I bought with the die set to .266 neck OD. But this time I also got a mandrel die and have been using that to set neck tension (.002 to .003” less than the bullet dia). My 6GT rifle seems to like what I’m loading up, so that’s my my process now.
Fast forward to present day, I switched rifles and caliber to 6GT this fall. Being new to the caliber I did a bunch of reading to see what people were recommending. Nowadays it seems like full length sizing is the way to go, so that’s what I bought with the die set to .266 neck OD. But this time I also got a mandrel die and have been using that to set neck tension (.002 to .003” less than the bullet dia). My 6GT rifle seems to like what I’m loading up, so that’s my my process now.
That die is a full length sizing die and bushing die in one. Set it to bump your shoulder back what you like while the correct bushing is installed and you are good to go.
