The Pursuit of Precision
Under the name MatchMaster, the renowned RCBS brand offers a line of top-tier reloading dies that satisfy even professional precision shooters with their quality. In this article, we’ll take a closer look and evaluate their advantages over lower-tier dies.
Introductory photo: Compared to the baseline represented by Lee dies, MatchMaster delivers measurably tighter groups.
The MatchMaster set consists of two dies: a decapping/sizing die and a bullet seating die. Depending on your needs, you can choose a full-length sizing variant, ideal especially for use with semi-automatic firearms, or if you simply prefer resizing the entire brass case. Alternatively, you can opt for the neck-sizing die, which is slightly more gentle on the case. Both variants are currently available for 34 calibers, covering the majority of rifle cartridges used in precision shooting and hunting. It’s worth noting that each die is also available for purchase individually.
Practical Insight
First of all, the quality of these dies is absolutely top-notch. They are made from hardened steel, have minimal tolerances, everything fits perfectly, and even the non-functional surfaces are flawless. The internal surfaces are polished to reduce friction. One immediately noticeable feature is the window in the seating die where the bullet is inserted. This is not a design gimmick, but a highly practical function that holds the bullet perfectly centered, allowing precise alignment with the axis of the case. In other dies, the bullet is inserted into the case neck and with the ram raised, you lose control over its orientation. This results in more or less crooked bullet seating. While the deviation is tiny and negligible for most shooting applications, it becomes measurable at certain distances if you're aiming for top-level performance—whether in competition, for personal satisfaction, or in hunting. For this reason, some precision shooters use non-standard seating dies, such as the Wilson Bullet Seater, which ensures perfect bullet alignment. The downside is that such dies require a special press and are tedious to handle. Instead, you simply screw the MatchMaster into any standard 7/8"-14 threaded press, insert the bullet into the window, raise the ram with the case, and the internal mechanism with the free-floating, self-centering sleeve aligns everything perfectly. In fact, using it is slightly quicker and more comfortable than with classic dies. The window height is 36 mm, and although the bullet is inserted at a slight angle, even the longest bullets in the given calibers will fit through.
Interchangeable Bushing
Another great feature is the micrometer-adjustable seating stem, which allows very precise control over bullet seating depth. It features a clear, easily readable scale with 0.001" increments. The stem tension is firm enough not to shift during reloading.
The sizing die, on the other hand, boasts an interchangeable “neck bushing.” Its purpose is to properly size the neck, delivering a more precise, gentler process with more consistent results than traditional sizing dies. Additionally, you can select an optimal neck tension by choosing the right bushing—yet another variable that allows for experimentation to achieve the tightest possible groups. The trade-off is that the bushing must be purchased separately and selected appropriately. How? Measure the neck wall thickness of your fired brass (take three random samples, measure each at three points and average the values), multiply the thickness by two, add the bullet diameter, and subtract 0.001". Bushings are labeled in inches, so in my case with 6.5 Creedmoor, the formula was 0.015x2+0.264-0.001= .293". Bushings are available in 0.001" increments, and it’s wise to order not only the calculated size but also one smaller, then experiment to see which yields the best group with sufficient neck tension. You can also perform advanced reloading operations such as “bumping headspace,” which restores the case to its original dimension in the area corresponding to chamber headspace. For these reasons, the MatchMaster sizing die is not ideal for beginner reloaders. It requires experience, knowledge of what you want, how to identify it, and a willingness to experiment.
RCBS MatchMaster die set.
How to Set It Up
The decapping pin has a replaceable tip and transitions into a titanium nitride-coated expander. This coating lasts significantly longer than bare steel and reduces friction during sizing, ultimately subjecting the case to less stress and delivering smoother operation. The set also includes a component that replaces the expander, which doesn’t touch or size the case neck. Some users achieve slightly better results this way, but again, this is more of an advanced technique.
To set up the sizing die, screw it into the press with the ram raised until the die touches the shell holder, then tighten it. Next, adjust the assembly with the decapping pin in or out to control how far the neck enters the bushing. As a general rule, the bushing should not be tightened “all the way down” but should leave about 0.5 mm of clearance. Again, this is something you can experiment with for best results.
For “bumping headspace,” screw the die in an additional ¼ turn and tighten the bushing. However, this is an advanced operation requiring specialized gauges and goes beyond the scope of this article.
For the seating die, screw it in until its lower edge touches the raised shell holder, then back it off slightly so the bullet insertion window remains accessible. Tighten the die and start with the seating stem in the uppermost position. Insert the case, insert the bullet through the window, seat it, measure, and gradually lower the stem until you reach the desired seating depth.
Disassembled sizing die. Note the interchangeable bushings and expanders.
Is It Worth It?
The MatchMaster set costs 6,036 CZK, and each bushing 527 CZK, which is relatively high compared to “standard” dies, but in its class, it’s actually among the more affordable options. There are several high-end micrometer-adjustable die sets on the market, such as the stainless Lyman Pro Die Pack for 10,996 CZK or Redding’s Match and Competition lines, which start at 8,899 CZK depending on the model. Pure price comparison wouldn’t be fair—for instance, Lyman includes four dies in the set with varied functions—but even considering this, RCBS holds up very well.
So what do you get for your not-insignificant investment? The answer is simple: consistency and precision that translate to tighter groups. The same goes for the expanded tuning and adjustment options. How much that matters will depend on several factors and is ultimately a personal matter. To illustrate, I conducted a comparison test at 250 meters using the same rifle and 6.5 Creedmoor loads with identical specs. One batch was loaded using basic Lee dies costing 1,491 CZK and the other with MatchMaster. The test consisted of two groups of 3 sets of 7 shots, discarding the worst hit in each, and measuring from the center of the remaining hits. The average group size was 32 mm for the MatchMaster and 37 mm for the Lee dies—so a 5 mm difference. Again, this is just one example—some may see more, some less—but the improvement is measurable and in certain disciplines significant enough to affect placement in a competition. Even a hobby shooter who values high precision will appreciate this, though of course, it’s not essential for everyone, especially given the time and effort required to tune loads to perfection. Not everyone has the time or desire to tinker that much.
Comparison of two groupings—one loaded with MatchMaster dies, the other with basic Lee dies.
Photo credits: Author's archive
Author: Tomáš Prachař
This article was originally published in the magazine Lovec by Extra Publishing