did all the ring bearers go west?

[nerddogs]

I think the operative aspect of "Bearer" in this sense is that of bearing a burden.
The very point as discussed at the Council was that Bombadil was not burdened by the Ring, or by anything for that matter, which is why his inherent non-seriousness, disqualified him from being a Bearer.

I think so too, but there might be one contradiction to this point: Gandalf held the ring in Bag End and threw it into the fire. The ring had been growing on his mind as he told Frodo but then also he was not 100% sure this was the One ring. So it might or might not have been a "burden" to Gandalf. Maybe a "bearer" is simply one who had wore the ring.

I've been thinking lately about this point: There is no doubt that Sam was a ring bearer. But when he gave the ring back to Frodo was it of his own freewill?