I load for my Contender with regular old dies . . . NOT sure of brand.

Want to load some ammo from once fired brass for a friend.

Do I have to buy the small base dies to accomplish this, or will "normal" 30-30 dies work?

full length sizing dies should be used if the once fired shells are to be reloaded and used in a different gun. if the shells are being reloaded and used the same 30-30 that fired them the first time I've read where some suggest full length resizing and some say it's ok to just neck size. I've recently started reloading 30-30 and I've been full length sizing with hornady dies. But I'm not sure I like hornady. I've also been reloading 22-250 using rcbs and lee dies doing full length sizing and neck sizing without any problems at all. But with my 30-30 reloading it seems like the shell gets stretched too much and the shoulder of the shell looks nothing like a factory load. I'm very careful about making sure the lubrication is just right for the shell and the expander. And I also make sure the inside of the neck is clean.

Full length resize and trim so they are uniform in length. Then give a good crimp in cannelure.This is neccesary with tubular magazines. I've never seen a need for small base dies.

Actually in the 30-30 caliber most dies are small base and always have been, they just didn't have a name for them back when...or so I was told by a RCBS rep.