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These are the techniques and equipment that I use to produce reloaded cartridges for bolt and semi-automatic rifles. Other techniques and equipment may be: better/worse, cheaper/costlier, safer/more dangerous or whatever. Read this stuff and use it or not, at your own risk!

The example dies shown on the explanatory page were RCBS. Here are some more of the most popular dies and die sets.

This Ý Ý Ý is a Lyman die set. The seating stem, left, is a solid piece; the die bodies each have a lock nut with locking setscrew. This set is for the Russian Service Cartridge, the 7.62x39. As foreign rifles using this round require a 0.311 dia. Bullet and US rifles use a 0.308 dia, bullet, the set includes two expanders, one is resting against the big lock nut and one is on the decapping stem, to the right.

A better view. The Lyman design incorporates a replaceable decapping pin.

This Ý Ý Ý is a Redding sizing die, all steel construction.

Note the long bearing surface of the expander ball. This may tend to keep the neck straighter as the "ball", cylinder in this case, is pulled through the case neck. This design also includes a replaceable expander.

This Ý Ý Ý is a Forster/Bonanza sizing die. This is the first one shown to use some Aluminum, in this case the die body clamp, a knurled ring, slotted for a clamp screw, is of Aluminum construction. Note that the expander ball and decapping pin clamp are individual pieces, also a first.

The replaceable pin is at the bottom, with its knurled clamp, while the expander is located farther up the stem.

This Ý Ý Ý is a Lee set. Lee uses O-Rings instead of setscrews on the seating stem and the body lock rings; all three of these are Aluminum. Note the free floating seating (I stuck a bullet into it) piece. It's the first set shown to include a shell holder with the set, and Lee also includes a powder dipper!

This Ý Ý Ý is the Lee decap stem. Note the extremely long expander "ball". Although it appears tapered in the photo, I think it's cylindrical.

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