Lee Loader

I picked up a Lyman "Cast Bullet Handbook" today. Seems like a pretty thorough book full of instructions for cast bullets and bullet casting.

Anybody got a recommendations on further reading on the subject?

Start here and ask away; http://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php

Cast Boolits is good to but all the gurus are at the above link.


EDIT: Forgot to add that book is excellent. Load data is but lacking with with a lot of Lee molds.

Probably the "best" information you will find is Los Angeles Silhouette Club....from ingot to target is a good start. There is a lot to read on their website. It'll keep you busy for awhile....

Horseman wrote:Probably the "best" information you will find is Los Angeles Silhouette Club....from ingot to target is a good start. There is a lot to read on their website. It'll keep you busy for awhile....

The LASC used to have a link to "Cast Bullet for Beginner and Expert" by Joseph F. Brennan, Jr., that you could download but there must have been some kind of falling out with the author as it is no longer available nor is it mentioned. This is the best reference I've read as the others, like the Lyman book, are out of date reference that mainly promotes their products.

If you google the title, you will find it for sale in a number of formats; print, download, CD.

You can get version one for free from here; http://www.madisoncountypreppers.org/wp ... Expert.pdf

Version two you have to pay for; http://www.castbulletassoc.org/merch/pr ... n-usa-only

Thanks guys.
I found reference to 3rd edition of "Cast Bullet for Beginner and Expert". My wife works in the library at school, I'm going to get her to find where I can buy it.

62chevy wrote:Start here and ask away; http://www.artfulbullet.com/index.php......

Tanks for this link. It looks like fun to investigate.

The Lyman cast bullet handbook I got is 4th edition. It has a lot I wasn't aware of and all the loads listed are for cast bullets.

Steve wrote:The Lyman cast bullet handbook I got is 4th edition. It has a lot I wasn't aware of and all the loads listed are for cast bullets.

That is the one I have too. I use it a lot for load development.

On my bookshelf I have:
RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbooks (third and fourth editions)
Veral Smith's Jacketed Performance With Cast bullets
Joseph Brennan's Cast Bullets For Beginners & Experts
A printer out copy of Glen Fryxel's from Ingot to Target.
Richard Lee Second Edition Modern Reloading chapters 9, 10 and 11. ( this is a serious contribution for bullet casters.)

Veral Smith's book for some reason got it knocked into my thick skull that only 2 things really matter, bullet fit and lube. His lube wasn't the end all be all either but Lee's Alox or any of the offshoots/mixes of it seem to be the answer. Never was able to get jacketed bullet velocities by his methods either. But his method for finding the correct bullet fit by slugging the barrel/chamber was the turning point in making cast bullets perform very well without leading, with a good lube.

I've also experimented with antimony mixes for increasing the BHN. I did this after reading Richard Lee Second Edition Modern Reloading chapters 9 and 10. For me increasing hardness didn't do much. A BHN of 12 to 18 with correct fit and lube balanced with the a powder for an appropriate velocity wins. I haven't been able to shoot lead at peak velocities listed in manuals for my old mil surplus rifles with out leading.

All of the books on my shelf have been worthwhile and helpful. I glad I bought them. Like reloading manuals I just can't get enough of them. To bad I don't spend more time reading them more than once other than researching for specific info.