Contents of Lee Manual

[awaveritt]

Does the Lee Reloading manual have load data for all their cast boolits? I'm mainly interested in the TL356-124-2R and the TL358-158-SWC. I'm thinking of ordering this manual but wanted to make sure it had this info.

[1Shirt]

No! However, it is a good reference book in general.
1Shirt!

[nonferrous]

Thats a good question, I had to get mine out and look. I could not find any reference to their mold numbers specifically, the book simply refers to general bullet types, Jacketed, Plated, Lead, Etc.
I cast and load TL358-158-SWC and TL358-148-WC. I have been using the loads they recommend for Lead and they are fine. I also use loads listed for .44 Magnum.
The book has loads for just about every powder, projectile and velocity combination you could want. There are over 26,000 loads plus 3000 just for cast bullet loads for the 30-30, .308 and 30-06. The only Lee data that I see is info on Lee Auto disk and Lee dipper.
There is a lot of info in the book on all aspects of the game including casting. The best way to buy it is to get it in the combo pack that includes a Reloader press. I think it works out that you get the press for about 20.00 that way and you can never have too many presses.

[bigboredad]

where can you get the combo pack

[zardoz]

I bought the combo pack from Midway a few months ago. A great deal.

I mounted the little press on a 2 X 6, and then used deck screws to fasten that to the top of one of those Harbor Freight worktables with the 2 ft. square particle board top.

I use it for resizing and depriming short pistol brass like 32, 380, 9mm, and 45ACP in the living room while I watch TV. I use a full frame press for the longer brass.

Here is a link to the combo deal.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=480380

[JIMinPHX]

Does the Lee Reloading manual have load data for all their cast boolits?

No it does not & that really frosts my oysters. I have very little to say about Lee that is not positive, but i think that they really dropped the ball on that one. Their manual should cover loading data for all their products & it does not.

[mooman76]

Lee gets their data that's in the manual from Hodgdon. I use Lyman mostly because they cover cast bullets weel and I just use the closest I can find for a starting point.

[Marlin Hunter]

Does the Lee Reloading manual have load data for all their cast boolits? I'm mainly interested in the TL356-124-2R and the TL358-158-SWC. I'm thinking of ordering this manual but wanted to make sure it had this info.

Yes,...Kinda. I did not check all the calibers they have, but the ones I use all have a listing for "lead" boolits of the same grain weight that Lee sells.

It's a good book for a low price and I recommend it. They also have a special section for 30-30, 308, and 30-06 cast boolits.

you have 2 sizes listed. A 124 grain 9mm and 158 grain 38/357.

They have 10 powder listings for 124 grain 9mm lead boolit; 12 listings for 125 grain 9mm lead boolit; 3 listings for 126 grain 9mm lead boolit. I don't think you can hold your boolits to within 1 grain, so you can use anyone of those (25 different powders) to start and work up or down as your pistol sees fit.

There are 25 listings under 158 grain lead 357 mag; 27 under 158 grain lead 38 special; 13 listings under 158 grain lead 38 +P special.

If you mail order the book, you can get get the 40th anniversary special and get a cheap-o Lee press for a few dollars more ($5??). It comes in handy for a separate operation. I have 2 and use them one for the hardness tester, and the other for their ram prime. I can leave those tools in the press since they are not caliber specific.

[Rocky Raab]

Lee does not test any loads at all. They glean all the book data from other sources (not just Hodgdon). It is simply gathered, re-organized and printed. Typos and all, please note!

That explains why they don't have data specific to their bullets.

[jlchucker]

The Lyman literature is a better source for cast bullet info. They publish a Cast Bullet manual, as well as their periodically updated Reloading Handbook. The problem that I have with the Lee book is that every page in it seems to be devoted primarily to extolling the virtues of their own products, and the data they publish seems to be focused mostly on powders furnished by a narrow selection from only certain manufacturers. Don't look for too much data from IMR in the Lee book--Winchester either.

[Leftoverdj]

As Rocky said, Lee does not generate their own data. They compile data supplied by cooperating powder makers. Lee does computer generate some data for oddball cartridges, and has a good deal of very useful information on cast bullets in Chapter 10 of the second edition. I find their manual very useful.

That little press sold with the manual as a package deal is even more useful. It ain't much as a loading press, but it shines doing odd jobs. I've sized cast bullets by the thousand with mine. With the AutoPrime II on top, it's the best priming tool I have ever used. Mine is mounted on a square of 3/4" ply so with a couple of C clamps I can take it anywhere.

btw, I do not hold the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook in the regard that some others do. They are still reprinting date that has been out of date for 40 years. They rely far too much on fast pistol powders, and include loads that cannot possibly give decent accuracy because they give pressures higher than lead alloys will tolerate.

[blaster]

It has always annoyed me that they make molds like the TL.401-175 and there is not a scrap of 175 grain boolit data anywhere. Why not make the mold 180gr? On the other hand as in the TL356-124 I just use it with 124 or 125 grain boolit data (sometimes jacketed data worked up) and carry on.

[bigboredad]

thanks zardot

[TAWILDCATT]

"always start 10% low" so what is your problem with lee.the charges they give will work and its up to YOU to tweek them for YOUR gun.the book give a great explanation in the front on all aspects of casting and reloading.you should have several books any way.I have hundreds of dollars in reloading books and thousands in gun history and warfare.and I am still learning.

[clodhopper]

Lee's data is.....um...well, let's say on the safe side.

Compare that with my sumation of loads from P.O. Ackley, what ever he lists is a place I do not want to go.

The lee book gives a formula for finding safe starting loads with un tested powders, bullets and cartridges. This formula with it's disclamers is most usefull with the medium burning powders. Which happens to be the types of powder most usefull for cast bullets.

There is loads of info on many processes not avalible elsewhere, including never ending pitches for Lee's inexpensive tools.

My take on Lee's tools is some are excellent, others do not work for me.

I would not be with out Lee's book.

It's not the Bible.

[fredj338]

Nope, it's one reason I find the Lee manual not very helpful. It doesn't state which brand or type of bullet. There is a pretty significant diff. in a 230grLRN or a 230grLTC when it comes to load data. Get the Lyman #49, best manual for lead bullet data. You still have to extrapolate for other bullets, but at least you know what bullet they are using.

[AZ-Stew]

It has always annoyed me that they make molds like the TL.401-175 and there is not a scrap of 175 grain boolit data anywhere. Why not make the mold 180gr?

In reality, that's only a 2-3 percent difference in boolit weight. Since the data is listed for a 180 gr boolit and you want to work with a 175 gr, unless there is a VAST difference in boolit shank length (not possible in these short boolits), the loads for the 180 gr boolits will be safe with your lighter ones. Sometimes in this hobby you have to make some educated guesses. If you have several different manuals on hand, the "educated" part of the guess becomes much easier.

Regards,

Stew

[mpmarty]

I have Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Nosler, Barnes, Lyman, Hodgdon, Hercules, DuPont, P.O. Ackley, NRA and Lee manuals and some of them go back more than forty years. I refer to all of them and update them when new versions come out. The changes over the years alone make for interesting reading. I find the LEE second edition a very valuable addition and in particularly appreciate the percentages of pressure and velocity reductions listed in their jacketed pages as these are directly applicable to cast boolits also. I have an RCBS original Rock Chucker press and it sits in a drawer because it is simply too massive for day to day use. I find the little red LEE "C" press ideal for a great number of jobs and also have a couple of RCBS smaller presses that do just fine when I'm not running one of my Dillons. I criticize LEE for their inventions that don't work for me such as their Factory Crimp Die for straight wall pistol cases as they post size the loaded round and swage down the loaded boolits inside the case. That said the LEE Factory Crimp Die for bottle neck cases is absolutely the neatest tool I own, the collet system does an admirable job of uniformly crimping cases regardless of their overall length and never damages a case. If I hadn't gotten started with Dillon presses nearly thirty years ago I might even consider a LEE progressive of some sort or other as some of the frugal pistoleros I shoot with seem to do OK with them.

[mroliver77]

All loading manuals are guidelines only. Do some cross checking in a few diferent manuals and you will find sometimes very large discrepancies. Check their chrono measurements with yours. I agree about boolit differences putting much more (or less) boolit in the case making a difference. Nobody has loads for the LBT boolits and they usually have more boolit outside the case than others. If boolit is listed and I havent that one or a good drawing of it that cripples me also. That is why I use at least thee guides or more then interpolate the data to come up with a starting load. I then work from this point. I do use and like the Lee book.

jay

[markinalpine]

Those who have trouble with the Lee Factory Crimp dies and straight wall cartridges might consider reducing the crimp. I've been using the .45 ACP model sucessfully with the Lee 452 230 TC and the Lee 454 200 RF.
Mark