Loading manual recommendations?

[JTodd]

Howdy Folks,

I am looking for a good second manual to supplement the data from my Lyman 49th edition. My dad already has the Lyman cast boolit book, so I probably wont spring for a copy of it. Im interested in mostly pistol data, and would like a book that gives good full power data for cast boolit loads. Ive seen a few manuals that dont list CB pistol data over 800-900fps.. I am mostly interested in 38/357 (358156, 358429, lee 358158 RF), 44 (429421), and 45 colt (lee 250 and 310 Grainers, as well as the rcbs Keith 250) if that helps. I am also somewhat interested in 30 cal jacketed rifle loads.

Does anyone have good experiences with the sierra book? Or any others? Thanks for taking a look!

[dragon813gt]

The only cast bullet manuals are from Lyman. Lee's manual lists lead bullet loads but it's generic data. I prefer this since I don't use any of the molds in the Lyman manual. Manufacturer manuals are going to have data for their product. Don't expect anything besides Hornady bullets in their manual.

[marlin39a]

I go to my Lee 2nd Edition. It has it all.

[L Erie Caster]

If you have access to Lyman’s cast bullet handbook you have the best cast bullet data you will find. Most of the large bullet manufactures such as Hornady, Sierra, and so no, do not make cast bullets. They do make some swaged lead bullets. That data is generally limited to less than 900fps or so in order to reduce leading of the soft bullet alloy.

[Kevin Rohrer]

The Sierra book is sadly dated. The Speer book is up-to-date, as is the new Hornady. Either of them is fine.

[JTodd]

Thanks for all of the replies. I picked up a copy of the speer book on amazon, and saw that the lee was on $16 bucks, so I threw it in the art as well. That should give me a relatively healthy breadth of data on my bench. Thanks!

[Wayne Smith]

The Sierria book is a ring binder and designed to be added to. If you need data not in it, contact them and if they have it you will have pages to add to your ring binder. Still no cast data, they don't do cast boolits.

[Kevin Rohrer]

The Sierria book is a ring binder and designed to be added to. If you need data not in it, contact them and if they have it you will have pages to add to your ring binder.

Do you know for a fact that they supply supplements? Mine is 10+ years old and would love to bring it up to date.

[Landy88]

The only other cast specific manual, that I know of, was the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual. Used book outlets might turn one up.

Since it's neither easy to find nor inexpensive if you do, I access the RCBS manual's data via the Loadbooks per cartridge booklets that reprint most everyone's published data for a specific cartridge or class of cartridges per booklet.

[Wayne Smith]

Call or e-mail them. Last time I did I asked for specific cartridge information and got a page to add to my book.