What is the most thorough resource for info re loading cast bullets?

[long_arm]

My interests are primarily pistol chamberings.

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th edition often gets the nod.. but does it contain much more info specific to my interests than the Lyman 50th Edition Reloading Manual, which I already have?

Would I be better served with Quickloads or some other software?

Help me spend some money!

[ascast]

Pet Loads by Ken Waters has a lot of info, a good read. Does not cover all calibers though.

[Rcmaveric]

Lyman 50th doesnt do castbullets any justice. Richard Lee's: Modern Reloader had more and usefull cast bullet information than Lyman 50th.

All of the Lyman Cast Bullet manuals are good.

To sum it up. The Lyman 50th edition reloading manual only listed a few or couple of their bullets. It let me down because the advertising boasted of castbullet loads and i found it very lacking in that. Modern reloader had more bullets and loads. But neither has the amount the cast bullet handbook has. I recommend the Castbullet Handbook 4th and the older ones (list different powders). I also recommend the Modern Reloader. Richard Lee atleast tried hard to get castbullet loads in there. Seamed like Lyman gave a half hearted attempt to put a few of their bullets in then called it a day.


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[M-Tecs]

I prefer the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook Third Edition over the Fourth and I greatly prefer them over the Lyman 49th or 50th.

[charlie b]

Lyman Cast Bullet (I only have No 3).

and

Fryxell/Applegate 'book'
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

Also look up the other content on the LASC site.

[trapper9260]

I learn casting from the Lyman 3rd ed . I have them all that they came out with the first 2 is reprints I got. I feel the same way M-Tecs about the 3rd is better then the 4th and the 49th and 50th . The 3rd give more information from what I seen out of all of the manuals on cast .

[Mal Paso]

I prefer the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook Third Edition over the Fourth and I greatly prefer them over the Lyman 49th or 50th.

Me too and you can find a free PDF if you look online or used as it is out of print.

[long_arm]

Thanks fellas! I will order up a couple of these now

[FredBuddy]

How 'bout HERE ?

[bangerjim]

How 'bout HERE ?

The OP has the right idea.........buy/download official loading data manuals and use them. Never use/trust load data from forums unless you have the official data from the loading books to cross-reference to. I never give OR receive load data on any of my MANY cals I cast and load for.

I have seen hair-brained loads listed on forums that would totally violate the published pressure ratings, yet I am sure some out there would try them without checking real data.

long arm, you are heading down the right path! Good luck in your future endeavors!


bangere

[long_arm]

Thank you, banger. This forum is an immense wealth of information. For the novice caster, such as myself, it's a tremendous resource and I'm reading as much as I can for oft repeated truisms and trends. Until a day when I am far more confident however I plan to stick to the manuals re loads.

[long_arm]

Ordered a copy of the 3rd edition.
Found a hardbound copy of the Ken Waters book, but.. gulp.. $412?!

[W.R.Buchanan]

How 'bout HERE ?

Yes, this site is the Number 1 Source for info Casting and Reloading Cast Boolits that there is.

Randy

[Rcmaveric]

Pet Load books are expensive. I want them. But justifying it to the wife is prooving futile. Apparently i am only allowed so many hair brained ideas a year. I have used them all up all ready.

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[popper]

Use Hodgdon online or other online (powder or bullet ones) loading manuals. Starting loads. For HOW to reload cast, this and other sites have all the info, you just have to dig a bit. Save your $ for stuff you need. Advice? 9mm is poor choice to start. I started with Lee pot, unique, couple 40sw Lee moulds and decent elec scale (that I still use). Guess I started about 15 yrs ago. Used LLA for lube (but have changed to PC). Yup, go to range with first reload - hold pistol away from face and pull trigger. Went bang, all is good. I have accumulated a bit of stuff I never did need or use.

[Winger Ed.]

For a single source, the Lyman cast book is probably the best.
(It alone can get ya going safely, and keep you from shooting your eye out kid.)
However; I like having a few books when I'm working with a new boolit or load.

I lay them all out and look 'em over like a military General does a battle field sand map or maps on the wall.

[bangerjim]

I have the Waters books. Interesting reading (save your money), but I get all my load data from the many loading manuals I own like Lee, Lyman, etc. And from the powder-makers' websites. Those makers publish tons of proven data for the downloading. I print it off and compile it along with tons of copies of my favorite hardback load books in a 3-ring binder I call Banger's Bullet Bible......a source I have at my loading bench that is handy and plenty of room for highlighting and notes. Right now, the thing is over 2" thick, with little gems and data I have gathered up over the years. It's nice to have a copier in my home office to run off all those copies of book pages I own. That way I keep the originals clean and dry and safe in my office.

And I agree with Popper......9mm is a rather difficult cart to master 1st thing. I started with 45LC and the 38SP, then 40 S&W, and finally 9mm and then 45ACP. The tiny cases of 9 and 45 ACP are tricky to learn on. But it can be done. Oh, and I threw in .223, and 30 cal in there somewhere for my several rifles!

[long_arm]

I need to spend more time looking at the online load data from the powder manufacturers, thanks for that tip.
I'm currently not focused on 9mm, but on .44 Spl and Mag, .357 and .38Spl, .45ACP.

[long_arm]

Winger Ed.,

"I lay them all out and look 'em over like a military General does a battle field sand map or maps on the wall."

Love this!

[Texas by God]

I use the Lyman Cast Handbook of the same vintage as my 45th edition manual(neither still have their covers) and a 3rd edition Cast Handbook that I scored from BrassMagnet!
And I pick the resident brains here[emoji846]

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[megasupermagnum]

I've got a whole bunch of reloading manuals. I don't think the Lyman 4th edition cast manual adds a whole lot of info over their 50th. I have both, and even have the 3rd edition cast manual, but from what I've seen, the 50th contains all that the 4th edition does.

One manual I reach for every time I'm going to load handgun rounds is the Lyman pistol and revolver handbook 2nd edition. I do not have the 3rd edition yet.

Another one that gets use a lot is the Lee reloading book, 2nd edition. It has a whole collection of data. I'd rather have this than the Lyman cast 4th or the Lyman reloading 50th, as the Lee manual seems to contain everything these do, plus a whole lot more.

Forget Quickloads. It's kind of fun to play with, but I'd send mine back for a refund if I could. It's only really useful for bottleneck rifle cartridges.

[WRideout]

As you may have figured out from these answers, there is no single reference that will do it all for you. It is quite worthwhile to accummulate a collection of various handloading references from authoritative sources. I like to load obsolete and odd calibers, and current manuals don't offer much for, say, 7.5 Swiss or 32-20 Win. Having said that, I have a couple of old books from Lyman, Nosler, et.al. that are falling apart, so I have to use them carefully, but they have lots more information on cast boolit loads, and obsolete loads. The downside is that they show powders that haven't been made in decades, along with others that are still with us.

Wayne

[jaysouth]

When it was up and running, castpics was the best resource on line. Anyone know how to access it these days?

[Thumbcocker]

This site.

[John Guedry]

I have and use Lyman 47 and cast #3. I have the Lee manual and maybe it's just me but I don't find Lee puts much info on loads for boolets cast using their molds. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I think the Lyman 4th is the best for a beginner boolit caster.
As you progress, just like any serious hobby, You will want as many reference books as your shelf will hold. Many of my older reloading manuals came from Garage sales, thrift stores, and gun shows... for as little as 25¢ each.

[tward]

LASC articles available at the bottom of the page. A wealth of information and advice. This is in addition to all the other sources suggested . This site is the best! Tim

[long_arm]

Appreciate all the responses! I had three and have ordered 3 more as a result of this thread. Lots of reading ahead. Speaking of which, I re-read much of the LASC pages again yesterday. Great stuff.
I only wish I had started down this path a few decades earlier.. lots of catching up to do.
Thanks again

[megasupermagnum]

I have and use Lyman 47 and cast #3. I have the Lee manual and maybe it's just me but I don't find Lee puts much info on loads for boolets cast using their molds. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I only did a quick 5 minute check, but it appears to me that all the Lee bullet loads from Lyman, are in the Lee manual. I've never found a case where a Lee bullet was not listed in the Lee manual. Of course they are listed by weight though, not design.

[Greg S]

I was primarily a jacketed rifle and pistol shooter and target Shotgun (clays) loader but got into the 32 and 475 revolver scene.

I started with the 4th edition and self studied with it and the volumes of info here and LASC for the mechanical therory. I later scored a PDF version of the 3rd edition from someone here that filled alot of the blank areas I didn't know existed in the 4th for data. Also look at the older spiral reloading manuals at gun shows for more cast bullet data. There is alot of data in Waters books and folks here would probably help you out generously with data. Shoulda woulda could the Water's books when the were in circulation but I wasn't messing with boolits back then.

Although I have no experience with quickloads I kinda consider it like a securities trading platform. Garbage in n out. It sounds interesting but there are some hiccups with certain case shapes and it is all theory without a pressure trace.

I'm more of a chronograph and published data guy myself and I still have my fingers yet the gray matter occasionally wanders.




For data

[Rich/WIS]

Lyman #3 for most of my shooting. Distant second the RCBS #1 Cast Bullet Manual (RCBS bullets). For a wealth of knowledge but no reloading data the NRA Cast Bullet book by Col Harrison. I have other manuals but the Lyman is used most, but I don't reload any exotic stuff.

[mdatlanta]

Thank you, banger. This forum is an immense wealth of information. For the novice caster, such as myself, it's a tremendous resource and I'm reading as much as I can for oft repeated truisms and trends. Until a day when I am far more confident however I plan to stick to the manuals re loads.

Well said, and a very wise decision IMHO. 👍

[GregLaROCHE]

All these manuals are good to get you started and fun to read through, but then it’s usually up to the individual to determine what works best for them and their guns.

[Petander]

Here is a pdf for the Lyman book 3:rd edition.


https://www.google.com/url?q=http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet%2520Casting/Lyman%2520Cast%2520Bullet%2520Handbook%2520-%25203rd%2520Edition%2520-%25201980%2520-%2520Reduce.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjJ24Ci5uz1AhWJQ_EDHXPAAwkQFnoECAYQAg&usg=AOvVaw0DawFnXTktWtG__H1hzuLu

[Char-Gar]

Best overall resource - Ask Ed Harris

Best written resource - Lyman loading handbooks

[rbuck351]

I too think this site is as good a resource as you are going to find.