Beginners and Boolit Books top three

[Suo Gan]

I wish that I would have bought the "Beartooth Bullets Technical Guide" a year ago. I have purchased many casting books over the last year. And this is in my top three for actually understanding the casting process.

Here are the top three in my estimation:
1) Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, and a tie between 2)Beartooth Bullets and Joe Brennans, "Cast Bullets for Beginner and Expert." I think that every beginner should buy these three books!

There are many more casting books of course, but they tend to swamp the reader with every facet of casting. This can bog a fresh mind down. The basics are best in the beginning.

If anyone has more "easy" reads for the beginner to understand casting please list them.

here are the links:
https://beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm
and here is Brennans book:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/CB-BOOK/?yguid=133709505

Some others for later doctoral boolit studies:
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Bullet-Casting-Collection/dp/1879356759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255289628&sr=1-1

and

http://www.lbtmoulds.com/books.shtml

[Shiloh]

LEE has a book as well that has lots of info in it. It doubles as a reloading data book.

Shiloh

[Gunslinger]

I'd say the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is a must. I also have Jacketed Performance with Cast Bullets by Veral Smith. It's more for the experienced caster, but it's a helluva good book!

[MT Gianni]

Beartooth Bullets is a near copy of Veral Smith's book written when Veral was unavailable for a few years. I enjoy all of the above. Cast Bullets by Col Harrison remains the master work, IMO.

[Bret4207]

I've never seen Beartooths book. I'd say the Lyman book is number 1, and all three editions have a little different stuff. The RCBS book is good too and there are several older books like JR Matterns that cover a lot on cast.

Top 3-

Lyman Cast Bullet Manuals- all 3 editions
Cast Bullets- NRA
Art of Bullet Casting from Handloader


There are other online sources for information but most are limited or just plain wrong. Anytime you find something advocating purely "hard alloys", especially if they never break 1700 fps or so, you know you're dealing with either attitude or ignorance.

In truth you'll find 99% of what you need right here.

[Mike Venturino]

Lyman will introduced their Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th Edition at the SHOT Show in Janauary.

Mike V.

[imashooter2]

Beartooth Bullets is a near copy of Veral Smith's book written when Veral was unavailable for a few years. I enjoy all of the above. Cast Bullets by Col Harrison remains the master work, IMO.

I don't see a lot of overlap in the copies that I have. In "Jacketed Performance With Cast Bullets," Veral spoke proudly of his own stuff, but had a great deal of technical information that can be broadly applied. I found the Beartooth "Technical Guide" to be little more than a spiral bound advertisement for their products.

[Ekalb2000]

Was not impressed with the Lyman cast handbook.
I learned a ton over on goatlips. And the other ton here. Spent about two weeks reading on this site before I done any casting.
+1 what Shiloh said about the Lee book.

[John Boy]

Lyman's Bullet Making Guide ...
http://www.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/StaticPages/pdf/instructions/Bullet_Making_Guide_All_Molds.pdf

[MT Gianni]

I don't see a lot of overlap in the copies that I have. In "Jacketed Performance With Cast Bullets," Veral spoke proudly of his own stuff, but had a great deal of technical information that can be broadly applied. I found the Beartooth "Technical Guide" to be little more than a spiral bound advertisement for their products.

When Veral was "detained" in Boise he claimed it pure plagiarism. They do use the bullets LBT designed and show why they work as they do.

[imashooter2]

I don't doubt that he said it, but I just don't see it. Have you read both books?

[MT Gianni]

Yea, the beartooth has veral's ideas in a much better written form but not his details or how he got the ideas he has. It mentions Veral's ideas on wfn & lwn noses, fit, gas checks as rotation aids, velocity and killing damage and a couple of others.

[dromia]

The American NRA publication "Cast Bullets" by Col E. H. Harrison has got to be the standard reference work.

[imashooter2]

Yea, the beartooth has veral's ideas in a much better written form but not his details or how he got the ideas he has. It mentions Veral's ideas on wfn & lwn noses, fit, gas checks as rotation aids, velocity and killing damage and a couple of others.

Huh! Not my recollection at all. I guess I'm going to have to read them again.

[leadman]

Mike V., hope Lyman updates the powders they use. When I bought my copy years ago there were already powders listed that had not been available for a long time.
That said, any undertaking concerning load data would be a huge task what with the enormous selection of powders currently (somewhat) available.

[Mike Venturino]

leadman: The word I have gotten is that the data sections will be updated, and they will have more than just Lyman's designs. There will be some bullet designs included from Redding/SAECO, RCBS, and LEE and perhaps more that I don't know about.

Mike V.

[dromia]

leadman: The word I have gotten is that the data sections will be updated, and they will have more than just Lyman's designs. There will be some bullet designs included from Redding/SAECO, RCBS, and LEE and perhaps more that I don't know about.

Mike V.


I rate all the three past Lyman books highly, however I look forward to this new release with some trepidation.

I sincerely hope that Lymans current corporate sloppiness has not migrated to their publishing division.

Lyman were once the cast boolit company bar none, however with their current poor products, lack of innovation and customer support they are a shadow of their former selves.

Boolit casters are the poorer for this.

I'll still buy their new book regardless as hope springs eternal.