Hornady LnL Classic Kit, or Lee

[kingpin008]

So, I'm looking at presses, and I need ya'll's advice.

I'm trying to decide between getting the Lee 50th Anniversary Breech Lock Challenger Kit, or the Hornady Lock-n-Load Classic Kit.

The Lee kit is cheaper, and includes a fair bit of gear - but the Hornady also includes a lot of equipment, plus the 500 free bullets - but it's a little over twice the price of the Lee kit.

Basically, I need some opinions on which one I should go for, and why. I'm looking for a single stage rather than a progressive right now, because I'm just starting out, and am not opposed at all to upgrading to a more advanced press when/if I decide I enjoy reloading. So please, no advice involving just going for a turret or progressive, please. Just looking for some various points of view on the different brands, if one deal is a better value than the other, etc.

Thanks again!

 

[PowderApe]

Depends on what you're looking for. A price break or "fit and finish"
Both will get the job done- both are dependable and pretty simple machines...
Ford or Chevy... Coke or Pepsi

I like Lee cause I get more bang for the buck and that allows me to buy more stuff with what I save...

I buy my Lee stuff here: http://www.factorysales.com/

 

[kingpin008]

Fair enough - I don't care how it looks, as long as it works and isn't going to make me stop and fiddle with something every ten seconds to get it working right.

I'll check out the site, thanks!

And for the record - Pepsi whips Coke.

 

[ar10]

I chose the Hornady over Lee mainly because the kit had more stuff that came with it, but I think both are probably good choices.
What I didn't consider when I bought the LnL is the dies I needed. I have 3 rifles and 3 handguns and a "ton" of brass I've collected. The brass is free but nothing else is. My biggest problem is deciding which powder to use for all the rifles and powder.

 

[DEDON45]

I'd go with the Hornady... a bit more robust in construction (the handle pivot point that attaches the handle to the ram, that piece of cast aluminum, is the weak point in the Lee press... I've broken that part more than a few times when I started out on the Le equipment... and before someone flames me, yes, the cases were lubed, etc.) ... Lifetime warranty to boot, and the 500 free bullets help to defray the cost of the press.

 

[Texastbird]

For pistol reloading the Lee is just fine. Believe me, I have loaded thousands on my Lee challenger. If big rifle cartridges are your game, then you might consider a heavier frame press like a Rockchucker. You can pick up a used one fairly reasonable since a lot of reloaders are getting on the progressive boat now.

 

[stgdz]

I have noticed that the hornady and lee require a bit more extension on the downstroke compared to the rock crushers.

 

[TexasSkyhawk]

Lee Challenger.

I've logged over 5,000 rifle rounds (30-06, 30-30, .303) and an equal number of .44 Special, .44 Magnum and .45ACP through my Challenger with zero problems.

I'm not a fan of this breechlock, however, but you don't have to use it, either.

Jeff

 

[DEDON45]

Forgot to add, definitely look at the RCBS and Lyman single stage and turret presses as well... I'm a Hornady guy, but these are good too!

 

[shadowalker]

Having had both Lee and Hornady presses I'd say go with Hornady.

The Hornady is much smoother, and stiffer. The Lee dies were prone to OAL swings and were much rougher than either RCBS or Hornady dies.

When any one manufacturer is drastically lower in price than the rest of the market there is a reason and it isn't their generosity, something has to give.

Lee makes acceptable quality tools for most things but I outgrew it quickly and some of their equipment never quite worked properly.

 

[aerod1]

I am new to reloading but I have gone with Lee. However, I am not new to soft drinks and I say it is Coke over Pepsi.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

There are no kits that have everything you will want to keep, so I would recommend either putting together your own kit, or go with an inexpensive Lee kit, and once you get experience, replace what you want.

For individual pieces, I would recommend the following:
Forster Co-Ax Press
LE Wilson case trimmer and shell holder(s)
RCBS Universal Hand Primer
RCBS Uniflow quick change PM
Frankford Arsenal (midway) digital calipers
Hornady Cam-lock Bullet puller and collet(s)

That's not an exhaustive list of what you need, just individual pieces that I recommend.

Andy