Hi all:
I'm about to purchase a single stage press to start loading my own pistol ammo, and the " Anniversary" Lee kit with the Challenger press looked like the most sensible option. Thing is, I'd use this press to load 9mm, and in the near future, .308W for a rifle I plan on purchasing. I have been told that the Breech press, made in aluminum, won't withstand loading rifle cartridges for an extended period of time and that, instead, I should buy the Classic Cast Press if I plan to load .308W. Would love your opinions on the matter.
Thanks in advance for your inputs.
Welcome to reloading and thanks for asking our advice.
How much do you intend to shoot and reload?
The Challenger press will require a bit more care (keeping the ram's bearing surfaces clear of grit and the linkage points lubricated, etc) than the Classic Cast. Though both should be kept lubricated and cleaned, the Classic Cast will stand up to abuse and neglect than the Challenger, either will last a lifetime, properly maintained.
I believe the leverage on the Classic Cast is stronger than on the Challenger. .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm does not require all that much leverage, though, so either will do for you.
Collection of spent primers with the Classic Cast is superior to the Challenger. They drop down through the center of the ram instead of alongside the ram, where they may not all fall where you want.
Now, about quantity: If you want more than a few hundred rounds at a time, you will tire of a single stage.
I started loading on a single stage press when I bought my revolver. I was able to load about 50-60 per hour. Not long after, I bought two progressive presses. (By that time I was shooting both small primer ammunition and large primer and the opportunity to trade for two used presses arose.) I didn't like monitoring multiple simultaneous operations, so three years ago I bought a Lee Classic Turret.
The Lee Classic Turret has as much leverage as the Lee Classic Cast and has allowed me (with the auto-indexing functioning) to load nearly three times as fast while still allowing me to monitor only one operation at a time. Yet, by leaving the auto-indexing turned off, it is a single stage press in every operational sense.
Now that you know my personal history, you can evaluate my next statement better. "If I knew when I started reloading what I know now, I would have started with the Lee Classic Turret press."
If you need more than 150 rounds per hour for your handgun shooting, I suggest getting the single stage press now and a progressive press later. A really good progressive press can produce 300 to 600 rounds per hour. But such speed is expensive.
Do not get the Lee Deluxe Turret Press mixed up with the Lee Classic Turret press. The Classic is superior to the Deluxe (or standard) for many reasons, but the one most important to you is that the vertical opening on the Classic is a full inch (25.4 mm) taller than on the Deluxe. It is important to have enough room for placing bullets on the rifle cases.
Good luck.
Lost Sheep