Which reloading press

[wrty]

Hi.
I am going to start reloading ( 357mag, 45ACP, later 9mm Para, 7.62 x 25 Tokarev and probably some rifle crtrdge).Plese, my question is which of the two reload presses is more sturdy, robust:Lee Turret Press or Lee Challenger Press? Both are available as a kit.
I am not much concerned about speedloading ability, as it'll be used as a single stage anyway.
Is anybody familliar with both of them, any sugestions?
Thanks W

 

[rick_reno]

Don't know - I use a Rockchucker, Dillon 650 and Sq. Deals. They all work well.

 

[Jwar88]

I would pass on both of those and get a Lee Classic Cast or a Rockchucker. They are old designs at the bare minimum of manufacturing quality.

If you have a chance to really look at and handle them at a local dealer that stocks them, you would probably come to the same conclusion on your own.

I am not impressed with the Lee kits either. They are usable, but I would not want to have these tools as my only option. Lee dies are great. The Classic Cast press is xlnt. Their scale, powder measure, etc are not up to par, although they do work ok.

Try to buy higher quality equipment, if you buy used equipment the price would be comparable, and there is a big difference in quality.

TC

 

[Smokey Joe]

Buy Quality!

Wirty--I second Jwar88's motion: Get a real quality single-stage. It will be built like a brick pizzaria, and will outlast you.

Used is fine on these--there isn't much to go wrong with 'em that you can't find out with a couple minutes of careful examination. And used gets you down muchly in the $$ depatment.

Used hi-quality presses are to be found at AuctionArms.com and the like, e-bay, gun shows, and sometimes your local sptg. gds. store. You may have to search for a while but they are out there. My own RCBS was used, and such a deal that even my wife agreed that I really should get it! (Thanks again, Dear!)

The RCBS Rockchucker is the gold standard of sg. stg. presses, but all the manufacturers make a similar one, and any of 'em will work for you. They will all interchange with each others' dies, too.

 

[redloki]

A lot of people here will recommend everything but Lee Precision. Not all of us can afford to hand out $500+ just to get started in reloading. For pistol calibers the Lee Turret is an excellent press for the money but if you plan on doing large caliber rifle rounds I would opt for the single stage press. You can do rifle rounds on the turrett press but you usually have to disable the auto index and rotate the turrett manually. Granted, they may not be as well built as some but if properly cared for either one will serve you well for many many years.

 

[The Bushmaster]

And it is very hard to remove the indexing shaft from a Lee turret. It takes all of about 3 seconds. And about that long to reinstall it...My lee turret set up as a manual indexing press makes, using my skills and knowledge, .30-06 rounds that obliterate a three inch red dot on the target at 200 yards.

 

[Kamicosmos]

The basic lee kit with the challenger is a good inexpensive way to get into reloading. It comes with most every thing you need to get into reloading.

Then, if reloading turns out to not be something you enjoy, you're not out a whole lot.

Personally, I would recomment the turret press. I have an RCBS single stage and a Lee Loadmaster...and I still catch myself looking at turret presses wishing I had one.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Yup Kamicosmos...They are easy to use and quite versitile. Turret presses that is. I still have a Lee single stage in the garage set up for those jobs that you don't want to do in the house (Wife says I can't) like resizing/decapping. It's on a bench next to my tumbler. Hey...I don't do any house work and I don't want to give her any excuse to start with me.

 

[ChristopherG]

If you're gonna use your press as a single, why not get a single--and a solid, smooth, strong one? I really like my Lee Classic cast press. I find more and more I leave my Dillon set up for the one caliber I'm currently shooting in competition, and only load a thousand at a time. Anything less, I'll do over two or three days in stages on the Lee Classic. It's a pleasure to use.

 

[Sheldon]

I think any pistol reloader is a great candidate for a progressive.

I started off with a Lee starter kit...because I was a cheap bastard....wait, I still am!! I got the Lee kit with the Challenger press and it served me well for the time I stuck with a single stage press, though towards the end there the ram was getting pretty sloppy within the press. I think the scale that came with the kit was a piece of junk. I got a used RCBS 505 scale and it worked a lot more consistant. I shot about 250 rounds a week and it seemed like no big deal at the time how much effort it took to make that ammo......till I got a progressive press. I tried the Dilon Square Deal B, but returned it for a 550B as I already had some sets of dies that work for the 550B, but not the SDB press. I gave the Challenger press to a friend at work.

In hindsight I probably would have saved money going with Dillon off the bat, but the cheaper price was more comfortable for my introduction to realoding at the time. I'm not trying to say you NEED to get Dillon, but I would recommend some sort of progressive for someone who shoots a lot on a regular basis.

 

[Berek]

redloki: Many will not recommend Lee mostly because of an issue that Stinger had. I can't say that I blame them.

wrty: While I agree that Lee has some work to do with their CS, I have a Lee Classic cast that has served me faithfully through several thousand rounds. I reload .300WSM, 9mm Luger, .45-70, .40S&W, .357 Mag and a few others. The only "problem" i had was when the wooden ball became unglued from the handle. Solution? Re-glue it. Epoxy, actually. Other than that, I have no complaints other than Stinger's issue.

Stinger: If there is an update to the Lee situation, please post it. Many would like to know how it turned out.

Berek

 

[petrel800]

I would recommend the Lee Aniversary Kit to start with. I bought mine about two years ago and it has served me well ever sense. I use mine to reload 9mmM, .45 acp, 7.62X25, .223, .38, .357mag, and .40 s&w. It will serve your purposes well.

My only complaint is that my powder dispenser is far from consistant with Unique. Otherwise, it works great.

 

[AnthonyRSS]

I loaded 750 rds of .45 on my Lee turret press, w/o the auto-index. I don't have any trouble with it, and my loads fire with not-so-boring regularity

But if you are going to only use it as a single-stage, it may be best to get a single stage press. I use my turret press as a single stage a lot of the time but I got it so I wouldn't have to switch out dies.

 

[Clark]

Buy an RCBS Rockchucker press, not the whole kit, and then get an RCBS Partner, and then get every Lee Reloader press you see at the gunshows.

 

[CB900F]

Wrty;

I'll also chime in with, find a used RCBS Jr. at a garage sale or pawn shop. If you buy from an older shooter who's converting to the RV life, or some such similar circumstance, you may come away with far more 'stuff' for the dollar spent, than buying inexpensive new.

If you presently are a range member, post a notice: "I want to buy". You'd be surprised at the number of folks who'll help you get into reloading. True, there will always be a clinker who wants to reduce his own national debt with your credit card, but they are pretty easy to spot.

A little patience can pay huge dividends. And by the way, good luck & have fun reloading.

900F

 

[wrty]

Thank You all very much for your answers.
I think I am going to try, eather used market,or Lee Classic Cast or a Rockchucker.
I know,Dillon makes sence for quantity(pistol calibers),but as a beginner,I don't feel ready yet.
There are some other unclear areas, for instance,can I really use 38 SPL die to load 357MAG
and what about 3 dies pistol set vs. speed die.
Thanks anyhow W.

 

[Poodleshooter]

There are some other unclear areas, for instance,can I really use 38 SPL die to load 357MAG
and what about 3 dies pistol set vs. speed die.

Yes, you can use a .38 die set to reload .357,but not the other way around. To use a .38 die for .357, you just don't screw the dies in as far.
I'd recommend a 3 die set, but if storage space or weight is at a premium, speed dies work ok. I have a .357 and .45 carbide speed die available for sale. PM if you're interested.

 

[Automac]

Lee 4 hole turret deluxe kit

I used it for about 3 months and I got the upgrade to the powder measure, plus 4 turrets. 'Kept it well oiled too. You would only need to get dies.

You can have it all for only -one half- of the already low price I paid for it, plus your Priority Mail shipping costs if you're interested in a LOW COST solution. But I would honestly recommend a heavy Redding T-7 press if you would like what COULD be called "GOOD" advice. Whatever you decide, it's your choice! :banghead:

Send a private message if you could possibly still be interested!? Just remember, I tried to help you with the best advice I had to offer from my experience.