Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit

[Guest asaxton]

I am looking for a decent, low cost, starting kit. I have seen on multiple posts that the Lee brand is a pretty good brand. The Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit appears to be the majority of what I would need, minus a few additional dies/tools. I would like to get your expert opinions on the kit to see if it is really worth my money to start out. Gander Mountain® > Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit - Hunting > Shooting Gear : Firearms, Ammunition, Black Powder, Firearm Accessories

My reloading would primarily be for .45 long colt, .45 acp, and some 9mm. This would be an upcoming purchase with what I hope will be a tax return. Thanks in advance.

[mikegideon]

The Breech Lock Classic Cast is a better press

[DWARREN123]

I started with one and still use it. Had to recently replace the ram toggles because one cracked (old style). New parts cost about $20 and it works like new. I really like it but it is not a high output set up. I use mine only for 10mm and 40S&W.

[USMCJG]

I got started with the Lee kit and it's a great way to get started reloading. I got it because it is inexpensive, good quality, and it gave me the opportunity to begin reloading and decide if it was a hobby that I wanted to stick with without a huge initial investment. Over the years I have added a lot of different equipment, a few pieces at a time as budget allowed, but I still use some of the stuff that came with the kit. Looking back, I would do it again. I could have bought a more expensive kit, but I would have wound up replacing most of the tools that would have come with any kit I bought as I developed my own personal equipment preferences.

[Dolomite_supafly]

These are all available at Midway Usa. They normally have coupons online so you can save money as well.

lee-perfect-powder-measure

lee-auto-prime-hand-priming-tool-shellholder-package-of-11

frankford-arsenal-micro-reloading-electronic-powder-scale-750-grain-capacity

lee-auto-prime-hand-priming-tool

lyman-electronic-scale-powder-funnel-pan

lee-classic-cast-breech-lock-single-stage-press

hornady-lock-n-load-press-and-die-conversion-bushing-kit

hornady-electronic-caliper-6-stainless-steel

You will be way ahead by buying individual items than a "kit". Most kits have items you do not need or the items you do need are junk. You will need the dies to load your caliber but other than that you have everything to load in this list and the best part is everything on this list is decent quality except maybe the Powder Measure.

Dolomite

[mikegideon]

I had a Lyman scale dead out of the box. I suggest the Frankford Arsenal digital scale. It's cheap and accurate.

[roverboy]

I bought a Challenger back in '87 and have used it ever since. Its had at least 3000 rds. loaded on it. Pretty good press for the price. I do want a turret press though.

[dlm37015]

i sell 15 lee breach lock kits to every other kit .i have only had to take one back because of quality issues. in the last 20 years i have sold several hundreds of them.i dont use one but would have no problem with one i use lyman and redding with lee dies

[Guest asaxton]

Cost and test to see if I really want to do this are the exact reasons that I am considering this particular kit. I am sure that if I decide to continue reloading that I will add additional tools and replace the ones that need to be upgraded.

[Guest asaxton]

i sell 15 lee breach lock kits to every other kit .i have only had to take one back because of quality issues. in the last 20 years i have sold several hundreds of them.i dont use one but would have no problem with one i use lyman and redding with lee dies

So the dies are interchangeable between the different manufacturers? This was something that crossed my mind, but the dies all seem to be pretty closely priced.

[USMCJG]

So the dies are interchangeable between the different manufacturers? This was something that crossed my mind, but the dies all seem to be pretty closely priced.

Yes, with the the exception of the Dillon Square Deal progressive press which uses proprietary dies, dies are interchangeable between different presses. I have heard of a rare exception where certain Lee dies may not be long enough to work in certain presses equipped with Hornady Lock N Load quick change bushings. I have never experienced this issue myself and I use both Lee dies and the LnL quick change bushings(in a Redding Big Boss).

[Dolomite_supafly]

Yes, with the the exception of the Dillon Square Deal progressive press which uses proprietary dies, dies are interchangeable between different presses. I have heard of a rare exception where certain Lee dies may not be long enough to work in certain presses equipped with Hornady Lock N Load quick change bushings. I have never experienced this issue myself and I use both Lee dies and the LnL quick change bushings(in a Redding Big Boss).

This is my setup as well and recommend it to anyone who has a single stage. It makes life so much easier when you are building precision ammo or just plinker ammo. Once you lot the settings in you don;t have to change them. This makes keeping the settings that shot so well for you easy.

I have not experienced the problems with the L-n-L bushings either. I use a Lee press with Lee, RCBS and Redding dies with all of them in L-n-L bushings.

Dolomite

[Guest nicemac]

I have approximately 30 dies in LnL bushings. Two of them work their way loose while in use. They have the same O-rings on them that the others do, so I really can't figure out why. I am going to try to cut out a shim to go under the O-ring to try to snug it up a bit.

[BigK]

I noticed you only listed pistol cartridges to reload. Depending on the volume you expect to shoot down the road, I'd look into a Lee auto indexing turret press. If you want to learn in single stage mode, just remove one part (5 seconds, literally) and there ya go.

Best of all, you only have to set up your dies once per caliber on a turret ($10 per caliber) and when you change calibers, you just drop in a different turret and all your dies are ready to go.

You will need a different powder measure (Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure) if you go with a turret. This one is case activated, meaning when you pull the press handle to send a shell up into the powder die, the case causes the measure to release the powder directly into the shell case.

Only other thing I'd stress is to get a handheld primer from the beginning. Trust me, you'll end up with one eventually anyway when you realize you hate every on-press primer you waste money on.

Edited January 24, 2012 by BigK
shoulda said...

[Guest nicemac]

Only other thing I'd stress is to get a handheld primer from the beginning. Trust me, you'll end up with one eventually anyway when you realize you hate every on-press primer you waste money on.

I have no complaints with the priming system on my Hornady LnL press. Zero issues and thousands of primers seated…

[Guest canebreaker]

[h=2]I've used the Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit since 1991. It was the 50th annv. kit back then. I've loaded up to 1,200 rounds of 38spl per week for about 3 years. I've added a couple more pistol dies to the setup and a couple of rifle.[/h]I'm looking at a Lee Loadmaster on craigslist.org now at a good price.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I noticed you only listed pistol cartridges to reload. Depending on the volume you expect to shoot down the road, I'd look into a Lee auto indexing turret press. If you want to learn in single stage mode, just remove one part (5 seconds, literally) and there ya go.

Best of all, you only have to set up your dies once per caliber on a turret ($10 per caliber) and when you change calibers, you just drop in a different turret and all your dies are ready to go.

You will need a different powder measure (Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure) if you go with a turret. This one is case activated, meaning when you pull the press handle to send a shell up into the powder die, the case causes the measure to release the powder directly into the shell case.

Only other thing I'd stress is to get a handheld primer from the beginning. Trust me, you'll end up with one eventually anyway when you realize you hate every on-press primer you waste money on.

You don't need the auto disk to use a turret press. You can use the powder through die and just dump the metered powder down a funnel into the case. I have two Auto disk measures and they work great but as I said they are not required. As a mater of fact for precision work I would prefer to dump a measured amount of powder than have the auto disk dump it.

I have two handheld primers and a top mounted primer (Lee Auto Prime II) that is no longer made. I use both equally well and each has advantages the others do not. The handheld primers are easy to use and can be used pretty much anywhere but they do not seat the primers uniformly. My top mounted primer allows me to adjust the seating depth of the primers on my precision loads. And if I can sit at the press I will use the press mounted primer before the handheld one because for me it is easier.

Dolomite

[BigK]

As you can see, people have differing opinions about various aspects of reloading. Some prefer single stage presses, some prefer turrets, and some prefer progressives. Some prefer hand priming and some prefer on press priming.

Dolomite's top mount primer sounds awesome, but you probably can't get your hands on one since they're no longer made. Sounds likie nicemac likes his on press primer, but I doubt his setup is in the budget. I haven't found anything for a Lee press that I like, so I prefer the hand primers hands down.

I didn't mean to make is sound like you had to have the auto-disk for a turret. Dolomite's right, you can hand drop the charge with a funnel. I'd just rather let the equipment do it for me.

It'd be nice if you knew somebody with a press to let you try it out. I'd offer, but you're pretty far away.

[Guest asaxton]

It'd be nice if you knew somebody with a press to let you try it out. I'd offer, but you're pretty far away.

True. If anyone out there is in the Memphis to Dyersburg area that reloads, I'd love to barter for a little training time.

[Guest canebreaker]

PM me if you want to come out and try some reloading.

Looks like I'm the closest.