Lee Challenger

[Ron]

I have a chance of buying a Lee Challenger press, dies and some other bits and pieces. Has anyone had any experience with this press? My intention is to use it for working up target rounds instead of using my Dillon 650.

[Throckmorton]

Mine served me well thru many hundreds of rounds of pistol and rifle ammo. I still have it for load development,but it gets little use compared to when I 1st got it.

I do read bad reports of them breaking,but a few bad reports out of what..thousands?.. of them in use? is not al that bad for the price.


As presses go,I'd rate it light to medium duty. certainly NOT a rock chucker.



how's that for wishy washy? :)

[jcwit]

Wouldn't see why not. Single stage is a real good way to do small patches.

[oneokie]

Good press for decapping and reloading pistol and small rifle rounds.

Only thing I would suggest is upgrading the cross bolt that retains the handle in the links.

Drill the bolt holes out to where a 3/8" bolt can be used. Use an self locking nut on the bolt. Keep the bolt tight enough to keep the link halves firmly clamped together.

[PatMarlin]

Always a good press to keep around also as a powder measure stand when you move up to better presses.

[VTDW]

It should serve you well for what you said bro. I use mine for sizing cast boolits, flaring cases etc. I reload using my Lee Turret and the Challenger is my 'extra'. It sure does come in handy.

Dave

[mooman76]

Ditto on what oneokie said. The weak link is the toggle when it gets loose. If kept tight you should have no problem and even so the toogles are only a few dollars.

[shooterg]

For a few bucks you can replace the monkey metal toggles with the new steel ones used on the new style Challenger BreechLock press. Guy on Ebay sells a steel replacement assembly also. Like you, got a couple 550B's for volume work, use the old Challenger still for the 7.5 Swiss, anything else not shot much.

[Ron]

Thanks for the input gents. I had heard/read that the Challenger was prone to a few faults about the linkage, just wanted someone else's experience with it. I have that now thanks to you. Got to give the seller a ring and see if he will take my offer.

[1hole]

Do two things and your Challanger will last a long time:

First, keep the cross bolt that connects the lever to the toggle tight. Slop in that connection changes the lever forces and the link tends to pry itself apart.

Second, lube your bottle necked cases well. If the lever is hard to push, take the case out and lube it again, usually down near the head. Dry cases require a LOT more lever pressure to size than those properly lubed need.

[copdills]

I have loaded several thousand rounds on that same lee press , I have always had good service out of mine , but I finally sold it and got a rcbs rock chunker & a lee classic turret:castmine:

[1hole]

"I have always had good service out of mine , but I finally sold it and got a rcbs rock chunker & a lee classic turret"

cop - have you had your new presses long enough to determine if the Rock Chucker makes any better ammo than your old Lee? (I am assuming you had a Challanger press?)

[chuebner]

In the last five years I have broken three toggle link sets on the Challenger press in spite of having the crossbolt tight and adequately lubing cases when full length sizing. Each time they break I have called Lee for replacement parts. The first and second time they replaced the parts at no charge, the last time they requested a couple bucks for the new toggles. I finally sprung for the new Challenger breech-lock press and have relegated the original to the lube and sizing chore. The new press is sweet. Say what you want about Lee but to me their products are first rate. I only reload about 250 rounds a week between 30-06, 7.5 Swiss, 7.62X54R and 45-70 so the press does not get a heavy workout.

Charlie

[copdills]

Hello 1hole:

to tell the truth LOL , the Lee Classic turret was my upgrade and works like a charm, the RCBS rock chucker was given to me about the same time I got the Lee classic , but to your question the RCBS and the Lee challenger press does the same job, makes the same ammo to a tee not cutting the lee short by no means I used it for years but the RCBS was alot I mean alot STRONGER press comments here were made by a COP