Is my Lee Challenger "O" press good enough, or do I need something WAY better?
Printable View
Is my Lee Challenger "O" press good enough, or do I need something WAY better?
I used the breech lock for a year and it worked decent making 224. I would suggest however to get something a bit stronger. Just seems that anything made by lee less than a classic cast will not produce the best results.
The bigger calibers require a STRONG press. The 224's can be produced with minimum pressures.
Get a dedicated swaging press. No mess, no mods, no replacing parts, they are designed to make bullets, not reload a piece of brass. Two totally different processes. You can choose from several different models, but you won't regret getting something designed for the stresses your putting it through.
Just my two cents........
Yes, but no room! I have a smaller bench and it's already too full.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lizard333
Bolt the press to a section of 2X8 and clamp it to the bench with a couple C clamps. Stores easy and is ready to use in just a minute.
Ganny.
a classic cast, and your 0-frame can be mounted on a rock dock and swapped in and out quickly.
doing 22's isn't too stressful on a reloading press, but stuff like a 44 will eventually break down the ram itself and make it impossible to change out the punches.
I had to have a threaded ram made for my rcbs and I'm still in the process of buying threaded punches for my die sets.
Just a warning, I broke a connecting rod on a brand new Rock Chucker swaging 44's. RCBS replaced and the only questioned asked was, "You did what?!!!!"
I started swaging with a Lee classic cast, One time when I was swaging some 44's, I must of found a hard core? ...anyway, I broke the edge of the bench off...the Lee classic cast was fine. At some point, ham fisted swagers [like me] learn to reject a tough one, now and then ;-)
Maybe not after the first time, but defiantly after the second.Quote:
Originally Posted by JonB_in_Glencoe
Ham fisted swagers. :veryconfu
it sucks when you get to pushing so hard you rip the press off the bench, or break a lag bolt and slam sideways.
Run you are right, I was manually converting booilts to wire. When I got the extrusion die the the instructions were "that the bottom of the stroke would create the most pressure" , well a new reducing cone was just a hair out of alignment from the old die cavity. I was getting a little to "distracted" and took the press off the bench ripping the face of the 2x and mushrooming the punch. Guess that's why the punch is a softer material. By the way the Lee Classic Cast never felt a thing.
I've never ripped a press off the bench yet