Lee Challenger Press for Portable Reloading Setup

J

jfruser

New member
Howdy:

Got back into reloading as I had some dead time due to travel and kiddo obligations. Instead of reading my phone, I figured that was a fine time to do some batch processing off/near the truck's tail gate.

I already had a Lee Hand Press and Lee C-style Reloader press. Used them both successfully in the past and they still work, though my shoulder does ache a bit after heavy Hand Press use (due to recent shoulder surgery). I also have an older RCBS Rock Chucker, but it is too heavy for a portable setup.

Looking at my portable setup (everything but B&D Workmate fits in a 12 gal flip top box) I figured I cold afford (space & weight wise) a slightly larger aluminum frame press. The Lee Challenger Breech Block has done the trick.

I remove the lever arm for storage and the little parts go into a small plastic container. I already keep an adjustable wrench, so assembly/disassembly is no whoop.

For loading .357mag and .38special it has thus far done great, 250 rounds loaded in the last week during dead/wasted/lost time waiting around for the kiddos. I arrive early to avoid rush hour traffic. It almost seems like somebody just dropped ammo in my lap, I did not have to give up my evenings.

The Challenger is heavier than the Lee Reloader, but more robust and with better spent primer handling. The Challenger is not as robust as the Rock Chucker, but much lighter and handles spent primers much better. Love my Chucker, but it is a bit 'tarded when it comes to spent primers.

The cherry on top is that I bought it as a factory refurb deal from Lee. Instead of $100+shipping, it was $40+shipping. More factory refurbs in the future, please! I recall years past I passed up Pro1000 refurb deals in the neighborhood of $100.

Oh, the load:
.357mag brass, no matter the brand
Hornady 148gr HBWC
3.2 grains Winchester 231 powder
Small pistol primer, but will use a SP magnum if standard not available
Very light crimp
Very mild target load for .357mag revolvers.
 
Years ago, my shooting buddies and I would travel around CA shooting ground squirrels for a week at a time. We would carry a Lee Turret press with us and reload at night to delay the inevitable running out of ammo. I finally bought a Lee Pro 1000 progressive and absolutely never ran out of ammo on a trip again. I really like the Pro 1000 because of this experience, although it is not a great press it is lightweight, very portable and turns out good ammo. So in response to your question, I would recommend either a Lee Turret press of a Pro 1000 (if they still make it).
 
Scorch, the original post wasn't a question, it was a report.

I have an earlier version of the Challenger press -- mine was made before Lee went to the breechlock system. jfruser's description of it is accurate. I've had mine for probably fifteen years, maybe a bit longer. It was my first press, and it still serves me well (although I have added a turret press and two progressives to the mix).
 
It's not a primary press or one that someone should rely on alone. It's, as I'd put it, an accessory press. Something you keep set up for a specific purpose, like decapping or bullet seating.

I've got one that I bought last month for $30. It's something I can use with the Lee disk powder measure for certain powders that don't meter well in other measures, so I figured why not? It works. I don't resize with it, it's not a press I think is good for that operation, but for everything else I think it's fine.

Not every press that's made has to be built to full length size .700 Nitro Express.
 
I am a Lee fan also and keep a range loading box set up similar to yours with a Lee Challenger set up. Works great and easy to range load when the urge strikes me.

I went back to a Lee turret as my primary press and no have a eight or ten turrets set up for each caliber I load. Makes life simple, each turret costs me less than $15 and I can change calibers or go from sizing to seating in less than a minute. One turret is set up with my bullet puller, neck mandrel die, and universal decapper.
 
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hownddawg:

Old lee turret or the newer one that uses the Classic Cast base? How portable is it?

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One other thing, about W231...

This is my first time using Winchester 231. It was available and the Lee 0.30cc dipper is rated for 3.2gr of W231, so that makes it easy to load uh, "portably." Dipped & struck 3/4 of my 250 loads and no issues. I then had a few minutes last night and set up my old RCBS Uniflow powder measure (with baffle). Don't have the small drum assembly, so used the large one that came with the unit. Cranking that sucker down to throw 3.2gr of W231 was a bit sporty. First time I cranked it down it would not operate smoothly, it would get hung up. Went back & forth a few times, worked my technique some, and the absolute lightest charge it would throw with W231 was....3.2gr. I thought, "Great, on the edge of the envelope of the gear I am using, right where I DON'T want to be." I figured it would not throw consistently. Well, I figured wrong. After I got it dialed in, my RCBS 5-0-5 scale could not tell the difference, throw to throw. Tested every 10 throws or so. Consistent. Like, "Never deviated once measure & technique was set. "Thump-pause-thump-pause" 3.2, 3.2, 3.2, 3.2.....

I am starting to understand why folk like W231. About the only downside was some unburned powder at these target load pressure levels. And I loaded 250 rounds and am barely into the pound of powder I bought.

I am looking at it for some more applications with 158gr LSWC in .357mag and .38special, .45ACP 230gr LRN, and .44mag 240gr LRNFP (to run in both lever gun and revolver).
 
Old lee turret or the newer one that uses the Classic Cast base? How portable is it?
Click to expand...

The turret I am using now is the newer one. A few years back I switched to the Rockchucker and gave my ancient turret to my son in law who still uses it. That one is probably well into 6 figures on number of rounds loaded by now. I offered to replace the linkage bushings for him but he says it is still working fine and not to bother.

About a year ago I purchased the new model, put the RC under my bench where it has remained. It has a couple of K rounds through it now and I love the 4 hole turrets. If I could only own one press, the turret is the one I would choose.

On the portability.

The turret is about same size as a RC, and according to Lee the weight is 13 .5 lbs. I keep mine mounted to the bench but it could easily be made portable. I have the press mounted to a piece of 2 x 10 and the 2 x 10 mounted to the reloading bench with carriage bolts and wingnuts
 
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hounddawg said:
The turret is about same size as a RC, and according to Lee the weight is 13 .5 lbs. I keep mine mounted to the bench but it could easily be made portable. I have the press mounted to a piece of 2 x 10 and the 2 x 10 mounted to the reloading bench with carriage bolts and wingnuts
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Heh, heh.

I have all my presses bolted to lengths of 2x10. I just clamp the appropriate 2x10 to the bench with a pair of C-clamps. That makes it extremely easy to swap out presses if the desire to do so strikes.
 
aguilablanca said:
I have all my presses bolted to lengths of 2x10. I just clamp the appropriate 2x10 to the bench with a pair of C-clamps. That makes it extremely easy to swap out presses if the desire to do so strikes.
Click to expand...

Every bench-mounted / mountable tool I own is mounted to an appropriately sized length of 2x4/6/8/10/12 and secured with C-clamps when in use. When not in use, they all live on stout steel wire shelving.

==============

hounddawg:

You got me thinking a bit and that can be risky. Like, I looked up the weight of the Lee "Value" turret press: 8lbs
https://leeprecision.com/4-hole-turret-press-with-auto-index.html
1lb and change more than the Challenger.

Nope, nopity-nope. Not going to buy one...unless I see one on closeout at a deep discount.

In any case, going portable with a turret with a powder measure might be a bit more complexity than I want.
 
Have you thought about trying a Lee hand press for portable reloading tasks? They can be purchased on eBay very reasonably and I use them for all sorts of tasks when not near my bench mounted presses.
 
rfdillon said:
Have you thought about trying a Lee hand press for portable reloading tasks? They can be purchased on eBay very reasonably and I use them for all sorts of tasks when not near my bench mounted presses.
Click to expand...

I have two. One of the old ones and one with the breech lock deal. Recently had shoulder surgery, so it does not take long to wear me out on the Hand Press. FTR, I do like the Hand Press. Loaded my first ammo on one and they handle spent primers with aplomb.
 
I mount all of my presses on a wooden base plate. Most of the time, my presses live on my workbench, secured through their base plates into Rockler T-channel counter-sunk into my work bench. The base plates each have a lip on them to snug up to the bench or table edge to take the lever pressure, thus not entirely relying on the mounting clamps to hold them in place. They come off my bench in minutes and can be clamped to a kitchen table corner or other similar surface in minutes too. You could even take it to the range and clamp it to a firing platform/bench. At home, on my main work bench, due to the T-channel set-up, I can move my presses to the side in 15 to 20 seconds as needed to re-configure my bench. Only my heavy Walnut Hill swage press gets it's base screwed directly into the work bench surface because of the pressures involved in it's use. But even it is only held down by 6 heavy deck screws. I prefer to mount my presses on a piece of oak for the heavier stuff, but used a piece of plywood for my small Lee single stage. See the pics attached
 

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The first press I had was a Lee Challenger, bought sometime around the mid eighties. It’s the only press I ever owned that literally broke in two. I was loading .223, 7.62x39, 9mm, and .41 mag at the time so nothing that should have overstressed it. I replaced it with a Lyman Orange Crusher I bought used and am still using it to this day. Currently on my bench I have the Orange crusher, RCBS Partner, Lee Classic cast Turret, Lee Loadmaster, and the cheap Lee C-press which I use as a powder stand. I post this not because I’m a Lee fanboy or a Lee basher, just my personal experience with the press in question.
 
I have an older Lee challenger, and the piece where the handle fastens was made of aluminum and broke. Lee has all steel replacement parts available and it works like a charm!
 
Portable reloading is more about what you have for a bench. The press doesn't make much difference.
A B&D Workmate might do.
 
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