Lee Breech Lock Challenger or Turret Press?

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wherermykeys

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I'm just getting into reloading and am wondering what the pros and cons are between the Breech Lock press that comes with their Anniversary Kit and their Turret press?

I'll be reloading .223 and .45 to start with...
 
IMO, a turret press will reload at a much faster rate (rounds/hour) than a single stage (like the Breech Lock). A Lee Classic Turret with the cast iron base, is much much stronger than their old model turret with an aluminum base.

I'm sure the Classic turret will work great for .45acp as I use my Classic for it, as well as 38/357, 9mm, 40 cal.

You can load .223 on it, although will have to confirm if you can use the auto-index feature with that cartridge length. I don't reload rifle calibers yet. If the auto-index will not work, you can always manually index the turret, no biggie.

The turret will cost slightly more than the Breech Lock but that is easily offset by the higher production rate, IMO. The Breech Lock will allow quick die/caliber changes, but so will the turret press, if you buy a turret and set it up with complete dies for every caliber you load.
 
Fixed presses are typically used for rifle reloading where you may need more strength, and are more interested in accuracy than speed. For handgun cartridges where accuracy is not so important, and reloaded quantities are often more, a turret type press can speed things up a little.

I see the Lee Anniversary Kit is currently on sale at Wholesale Sports for $100. That is a great buy, and has everything but the dies you need for reloading. I would go for that, try it, and then decide later if you want to add a turret type press for your handgun cartridges.

At some point you will need to trim cartridge lengths, and the hand trimmer Lee makes, works very well, and they are not expensive.
 
Oops, posted a the same time. OK gotcha. So depending on what I want to focus on, I would either want a fixed press for accurate rifle ammo, or a turret for banging out a bunch of pistol ammo quickly right?

Thanks for the tip on Wholesale Sports!
 
The issue is that you need all the other stuff that is included in the Lee Kit, and if you add up the cost of these things purchased individually they will add up to more than the cost of the kit (not including the press). So you are getting the press for free.

So if you go with the kit you can get started for a lot less money, and get your feet wet. Then you can make the decision later if you want to go turret for the handgun.
 
Oh yeah, I realise that. I'm just looking at a price list here and it says:

Breechlock Challenger kit: $153
Del. 4 hole Turret Press kit: $163

Looks like they both come with all the other stuff I need except dies.
 
wherermykeys said:
Oh yeah, I realise that. I'm just looking at a price list here and it says:

Breechlock Challenger kit: $153
Del. 4 hole Turret Press kit: $163

Looks like they both come with all the other stuff I need except dies.
Click to expand...

A Wholesale Sports flyer came to the house yesterday. They have the Challenger Kit going on sale for $99.88. Sale starts tomorrow and goes until Dec 24. They still have the regular price up on the net which I believe is 124.95. Probably will change tomorrow. I suspected they were going on sale as a large pile of them showed up on pallets a few weeks back. I guess you would have to pay some shipping though...
 
I have a Lee Classic Cast Single and a Classic Turret. The single stage is relegated to re-sizing work and the occasional rifle caliber for a buddy. Someday I will own a .30-06 and only then will the Single be put to "proper" use.

The Classic Turret is plenty strong, IMO. That Deluxe Turret kit you are talking about is the old style aluminum-based turret, strong enough to handle .223 duties but I'd for a few more bucks, I'd spring for the Classic because of its stronger cast iron base.

In the long run, much much more reloading cash will go for components i.e. bullets, powder, primers. Components will run you hundreds of dollars per year, if you shoot a few thousand .45 acp and .223. The cost of your initial equipment, if you go for Lee, is will be quite nil in comparison. Do the math.

IMO, better to spend the extra hundred bucks buying separately the following: a Classic (cast iron) Turret/scale/pro-auto disk powder measure/safety prime than the "kit" (with aluminum base) with a lower quality powder measure and doesn't come with safety prime either. You will end up with a better quality set of equipment which you can use for a long, long time.
 
Lee Classic Turret Press. I reload 9mm, 40 S&W, and 223 Rem. on this press. Usually 250 rounds/hour. Simple strong press. Great Bang for your Buck.
 
Another satisfied turret press user. I reload from .338 Win Mag down to 9mm with it. You can't use the auto index with long action rounds such as the 30-06, but it would be fine for .223.

Mark
 
The Lee kits can be had from the USA from $82 for the 50th Anniverary, $98 for the Breech Lock (almost the same as 50th, just different priming option) about $105 for the Turret, and the Classic Turret Press alone at $85. The Wholesale Sports sale for the Breech Lock sounds like a great deal for retail price here.
 
The kits are basically the same except the included priming tools differ

The 50th has the Safety prime that bolts to the press and swings over to put a primer on the tool on the ram of the press. The tool on the ram comes in both kits, just not the Safety Prime to feed it, so either way you can prime on press.

The Breech lock kit has the auto prime and shellholders to prime by hand.


50th = Safety prime on press

Breech= Auto Prime hand prime or press one at a time
 
I find the Lee hand primer gives you a much better feel for seating the primers properly. I no longer use a press for priming.
 
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