When getting started in reloading it is important to make a few considerations. What are you going to be reloading? How much are you going to reload? What is your time vs. money factor? If you getting started and not sure about whether or not you will be hooked on reloading, the best answer to these questions is the Lee Challenger Kit.
50th Anniversary Kit
This kit sells for $134 at Lee. It is a popular kit because it is essentially turn key. You get everything that you need to get started reloading except a pair of calipers (we will deal with calipers in another post).
The upside is obviously the value. Downside is time reloading. A single stage press takes a lot of time to operate, but if you are a cowboy shooter like I was when I bought the press, it was perfect. I loaded about 100 rounds a month on this press and never had one problem. This press would also make a fine press for a precision rifle shooter who is getting started.
There are certainly better presses available, but if you think you might move on to a turret press or a progressive press one day, the Lee press will be fine. In fact, after buying a progressive press, I still kept my Lee press for rifle.
If you have been thinking about reloading it’s easy to see that you can get your money back on this press very quickly. When I first started I could reload 45 Long Colt for about $10 per box when the average box in our area was $25 plus. At 100 rounds per month I was able to get my money back out of the press in 5 months.
This is a great beginning press that will serve your loading needs for years to come.