Hi All,

I am just about to purchase a Lee Breech lock Challenger Press kit and i need to reload for the wildcat .303-25 or .25-303 (whatever)
After much research, i have found that RCBS are the only manufacturer who make a .303-25 die set, if there are other brands that make this size die please let me know, and the RCBS set seems VERY expensive, are there any cheaper sets that make this size?
So will a RCBS die fit this Lee press? Will all brands of die fit this press?
I really need to know so that i dont buy a kit that will be useless to me.

Thanks heaps guys!

The Lee press takes the standard die size that RCBS, Lee, Hornady< Redding, and many other companies make. In other words, yes, RCBS dies will fit the Lee press you're looking at.

Standard dies are all 7/8-14 (7/8" diameter, 14 threads per inch). Any of them will fit the Lee press.

Yeah, they'll fit. But some RCBS lovers/Lee bashers would expect the dies to crumble in humiliation in a Lee press! :o

Works fine.

Have you checked out CH-4D dies? US$78.25 for .25-303. Good stuff.

http://www.ch4d.com/

RCBS lovers/Lee bashers are not necessarily joined at the hip although I'm beginning to believe that Lee lovers/RCBS bashers are.

"...I'm beginning to believe that Lee lovers/RCBS bashers are."

Perhaps there is some merit to that. But, personally, I've never seen such posts by any "Lee lovers/RCBS bashers". Anyone who would say RCBS equipment is "junk" is himself a fool, but I've never seen that. Not so the reverse. ??

Instead of bashers, they could team up to form the Lee and RCBS flashers and scare everyone into buying C&H, Redding, Forster, Hornady or Lyman? Funny how the fans of those other dies never seem to get into the my-dad-can-beat-up-your-dad conflicts?

Buy whichever brand suits you, they will all do the job and do so very well. The rest is personal and should be kept personal. We are all of the same fraternity so anyone throwing mud, throws mud at a brother.

Those of us in the Lee camp appreciate the maximum value for the $$$$$. Made in the USA and with the possible exception of their progressives, the Lee Precision equipment will work as good as, or better as more expensive equipment. Having said all this I have never seen one Lee Precision user criticize someone for buying another brand. I have seen the opposite where snobbery exists and I agree that we should focus on the fact that most of us here reload and we are a small and distinguished "fraternity." So let's stick together. What Marshal Kane said.

"...we should focus on the fact that most of us here reload and we are a small and distinguished "fraternity."

Yep, looking down on someone who buys/uses any brand but "MY favorite color" is NOT helping anyone. And it's absolutely true that good ammo can be made on all brands of reloading tools, otherwise they wouldn't have been successful in the market for so long!

I have and have used tools from about all makers (including some great but long gone brands: Herters, Eagle, Bonanza, Ruhr-American, Hollywood, Belding-Mull, Bair, CH, Pacific, etc.) and, golly gee, they all work good for me! That makes me happy, can't figger out the mind set of the vocal brand bashers. :)

And Nick, you are dead-on right. It seems pretty much all of the actual bashing comes from ONE camp, while the other camp strongly objects, and rightly so, IMHO. But all of the other brands seem largely unaffected; wonder why that is???

HI ranger:I have Herter,Bonanza,Modern Bond,Lee,club had Bair,and Potter.I have more but they all worked.and their all good.I recomend Lee
cast turret now.as it is much better than an LNL and a single stage.I think its much easier to learn on.

The Breech Lock Challenger press comes drilled and tapped 1-1/16". Remember, you will need the sleeve inserts (bushings) for standard 7/8-14 dies to fit in the Breechlock press. I believe the Kit comes with at least one bushing, but you'll want more of them, I'm sure, so that each die is ready to be inserted and you don;t have to mess with changing the bushings from die to die. You can order the bushings from Midway or kempfgunshop for about $8 for a set of two.

I agree with Tawildcat - the Classic Cast press is the way I'd go if I had to do it again. The Breech Lock is a fine press, it reloads 30-06 and 25-06 just fine for me, and I'm sure it would easily handle any other die. But the Classic Cast is a beefy beast. I got to fondle one - very nice.

Buy whichever brand suits you, they will all do the job and do so very well. The rest is personal and should be kept personal. We are all of the same fraternity so anyone throwing mud, throws mud at a brother.

I definitely agree with Marshal, and I think it's good to remember that we all need to pull together to KEEP our tools, and be allowed to continue what we love ... What brand of tools you (or anybody else) uses is pretty much immaterial (unless it doesn't work) ....they will all craft ammunition.... I think that a little good natured "giving the other guys a hard time" is fun for all .... lets just not let it get outta hand ....

"HI ranger:I have Herter,Bonanza,Modern Bond,Lee,club had Bair,and Potter.I have more but they all worked and their all good."

They are all good, exactly so. I have "favorites" but I know that's just for me. What I resent is seeing folks having favorites and condeming others as "junk". Those comments are automatically impuning the owners intelligence as to what is good and what's really bad!

NONE of it's junk and posting such snobbish nonsense has no place in our discussions and recommendations, especially to newbies with limited budgets and, probably, limited needs.

I prefer to suggest loading tools that will best fit the questioner's stated or implied needs, not tell him what works best for me as an avid accuracy buff with a custom rifle or one who bangs out 300+ rounds a week. A lot of what we see on the web are exactly that sort of well meaning but largely irrelivant personal needs statements!

. . . "What I resent is seeing folks having favorites and condeming others as "junk".
While we're on this subject, I don't care to see anyone condeming others (equipment) as "junk" either. Where we might differ, is I have no problems seeing folks having favorites. Anyone who wishes to post kudos on their favorites will never hear an objection from me. In fact, it's rather enjoyable hearing what folks LIKE about their equipment. :)

Absolutely. It's especially useful if they uncover some feature that might be valued by another member as suiting his needs. I don't think thumbs up or down on features that work well or fail is wrong either, as that helps in the purchase decision making process. The problems keeping Lee progressives in time are just as relevant as the fact their Classic line of presses are exceptional values. You just don't want to see a whole company run down because they had a product that didn't work out well when their others are just fine.

Totally agree and wish I had said it just that way.:)

Instead of bashers, they could team up to form the Lee and RCBS flashers and scare everyone into buying C&H, Redding, Forster, Hornady or Lyman? Funny how the fans of those other dies never seem to get into the my-dad-can-beat-up-your-dad conflicts?



LOL Nick, nah, they dont get into the mud with us kids. Too snooty for that sort of thing! ;)

Id prefer to hear it all, the good the bad and the ugly without editorial preferrrably, because it makes making a good decision easier.

I guess it's okay for us to discuss this here since the original question was answered long ago!
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"Anyone who wishes to post kudos on their favorites will never hear an objection from me. In fact, it's rather enjoyable hearing what folks LIKE about their equipment."

I agree with you. Problem is, most just tell us what they like, not what they like about it! Just saying something is the best" because they like it is no help to anyone. That's only a judgement call others won't agree with, and rightly so. Why do people rarely offer any specific features or convience reasons others should also like something? And quite a few can't seem to resist saying what they like without running down what they don't like, again with little - if any - valid justification.

No doubt some folks have some good info to share but without listing any specifics of what features or simular tools they have used to compare it with really isn't going to instruct any of us on what may actually be a better tool!

I certainly use RCBS dies in my Lee Turret press. I also have a rockchucker and an old lyman spartan that is 40+ years old. All work well. I use the spartan c press when I use Lee deluxe dies. The RCBS Rockchucker has a compound throw the does not work well with the Lee dies. I started with the Lyman and RCBS equipment but recently migrated to Lee dies due to ease of use, their sturdy design, and accuracy. They all work, I just find that, with the single exception of a set of Wilson dies, the Lee dies give me more consistant results on paper and prairie dog.