All we have is opinions......When I was looking for a progressive it was between the Dillon 650 and the Pro 2000. After a month or two researching, the Pro 2000 won out after I spent a day with each.
Why didn't I spend a day with the Hornady? Only one reason, and
it had absolutely nothing to do any perceived lack of quality: I just personally prefer the notion of setting up
die plates (Dillon or RCBS style) once, rather than
gathering 4 or 5 die-filled Hornady bushings, every time I change calibers. But then I change calibers a lot and I'm limited to one press.
Dillon lost my purchase over the priming system, and the cost. the aluminum casting, and complexity and cost of changing calibers.
The 650 is MADE for IDPS, and IPSC shooters who aren't interested in loading 3 calibers a night......or jmorris-types who can afford to have 4 or 5 presses set up more or less permanently for one thing. For those uses, they are hard to beat.....but then there's the Dillon 1050, and beat it it does, in spades.....and it's cast iron too! But the price is way out of my league.....and changing calibers every nite? That's not going to happen more than once with a 650, worse with a 1050.
The Hornady is a fine product.....just too complicated, harder to keep running smooth. There are some advantages for some with the "bushing" design over the die plate design....but not for me.
I like Hornady's simple bullet feeders and I use a pistol version on my Pro 2000. (the colors don't clash, reminds be of Christmas!
)
Caliber changes on the Hornady are faster than Dillons, but slower than on the Pro 2000. Add the case feeder....even slower, but for a guy who wants to load multiple calibers per night it's better, just not great.....you still have to load and unload primer tubes and changing primer sizes is not the simple 10 second procedure found on the RCBS.
RCBS's APS system is a wonderfully safe priming system, IMO it removes one of the most dangerous aspects of reloading. You will never explode more than one or two primers at a time....no matter how careless you are at the crank.
If you buy preloaded primers in strips, its also the fastest primer system. If you buy primers in bulk (dumbish if you don't) you don't even notice the very slightly higher price of primers. (worth every penny to me....change calibers by pulling a large primer strip out, pushing in a different strip.)
The RCBS press itself, is the only cast iron progressive outside a Dillon 1050. So it never breaks like Aluminum Alloy presses will...eventually...if they are well used. Its also the simplest press, fewest moving parts, and it works once set up correctly, with never a need to resync or readjust.
jmorris's Saab analogy might fit if it was some obscure brand, but this is RCBS, the company with the best rep and service in the business. Why isn't it as popular in sales as Dillon or Hornady? Cast iron price, and un-appreciated APS primer system (unfathomable to me), and what RCBS is worst at.....marketing. (shoulda added Dillon's 20 year head start at rotational progressives, and Hornady's free bullets in the reasons
)
But it's gaining momentum....when I first started hanging out here, me and Peter Eick were the only loud mouths making green Pro-2k noise. Now we have lots of friends.....I counted 60 something a few months ago....trouble is most don't post a lot. they're too busy loading without the troubles others have to post about. The presses just work.
PS. If you think the tube-fed primers aren't dangerous, just ask Hornady or Dillon why they have those big shields surrounding their primer tubes. No question they help, now instead of killing or maiming, now they just punch holes in the ceiling.....but do wear ear protection.
