RCBS Pro 2000

[spencerhut]

Since you are all arguing about the LnL vs 550/650 I figured I'd be contrary and say that I think my Pro 2000 is as good or better than either the red or the blue. Not for maximum output, since there is no case feeder option, but just for the sheer joy of use and consistency of output. I never worry about primer feed in any way, unless I spill 43g of 4895 all over the shell plate. It takes me ~1 minute to load up (100) primers into the strips for the APS primer system. I've never had an upside down primer. The powder measure, with or with out the micrometer insert, is so boringly accurate I feel like I'm wasting my time checking charges sometimes. + or - .1g at the most every single time with flake or ball. Stick, we all have problems with that. But my Uniflow has never bridged powder on me. It's smooth as anyone could want, built like a tank, makes accurate ammo and provides me with a great deal of satisfaction of my purchase every time I turn out ammo cans full of ammo with it.

 

[threefeathers]

I agree, the Pro 2000 is a great press. It is easy to use, change calibers, and gives full control of all stages.

 

[Walkalong]

How about some upclose pics. I never have seen one in person and the pics online don't show much at all.

 

[spencerhut]

Here are some pictures of the press, setup for .38 Super with an Undersized EGW die in station 1, Lee expander die in station 2, powder measure in station 3, RCBS Lock-Out die in station 4 and a Lee seater die in station 5. To change calibers you pull the two pins, pull out the die plate, change the shell plate (if needed), insert a new die plate and use a 7/16" wrench to change from large to small primers (if needed). I can change from .38 Super to .308 in about 2 minutes, 90 seconds if I'm in a real hurry for some reason. The primers feed into the little strip loader one 25 primer strip at a time, no fuss at all, and since it primes on the down stroke it's super easy to feel the primer going in primer pocket. Impossible to have a primer detention unless you are a complete moron and slam the primers into the pocket, any press would reward such behavior with a ka-boom. The press is simply a joy to use each and every time.

http://picasaweb.google.com/spencerhutc/Reloading

 

[Shoney]

By stating your press is superior, you must have experience with other progressives. Just so the readers of this thread don't scream, "another thread by blindly brand loyal bubba’s”, please state which other progressive presses you have actually use to load a few hundred cartridges (Lee, Dilon, Hornady).

 

[Walkalong]

Pretty good pics. Where do the loaded rounds fall out to? Which way does it rotate? counterclockwise? How about a pic with the rounds in progress?

 

[spencerhut]

By stating your press is superior, you must have experience with other progressives. Just so the readers of this thread don't scream, "another thread by blindly brand loyal bubba’s”, please state which other progressive presses you have actually use to load a few hundred cartridges (Lee, Dilon, Hornady).

I have used Dillon, Lee and Hornady progressive presses in the past. How many of you have tried a RCBS Pro2000?

 

[spencerhut]

Where do the loaded rounds fall out to? Which way does it rotate? counterclockwise? How about a pic with the rounds in progress?

I'll take some pictures with rounds being processed tonight and post them. The rounds fall into the green bin closest to the press. It's kind of cool how they picked the correct size bullet tray and bins. They usually seem to get empty about the same time. I tend to fill brass, bullets at the same time. Powder in pistol calibers every ~300 to 500 rounds. Primer strips go on every 25 pulls of the handle, takes a couple of seconds at most. Partial primer strips come right out and can easily reused with how ever many primers are left in the strip.

It rotates counter clockwise

 

[Zuma]

+1. I have used one for the past 2 years. It's a great press. I like the primer strips and the powder measure is super accurate.

Tom

 

[Hawk]

Thanks for posting that, Spencerhut.

I recall wondering in one of the reloading jihad threads where "green's" representation was - the owners appeared to be the elder statesmen of progressive reloader users - presumably too busy making ammo to be dragged into making smarmy remarks about anybody else's choices.

When I was researching presses it wasn't clear where the RCBS fit in. It was manually indexed but priced well over the LnL and about even with the 650, depending on one's bargain hunting abilities. The primer system and fast caliber conversion weren't immediately obvious to me so it's nice to hear the distinguishing features from an owner. The consensus at Midway is that the APS system is faster than loading up tubes - I'd missed that before as well as the micrometer uniflow being standard. I'd speculate the absence of a shell feeder is intentional given the manual indexing.

I also note it's still cast iron. My head tells me there's nothing wrong with Hornady's or Dillon's aluminum frames but there remains an appeal for some of us old timers for cast iron - betcha that thing is massive.

 

[Shoney]

Spencer:
I reviewed your past posts. No where did you mention using any press other than an RCBS. In fact when the subject was the comparison of various presses, you only commented on the RCBS and again failed to use a valid comparison or allusion to using another press.

Pardon me if I CRY FOUL to

spencerhut said: I have used Dillon, Lee and Hornady progressive presses in the past

I think this is a reckless unsubstantiated comment, which shows an unadulterated bias that not only resembles the color of, but is extremely fresh bull flop.

 

[spencerhut]

Pardon me if I CRY FOUL to

You go right ahead. I was an apprentice, a.k.a "Loading Assistant" for my uncle (adoptive father) since I was eight years old. I've got to do and try a whole lot of things in the past -30- years. I think you might have the Blue flu or something and maybe a tinfoil hat . . .
You may now sling mud all you want . . . I'm done.

 

[strat81]

I think this is a reckless unsubstantiated comment

Hmmm, I have friends and acquaintances that own a wide variety of presses. I'm all of them would be happy to let me try them for a few hundred rounds. Maybe you should be a bit more friendly and others will afford you the same courtesy. The OP never said he owned the presses.

 

[presspuller]

I have a Piggyback II and while its not the same as the Pro I have been pleased with it. If I ever upgrade I will look at the Pro first.

Shoney, take a breath, get a life.

 

[Shoney]

prespuler:
But I do have a life, I revel in correcting others mispeled words. It is exuberantly entertaining being the grammar police (I and you may disagree on this point, however.), and most of all I love to prudently point out putrid pusillanimous prevarications from parading pallid psychoids. It’s a wonderful life.

But may I ask why your moniker indicates you have the compulsion to pull on things that say press???????????

 

[spencerhut]

Posted some pictures of the press in use . . . Look at the time stamp on the photos start to finish 27 minutes including setup, photos and 100 complete rounds. Not too bad. I can do ~400 an hour without being in too much of a hurry and each round is as good as I can get out of a single stage.
http://picasaweb.google.com/spencerhutc/Reloading

 

[jeepmor]

Shoney,

I'm guessin you're still upset about being transplanted away from Montana. I understand, that's beautiful country there.

Spencer, thanks for sharing the images and reporting on how fast you can generate 100 rounds. RCBS seriously needs to improve their website if they want to sell more of these things. All of their imagery does little to convince a person that their product is worthy.

 

[CMcDermott]

I've had my RCBS Pro-2000 for 5 years now, and it's still going strong. I haven't used another progressive as when I was looking I decided on the Pro-2000 for it's APS priming, 5 stations and manual indexing being the key features. Unlike spencerhut I like the spent primer catcher bottle, a feature that RCBS copied directly from the Foster Co-Ax press. I did have the opportunity to look at Pro-2000, Dillon 550 and Hornady Projector at a local full service gun shop before I purchased, something that is getting very rare anymore as most gun shops left in my area have dropped reloading supplies. After reading threads on proper fine tuning and adjustment of Lee's progressive, some of the threads on the Dillon powder measure and of course the many threads on trying to get primer tubes loaded, replaced, adjusted and problems with primers exploding and setting off all the primers in the tube etc. I am very glad that I picked the Pro-2000.
I do have a question for the Dillon owners, on the caliber conversions there is something called a "locator button"; what is it and why does it need to be changed? To change calibers on the Pro-2000 you remove a single bolt from the center of the shell-plate, then put the new shell plate on and put the bolt back in. With an allen wrench bit in a ratchet it takes about 20 seconds to change the shell plate. Switch die plates (maybe 10 seconds if it's already setup form last time) and then the primer ram size if necessary (about a minute to get it correctly adjusted if you need to switch between small and large sizes) and you are ready to switch powders. Which can take some time if you are as anal as I am about making sure the old powder doesn't contaminate or get contaminated by the new powder and nothing is left in the powder measure before being filled with the new powder ( yes, I insist on removing the drum from the measure to make certain there is no powder hiding anywhere in the measure). Only the Dillon powder system change could go faster, and only if you have the money for a powder measure for every die set; I don't. Hornady actually uses the same Uniflow measure they buy from RCBS, some kind of a trade happened as RCBS uses the powder linkage system design from Hornady.

 

[Hawk]

I do have a question for the Dillon owners, on the caliber conversions there is something called a "locator button"; what is it and why does it need to be changed?

...little gizmos that insert into the shellplate with varying sized "heads" - has the effect of varying the shell base area within the same shell holder. As example, a 264 Win mag and 500S&W might use the same shellplate but different buttons.

Caliber conversion races are not the 650's strong point - takes me about a half hour and it's not something I look forward to although some of that is fiddling with the casefeeder bits. I wound up buying a Redding single to load up small lots than dial in the 650 when I find something I like.

 

[kidcoltoutlaw]

I had the Hornady and I never liked the way it seated primers. Unless you cut the pockets it would seat primers high. I love the way the Pro 2000 seats primers. Unlike others I use the tube system and love it,

Thanks,Keith

 

[WmCC]

This reply is posted on another thread but I will copy it here and include a couple of additional comments which seem to be gerrmane.

First, let me say that the current crop of progressive presses being offered by Dillon, Hornady and Lee are all very good tools with excellent warranties and support. That said, following some five years of hard use, I consider the Pro 2000 to be an exceptional press and have been extremely happy with it.

I previously used both the Dillon 550 and 650 for several years and they each performed extremely well, albeit demonstrating a need for little "piecey" parts from time-to-time. Not an issue with the 2000. My reason for the switch involved the move from loading high volume(s) of a single cartridge, (Bullseye and IDPA competition), to moderate quantities of several different cartridges with fairly frequent changeovers. For me, the 2000 is the quickest and easiest to convert of all of the current offerings, including Dillon and Hornady.

The RCBS is arguably the strongest and simplest progressive available. I prefer iron to aluminum, especially in the critical toggle assembly. Yes, I have personally seen four broken (aluminum) toggle links on Dillons; one was on my 650.The precision and ease of use of both the priming and powder metering systems on the RCBS is excellent. I did purchase the optional tube priming system but haven't used it as I've enjoyed the strip system far more than I thought I would. My preference is for manual indexing over auto index. Interestingly, my rate of production did not change between the 650 and 2000; however, to be honest, I did not use (or want) a casefeeder on the former.

If I were starting over again, I would definitely choose the 2000, even for high volume match shooting as long as I did not have to lug the thing to matches. It is obvious to me why it is (reportedly) the press of choice of the NRA technical staff as well as legitimate shooters and writers such as John Taffin.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=26

Here is my take on it back at 150,000 rnds. Now past 175,000 I still like it. The press is solid reliable and easy to use. The APS strips have never blown a primer and I have never read/heard about a single primer blown. If you think this does not matter, ask Lee and Dillon why they have "blast shields" and heavy steel around the primer tubes.

I have had no squibs, no double charges and no problems. I have nearly a trash can full of primer strips even though I have given away a lot of them.

Rcbs support is great and no problems at all even though I have broken parts due to extensive use.

One thing I can routinely do with my press that the other colors seem to have problems with is throwing 800x charges at +/- 0.1 grn. The uniflow is a great measure especially when you get a micrometer screw and a baffle.

The bottom line is the Pro2000 is a darn good press. If you can live with 5 stations then it is the best in my opinion. If RCBS brought out a 7 station or 9 station press I would not even hesitate to replace mine though. To me, the costs of going to a 650 is just not worth it when you factor in the caliber change costs for just one more die hole.

 

[jeepmor]

Quick question.

Will the 2000 load long action rifle cases like the 270 and 30-06?

I intend on upgrading to a better progressive than my piggyback w/in the next year and so far the Pro 2000 is the top runner after reading this thread for economy, quick conversion and ease of use.

 

[WmCC]

Jeepmor,

The short answer is, yes. In addition to it's strength of construction, the RCBS has a much larger working "window" (height and diameter) within the frame than most others. Mine handles 375 HH cases with ease.


P.S. (to my previous post): When I purchased the RCBS, the cost for the press and several dedicated cartridge shell plate and die plate combos, (plus bells and whistles), was much, much less than either of my two blue systems. I have not studied the current costs so I can't give you an accurate (current) comparison. The cost of the press, only, is just a starting point and doesn't mean much if you are like me and end up with multiple (dedicated) cartridge setups.

 

[MaterDei]

Nice pics. You sure have some finely shined brass.

Is charging the case with powder a manual operation?