Shot Show: RCBS 7 station Pro Chucker Progressive

[GWS]

Bound to happen. 7 full stations, yup no typo.....7! APS bit the dust...would have been nice to at least have an option...I love APS! The market still refuses to take primer pipe bombs and Murphy serious. Until that changes, APS on a new press is unwise marketing-wise.

It comes in two versions Pro Chucker 5 (5 stations) and Pro Chucker 7 (7 stations) The 5 is upgradable to the 7 for $350 bucks! That is interesting. That'd be like moving from a 650 to a 1050 for that price and not having to buy another whole press.

All the reports coming in are very positive. List prices are super high. Street prices reports are getting lower by the day ....who knows for sure...nobody has them in stock. One site claims:

Pro Chucker 5 will be $537.29
Pro chucker 7 will be $758.99 those prices are way below list...so I don't know....I'm doubting the accuracy. List for the 7 is $1100.

UDATE: Well.....maybe so....Anybody buy from Precision Reloading?

On their site the Presses, shell plates, die plates, and the conversion kit are all cataloged and priced, but of course "out of stock". Here's their listed prices:

Pro Chucker 7 .. $759
Pro Chucker 5 ... $537
5 Die Plates ... $25 ea
5 Shell Plates ... $37.50 ea
7 Die Plates (with included huge hoppered quick change Uniflow) ...$250 ea!
7 Shell Plates ... 52.50 ea

5-7 Conversion Kit ... $300

Yes, a case feeder is coming by summer. I hear station rotation is very smooth. No sign of a built-in swager.......yet. With all that room maybe that's in the future.

[Real Gun]

Interesting. Two things occur to me...one being another pull per round, and two, I personally don't foresee using 7 stations until I have a bullet feeder.

I hope Hornady feels pressured to follow suit, because that is my current commitment on equipment. I need at least another station for the gadgets they add to the press options. I wasn't thrilled to be forced to give up dedicated crimping on my lead bullet, revolver ammo.

[lee n. field]

Wow. I'm sure it's prime quality stuff.

The market still refuses to take primer pipe bombs and Murphy serious.

How is priming done on this?

(Should I hope that Lee will attempt a progressive based on the Classic Turret....?)

[higgite]

Two things occur to me...one being another pull per round,....

It's not really another pull per round. After the shellplate is filled, one pull gives you one round, regardless of how many stations are in use. Just like any other progressive press.

[GWS]

How is priming done on this?

The old "hole in the ceiling way".....wear gloves and ear plugs. Don't put off swabbing empty tubes clean. Higgite has a good picture of the priming system.....

Notice the die plate attachment in the picture? New green definition of "Lock-n-Load"!

[Real Gun]

It's not really another pull per round. After the shellplate is filled, one pull gives you one round, regardless of how many stations are in use. Just like any other progressive press.

Wow!. Wasn't thinking, huh?

[higgite]

Originally Posted by Real Gun

Wow!. Wasn't thinking, huh?

I've never done that. (He says as he dodges lightning bolts.)

[higgite]

Here's the pic of the priming system that GWS mentioned.

[cryogenic419]

They are looking to try to give the Dillon 1050 a run for the money I'm guessing?

More than 5 stations makes sense with the introduction of bullet feeders to the masses. This machine looks very similar in design to the LNL AP in some areas. I like the bolt hole in the back of the press for mounting to the bench. Being able to upgrade from 5 to 7 station is awesome. I'll be very interested to see when this comes out just where prices are at and how it actually functions when it goes into full blown production.

It will also be interesting to see if Hornady has anything up their sleeves as far as presses go in the future.

[rkittine]

I need one of the newer deluxe RCBS Rock Chucker presses if anyone is moving up to one of these or another progressive and wants to sell one. I only use progressives (Star) for Pistol Ammo.

Bob

[codefour]

I know you are a Pro 2000 user like me, but do you think it is worth the upgrade? I have all the shell plates, die plates, powder funnels, and dies I need for the Pro 2000. That seems like a lot of money to reinvent the wheel... I love my Pro 2000.. I love the strips and swore I would never go back to tubes..

[GWS]

I don't honestly know. just too early to say. For a new progressive user, either one is certainly a worthy consideration as a choice among the Progressives now available.

The pluses I see for either press is the new twist lock die plates, the location of Stations 1 & 2 at the back, leaving the front stations for the things you need to see, like powder level and good bullet alignment. They say the presses advance smoother than any of the other progressives....mythical shotshow hype....we will see.

Tube priming sure isn't a plus to enlightened APS users, but the masses choice is what it is. RCBS sure wasn't going to go against that with the new presses. At least they put the Pipe bomb in the back behind the casting.

The Pro Chucker 5's big advantage (compared to competitive presses) is the upgradability to the 7 station Press with only a $300 kit! That's like being able to upgrade the Dillon 650 to a 1050 with a kit. That's unheard of except where RCBS offered a similar deal with a $100 kit that upgraded the Pro 2000 manual to autoadvance. Again that's like upgrading a 550 to a 650 with just a $100 kit.

As for the Pro Chucker 7......sure I'd love to have one. What with preferences to crimp separately, auto feeding of both bullets and cases, lock-out dies, it would be nice if not necessary. As for competing directly with a Dillon 1050? Depends on whether you think the built-in swager is the cat's meow. This press does not have that. I just don't know whether the 7 stations are more or less versatile than the 1050's (never seen a 1050)

My questions are that since stations 1 and 2 are set (case feeder & priming) then just how many options are left. Guess you could go back to charging on 3. (again not sure why)
Let's see:
1. feed cases & size/deprime
2. prime expand
3. drop powder
4. powder check
5. bullet feed
6. bullet seat
7. crimp

Otherwise what do you do with #7?

I did away with the powder check by using a tiny video camera to watch powder.....flashes a big picture in my face! But with the Pro 2000's stationary #3 I still don't want to use it since I have powder dies preset on each caliber's die plate.......with the new RC-5 that would not be a limitation.

[DaleA]

APS bit the dust...

And I predicted, when it came out, that the APS system would sweep the reloading world.

Never bought one but I always figured some day I would. Oh well, still might do it someday. I have to believe RCBS will be selling those goofy strips forever.

[A pause for the COZ]

hmmmm Me likey!!! I was always wanting a six station. Seven??? Yea!!!
$1100??? BOOOOO!
But they are starting the trend. maybe my six station may happen one day.

[GWS]

$1100 is list.....street is $759. But I don't like their idea of packaging all 7 station die plates with their own Uniflow! Kent Sakamoto says that's how it is at least for the first year. They don't do that for the 5 station ones. For me that means no deal.....at least for the first year. At the best street price thats $300 a pop! They STILL market poorly!! shooting their own feet constantly!

Once you have a case-activated Uniflow, all you need to prepopulate die plates the powder die and lower clamp for each. You sure don't need 5 Uniflows for 5 die plates.

So are they getting greedy? Even Dillon sells die plates separate outside their "Kits" if you so desire.

[A pause for the COZ]

I did away with the powder check by using a tiny video camera to watch powder.....flashes a big picture in my face! But with the Pro 2000's stationary #3 I still don't want to use it since I have powder dies preset on each caliber's die plate.......with the new RC-5 that would not be a limitation.

I tried that with a USB cam. On my Piggy back 2. never did get it set up well enough for smaller charges in longer cases. ( I.E. 357 mag)
Sure I could with enough incentive to do it. but I found another use for the cam, that I actually do use every day.

I think you can see it in this image. I set it up in front of my scale.
Makes it real easy to see the weight.

[codefour]

A few reasons I bought a Pro 2000:

1. The ease of caliber conversions. I like the simple primer plug swap to change large to small primers etc. I like having one powder measure. Unlike Mr. Dillon that wants you to buy a powder measure for every caliber you reload. It came with both large and small Uniflow rotors. The micrometer insert was a blessing. I load different powders in the same cartridge, i.e .44 Mag which I load with 2400, 296 and 4227.
2. I love the preloaded APS strips. I hate pecking tubes. The APS loading tool is easier once you learn to use it than pecking 100 primers. It also was real easy to track how many rounds you loaded.
3. I love RCBS customer service. I have broken items due my dumb luck or not paying attention. RCBS refused to take my money when I told them I wanted to pay for them. I like the life time warranty, no questions asked policy.
4. I like the Pro 2000 is made out of steel/iron. I can cam over the press which most aluminum progressives have problems doing.

That's some of the reasons I like my Pro 2000.

I do not like the new dedicated powder measure for each die head. That is a bit excessive. I wonder if you can call RCBS and just order the head. RCBS will sell individual parts to a customer even though the parts are not sold retail.

Will the new Pro 5/7 have the unconditional lifetime warranty.? Maybe if I started competing with just one caliber again it may be worth it. But I load IIRC 15 different calibers on my Pro 2000. That may get expensive on a Pro 7 to buy all the shell plates, die heads and apparently powder measures.

It is a cool concept that may give the 1050 a run for its money. It would be cool to have a good commercial grade press that was NOT a Dillon.

[Lemmon]

I should have known.......I have been looking to buy the Pro2000 for a few years and noticed the die plates and prices for the Pro2000 had dropped a few months back and I went ahead and bit the bullet. I purchased a Pro2000 and several die plates when I found them on sale. I liked the APS system and hated the tubes that My Ammomaster used..... I am usually a few years behind current technology...... I liked the Ammomaster and having many shell plates it made since to go with the new Por2000........

Lemmon from Rural South Carolina........"Still Proudly Flying the RCBS Fag.."

[Sevens]

Lemmon, you may be from Rural SC and quite proud, but a proof-read or a spell check may be in order for the very bitter end of your post.

[GWS]

It is a cool concept that may give the 1050 a run for its money. It would be cool to have a good commercial grade press that was NOT a Dillon.

I'm betting it's a cast iron press, but I'm not as certain it's in the 1050 class. (Semi-commercial) But it is still sitting in the market in a spot that will surely take some 1050 sales due to the 7 stations alone. From what I can see from pictures so far, there seems to be no provision to swage military brass and load in one pass. That's still a 1050 exclusive.

Lemmon, not to worry.....I see no reason to give up on the Pro 2000 and the super APS primer system just yet. But it would be prudent to stock up on CCI pre-stripped APS primers, just for the reason that they are so fast and awesome to load with. Sorta like having 50 primer tubes preloaded and ready to insert. While that's a very stupid and dangerous thing to do with tubes, with strips its no more dangerous than storing that many conventional primers in their boxes.

Besides, maybe next year they will be discounted clearance.....and you do have a strip loader.....so you can make your own boxes of primers.

I have a pattern available to make your own boxes. I also have a popular mod how-to thread for the strip loader you might like as well as Pro 2000 mod threads.

Those threads are tacked in AR15.com at the following link.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/25...age=1#i2526501

Welcome to the very pleasant world of Pro 2000 loading!

[Lemmon]

Stevens, I appreciate your kind advice...... I see you are much more skilled at giving comments with over 9,000 posts.....Please forgive me....

Lemmon from rural South Carolina

[FrankenMauser]

Added by Frank Ettin:

The rumors set out in this post have been challenged. See post 65 for information from a Dillon employee addressing the apparently incorrect information in this post.

They are looking to try to give the Dillon 1050 a run for the money I'm guessing?

That won't be very difficult in the very near future.
Dillon's most important employee, and likely 'heir to the throne', died last year. That leaves an alzheimers-ridden Mike Dillon, who is unable to run his company (and hasn't been for quite some time); and the younger Mike Dillon, who is said to not be up to the task.

By all accounts from inside Dillon, the company is running on empty, fumbling in the dark.

If the situation does not improve soon, expect Dillon to become part of General Dynamics or ATK. (Possibly both, or even a third party, if they split Dillon Aero from Dillon Precision.)

[Sevens]

Lemmon, fine sir, it was a joke -- sent in good cheer.

"Still Proudly Flying the RCBS Fag.."

Pay no attention to my 9,000 posts.
If a number is necessary to this discussion, I'll submit my 19,614 loaded rounds in calendar year 2014. And yeah, I'm also annoyed that I didn't give it the late December push to make that blasted 20k.

NOTE: this post also sent in good cheer.

[cryogenic419]

By all accounts from inside Dillon, the company is running on empty, fumbling in the dark.

That's really a shame. Would hate to see them go by the wayside or sold off to somebody just for the name, then watch the quality go downhill fast.

[Mavrick79]

Are they using the same case activated linkage on the powder measure?