if you were a total beginner

[JSC]

Your choice of press (if you only want to have one for the moment) really comes down to precision vs. production speed. There is a trade off between the how precise and consistent you can be reloading with a semi-automated multi turret press when compared to a single stage press plus the additional preparation steps required with one.

If I was reloading only pistol calibres, one of the progressive Dillon presses would be the obvious choice.
There are a few people using these for rifle calibres and if you 'tune' the press and pay attention to what you're doing, you can get consistent results and a good throughput, but if you're looking to load .308 for long range shooting and you want to develop very accurate and consistent loads, you're going to be carrying out several preparation steps on the brass, weighing the powder charges as accurately as possible and assembling the rounds with more care then you might need to do if shooting .44 ammo through an underlever at 25 yards for instance.

You can't do enough research, that's for sure, but you will need to distill it all down to a process suitable for your needs and level of experience. To begin with, just make sure you understand all the basic principles and are following all the safety advice and correct procedures. Always err on the side of caution. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and check with experienced homeloaders if you are unsure about anything or don't understand a particular process, preparation step or the reason for doing something.

[zanes]

If I was reloading only pistol calibres, one of the progressive Dillon presses would be the obvious choice.

Given that the title of this thread includes the words "total beginner", I'd say this is probably almost the worst possible advice (excepting a recommendation for a Lee progressive (and yes, I have and like one of them)).

[dodgyrog]

A word of warning.
If you load in rifle calibres do NOT rely on a powder dispenser to throw consistent powder charges!!!
Just yesterday at the range one of our club shooters had a bullet stuck up his rifle barrel due to his Lee automatic powder dispenser not working properly (or at all!). Weigh every charge.

[JSC]

If I was reloading only pistol calibres, one of the progressive Dillon presses would be the obvious choice.

Given that the title of this thread includes the words "total beginner", I'd say this is probably almost the worst possible advice (excepting a recommendation for a Lee progressive (and yes, I have and like one of them)).

I fail to see why. You have to set up the dies on a single stage press in the same way as you do with a progressive.
If you set up a Dillon carefully step-by-step and use the safety features they offer, you actually have much less of a chance of loading with a zero or double powder charge.
Why do you consider a Lee progressive OK for a beginner and not a Dillon?

[Countryman]

I use my Dillon for pistol calibres and .223 but prefer to do my bigger stuff by hand on a single stage press.

The reason I suggested a single stage press to start off with is that you get to learn what each stage of reloading feels and looks like. It's never money wasted as you are going to use it for the .308 anyway.

[zanes]

Why do you consider a Lee progressive OK for a beginner and not a Dillon?

I don't- I said

[...]
this is probably almost the worst possible advice (excepting a recommendation for a Lee progressive
[...]

As in, the Lee would be the worst possible advice.

[JSC]

Ah, I see. So you are saying the Lee progressive is the worst advice and the Dillon is the second worst advice?

I can see where you're coming from about the Lee but still don't understand why you think the Dillon would be a bad choice for a beginner reloading pistol calibres.

One sets up and checks the operation of a progressive press one station at a time, just like a single stage press.
It's just that after that's done you can reload at a much faster rate. If something goes wrong at any stage there are checks and safeguards. It's a more complex piece of machinery but hardly baffling.

It's a long time ago now, but I think I started with a Lee turret press and quickly put it back in it's box and bought a Dillon 550. You can learn and practice all the basic reloading techniques on a Dillon. You could even use it as a single stage press to begin with if you want to. Once you're happy with what you're doing you then have a machine which is capable of producing rounds at a rate which will allow you to spend some time with your family in the evenings. However, I'm only saying that in relation to the .44 Mag loading. Personally, I only use single stage presses for rifle calibres and I would recommend that approach because you need more precision and control for the likes of .308 target loads.

[Countryman]

Lee 1000 in .44 would be about the worst possible start to anybodies career in reloading. You would struggle to set it up and then be totally out of your depth with its hourly foul up.

[dromia]

The problem with progressives for beginners is that all the steps in assembling a round are happening at once and that is a lot for beginner to take in, the trick about learning to hand load is that you learn the principles, processes and how they relate to each other and the firearm they are to be used in.

A single station press allows you to build this learning experience in a measured way that learning how to work a progressive doesn't. The slower pace of a single station allows you to focus on exactly what is happening at each stage and develop the understanding in the order of ammunition building.

I know beginners who have started with progressives and they have learned to make good ammunition using working data and no load development, they know how to work the progressive but their handloading knowledge isn't as far advanced as it should be due to the progressive operation learning curve taking precedent of the handloading understanding learning curve.

[ukrifleman]

A total beginner could do a lot worse than set themselves up with a Lee Classic turret press for several reasons.

They are reasonably priced, are solidly made and it only takes seconds to swap between calibres.

It can be used as a single station or as an indexing press.

Its biggest advantage in my view is, that every stage of the loading process can be monitored at all times which lessens the chance of a mistake.

I would definitely not recommend a progressive for a novice, too many things going on at once.

ukrifleman.