It is fair to say there is more than one way to look at it.
On another thread,tactics,maybe,someone referred to "unconscious competence"
There is a progression of learning:Unconscious incompetence,Conscious incompetence,conscious competence,unconscious competence.
Given,incompetence in reloading can have disasterous consequences,
A good case can be made for simplicity.
It is generally accepted that distraction is to be avoided at the loading bench.
If the new loader is trying to learn the process of reloading from a loading manual,the press and die instructions,and youtube,then dealing with one simple issue at a time is quite enough.
Some suggest you can run a progressive as a single stage(Dillon 550).No argument.
Cost,well,you can get a light duty ,entry level press for $40 or so.It WILL do the job for learning the process of reloading.
If you have 1000 .556 military crimped brass,you can stroke your progressive press 1000 times to use a universal decap die to knock the primers out,or,yoy can move over to your single stage press.
A run of 40 rds of big game ammo can be set up and run in a progressive,or knocked out in a single stage.
Its not black and white.I have two single stage presses and a progressive on my bench.I have a powder measure between the two single stage presses.
In press one,I can with one operation size,decap,and prime.It has an auto primer feed.
The powder measure is between presses.I can charge,and stick it in the next press and seat a bullet.
I have slightly twisted the press mounting so the egonomics of stroking the press work out from one seat position..
Take your pick,its not worth a whizzing contest,its a preference.There isn't an absolute right/wrong answer.
IMO,progressive press or not,a single stage press on the bench is always useful.Its not a waste of money.
IMO,an entry level handloader has enough to focus on if he/she has one simple thing at a time to watch and understand.How you get there,even with a Dillon 550,is up to the person spending the money.
IMO,once unconscious competence in basic reloading is achieved,then the progressive process is a next step.
If possible,much of the learning can take place at an experienced reloaders bench without buying any equiptment.
On another thread,tactics,maybe,someone referred to "unconscious competence"
There is a progression of learning:Unconscious incompetence,Conscious incompetence,conscious competence,unconscious competence.
Given,incompetence in reloading can have disasterous consequences,
A good case can be made for simplicity.
It is generally accepted that distraction is to be avoided at the loading bench.
If the new loader is trying to learn the process of reloading from a loading manual,the press and die instructions,and youtube,then dealing with one simple issue at a time is quite enough.
Some suggest you can run a progressive as a single stage(Dillon 550).No argument.
Cost,well,you can get a light duty ,entry level press for $40 or so.It WILL do the job for learning the process of reloading.
If you have 1000 .556 military crimped brass,you can stroke your progressive press 1000 times to use a universal decap die to knock the primers out,or,yoy can move over to your single stage press.
A run of 40 rds of big game ammo can be set up and run in a progressive,or knocked out in a single stage.
Its not black and white.I have two single stage presses and a progressive on my bench.I have a powder measure between the two single stage presses.
In press one,I can with one operation size,decap,and prime.It has an auto primer feed.
The powder measure is between presses.I can charge,and stick it in the next press and seat a bullet.
I have slightly twisted the press mounting so the egonomics of stroking the press work out from one seat position..
Take your pick,its not worth a whizzing contest,its a preference.There isn't an absolute right/wrong answer.
IMO,progressive press or not,a single stage press on the bench is always useful.Its not a waste of money.
IMO,an entry level handloader has enough to focus on if he/she has one simple thing at a time to watch and understand.How you get there,even with a Dillon 550,is up to the person spending the money.
IMO,once unconscious competence in basic reloading is achieved,then the progressive process is a next step.
If possible,much of the learning can take place at an experienced reloaders bench without buying any equiptment.
