Get out the violin again, Tom
While I know there are those out there that will disagree with this, I nevertheless feel that it is a well thought out position that will insure proper grounding in the basics. I believe that it is a serious mistake to start a new loader with a progressive machine, and this is why: there is no single element of the process that is particularly difficult, but there are an awful lot of little things one needs to learn in order to turn out safe and effective ammunition. A single stage press allows a beginner to consider each of these processes one at a time and allows the chance to learn each thoroughly before moving on to the next step. It gives him (or her) the chance to handle and visually inspect each case before and after every step and to think about exactly what is being done.
Yes, it takes longer to work a single stage press. So what? You take your time and progress slowly and carefully through the steps. You build skills and confidence. There is a gentleman on one of the gunloads forums that is starting out the hobby with his son. They have started with a Lee Loader. I applaud his good sense. He is thoughtful and methodical and both he and his son will become safe and careful loaders (they already set off a primer by accident, and that sure got their attention - they were back almost immediately and not ashamed to be asking questions to insure it didn't happen again).
In time, you develop your own routine, how you lay out your tools and supplies. You gain an intimate knowledge of the entire process and slowly you begin to grasp the whole process in its entirety. Before very long you are rolling right along and you have gained a level of awareness that lets you perceive immediately if something is not right, and you have the know-how to solve the problem and the sense to prevent its repetition. You are going to make mistakes. That is what learning is all about. You are much better off making them when you are only having to deal with one step at a time and can easily go back and correct them while they are still only minor problems.
The greatest danger we face is the possibility of double, triple, or NOT charging a pistol case with commonly used powders. If you are using a single stage press, all your cases are lined up in a loading block and you can take a bright light and inspect each one. You KNOW everything is right and safe because you can see it yourself. With everything that is happening at once on a progressive press, a beginner is not going to have a sufficient grasp of what is actually going on to be able to be aware of the many things that need attention, and will likely not catch common problems until actually at the range, with potentially disastrous results.
Please understand that I am in no way disparaging progressive machines, - especially Dillons, the standard by which all others are judged - they are technical marvels that save us a lot of time when we have a lot of loading to do. It is merely that you have to have more than just a minor clue to run one safely. When you've been at it a while, fine, go for one if you have the volume to justify it. It helps if you know folks who have more than one kind so you can check them out first and get a better idea of your needs and which machine will best serve them, and it takes some experience to make that sort of self assessment. To my mind, setting up a beginner on a progressive is like taking a teenager off a bicycle, putting him behind the wheel of a semi, and giving him a map and a pat on the back. It makes more sense to teach him first how to drive a small car, learn the rules of the road, then move up to a stick shift, then maybe to a big van, etc. You have to learn to walk before you can run. Big mistakes in our hobby can and do kill people, and I have watched too many fools come too damn close too many times for me not to urge caution and patience.
Also to be considered is that not everyone is temperamentally suited to the hobby. It takes a good degree of concentration, some maturity, and no small amount of patience, especially in the beginning. Better for someone to find out with a cheap press and minimal outlay of cash that he doesn't have the attention span or the innate ability to pay attention to the little details necessary to do it effectively and safely. A man can be intelligent, well read, an accomplished hunter, a great performer on the target range but still just not have what it takes to craft ammo. The time to find that out isn't when he's up to his ears (and over his head) with a $500+ machine.
OK, now I'll put the violin away!