We as reloaders tend to forget there is really three different main styles that we need to address when this question gets asked and just jump in and answer with what we do. Even then we then can break it down further but the real question was answered latter when he said he was going to load rifle. With rifle the choice is really single or turret depending on how much he is planing on loading during a session. With a turret press repeatability will be allot easier as once the dies are set up they do not have to be changed out again. With a single stage you have to change out the die with each stage. If going with a turret press would also suggest going with one I could change out the head on so I don't have to reset the dies when I change to a different caliber.
There are advantages to both as far as the reloading process itself most covered above:
- single stage:
done a stage at a time so you become intimate with each stage.
each stage done individually so you know in a batch each round is identical.
always nice to have a single stage press around.
makes very accurate rounds if you are aware of what you are doing.
cheap to get into.
- turret:
all the benefits of a single stage except a little more expensive to get into.
can produce a batch or just a single round.
makes it real easy to workup test loads.
when in production mode not as fast as a progressive but faster than a single stage. ( not sure this is a factor for rifle. )
can be just as accurate as a single stage just need to pay attention to the job at hand.