I stated out reloading with an old Lyman 310 hand tool, which dates me no doubt. I then went to a Lyman All American turret set-up and it suited my needs extremely well for a good many years. I had my .357 and .35 Remington die sets in it, and could start turning out either with just a change of shell holder and resetting my powder measure. Running by the "batch" system, 100 -200 rds of my standard .357 load took a bit over an hour to load checking charges every 20 rds.
I still recommend a turret set-up to beginners, as it offers a lot of versatility and convenience for those who want to turn out a moderate number of rds. in more than one caliber. A close second would be one of the newer single-stage set-ups which use a 'quick change' bushing sytem such as Hornady's "Lock 'n Load" or Lee's "Breech Lock". No readjustment of every die needed every time you use it, and you can run batches nearly as quickly as with a turret with them.
As was said, the right kit can offer some not-inconsiderable savings over putting a complete set-up together piecemeal. Since servicable digital electronic powder scales have become so relatively inexpensive and widely available, having one to double-check your balance beam's reading is cheap insurance especially for the novice, IMHO.
I still recommend a turret set-up to beginners, as it offers a lot of versatility and convenience for those who want to turn out a moderate number of rds. in more than one caliber. A close second would be one of the newer single-stage set-ups which use a 'quick change' bushing sytem such as Hornady's "Lock 'n Load" or Lee's "Breech Lock". No readjustment of every die needed every time you use it, and you can run batches nearly as quickly as with a turret with them.
As was said, the right kit can offer some not-inconsiderable savings over putting a complete set-up together piecemeal. Since servicable digital electronic powder scales have become so relatively inexpensive and widely available, having one to double-check your balance beam's reading is cheap insurance especially for the novice, IMHO.