"you get what you pay for"
That's true, and it's also a bunch of B.S. at the same time.
Sometimes you're paying for "bells 'n' whistles". Sometimes you're paying for someone's name or image. And other times you are paying for durability, function, or comfort.
The trick is knowing what you want, and knowing how to make your dollar get what you want.
If you want an off-road vehicle, $25,000 on a Jeep is better spent than $45,000 on a Corvette.
I bought a semi-custom muzzle loader a couple years ago. I got a Chamber's lock, and a swamped barrel on it. I got all the furniture but no carving, no fancy wood. I pretty much maxed out my dollar on quality components. Spending anything more would only get me carving, inlays, curly maple, or a gun made by a more notable maker. Open sights it shoots 2" groups at 100 yards, that's with minimal tweaking - just picked a load and went with it.
I could spend $30,000 on a muzzle loader. Would it shoot any better or be any more durable than a $800 muzzle loader? No. The extra $29,200 pays for a muzzle loader that was hand made starting with a log, a bar of iron, some coal, a hammer and and anvil.
I wouldn't knock anyone for paying that much for such a gun. But for my purposes it would be a total waste of good money. I want a gun that I can afford to take deer hunting.
So by spending LESS I'm getting MORE fun.
I'm reloading now. I bought all Lee equipment. I'm content. Had I chosen to get a Dillon, I would still be saving up, not doing much shooting at all because any dollar spent on ammo could have been put towards the Dillon.
