Sweeney’s Equipment Paradigm states that,
"Once any piece of gear has a high enough quality or sufficient durability, extra cost is better put to practice ammo. A $1,000 scope will not serve you as well as a $500 scope and $500 in practice ammo. A $50 scope and $950 in ammo, however, is probably a wasted $50 scope purchase."
While this is often talked about by shooters as a tongue-in-cheek principle, it actually has some merit.
We often get asked to discuss the pro's and con's of two similar guns, that may be hundreds of dollars apart in price. If you're a new shooter, we may recommend the cheaper option, simply because the extra practice ammo will be far more beneficial to you. Even an experienced shooter will get a benefit from more practice, though.
Next time you're debating between going with a solid mid-market product, or a top-of-the-line model, considers Sweeney's wisdom.