If you've already paid your dues... and shot a couple thousand rounds... maybe a few matches, and you're looking to eek everything possible out of yourself and your gear.... then yeah, maybe dropping that kinda dough will be the difference between 50 hits.... and 52. To some guys... like Ric and JB.... it's TOTALLY worth it. Because hey.... making hits is the name of the game.... and dropping that kinda coin does tend to remove all equipment based "excuses" (Leupolds aside)... or at least it f'n better.
The last 10% of Performance.... is 90% of the Cost. How much you gotta spend depends on how many times you wanna chase that 10%....
Well, I agree in principal but any decent "built" rifle w/scope appropriate for long range will end up costing what, $2500 all-in? Minimum? I mean you can win the lottery with a really accurate factory rifle, and I have, and that's great when it happens, but you can't count on it by any stretch, and a build costs $$$. So even at $5k it's more like 50% more.... to your point, to chase it beyond a $5k build probably goes exponential. I sure wouldn't know.
I kept my heavy 7 WSM build to right around $2500, but I did a bunch of otherwise expensive machining myself, and the scope was only $700 or so (and it kicks ass, but that's another thread). Call it a $3000 build w/compromises. It would be fun to spend a couple K more. It'd be on Alpha optics, for me. Just to see how you guys across the tracks live <g>.
Damn the luck.... I did find a used M700 RUM when I went looking the other day........ N+1....
