[Dannyl]

Hi All,
First, I think what people really mean by "cheap" is "good value for money paid" and not " cheap & Nasty".

from my side, I use both top of the range and "more easily affordable" stuff, depending on the application.
For instance, when I teach my son to shoot with a 0.22 pistol and revolver, if it is for plinking at cans from 15 meters, where my intention is to teach him the correct grip, use of open sights and trigger control, then cheap ( yet reliable and FAIRLY accurate) ammunition is good enough. but when I teach him to shoot metallic Silouhette (0.22 Anschutz rifle) to distances of up to 100 meter, then we use "top of the range" ammunition.

I apply the same principle to my handgun ammunition, for pin-shooting & IDPA, cast heads save me heaps of money. I have just started shooting metallic silouhette with my S&W 586 (0.357) and I am able to consistently hit plates (8"x8") at 200M using cast lead bullets (I take my hat off to the local manufacturer) without necessarily having to spend a fortune on highly rated and priced jacketed bullets.

With my 3006, my hunting & hunt-practice ammunition is loaded with HORNADY intelock and interbond bullets.
for practice, to keep my hands and eye in shape, as well as for metal silouhette, I use other bullets, that are good enough for the job. They are not constructed well enough for hunting, which makes them more affordable, but are good enough to knock down a plate and group within 1.5" at 100M.

Being able to shoot well requires a good firearm, decent ammunition, and lots of practice. By doing this my son and I can shoot more for less money. which goes a long way towards having fun and shooting better.

However, one must never compromise on safety, so if a certain component is within the "cheap and nasty" category, rather not touch it.

Cheers,
Danny