I want a S&W Model 41 .22LR pistol which has a MSRP of $1369.00. I guess I have no sense!
I'd say so! You should hold out for a nice used, older Model 41!
I think part of the issue is a matter of expectations and purposes. I see a lot what I call "it's only a .22" in this thread. Which doesn't particularly surprise me, because it's very common.
However, I'll gleefully buy and shoot .10-.15/round .22LR ammo. And no, I don't consider it to be anything special. $50-75 a brick only gets you Wolf Match Target or Match Extra, SK Standard or Eley Target lately. It's perfect for shooting in something like my CZ452s or Browning T-Bolt, where I want accuracy and won't be using a whole brick in an afternoon.
When my goal is only to plink bottle caps and shotgun shells, I'll switch to CCI Standard Velocity or Federal Gold Medal Target (711B is just a standard velocity .22 round these days and shouldn't be confused with actual Gold Medal target ammo). This stuff runs $35-50 a brick and is again worth it to me.
But I may be a bit of an oddity. I don't discriminate between my centerfires and rimfires from a fun perspective. And I came outrageously close to buying a square action Anschutz match rifle a couple weeks ago.l, even though I don't compete anymore! Most people would have a fit if they knew how much that "just a .22" cost!
Edited: As much as I enjoy reloading, it isn't very convenient to load good, match quality rifle ammo in my current situation.