I don't disagree with the buy once, cry once mindset. However, I just want to get my feet wet with bolt actions, so I don't want to buy one, not like it and have to get rid of it. If I do end up liking it, I'd probably get one in a larger caliber. I'm looking for more of a fun/test gun instead of a tac driver at the moment. Something like this - cheap and comes with a scope:
IMO a good quality .22 LR bolt gun is probably one of the best investments you can make.
1) you don't chew thru a box of ammo as fast because you are cycling a bolt, that extra bit of work tends to make me focus a LOT more to make a shot 'count'. That slower tempo makes range days more enjoyable, you look around at the beauty of the crater, talk to bench neighbors more, you can camp a bench for a good long while and really enjoy the day.
2) it's fun as he'll with a high childhood nostalgia factor. BB / pellet guns and .22LRs are usually your first introduction to the culture/ sport. I giggle like a kid when it get one of those Itty bitty bullets to go really far and hit where it is supposed to. Everything seems to get a lot more serious and a little less 'fun' when shooting bigger more expensive calibers. Also I often warm up with .22 to get a groove going before unboxing a bigger rifle at the bench.
3) a serious Bench Rest shooters advice to me about becoming a better rifle Marksman was
'Shoot a LOT of .22LR ammo, all the same factors that go into long range shooting are there, bullet drop, windage, but are more exaggerated in a smaller distance. You won't learn about ballistics and scope doping firing flat shooting calibers at ranges that only go out to 100 yrds like Kokohead'.
I won't tell someone else how to spend their money, but I have no buyers remorse investing in a tack driving 22, it's my most fired rifle by a 20 fold round count. I will certainly get all my money back out of it.