I started out with a $99 Traditions Deerhunter sidelock. It was poor quality and had a 8-10lb trigger but darned if I didn't kill a few dozen deer with it since I didn't know any better.
Truth is, if you are happy shooting 100 yds there is not a ML on the market that won't do the job and the deer won't know the difference. By the time the gun actually makes a difference in accuracy you are beyond the distances the average hunter shoots.
Of course, the marketers for the companies don't want you to know that. They want you to think you'll miss Mr. Big if you don't have their new $700 Whiz Bang.
Most of what is argued about are differences so small as to have questionable meaning outside the target range, or are related to preference more than performance.