The lath and plaster thing hits hard because thats the part nobody tells you about starting out. You think experience means all the walls get easier, then you're 4 years in standing in front of the same crumbly mess you fought on day one and it feels like the trade is laughing at you. But honestly thats not being stuck, thats just what old buildings do to everybody, even the 20 year guys still cuss those walls. The round number weirdness probably isnt about the cable at all, its that hitting 1000 means you cant pretend you're still new and figuring it out. Splicing looks cleaner and pays better but if pulling still feels like the job to you that counts for something most people never find in their work. Give it another 500 drops and see if that feeling changes or digs in deeper.