Is there such thing as a good lifter?

I don't subscribe to the worn lifter bore stopping a lifter from pumping up theory for one simple reason.
You don't need very much oil pressure to prime a lifter. In fact you can pump them up by simply submersing them in oil and working the plunger up and down.
I don't think anyone is dumping all their oil pressure out of a lifter bore unless the lifter is missing.