As most simulator instructors will attest, thousands of hours monitoring an autopilot mean very little in terms of equivalent manual instrument flying skills,.
Couldn't agree more - hence that I have columns for IFR and "Instrument Reference" - clearly the second column is never going to have a bigger number in it than the first. But, as one day I might like to teach instrument flying, I need the first as well even if the second is a far more honest indicator of my real experience levels.
G