The only trouble here is that you are not practicing the bit that matters at the end when the needles get more sensitive and you transit from IMC to visual at low level
Yes, agreed, but going lower would involve getting into the zone and I don't think they'd go for that. Its the closest place to my home field that I can do this without having to talk to a tower, plus as a instrument novice 1000 feet gives a comfortable margin on the bottom for practicing cloud breaks.