What constitutes “inherently accurate “?

[RoyB]

"I think inherently accurate is a misnomer. I think fault tolerant would be a better way of putting it"

Perfect!

 

[Shadowwalker]

To me it seems that cartridges developed this terminology in a search to describe what appears to be a accurate cartridge. Like many of the post on this topic, any cartridge can be deadly accurate it is a marriage between, cartridge, receiver, cambering, bullets and loading criteria that make this all happen. Hell even the 6.5 Creedmoor I am inclined to think in principle that shorter powder stacks relative to diameter tend to provided more uniform pressure curve and hence produce more accurate outcomes but there are no guarantees. But depending just on how much tinkering and gunsmithing you want to do any caliber can be made crazily accurate

 

[Shadowwalker]

Obviously you have never shot a Hornet or drove an Edsel.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Many have already addressed which cartridges they think are, roughly, inherently accurate. In my opinion, the magnums, with velocities that minimize ballistic drop, can be very accurate.

I understand the post's title and use of the word "accurate" but separately, looking at the statistical definition of "accurate," which implies how well centered about bullseye the group is, vs "precision" which implies how tightly grouped the group is, the post could also be titled as, "what constitutes inherently precise?"

I'll add a few cartridges that arguably could fit this rough description, 22LR, 22WMR, 17HMR. I see many folks at the range shoot the lights out with the HMR.

 

[Mach 1]

To me it seems that cartridges developed this terminology in a search to describe what appears to be a accurate cartridge. Like many of the post on this topic, any cartridge can be deadly accurate it is a marriage between, cartridge, receiver, cambering, bullets and loading criteria that make this all happen. Hell even the 6.5 Creedmoor I am inclined to think in principle that shorter powder stacks relative to diameter tend to provided more uniform pressure curve and hence produce more accurate outcomes but there are no guarantees. But depending just on how much tinkering and gunsmithing you want to do any caliber can be made crazily accurate

 

[DJ Fergus]

I guess "inherently accurate" just seems like an old school phrase that originated from people describing the 270 win, accurate but they wasn't completely sure of all the reasons why it was back then. Those reasons are common knowledge for alot more people now than it used to be. I've heard just about every one that stands behind a gun counter use the phrase "inherently accurate" but I seldom hear guys that have been reloading for years use it anymore. I know several long range rifle gunsmiths and they don't use the phrase alot. Nothing wrong with that phrase but it just never seemed to be appropriate for what was trying to be described to me when I didn't know much about it. If someone would have shown me the reasons a particular cartridge was inherently accurate every time a person said a cartridge was inherently accurate then that would have been really helpful. But I guess it's a good phrase that some folks can use even if the don't know all the details, because we all had to start out somewhere.

 

[DJ Fergus]

Back to the original question of " what constitutes inherently accurate"? It is usually constituted by they guy behind the gun counter wanting to sell you a 6.5 creedmoor. He is the same guy who used to want to sell you a 270 win. Lol, I couldn't help myself. Just having a little fun!

 

[GeorgeS]

Just a thought, but accuracy is the culmination of the rifle, cartridge, and load attributes working together. Some cartridges are loaded in rifles that have the proper barrel weight to minimize whip, the proper leade and chamber dimensions to ensure concentricity of the bullet with the barrel when fired, the proper twist to stabilize bullets of high ballistic coefficient to minimize drift and drop, bullets manufactured with ideal ogive, base, meplat, length, and bearing surface to minimize shot-shot variability, the combination of brass capacity and currently available powder chemistry to reduce pressure variations and burn rate variations that affect barrel harmonics, and so on. You would expect that across a wide range of calibers and caliber variants that some would get large numbers of these wrong, and some large numbers of these right. When added to the ergonomics of the rifle, trigger, and typical sights and/or sight radius, that confluence of attributes would bias the performance of that round towards accuracy, and it would become colloquially known as such. Careful handloading and experimentation, along with load testing in conjunction with a particular barrel/chambering/bedding/stock geometry should allow most rounds to converge towards the performance of the most inherently accurate rounds, by duplicating the attributes that make those rounds accurate.

 

[Huntz]

Bench Rest Rifles have been built using a 30/30 cartridge and won matches with them.Does this mean the 30/30 cartridge is inherently accurate?I think the only thing that matters is how well the rifle has been built and how good is the person pulling the trigger.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I often wonder what would be the results if the best ballisticians, bullet, & rifle engineers would design a cartridge that didn't start with an available parent case, available production bullets and it wasn't required to fit in the bulk of production rifles being made. In other words, start from the ground up fresh not worrying about which companies, x,y or z would be able to profit. Design it cause it is absolutely designed well and not because it has to fit in this or that action, or because this parent case is already a available etc... Not realistic but interesting to ponder.

 

[DJ Fergus]

Typically when I'm looking into an endeavor for building something new and want to ask people about the particular cartridge that I am interested in, I don't ask them if it is " inherently accurate". I just want to know if it's finicky to load for. In other words, can I get reasonably wide nodes with acceptable accuracy with the bullet weights I want to shoot with available powders of reasonable temp stability and burn rate desired. And will it take a whole 8 hour day to do enough brass prep to get 50 pieces of brass where it will group 1/2 moa. I want it non-finicky or as someone posted earlier: error tollerant. I'm done with making finicky cartridges shoot great just because I made everything perfect. Not my cup of tea anymore.

 

[PApa Black]

I dont believe there is such a thing. I think there are cartridges that are more efficient and easier to load for and get better SD and ES, but they can all be accurate if built correctly.

I agree! Any cartridge can be accurate if the "launching platform" is manufactured accurately.

 

[Mike AVM]

And now you know the answer; no one agrees with anything.

 

[DJ Fergus]

And now you know the answer; no one agrees with anything.

I found out very early when I started reloading that there are many different schools of thought.