What is the MOST FUSSY cartridge...and LEAST?

[highfinblue]

I had a Weatherby Mark V my wife bought me for Christmas one year that I could not get to shoot anything. Factory ammo, reloads, different bullet weights, the gun simply would not shoot. My custom from Ryan Pierce in 28 Nosler has been no problem, but I could say that for several rifles I've owned. My experience has been if a gun is going to shoot really well, it will give hints of it pretty quickly.

 

[Hondo64d]

Let's go down the rabbit hole. What is the most fussy cartridge you've ever had to deal with? You eventually got it to shoot acceptably but with much heartache and effort or maybe only shooting 1 particular load acceptably and shotgunning all others.

On the flip, whats the cartridge you found that can do no wrong? Whatever you throw together shoots well and just plain makes it looks easy.

I don't know that I've shot any cartridges that were really difficult to make shoot well, but some are definitely easier to make shoot well than others. .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor are definitely easy buttons, as is the 6.5x47 Lapua. Have been spending most of my time shooting the .22 GT lately and so far, it seems very easy to please too.

John

 

[Sealesniper]

12 gauge slug gun past 125 yards with 3.5" Sabots. I shoot like I would in the field, so no bench or lead sled. After the first shot, I have made my second shot easier by letting the recoil and scope move my nose out of the way, high on my forehead. Then because my right shoulder is now bent back like a wishbone, I have to shoot the second confirming shot left handed. After a little praying and grimacing, I shoot the second shot, and call it sighted in. The only benefit is now I can clap with my shoulder blades as they are almost touching.

Least fussy has been all of my customs. Do a little research on starting loads, load Bergers or Accu Bond LR and accuracy has never been an issue. All are .5 MOA or better. My 22-250AI and my smokeless ML are the most accurate. One hole at 100 yards.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

The E-Z button for an accurate reloaded cartridge just might be the time-tested & proven .308 Win. The .308 works well with a wide variety of powders and bullet weights.

 

[Justice1327]

I don't know that I've shot any cartridges that were really difficult to make shoot well, but some are definitely easier to make shoot well than others. .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor are definitely easy buttons, as is the 6.5x47 Lapua. Have been spending most of my time shooting the .22 GT lately and so far, it seems very easy to please too.

John

What powder, bullet, twist rate are you working with in your 22GT

 

[Roughrice]

I loaded for a guy who had bought a new Valkyrie from CZ. My 1st experience with the model 600. Not sure which was responsible for the hassle, rifle or cartridge. But that was the most pain in the A#$. I'd loaded in many years.

Yes Sir,
I spent lots of time, powder and primers on that one!
Worked with 7 twist then tried 6.5 twist and gave up on it for 2 reasons...
1) Couldn't get it to group tight enough for a varmint rifle of my liking.
2) Wasn't much better than my 223 like all the internet claims that it was.

But, Perhaps it was just me...

 

[Hondo64d]

What powder, bullet, twist rate are you working with in your 22GT

H4350
88gr ELD-M, 85.5gr Berger, am going to try 77gr TMKs
7" twist Bartlein 5R, .218 bore.

22 GT; anyone with experience care to share thier experiences, general load & ballistic info. I’m considering a build.

I've built 25 saum and 25cr. 26" barrels 135 bergers and standard powders(rl16/h4350, H1000/N565) the creed will run 2900ish, 25saum will run 3200. If you use rl26, both are capable of another 100+fps. 25gt will run best at 2800 due to its capacity.

www.longrangehunting.com

John

 

[JP_SFL]

Easiest=308 winchester
Hardest-6.5 credemire

 

[Rosebud]

Easiest, 7-08. Most difficult .257 weatherby! My guess is that its mostly the rifle in that case. Only rifle I handed back to the owner, took nothing for my time spent, and hair pulled out, and telling him I give up. My advice was to sell it and get a 25-06.

 

[skipglo]

Following with interest!

However, it's a bit subjective……"One man's trash is another's treasure"! But, I'm still interested in the conversation. memtb

"Oooh honey...
Will you take out the garbage before you sit down to read!" Pleeeeeaase!

 

[del2les]

22 hornets can be a fussy little bugger for several reasons. Sloppy chambers, weak shoulders, thin brass, small powder capacity that compounds any error in charge weight.
The best easy button I've found for a hornet is partially sized brass 13 grains of lil gun and a 40 grain vmax seated to mag length. I use cci 400 primers but if your accuracy or es is poor switch to a small pistol primer. A crimp can also help too. The cases are so thin that the primer will unseat the bullet.
I hope this helps with your hornet endeavors

Those endeavors were decades ago, and since then, I have found decent loads for the old boy. For a long time, my go to powder was 2400, but when LilGun came out, I played around with it and found a couple of good loads also.

The old Hornet doesn't see much use today, as I prefer to use a couple of my 222Rems with reduced loads to accomplish the same. They are far less finicky, much more precise, and only takes about 1 grain more of some powders to achieve the same vels.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Rosebud]

12 gauge slug gun past 125 yards with 3.5" Sabots. I shoot like I would in the field, so no bench or lead sled. After the first shot, I have made my second shot easier by letting the recoil and scope move my nose out of the way, high on my forehead. Then because my right shoulder is now bent back like a wishbone, I have to shoot the second confirming shot left handed. After a little praying and grimacing, I shoot the second shot, and call it sighted in. The only benefit is now I can clap with my shoulder blades as they are almost touching.

Least fussy has been all of my customs. Do a little research on starting loads, load Bergers or Accu Bond LR and accuracy has never been an issue. All are .5 MOA or better. My 22-250AI and my smokeless ML are the most accurate. One hole at 100 yards.

Sense your already broken, go see the Kentucky Ballistics guy and shoot the 4 Bore.

 

[orkan]

The least fussy cartridge is without a doubt the 6mm BRA.

The most fussy are every single old cartridge with a shallow shoulder angle, lots of body taper, and too much brass length to actually work properly with heavy-for-cal bullets at magazine length.

I still remember when the 6.5 Creedmoor came out, and those people were talking about how the 260 remington was superior.
Then the 6 Creedmoor came out, and they said the 243win was superior.
Now the 22 creedmoor is releasing, and they are all saying the 22-250 is superior.

Every single one of these cartridges has a shallower shoulder and more body taper, which we KNOW is worse for virtually every internal ballistic metric. The newer creedmoors can beat every single one of them in the accuracy/precision department, with light or heavy bullets, but yet people still act like it's open for discussion.


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[Bullwhacker]

Hate to admit it but easiest has been the 6.5 CM, hardest without a doubt has been the 6.5-300 Wby.