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

[DrDave]

20 Practical and 260 REM both very easy to get to 0.5" or less. Had 7RM years ago that was difficult to find a load to shoot 1".

 

[nwhunter]

As much as I love and enjoy the 25/06 the pretty much every darn one I've had or I've worked with has about driven me to drink.

As for the easiest it's a toss up between the 308 and believe this or not...the 340 Wby's (all custom barrels) have all been lights out shooters!

I can relate to this, I had a primer blow out in a test load yesterday in a 25/06 I am trying to work up a load for. And that was a full two grains less of h4831 than the previous load that had flattened the primer more than I liked. I had to walk away from the loading bench and regroup. The easiest for me has been my model 70 in 257 Roberts.

 

[JiggyIi]

For me, any rifle with a long throat where you can not get anywhere close to the lands has been very temperamental to shoot sub 1/2" groups, and the worst was a 270 Weatherby Mark 5.

Individual barrels are usually the fly in the ointment and the chamber design that goes with it.

The most difficult case I have found to tune small groups in multiple rifles is the 22 Hornet, while the easiest is the 6 XC & 6.5x47 Lapua, discounting the 6 PPC and 6 BR as not hunting rifles. As a test, I made brass for the 6 XC from 308 Winchester PMC, Winchester, Lake City '09, and Chinese Military machine gun brass. All the 6 XC formed cases from the 308 brass shot 1/4" groups and smaller, and I consider this a good test of a cartridge design. Also, formed 6.5x47 brass from Remington 22/250 brass when there was no Lapua brass in the country. It took me a few shots to work up a load that shot 1/2" groups at 200 yards with the Remington 22/250 brass formed in a Ruger 77 Mark II with #5 taper, Brux barrel in a Laminated stock in 6.5x47 Lapua, a true Red Neck special deer/hog rifle.

My Ruger 77 mark 2 22 hornet drove me nuts
I shimmed the bolt, new tigger, trigger hammer, free floated the barrel
The I tried Lil gun. Omg What a Difference
After that I decided to keep it

 

[Hardshot]

While I do think certain cartridges are designed inherently better regarding accuracy (6BR, the PPC's, etc), I think it's more the chamber/barrel/action/bullet interaction that makes a rifle either picky or a hammer.

My BRA and PPC are magic once you get it all tuned . Then shot bug holes
My worst gun to try and get to shot was a Browning BBR in .270 win . That thing I played with it for years trying to get a great load finally settled for moa . It sat in the safe as a queen for years as I had known desire to shoot and hunt with it . Finally I saw a add that someone wanted one and it got re homes with full disclosure .
By far my 6 xc is easiest

 

[boonierat68]

I had a custom built 7STW. That rifle would shoot every bullet I put through it into small groups. I've never owned any other rifle that would digest everything with such outstanding performance.

I like the STW too, haven't found anything it won't shoot. Haven't tried anything above 160g.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I like the STW too, haven't found anything it won't shoot. Haven't tried anything above 160g.

My regular whitetail load launched a 162gr A-Max bullet at full throttle. It was bad news for anything in range.

 

[boonierat68]

My regular whitetail load launched a 162gr A-Max bullet at full throttle. It was bad news for anything in range.

160 AB throttled a moose at 385 yds in Newfoundland.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

160 AB throttled a moose at 385 yds in Newfoundland.

Nice

I'm typically working in the "over-gunned" category. I took my moose in NF with a 338RUM.

 

[Pointman]

For Me...
Fussiest: 224 Valkyrie
Easiest: 308 Win

Have to agree on the fussiest; my Valkyrie drives me "BAT S***T". Some days it's an angel the next time, same ammo, it goes from 1/3 minute to over 1 MOA. My least fussy is a tie with my old custom 25-06 and my 338 Lapua. Both are consistently 1/2 to 1/3 minute, with the 25-06 using a load developed in the '70s when I had it re-barreled will break the 1/4 moa, assuming I do my part.

 

[JiggyIi]

As others have stated, it can be very subjective based on several factors with the rifle, chamber, barrel being some of the greatest.

However for me, the 22 Hornet was always very touchy in loading and getting "good" groups. Acceptable for some ranges, but mine was hard to find those really good groups. Cases and loading process had to be very detailed.

On the other side, the 222Rem's I owned were all easy to make shoot well. Same for the 308's, and I'll throw in the 22-250AI's I have owned. They were all tack drivers with several loads. And how could I not mention the 6BR.

Try lil gun in your hornet if you havnt

 

[Keith M Sheehan]

To TR1hemi: I've been a fan of the .45-70 since 1972 and currently own 7 of them. Contrary to your observations it has been one of easiest to achieve 1-1 1/2" 5 shot groups that I've ever owned. If you want your lever actions to shoot straight (M95 Marlins, I assume) use AA2015, VV133 or IMR3031, all with Speer 400 gr. bullets. For a 6 year stint, between 1972 and 1978, living out in the bush of Alaska, specifically, 53 grains of IMR3031 in my then brand new M95 Marlin. Years later I clocked that load at 1808 fps with a standard deviation of only 9 fps. All of my charges with these powders have been around 52-54 grains and be advised they are DEADLY on big game (a little too much on rabbits, though). Also, they deliver a memorable amount of recoil, so you probably won't be shooting a lot of them off a bench rest. To the best of my knowledge, all these loads generate about 35,000 psi and should never be used in lesser strength guns. You're on your own shooting 'em out of a pistol. Because of the cold, I used to use Fed 215 magnum primers, but if you hunt in warmer climates, stand force primers will probably be fine.

 

[MontanaJack]

Popular issue. We shooters love to share our pain! First out, 7mm Rem Mag in 1960's would not accept handloads. Subminute accuracy with factory ammo, but it did not like hand loads. Current projects: horrible - 270WSM, so bad it is about to become something else. Easiest ever: 6.5 Creedmoor; 135 gr Berger Classic Hunter bullets with H4350 shoots subminute in 4 different rifles. The 6.5 Creedmoor is the easiest cartridge I ever handloaded over the last 60 years.

 

[Austin_Michael]

Interested to know what twist you have to run 75-90gr

Shilen's 7.5 twist, 4-groove ratchet rifling.

I was hoping the 4-groove ratchet rifling would play nice with the 90s and not blow them up.

So far, so good.

75 ELDMs @ 3250
90 SMKs @ 3000

 

[Huntslow]

Totally Agree ^^^^^^^^
I believe that it is the Gun that makes a cartridge FUSSY.
I had a Ruger M77 in 7 RM. That drove me crazy. Shot Factory and Reloads, anything from 120gr BT to 175 Berger's.
Most likely it was the barrel, Never found out, Sold it after a few years of Aggravation.
EASY PEASY IS A 308 WIN.

I have an M77 in 7RM that is just the opposite. Luck of the draw?!