Most inherently accurate rifle cartridge?

[JerZsquid]

As far as defining accuracy I know a lot depends on the specific rifle, barrell, ammunition etc. but I also think some cartridges are more inherently accurate across the board regardless of all those variables

I think 223 and 308 are pretty hard to mess up. But I don't have a lot of experience with many other cartridges except 30-06.

I also hand load and have come to understand some cartridges are more finicky, harder to find the sweet spot than others.

So, are there some cartridges out there that are extremely accurate, hard to mess up?

Maybe 6.5 swede or creedmore? .243?

 

[josiewales]

.243 all the way. The .243 is a inherently accurate round, I have yet to see a .243 that was less than accurate. Run some numbers on this website.http://ballisticscalculator.winchester.com/
Compare the .243 with other cartridges, you will notice how flat shooting it is. Much flatter than even .270. It also handles wind drift much better.

 

[Lj1941]

222 Remington -At least of the factory chambered calibers that anyone could buy in a gun store.

 

[JerZsquid]

What weight range of bullets can you use in 243?

 

[LeonCarr]

6 PPC

99% of all benchrest rifle accuracy records out to 300 yards are held by this cartridge. Most of the other 1% are held by the .222.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[JerZsquid]

6 PPC

99% of all benchrest rifle accuracy records out to 300 yards are held by this cartridge. Most of the other 1% are held by the .222.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

I must live under a rock... Never heard of it. Interesting though, just checked it out.

 

[joeschmoe]

Wild cat or SAAMI?

 

[JerZsquid]

Either Or

I'm not looking for a new rifle or anything, just trying to see what I'm missing out there

 

[jmr40]

What range? The 300 WSM currently holds the 1000 yard benchrest record.

 

[R.W.Dale]

90% of your accuracy potential is in the rifle, barrel, optic combination. The other 9% is the load consistency. The last one percent is cartridge.

Competition shooters care about that last percent. Also don't be so quick to take what is universal in a game with a set of rules as carrying over to the rest of the shooting world.

To date the most accurate rifle I'd built was a 7.62x39mm savage




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complains about

 

[browningguy]

6 BR and 6 PPC, go look at the results for benchrest shooting results and you'll see what's actually accurate. I don't think I've ever heard anyone claim the 7.62x39 as an inherently accurate cartridge, you see something new every day.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I've ever heard anyone claim the 7.62x39 as an inherently accurate cartridge, you see something new every day.

I build it to prove a bunch of folks wrong over the inherently inaccurate myth they liked to saddle the cartridge with.

It proved my point quite nicely







posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complains about

 

[Welding Rod]

Seems to me, the lighter the load, the more accurate the potential.

Given a gun of a fixed mass, as recoil energy decreases, wouldn't the consistency of a shooter's hold become less important for a high level of accuracy?

 

[303tom]

The 6mm Remington................

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

for some strange reason, the 7.62 x 51 aka .308 has been taking out bad guys for our soldiers since Viet Nam and still doing it, and unlike so many cartridges that are scarcer than a Republican at a jane fonda appreciation dinner, are still easy to find.

 

[headoftheholler]

Old school accurate 6.5x55

 

[willypete]

.45-70.

Nice, straight powder column that's loaded volumetrically and huge bearing surface on the bullet to mitigate any bore imperfections or otherwise deleterious conditions. Also a big bullet that bucks wind well.

 

[BluegrassDan]

6mm BR and 6mm PPC.

 

[Iramo94]

I know of a wild-catter in North Carolina that is getting sub-1-inch groups at 600 yards using 6mmBRX.

 

[tuj]

why wouldn't you pick 6mmBR or a related cartridge?

 

[JerZsquid]

.45-70.

Nice, straight powder column that's loaded volumetrically and huge bearing surface on the bullet to mitigate any bore imperfections or otherwise deleterious conditions. Also a big bullet that bucks wind well.

Nice answer.

I like your explanation.

 

[LeonCarr]

Of all of the cartridges mentioned so far, the only ones that I have witnessed shoot a 5 shot group in .200 or less at 100 yards are the 6 PPC and the 6 BR.

The OP asked for the most inherently accurate rifle cartridge. The 6 PPC is it, and has been since 1975.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[nathan]

I ve seen how those bench rest shooters compete and they are the top of the accuracy department with their 6 PPc.

 

[jerkface11]

No such thing as inherent accuracy.

 

[willypete]

No such thing as inherent accuracy.

I actually agree with this. There are certain features, however, that will make it a lot easier to consistently shoot a cartridge accurately. That cartridge case is just a gasket.

The BR cartridges probably display phenomenal accuracy because they have benchrest guys paying exquisite detail to every aspect of reloading for them, as well as their guns. I have friends who are into BR shooting and the level of detail that goes into each loaded round is amazing.

Short powder columns, excellent material standards, consistent reloading and shooting practices, lots of research and development and a detail-oriented mindset all seem to be the hallmarks of those who achieve accuracy from a given cartridge. Those are just a few factors, I'm sure there are more.