Caribou Gear

What rifles are the least picky with ammunition?

USAF Ret

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Dec 25, 2022
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I will go first...I have a Ruger American in 6.5 Creedmoor. That rifle has grouped well with every ammunition, factory and handloads. Whenever doing load development, I have never seen any groups more than 1.25 MOA. All of my other rifles (some very expensive) range from somewhat picky to very picky.
 
Had a Sako 85 that wasn’t picky at all. Of course, at $2k I would expect it to shoot well.

They all have Tikka barrels on them so that says a lot about Tikkas
 
I vote for Ruger American as well. I have a .308 that likes everything but federal fusion. Everything else I’ve tried and it’s put them through the target touching.
 
Cartridge can have a big impact IMO. Chamber something in a BR variant or 6.5x47 lapua and something is really messed up if they dont shoot decent. Modest sized cartridges seem to be less picky than largely overbore ones too. Look at the cartridges mentioned in this thread so far.

Modern cartridge design with tighter throats using freebore rather than a wider throat that starts tapering almost imediately after case mouth seem to help as well. Seems rifle manufacturers are typically sending a creedmoor out to the media when its time for rifle review and having something that isn't picky seems to be at least part of the reason.
 
I bought a savage 12fv in .223 years ago on a Black Friday sale. I've never come across a factory load it didn't like, from match grade to the cheapest plinking loads.
 
My Tikka T3 in 22-250 hasn't found a load it doesn't like yet. The late 1950's Model 70 I had would put 165's , 180's, 200s & 220's into less than an inch with little work.

The 9.3x74R was easy to work up loads for, using 1 bullet type & 1 powder. That's in a Ruger #1. My 30-06 Ruger was so easy, I just put 3 cartridges in from the pre-64 and they shot under and inch at 100, so called it good.
 
Looks like Savage, Ruger and Tikka rule the roost on the least picky rifles, so far.
 
I haven’t owned a lot, but my Savage 11 “trophy hunter” in 308 has grouped every kind of ammo I’ve put through it as well as I can shoot it. Even the cheapest steel case stuff. That’s actually my favorite to use at the range, as it hits about 1/4” low compared to my hunting loads, but otherwise no different to shoot but wayyy cheaper.
 

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