[Old Dog New Trick]

Been reading this all day...don't have much to offer but wanted add something about "Transitional Ballistics" and the effects of those cool things at the end of the barrel or not.

Any gun/bullet can be more accurate than the shooter but some guns are better than others because of the way they let the bullet fly (Exterior Ballistics) or the last touch. Because after all, it's the last thing the gun can do well or not so much.

Barrel crown, be it standard round, 11-degree taper or recessed has a tremendous effect on how the gasses are expelled evenly around the bullet as it leaves the barrel and can ultimately affect flight. Is recessed better than tapered? I don't know but a cheaply finished crown or damaged crown will make even the best rifle junk.

Then there are all those things we screw onto the ends for various reasons: Flash Hiders, Muzzle Brakes, Compensators, and last but not least Suppressors. They all have an effect on the bullets "exterior ballistics" for better or worse.

Lastly, barrel length and twist rate for a given cartridge and powder charge. Some are too short, too long or too slow to adequately send the bullet down range properly. The end result is a loss of everything from accuracy to "terminal ballistic" effect. The wrong combination will make a great rifle bad or worse - unreliable.

Just my $0.02 to the discussion.