MM rarely ever cast aimed shot, you mostly use it only when you have the instant proc. The only exception would be if you have lust and rapid fire up and you are risking capping focus and the cast time is around or under 1 second.

"MM rarely ever cast aimed shot, you mostly use it only when you have the instant proc."

At first glance it would look like that'd be the way to go, but the MM hunters I play with have found their best damage comes from a rotation with as many hard-cast aimed shots as possible, with Chimera Shots thrown in just often enough to keep Serpent Sting up and Arcane Shot used only while moving.

Seconded on the Hardcasting Aim rotation. That is all I do, and I can keep up with most SV hunters I run across with it. It is a good system that I, personally, love. But then, I can't stand SV. I feel there are too many procs and buttons and I'm never sure if I'm hitting what I'm supposed to be. Much happier with my MM play-style-- the only spec I've ever seriously played.

@Luotian

I knew someone would like it! I enjoy the procs and style of Survival. It's a bit hectic, but I like it that way.

@Paulduchesne1337

Marks is better DPS if you use hardcast Aimed Shots as your focus dump, but it's tricky. It's really easy to screw up and if you have to interrupt your Shot, you take a nasty DPS hit. It's definitely safer to only use Aimed on proc or with lots of haste, but it's not best DPS.

On fights where I can just stand in one spot and shoot (hai, Ultraxion!) then hardcasting Aimed Shot is King. Heck, a lot of fights in DS give you the opportunity to use AiS as your focus dump. And it's definitately a DPS boost over Arc Shot.

I've loved Marks just for the need to plan out ahead. Even though I recently went survival (when my raid dies to berserk timer on hardmode practice, I will do anything to squeeze out a few thousand more, even if it is by playing a spec I don't prefer), I find myself planning around double cobra shots. It'll take some more target dummy time to drive -that- practice off my muscle memory.

I admit the double steady can be a right pain to plan around, but personally, I liked it. At least up until T13 started drowning me in focus >.>