The 510 thread is the de facto standard for a reason. Nearly every cartridge and battery on the market uses it. So if you're buying both separately, you're probably fine—assuming both are 510. But 'probably' isn't 'certainly.'

Here's what actually goes wrong:

• Diameter mismatch. Some batteries have a well or a recessed connector. If the cartridge is wider than that well, it won't seat properly. You might get it to screw on, but the air path gets blocked.
• Length limits. A cartridge that's too long for the battery can look awkward, but worse, it might not make solid contact with the connection pin. You turn it on, you get nothing.
• Pin depth. The center pin on the battery needs to touch the cartridge's pin. If the cartridge is too shallow or too deep, you'll get intermittent firing.

I've seen people try to force it, and that's how you break the battery's connector. It's not worth the risk.