6 Dasher range time

TackDriver284

Handloader
Feb 13, 2016
2,685
2,557
Took the 6 Dasher out for the first time, and let me tell the history of this barrel. The new 30 inch Bartlein barrel was on the existing 6 BR / Rem 700, the old 26 inch barrel was used in 600 yard matches and did very well until it was toasted. A gunsmith chambered a new barrel for the BR on the same Rem 700 action, and I got it back. It had very hard bolt lift after firing for some reason, even from mild to max loads that I usually use, so the rifle was returned back to the gunsmith and he tested it, and he did mention it has a hard bolt lift but no reason was given. He talked me into a Dasher, and he would chamber, rebed the new action, and all work at no charge, and I was OK with it, so I bought an Impact Precision custom action, and he rechambered the same barrel to a 6 Dasher, and barrel was not cut, he used the same BR chamber and reamed it out. He did test fire it, about 30 rounds and sent it back to me. He mentioned that it shoots fine. About 50 rounds was fired down that tube previously. Last night I prepped the cases and I had to deburr the case neck mouths on the outside, it had a little lip on the edges and did not want to scratch my new Short Action Custom dies, its a full size with a .265 bushing and a carbide mandrel in .2425", and yes, that is .0005" neck tension. It's my first time I used half a thousand neck tension. Alpha emailed me last week that the case neck thickness are .0125" for my lot which was in transit to my house and a loaded round will be a .269" for my info to get the bushing size. Upon getting the brass, I made measurements and its .012" thick and concentric all around the necks, good stuff, and a loaded round is a .2675"- .268" When I charged the cases with powder, there was a little mess, i think some Hornady One Shot lube was on the bottom of the funnel and some powder kernels was stuck to the funnel and when i transferred the funnel to another case, some kernels fell inside the tray without me knowing until I seated the bullets. Darn it, so powder charges are not exact. I did not bother to redo, was not worth my time, just wanted to test the rifle. Now let me go to the range results.
Winds was terrible at 5 pm, 20-25 mph headwind and full sun, mirage was beating me down. I had to sight in the rifle, it has the new ATACR 7-35 x 56mm, two shots later it was on paper @ 100, I only had three different charges 31.6, 31.9 and 32.2 grains Varget / CCI 450 SRP, new virgin Alpha brass. I see a little ejector mark with 31.9 and 32.2 grains. with 32.2 grains speed was at 2950 with 4 fps ES. The 31.9 grain charge was at 5 fps ES, the 31.6 was at 7 ES. I will back down to 31.2, 31.4 and 31.6 grains on the next trip out. I like to get a good tune to fireform all remaining 200 pieces of brass at the 600 yard match next month and the month after. The POI seems consistent on all 3 charges. I'll run some data in QuickLoad.
 

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I had figured out the reason why there was some spillage of powder kernels in the space inside the tray compartments holding the 6 Dasher cases. I was about to seat 12 Hybrids and picked up a few powder filled cases and noticed more kernels resting in the bottom of the trays, dagnabit. Back to the powder loading bench, and I got a BR case and a Dasher case, the necks are longer on the BR and its neck is snugged up against the cone on the inner part of the funnel and I checked with the Dasher case and it's neck are not snugged up inside the cone to get a good seal, you could see little gaps between the funnel cone and mouth of the case. I went to the kitchen and baby talked my wife into loaning me one of her tiny funnels, she gladly accepted as long as I return her funnel in a sanitized condition. Finally I feel more confident into tuning my rifle with all the kernels in those cases. I'm surprised that the last trip out to the range gave me great results even with some missing kernels in those cases. Now to go online and find a Dasher funnel.
 
Mark , I have this drop tube funnel . I use it all the time, I'd have to look for my regular funnel . it did seem a little awkward at first , but using it is smooth as silk now . so far it works on everything I've tried it on , .222 - .338 .

 
Mark , I have this drop tube funnel . I use it all the time, I'd have to look for my regular funnel . it did seem a little awkward at first , but using it is smooth as silk now . so far it works on everything I've tried it on , .222 - .338 .

Thanks Jim.
 
Nice start with the Dasher👍
I had an issue with my funnel bottoming out on the shoulder of 22-250 cases and when lifted it would leave some powder behind. Ball powder was by far the worst. Bought a 22 cal. Saturn funnel.
 
Mark , I have this drop tube funnel . I use it all the time, I'd have to look for my regular funnel . it did seem a little awkward at first , but using it is smooth as silk now . so far it works on everything I've tried it on , .222 - .338 .

I have the same funnel.
Works great, once you over come that little bit of akwardness.

JD338
 
Mark , you're going to love the dasher . your early targets don't surprise me at all . these things shoot . I got to play with one , one day . I'm guessing around 2008 , I met up with Bobby Hart at a long range shooting seminar in S.Carolina . I forgot my sleeping bag there , and called Bobby to ask if he would bring it back to Pa with him . a few weeks later I go to Bobbys gun shop for my sleeping bag , and talk a little . I'm getting ready to leave , and he asks if I can help him for a few hours , I agreed . me and his helper Drew gathered up 5 or 6 rifles that Bobby had just finished up building , and took them to a range to shoot and sight in . one of these rifles was a 6 dasher . I shot the dasher and was I impressed . it seemed like it couldn't miss . I think we ran 40 shots through each rifle . the target I had from that dasher was very impressive . we bring all these rifles back to the gun shop , and Bobby had us reload the ammo for a couple of them , including the 6 dasher .I don't remember much about the reloading , other than wilson dies and an arbor press . Bobby stops in while we were getting the ammo reloaded , and thanks me for helping out . he says that a few of these were going to the world finals at williamsport this coming weekend, and the new owners wanted a 100 yard zero , and a certain amount of ammo . I assume these were used in that match . after that I wanted a 6 dasher really bad , but I never did build one .
 
Mark , you're going to love the dasher . your early targets don't surprise me at all . these things shoot . I got to play with one , one day . I'm guessing around 2008 , I met up with Bobby Hart at a long range shooting seminar in S.Carolina . I forgot my sleeping bag there , and called Bobby to ask if he would bring it back to Pa with him . a few weeks later I go to Bobbys gun shop for my sleeping bag , and talk a little . I'm getting ready to leave , and he asks if I can help him for a few hours , I agreed . me and his helper Drew gathered up 5 or 6 rifles that Bobby had just finished up building , and took them to a range to shoot and sight in . one of these rifles was a 6 dasher . I shot the dasher and was I impressed . it seemed like it couldn't miss . I think we ran 40 shots through each rifle . the target I had from that dasher was very impressive . we bring all these rifles back to the gun shop , and Bobby had us reload the ammo for a couple of them , including the 6 dasher .I don't remember much about the reloading , other than wilson dies and an arbor press . Bobby stops in while we were getting the ammo reloaded , and thanks me for helping out . he says that a few of these were going to the world finals at williamsport this coming weekend, and the new owners wanted a 100 yard zero , and a certain amount of ammo . I assume these were used in that match . after that I wanted a 6 dasher really bad , but I never did build one .
That is a cool story Jim. Is that Bobby Hart of Hart Custom Rifles? I have been itching to shoot the Dasher since last year, don't be surprised if I have a F Class Dasher built soon, but haven't decided yet. I love the tactical stocks such as the A5 McMillian that the Dasher is on currently. I have several calibers on the A5. Some people might think I'm strange having a 1.250" 30 inch barrel on an A5 which most people use 22-26 inch barrels. I'm competing with the F Class guys that are using flat fore end stocks like the Kestros, etc. So far I'm the only one there using a tactical rig. Can't wait till Monday to go do my 2nd range test. Hopefully get a tune I can rely on to fireform all my brass.
 
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That is a cool story Jim. Is that Bobby Hart of Hart Custom Rifles? I have been itching to shoot the Dasher since last year, don't be surprised if I have a F Class Dasher built soon, but haven't decided yet. I love the tactical stocks such as the A5 McMillian that the Dasher is on currently. I have several calibers on the A5. Some people might think I'm strange having a 1.250" 30 inch barrel on an A5 which most people use 22-26 inch barrels. I'm competing with the F Class guys that are using flat fore end stocks like the Kestros, etc. So far I'm the only one there using a tactical rig. Can't wait till Monday to go my 2nd range test. Hopefully get a tune I can rely on to fireform all my brass.
It will be interesting to see how you do in Open with the A5.
You are definitely outside the box...You don't know until you try it.
I like folks who think outside the box.
Sometimes it works as good
Sometimes it works better
Sometimes it doesn't work as good.
You don't know until you try it, against the great shooters in whatever discipline you are competing in.
 
It will be interesting to see how you do in Open with the A5.
You are definitely outside the box...You don't know until you try it.
I like folks who think outside the box.
Sometimes it works as good
Sometimes it works better
Sometimes it doesn't work as good.
You don't know until you try it, against the great shooters in whatever discipline you are competing in.
Ernie, Lapua is making the new Dasher brass, it should be out to the public in the fall of 2025. Currently using new Alpha brass, I just ordered another box of 100 to go with my two boxes of the same lot, 300 pieces should be good for 4 matches before I anneal / size all the brass. I use about 70 pieces per match / 3 relays. 60 plus 10 for sighters, and I remember having a difficult time when I only had 200 pieces for the 6 BR, and barely have any left for sighters for the 3rd match since I use up 140 pieces for two matches, and there are 60 left for the 3rd. With 300 pieces that leaves me 20 extra pieces that I can use for testing. ;)
 
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