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6 dasher 87 vmax issues

Sitting here at the range scratching my head between strings on my new 6 dasher.

Barrel is a 28" 7.7 twist bartlein, 6 norma dasher chamber and brass.

105 hybrids over Varget and RL16 are doing fine, typically under 1/3 moa at 300y.

The 87 vmax is terrible though; I want to shoot these for long range squirrel blasting. Only tried them with varget so far from 3100-3250 but they're all over the place, 1 moa at 300y is about the best it can manage with many groups being larger. I'm jumping them 0.010 right now, but .020 jam to .060 jump all group about the same.

I know the 7.7 twist is faster than ideal for the vmax, but I was hoping for better.

Suggestions? I also have h4895 I could try, may test that tomorrow (charge weight suggestion appreciated.) Also thinking about trying 88 berger varmints or nosler 80 ballistic tips, unless there's another varmint bullet I should consider.

Thanks!
 
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I wish you luck. I want one to shoot them so bad but it hasn't happened in any of them yet. I even built my 6X45AI around them and no dice. Fortunately it shoots the 88 grain Bergers very well. They just aren't as explosive as the V-Max but the accuracy allows me to insure "north of the diaphragm" hits and quick kills. JMHO
 
No pattern... well, maybe a shotgun pattern. Lol.

Just went and pulled the targets. All about 1 moa in both horizontal and vertical. Random scatter, not favoring horizontal or vertical.
Seat the bullets back more from the lands
With scatter watch you crony . Larry
 
Looking at the labradar data for all 5 charges of Varget with the 87 Vmax today worst ES for any of the groups was 9 fps. Certainly not enough to explain the horrible groups.

I'll try a seating them back further from maybe 0.030-0.100 jump and see what happens, as well as trying H4895.

Haven't tried H4895 in the Dasher yet, any suggestions? I'm thinking somewhere in the range of 31.5-33.5 gr with the 87 Vmax.

I've read very mixed reports here and elsewhere on the 87 Vmax, so if more jump or a different powder can't make them work I'll try the 88 Bergers or 80 Noslers and sell the Vmaxes. I bought quite a few of them hoping they would work... figures. LOL.
 
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I never have got a bullet to tune that scatterd . Some place you should get vertical or horizontal . Larry

My thoughts exactly Larry. I've *never* had this much trouble with a bullet. Usually 1 range trip finds the nodes, the second and maybe third trip fine tunes things, and then it's ready to go. I've been to the range 5 times now with the 87s playing with charge and seating depth and can't find any nodes; it scatters everywhere even though ES/SD are tight. Just doesn't want to shoot. I have doubts that seating depth alone will bring it in from 1 MOA *minimum* on every group so far to 1/2 MOA or less.

I'm thinking the 87 Vmax is going to be a no-go in this barrel and I should stop wasting barrel life.

Going to order up some Berger 88 varmints and also some Nosler 80 ballistic tip varmints. Hopefully one of them will work!
 
For what it's worth, between my dad and I we have tried these bullets in upwards of half dozen barrel s. They were never our go to bullet, accuracy was OK at best. Great results on live animals though. I tried them in three dashers and never was happy about accuracy
 
My thoughts exactly Larry. I've *never* had this much trouble with a bullet. Usually 1 range trip finds the nodes, the second and maybe third trip fine tunes things, and then it's ready to go. I've been to the range 5 times now with the 87s playing with charge and seating depth and can't find any nodes; it scatters everywhere even though ES/SD are tight. Just doesn't want to shoot. I have doubts that seating depth alone will bring it in from 1 MOA *minimum* on every group so far to 1/2 MOA or less.

I'm thinking the 87 Vmax is going to be a no-go in this barrel and I should stop wasting barrel life.

Going to order up some Berger 88 varmints and also some Nosler 80 ballistic tip varmints. Hopefully one of them will work!
My advice is put a tuner on it.
We did allot of testing on the AR guns they scattered many over 2" with a tuner we got the gun under 1" Larry
 
I have a long range "squirrel" Dasher that shoots the 87 V-max very well on a 8 twist heavy Brux. Accurate 2460 with Br4 shoots little holes at 100 yards, 3350 FPS! 450's work well too. 1st time I shot them @ 1000 yards on paper to make a drop chart I sent 4 rounds down range, not knowing what they would do, the group was 1 3/4 tall by 3 1/4 wide!! They "sail" gophers at 650 yards! Also use them for fire forming Dasher cases on gophers with a old lot of IMR 4895 with very goods results. The 87 and 75 v-max are my favorite long range rodent bullets in my Dashers!

Lonnie
 
Good luck shooting the 87 vmax. i never have had much luck with them, get fliers, and never consistent. People like em but I don't. Especially out of fast twist barrels , you might try some berger 80's 87's 88's . But I'm not a fan of fast twist barrels and light bullets. I shoot the 80's and 88's berger in a 10 twist with good success.
 
Good luck shooting the 87 vmax. i never have had much luck with them, get fliers, and never consistent. People like em but I don't. Especially out of fast twist barrels , you might try some berger 80's 87's 88's . But I'm not a fan of fast twist barrels and light bullets. I shoot the 80's and 88's berger in a 10 twist with good success.

My experience as well. The inconsistent day to day groups drove me nuts. The guns I/we shot them out of were top notch, BATs, Kelbly, Defiance etc. We tried to build whole guns around that darn bullet because we seen what it's damage is and the BC of .4 is very appealing but just gave up on it really, we will always try it because some (one of our friends included) have got them to work very well but in my experience that is the exception - not the rule.
 
Thanks for the info everyone. I went fast twist on this barrel to run the 105 hybrids and figured while it would be faster than ideal for the 80-90gr varmint bullets it would still work.

I knew before I ordered them the 87 Vmax was sort of a crapshoot. Kept my fingers crossed they would work since the price is right, they're really reactive on critters, and the BC is about the best of all the 80-90gr class 6mm varmint bullets. Wish I could get them to shoot since I have 2400 of them sitting here. Had I only bought 100 to start with they'd probably be working fine. :p

Have some 88 bergers and 80 noslers on the way to try. I've been running Varget and RL16 in the Dasher so far with the 105 Hybrids with great results, and only Varget with the 87s. Should I stick with Varget for the 80s & 88s or also try H4895? Have plenty of both on hand.
 
Thanks for the info everyone. I went fast twist on this barrel to run the 105 hybrids and figured while it would be faster than ideal for the 80-90gr varmint bullets it would still work.

I knew before I ordered them the 87 Vmax was sort of a crapshoot. Kept my fingers crossed they would work since the price is right, they're really reactive on critters, and the BC is about the best of all the 80-90gr class 6mm varmint bullets. Wish I could get them to shoot since I have 2400 of them sitting here. Had I only bought 100 to start with they'd probably be working fine. :p

Have some 88 bergers and 80 noslers on the way to try. I've been running Varget and RL16 in the Dasher so far with the 105 Hybrids with great results, and only Varget with the 87s. Should I stick with Varget for the 80s & 88s or also try H4895? Have plenty of both on hand.
Shoot them with the 105 they won't know the difference.
Smile. Larry
 
Shoot them with the 105 they won't know the difference.
Smile. Larry

It might come to that. As of right now it would be cheaper than shooting them with the 87 Vmax-- because it might take 4-5 shots (or more!) to hit them with the 87 Vmax. The 105 Hybrid would probably only take one, although I'd miss the target "acrobatics" with the Vmax. :D

I'll post back with how the 80 Nosler and 88 Bergers do. Might have them Friday.
 
You might give the Sierra 95 tipped matchking a try. I shot some in a 243 and they shot good. Haven't shot at anything but paper yet, hoping they'll be a little explosive. .500 BC is appealing.
 
You might give the Sierra 95 tipped matchking a try. I shot some in a 243 and they shot good. Haven't shot at anything but paper yet, hoping they'll be a little explosive. .500 BC is appealing.

Good idea, I'll add those to the list. Wish I would have saw those earlier and could have tacked them onto the 80 Nosler & 88 Berger order.

I've tried the .224 69 TMK in my 223AI for coyotes and squirrels. They were quite accurate but are nowhere near as "reactive" as a Vmax on ground squirrels. Didn't expand at all on the squirrels and just poked holes in them much like the 75 Amax. Coyotes get a little messy on the exit side though...

I'd expect similar performance with the 95 TMK.
 

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