Dasher Help.....

[xswanted]

Hi guys.

Went to a shoot this weekend and fired 47 shots on saturday with absolutely no issues in a sticky bolt.

Came sunday and shot the same amount, both in 20 shot scoring runs with 5 sighters.

The bolt became very sticky around shot 12 on the second string and shot 15 on the first.

It then stuck completely on the last two shots.

I'm using Lapua brass and the 107 SMK, loaded with 31 grains of R-15. .271 no turn neck, I'm sizing the brass with a Redding type s die with a .266 bushing. Seated cases measure .268-.269.

I used the same load both days, it was cooler today (sunday) than saturday. One guy there that is pretty up to date on the dasher said it could be due to carbon fouling.

I cleaned a pile of carbon out of it after the shoot. What confuses me, is the load I'm using, compared with all the data I've read, is pretty light. No pressure signs on my cases, even the two that stuck.

Anyone have any insight on this? I reload quite a bit and have never had any issues on any other guns.

 

[Hombre0321]

You just never know about such things, but your load of 31 grns of RL15 is pretty much a mild load. My match load is also a pretty light load at 31.5 grns of RL15 in my Dasher but i also have a very accurate load at 33 Grns of RL15 with no issues at all.

Look at everything but your problem probably is not the load. RL15 burns dirty but even that I get through a F-Class match with no problems at all and that for me is usually 80 rounds before I clean. Maybe next time shot it until you get this bolt sticking problem and clean right there when it happens andd see if that fix's the problem. Interesting problem let us know what you do find out to cure this problem.

Roland

 

[xswanted]

Thanks Roland,

That seemed to be the consensus today as well.

I cleaned the gun between satruday and sunday but didn't use anything for carbon. Today, used a brush and some carbon remover.....it was coming out like mad.

I will keep things updated.

 

[xswanted]

Roland, what kind of speed are you getting with the R-15? Barrel length as well

 

[bsoutlaw32]

Don't forget to check to see if the necks got a little to long! Also when powders are run on the lower end of the powder charge then can produce more fouling and not burn as clean! That was some nice shooting on Saturday by the way!

Brian

 

[xswanted]

Don't forget to check to see if the necks got a little to long! Also when powders are run on the lower end of the powder charge then can produce more fouling and not burn as clean! That was some nice shooting on Saturday by the way!

Brian

Have not checked this! Thanks! I had a blast both days......I think I may be addicted to rifles.....again!

 

[pmarauder]

Hi guys.


I'm using Lapua brass and the 107 SMK, loaded with 31 grains of R-15. .271 no turn neck, I'm sizing the brass with a Redding type s die with a .266 bushing. Seated cases measure .268-.269.

You are using a Full Length type S die correct??

Are you measuring your headspace with a bump gauge insert? You need to measure every shoulder after it comes out of the press. Not all brass gets bumped back the same value with just one stroke of the press handle. You may need to double bump a piece of brass depending on what your bump gauge insert is telling you. The goal is to get the headspace measurement all identical. Not within .0005. But identical.
But then again..... Im pretty anal.
Derek

 

[TheBlueEyedBear]

Yeah, he is that!!

 

[Nodak7mm]

Not all brass gets bumped back the same value. The goal is to get the headspace measurement all identical.

Derek

I am in agreement with Derek. Brass is a fluid metal and sometimes you just get some cases that dont take to resizing well for whatever reason (Gets into molecular grain structure alignment and all that PFM). But on the other hand with your problem, a lot of factors come into play that we dont know such as, how hot was the ambient conditions, was your ammo box in the sun, rate of fire tween the two days, were you cooking rounds in the chamber on Sunday vs Sat, many times brass fired, how much resized, neck sizing vs full length, etc..

With that said, I have been using RL-15 for better than 3 yrs without any issues.. Is it really a dirty powder? Debatable, I guess. I tend to shoot 30-50 rounds between cleanings, dependant on whats going on.. And I clean it till is clean..

Rod

 

[JohnMill]

Hell derek,anal is the name of the game. You never want to leave the line and think of one other thing that could have, just maybe, won that sucker for you. Or at least beat your buddy, your traveling companion, the one that's going to rag on you all the way home AND until the next match. Know what I mean?

 

[xswanted]

Okay......

Here are some updates on my Dasher project if anyone was still interested.......

I shot Sunday at a league match. Fired 40 rounds, and it was HOT. I used a mild load of 4895. 31.6 grains I believe. Velocity was 2900fps. No bolt problems, no pressure nothing. Gun worked flawlessly.

This load shoots quite good at 100 yards. I shot it at 440 yards and was fairly impressed with the results. However, after shooting Sunday at 300 and 600 I was disappointed in the results. I've had better luck with other powders. 4895 works good, but not as good as the more common Dasher powders I believe.

I cleaned the gun very thoroughly with a carbon remover. I think this was the main culprit in the bolt sticking, and it makes sense as it only did it as the gun heated up. Always at the end of a string of shots. Once the gun was cool, nothing.

SOoooo......on to later Sunday and today.

I kept upping the load...went back to Varget. Got up to 33 grains, no pressure issues, nothing. Gun shot pretty darn good at 300 yards. 2985-3000 fps throughout 25 or so shots. I think the original brass that I used, which had only been once fired may have shown a little bit of pressure earlier than brass that had been formed better, that or I was being WAY to over protective of my new toy.


Now I'm playing with seating depth. All in all it looks like there was a learning curve in figuring this thing out. Its quite a bit more finicky than other guns I've owned and own. Cleaning very thoroughly seems to be very important in making everything work right.

Overall I think it'll be a shooter, well I know it will be, its had moments of greatness already!

 

[brxbrad]

In a word.....Varget
In another word......Wolf Primer or Tulammo SRM
In another word......105 Hybrids jump .020 to .030 my BRX likes .025

Just my 2 cents