Elusive 6 Dasher load

[Ccrider]

Any particular reason why you have not tried another powder?

Like others have said, seating depth can make or break your load. Throw everything you think about where it ought to shoot out the window. Use a safe powder charge that give you velocity in the range that Dashers are known to shoot. I would use the low node around 2920 or so just because both dashers that I have shot did well at that node. I see you have ran up to 2997. For me that was in between nodes. I had to drop back to around 2960 or go up to around 3020 or so to get back in tune.

Pick what you are comfortable with. Do Berger’s rough seating test and keep moving off the lands until you find a range and then fine tune. You may end up further off the lands than any of the loads mentioned. Some barrels defy the norm.

 

[WIB3]

Try different bullet combinations, all of my dashers just loved 103gr bullets. I have had great success with both Varget and 4895. In a 1-8 twist they always have done well around 3010-3020. I have always found that 33.70 of Varget and 32.0 of 4895 have been the ticket. You must test and find the max pressure for any combination at a hard jam. Work back in .003 increments. The gun will tell you what it likes. I have never found any of my barrels that like a jump condition, it creates a pressure spike at the point of land enguagement. Barrels have 2 crowns. 1 at the lands and one at the muzzle.

 

[expiper]

sounds to me like you need to try another barrel ---Roger

 

[762willdo]

Get rid of the Peterson brass, go to lapua or alpha……..

 

[Dgd6mm]

Get rid of the Peterson brass, go to lapua or alpha……..

Why?

 

[762willdo]

I bought 50 pieces of Peterson and scrapped it in short order, it showed pressure way before lapua and alpha……. just my two cents worth……

 

[Ccrider]

I bought 50 pieces of Peterson and scrapped it in short order, it showed pressure way before lapua and alpha……. just my two cents worth……

Did it reach velocity at lower powder weight? More importantly, how did it shoot?

 

[762willdo]

1, No on the velocity, I couldn’t hit my target velocity (2950) before I started getting ejector wipes and lessening primer pockets
2, no better than the others

 

[Ccrider]

1, No on the velocity, I couldn’t hit my target velocity (2950) before I started getting ejector wipes and lessening primer pockets
2, no better than the others

How many firings on the Peterson?

 

[Bill Norris]

I am using 100 pcs. of Peterson brass in my 6BRX and so far doing well with it. It weighs 10 grains more than regular 6mmBR Lapua brass. I am able to reach my targeted M V @ 2960-3020 FPS with the 105 class bullets but at less than a Lapua charge. However, I have purchased another 100 pcs. of Lapua for the future in this rifle.

 

[762willdo]

How many firings on the Peterson?

3 on some 2 on most

 

[762willdo]

I am using 100 pcs. of Peterson brass in my 6BRX and so far doing well with it. It weighs 10 grains more than regular 6mmBR Lapua brass. I am able to reach my targeted M V @ 2960-3020 FPS with the 105 class bullets but at less than a Lapua charge. However, I have purchased another 100 pcs. of Lapua for the future in this rifle.

How did your primers look?

 

[Bill Norris]

How did your primers look?

Look great. My rifle is a 700 and it does crater somewhat but it does that with any load.

 

[GetReal]

FWIW..... just switched to a known good scope, tried 32.2, 32.3 and 32.4 Varget all at 60 off the lands and got my best group ever at 0.50" in a nice cloverleaf 5 shot pattern, at 32.4. Gonna re-try seating depth and see what happens.


Also contacted NightForce to get an RMA for that NXS. In short, I think its the scope.

 

[GetReal]

Any particular reason why you have not tried another powder?

Like others have said, seating depth can make or break your load. Throw everything you think about where it ought to shoot out the window. Use a safe powder charge that give you velocity in the range that Dashers are known to shoot. I would use the low node around 2920 or so just because both dashers that I have shot did well at that node. I see you have ran up to 2997. For me that was in between nodes. I had to drop back to around 2960 or go up to around 3020 or so to get back in tune.

Pick what you are comfortable with. Do Berger’s rough seating test and keep moving off the lands until you find a range and then fine tune. You may end up further off the lands than any of the loads mentioned. Some barrels defy the norm.

Research I've done shows over 90% of competetive Dasher shooters use Varget. A few others shoot RL15 / 16. They also use 105 Berger VLD's / Hyrid Target. In other words, I've intentionally aimed at what's known to shoot good. Stan the Man himself told me where his barrels shoot good. I tried it....no dice.

I've tried everything from 31.0 - 33.0 gr Varget.....from 2820 fps to 3,000 fps. I've tried everything from 15 jam to 60 off the lands.

Its by far by far the hardest time I've ever had finding a good load.... to include 308, 224 Valkyrie, 223, 338 Norma, 300 BLK, 6.5CM, 45-70, you name it.

As just above, it seems to be the scope (NF NXS. I got 2 and the other shoots lights out. This one.... not so much.) . Swtched to a known good scope and right off shot my best group ever with the gun.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

OCW's ....the groups suck rotten eggs. But does the data tell ya anything ?? Like a nodfe or a charge weight to play with seating depth?

Off lands: 0.030"
Powder: Varget
Primers: CC! 450s
Bullets: 105 Berger VLD's
Brass: Peterson, annealed, sized with 0.266 bushing, then 6mm mandrelled.

View attachment 1336107


View attachment 1336108

I see a lot of groups with shots together and a flier. I call that the “pattern of death”. I have experienced it many times over the years and when I see the groups doing it as much as you are, the best cure I’ve found is to change powder.

You can change a primer and re-shoot some of the charges that gave you the flier groups . Sometimes a primer swap can take away that awful pattern at given charge weights, but it will most likely come back to haunt you when tuning in a ladder test. Generally that type of group pattern is your barrel telling you it doesn’t like the harmonics, ignition rate, or fouling signature generated by that powder with the particular bullet you are using.

 

[Ccrider]

Research I've done shows over 90% of competetive Dasher shooters use Varget. A few others shoot RL15 / 16. They also use 105 Berger VLD's / Hyrid Target. In other words, I've intentionally aimed at what's known to shoot good. Stan the Man himself told me where his barrels shoot good. I tried it....no dice.

I've tried everything from 31.0 - 33.0 gr Varget.....from 2820 fps to 3,000 fps. I've tried everything from 15 jam to 60 off the lands.

Its by far by far the hardest time I've ever had finding a good load.... to include 308, 224 Valkyrie, 223, 338 Norma, 300 BLK, 6.5CM, 45-70, you name it.

As just above, it seems to be the scope (NF NXS. I got 2 and the other shoots lights out. This one.... not so much.) . Swtched to a known good scope and right off shot my best group ever with the gun.

Let us know where your load ends up.

 

[Maxden]

I'm genuinely baffled. Best other load was 32.4 gr, avg. velocity 2997, with ES of ~ 20 fps and 0.60" grp at 100 yard about 30 off the lands. Wondering if I could play with seating depth to dial that in or if that's more tail chasing..... if seating depth could drop that down to 0.25 - 0.35"

32.2 had an ES of 3 fps with about same size grp. Avg velocity 2,978.

Tried in the lands have you?

 

[Maxden]

My Old Dasher : 6 Norma Dasher , PTG Reamer , Norma Dasher Brass , 1-7.5 R-5 ( Obermeyer). 30"
450's Varget 31.0, 105 Berger HB on the lands.
F/Class Rifle 600 yards Best 200-16 X. 1000 yards 148-8 .
Bushing Die try for .002 Neck

Did you have trouble getting it to shoot jumping the bullet? I have pretty much the same setup that won’t shoot. I’m gonna try in the lands this year. The question is why shoot a dasher if it will only achieve 6 BR velocity?

 

[Liven The Dream]

Did you have trouble getting it to shoot jumping the bullet? I have pretty much the same setup that won’t shoot. I’m gonna try in the lands this year. The question is why shoot a dasher if it will only achieve 6 BR velocity?

I am on the Lands .
Why ?? very very Accurate and Barrel Life !
It would most likely find an accurate nod fast, just not my game.
I have made HM F/Open and have Medal from Winning ?
Am I wrong ???