Why Not Standardize the 6 Dasher?

[BigDMT]

I am curious why major brass manufacturers have not started to make 6 Dasher brass? With the undeniable success of the cartridge in recent years there is no doubt that sales of brass from companies like Lapua and Norma would soar.

Has anyone with influence in the shooting world ever proposed this to any major brass manufacturer? Many companies make 6.5-284 brass because it gained popularity in the competition world. Now I believe the production of 6 Dasher brass is long overdue considering that the cartridge has obliterated every long range record set by the once omnipotent 6.5-284.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Erik Cortina]

I believe the 6PPC is more popular and they still don't make PPC brass.

However, Shiraz posted on this forum and it seemed like be was trying to get Dasher stamped brass made.

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

I believe the 6PPC is more popular and they still don't make PPC brass.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1311432351/norma-reloading-brass-6mm-ppc

 

[effendude]

Instead of 6 Dasher brass, BRX brass would be better. ;D

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Laupua could do it. But the rest of them say you're joking right. They can't even keep up with what they have and it still sucks.

 

[CatShooter]

If a cartridge starts out as a wildcat, the chances of it ever being excepted as standard, is between slim and none. Too many variables already out in the field, for liability reasons.

And what you think is popular, is not enough production for a company to set up a production line for.

The 17 Fireball is a classic example... it has been a popular wildcat since the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock - Rem finely gave in to pressure and spent a bunch of money, and it died in 2 years after they promoted the hell out of it - and the 17-221 is a bunch more popular than the Dasher.

 

[Rtheurer]

6.5/308 to 260 Remington. 6.5X284 Norma. Are two recent additions that came from wildcats addopted by Big Manufactures.

 

[CatShooter]

6.5/308 to 260 Remington. 6.5X284 Norma. Are two recent additions that came from wildcats adopted by big manufactures.

There are exceptions - there are hundreds that more popular that never made the cut.

223 AI, 243 AI, 6mm AI, 6mm-06, and on and on...

 

[BradY]

The idea suits one discipline maybe... but your dealing with a mammoth task really. Tool up and get everything done to suit one discipline. What about the f classers ? They will want straight 284, 7SAUM and 300WSM cases as well- and I would guess more f class shooters are around the world than LRBR. Then the SRBR guys will want 6PPC- probably more again.... Look at it from a company perspective. People winning arent complaining about it, they do what they need to do, form cases themselves and just shoot. And people wont turn away from lapua cases if lapua wont do it anyway... Honestly norma cases are good and very expensive too, but still havent ever had a batch as good as lapua. I would still form my dasher cases from 6BR lapua if norma offered dasher cases.

Its just not a realistic task in the sort of climate where companies struggle to keep up with components worldwide.

 

[Erik Cortina]

I believe the 6PPC is more popular and they still don't make PPC brass.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1311432351/norma-reloading-brass-6mm-ppc

I stand corrected, however, some of the serious BR guys I know use Lapua .220 Russian to make their PPC brass.

 

[DukeDuke]

Instead of 6 Dasher brass, BRX brass would be better. ;D

definitely !

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

I stand corrected, however, some of the serious BR guys I know use Lapua .220 Russian to make their PPC brass.

All of the 6PPC shooters that I know use Lapua brass, too. Since you can wear out a point blank BR barrel with 20 cases, and nobody would compete with cases that weren't already fireformed (regardless of the headstamp), there's no real disadvantage to starting with .220 Russian.

 

[BigDMT]

6.5/308 to 260 Remington. 6.5X284 Norma. Are two recent additions that came from wildcats adopted by big manufactures.

There are exceptions - there are hundreds that more popular that never made the cut.

223 AI, 243 AI, 6mm AI, 6mm-06, and on and on...

Yeah but the difference is that the 17 fireball and the cartridges you listed in this post aren't constantly setting and breaking their own world records. The wildcats you speak of are more of a curiosity than anything else. The 6 Dasher is a seriously accurate round that holds the "heavyweight title belt" in almost every long range event.

The 6.5-284 was doing the same thing until the Dasher came strolling along in to the lime light. Look how successful the 6.5-284 became. If a cartridge has a solid pedigree in competition world to back up its validity it has a much better chance of surviving in the mainstream commercial shooting world IMO. There's no denying the Dasher pedigree. Folks keep trying to come up with new 6mm rounds like the BR, XC, DX, BRDX, Malcolm X, etc... The list goes on, but the fact is that the Dasher still holds the crown.

 

[CatShooter]

6.5/308 to 260 Remington. 6.5X284 Norma. Are two recent additions that came from wildcats adopted by big manufactures.

There are exceptions - there are hundreds that more popular that never made the cut.

223 AI, 243 AI, 6mm AI, 6mm-06, and on and on...

Yeah but the difference is that the 17 fireball and the cartridges you listed in this post aren't constantly setting and breaking their own world records. The wildcats you speak of are more of a curiosity than anything else. The 6 Dasher is a seriously accurate round that holds the "heavyweight title belt" in almost every long range event.

The 6.5-284 was doing the same thing until the Dasher came strolling along in to the lime light. Look how successful the 6.5-284 became. If a cartridge has a solid pedigree in competition world to back up its validity it has a much better chance of surviving in the mainstream commercial shooting world IMO. There's no denying the Dasher pedigree. Folks keep trying to come up with new 6mm rounds like the BR, XC, DX, BRDX, Malcolm X, etc... The list goes on, but the fact is that the Dasher still holds the crown.

It is not setting records that determines whether a case goes into commercial, it is sales volume, or brand recognition - nothing else enters the picture.

 

[spclark]

6.5/308 to 260 Remington. 6.5X284 Norma. Are two recent additions that came from wildcats addopted by Big Manufactures.

And the companies that brought those factory products to us spent lots of $$$ in the process. Then the 6.5x284 fell out of favor & folks are using it for 7mm when they can find any.

6.5 Grendel was Bill Alexander's personal project, 6XC David Tubb's. 6HAGAR was a group of fellows frustrated by on-again, off-again interest of a couple of brass suppliers. Once those became available the inveterate tinkerers began 'wildcatting' them also, further expanding the choices for 'interesting' non-standard chamberings.

I'd say "leave well enough alone" then add "so as to concentrate on making quality products in numbers that meet the current need."

Shooters who choose non-standard chamberings do so with full knowledge of what it's going to take to feed those chambers. As stated, BR barrels can live a full and happy life on 20 cases. Other disciplines usually need more than that but it's not the mall ninja's needing non-standard brass to fuel their fantasies that drives a new case profile into production.

 

[wwbrown]

What is the business case for Lapua to make Dasher or another improved variant of the 6mm BR? Lapua sells most of the parent brass for the variants so they already sell the brass, choosing the BRX vs the Dasher will tick off the Dasher crowd. Then there is the issue of differences between the reamers made with the same name so Lapua could tick off some of those if the "standard" Dasher brass did not fit in some of the chambers cut with Dasher reamers that do not match the "standard".

Lapua making one of the variants does not seem to make much business sense, they already sell the vast majority of the brass used and they do it without the possibility of ticking off the majority of the people who shoot one of the variants. What is the business case, I easily could have missed something?

 

[BigDMT]

Lets look at the new 6.5x47. Lapua came out with the brass, qualified BR shooters ran it through the paces, approved of it's accuracy, now it is trickling over into the hunting/varmint world and Lapua can't make enough brass to keep up with the demand.

Now many would argue that the Dasher brass renders superior accuracy overbthe 6.5x47 at long range so I'm sure the Dasher would see the same success.

This is all just some food for thought, but let's take a quick poll here for those with Dashers or planning to own a Dasher in the future.....

A) Would you buy ready made 6 Dasher brass from Lapua that you could do minor adjustmentss with to fit your liking?

B) Would you rather continue to go through the time consuming process of buying 6BR brass and forming it?

 

[BigDMT]

What is the business case for Lapua to make Dasher or another improved variant of the 6mm BR? Lapua sells most of the parent brass for the variants so they already sell the brass, choosing the BRX vs the Dasher will tick off the Dasher crowd. Then there is the issue of differences between the reamers made with the same name so Lapua could tick off some of those if the "standard" Dasher brass did not fit in some of the chambers cut with Dasher reamers that do not match the "standard".

Lapua making one of the variants does not seem to make much business sense, they already sell the vast majority of the brass used and they do it without the possibility of ticking off the majority of the people who shoot one of the variants. What is the business case, I easily could have missed something?

The other variants don't have the pedigree with long range world records to back it up. That was the whole point in my previous post.

 

[Erik Cortina]

You can't compare the Dasher to the 6.5x47 Lapua.
The "47" is more versatile than the Dasher. For hunting, the "47" has a wider range of bullet weight available and also has a huge following in the tactical world. With its 40 degree shoulder and short case, the Dasher does not feed reliably out of the magazine.

The Dasher may be more accurate, but not more versatile. And like wwbrown said, Lapua already sells all the 6BR brass used to make the Dasher, so what's the point?

To recap, it's about versatility, not accuracy.

 

[NateHaler]

I think the number of people who'd buy 6 Dasher cases would be measured in hundreds, or at most a few thousand. That's not commercially viable. 6.5x47 has possible (if not actual) military market possibilities, which would yield exponentially greater sales.

I think the 6 Dasher is a boutique chambering, i.e. of interest primarily, and perhaps almost exclusively, to 600y and 1,000y BR shooters. The worldwide number of shooters in those disciplines is miniscule.

But I hear ya. I wish Nissan or Toyota would market a diesel-powered medium size SUV and/or truck to the US market. But I'm not holding my breath. However, if they bring one to market, I'll buy it.