6mm Dasher project

[thibben]

So you're looking at 10" at 1,000 yards?

Not bad! Well done.

Thank you...but not ‘great’ Bit like my school reports ‘could do better’

[Leeman]

Thibben,

I had a Dasher for a short time using the Norma brass from March UK but couldn't get anywhere near my target speed with the 105 class bullets. In fact it was slower than the previous barrel chambered in 6BR before I had to quit, because of pressure signs. This was with a Rem 40X with ejector. I have a couple of friends using Barnard and Stolle actions using the same brass, but without ejectors, like yourself and they are happy to go beyond what I felt my rifle was limited to and getting good results. In the end I sold the dies, brass, probably 2/3's that had not been used and re-chambered to 6 x 47 and getting the results I was after, albeit with larger charges of powder and no doubt a shorter barrel life. Good luck with the cartridge.

[thibben]

Leeman

I had a 6mm Swiss match for a while, basically the same cartridge as your 6-6.5x47. Very accurate and easy to load case. I was using the 115 DTAC,s from memory.

Chose the 6mm Dasher as I wanted a pure accurate range rifle. 2900+ is all I was looking for with the 105’s which my rifle is easily achieving with the 4166. My gut feeling is there is another load a bit faster than the 2940fps but it is not necessary.

Out of interest what speed were you looking for?

[Leeman]

Thibben,

I wasn't being greedy, 2900 - 3000fps or thereabouts would have been acceptable, subject to accuracy, but I couldn't achieve 2800fps without ejector marks on the brass, two different bullets and three different powders didn't make any difference, must have just been a 'slow' barrel. It did and does shoot accurately enough for my needs, short and mid range F class, but you are potentially leaving too many points on the table at those low speeds when your competitors are shooting 7mm cartridges!

[220AI]

The build and Ultimatum deadline action look stunning Terry, was the action U.K. sourced? The longer necks on the Norma brass was a steer for my reamer and build but as below it didn’t work out.

Thibben,

I had a Dasher for a short time using the Norma brass from March UK but couldn't get anywhere near my target speed with the 105 class bullets. In fact it was slower than the previous barrel chambered in 6BR before I had to quit, because of pressure signs.

I have had similar issues recently with the Norma Dasher brass in a 20 Dasher build, it early days yet but I’ve switched over to Lapua brass which I have been hydraulically formed with the Whidden form die and the pressure signs have gone away with the brass swap. Accuracy over speed any day of the week.

[thibben]

Leeman

No, 2900-3000 seems about right.

220AI

Thank you for the comment re build. Sourced action, stock and barrel thru Gary at March UK. Very knowledgeable, very helpful. Current I’m putting together a clone of this rifle but 22rf based on a Voodu action 😎

Have not seen any issues to date with this brass, I believe it is from a later catch, original batch had rim thickness issues. But not running an ejector might be influencing this.

I have over the years owned a good number of rifles, think this is the most accurate to date.

T