Finally,.... a 6 Dasher!

shooter

I had fun today making 6 dasher brass out of 6 BR brass. This was an "itch" that I just had to scratch and I finally did.

The rifle is a 6 BR that I had "opened up" to 6 Dasher last week. Today I had a chance to fire-form some brass to do some preliminary
load work-up with Dasher sized brass. It will take a while to fire-form more brass but it entails pulling the trigger and shooting….. which
I thoroughly enjoy!

Of the many 6-BR improved cartridges, the Dasher is the most popular. I have wanted one for a few years and now I have one.
One of my posts from last year had me "lusting after" a buddy's Dasher.

http://forums.gunsandammo.com/showthread.php?7437-Almost-a-Screamer-Group-1-000-yards&highlight=dasher


The standard 6-BR Norma is a heck of a cartridge, but a few improved variants have come along. The Dasher is the most popular. I made a
trip last week to the other side of the state to meet with Jay Cutright so that he could ream my chamber out to Dasher specs. The UPS
truck brought the final ingredients to my place today. I'd been waiting on a .257" carbide expander mandrel to open up the necks with and it
arrived today. Once a neck is expanded, the neck sizer die is used to size it back down to .243" far enough down the neck to create a
false shoulder to headspace on. This is a trial and error adjustment until the bolt "snugly" closes on a reformed case.




Then put a mid-level load together and shoot it. I have several hundred WW-80 gr. Power Points and that's what I used behind a mid level
charge of AA-2230 powder. It was not a wimp load, as it gave me 2800 f.p.s. over the chronograph. Once I get enough fire-formed cases,
I'll start working on a match load with Varget or RL-15, whichever gives me the best results. CFE-223 is also in the mix since I have an
8# jug of it and it's in the "sweet spot" for this size cartridge.

If anyone else has experience with this wildcat, I'd be glad to hear from you.

Big Chief

Is Dasher faster than Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner , Blitzen and Rudolph.:tooth:

How does it compare to the original 6mm BR? Let us know how your conversion shoots.

wizard78

Expanding the case that much when fireforming, doesn't weaken the brass? What's the expected velocity? Looks like it will be a screamer.

Ernie Bishop

Congrats!
If I was a rifle BR competitor I would likely have a Dasher.
If I was shooting 600 yard BR, I would for sure use a Dasher.

shooter

wizard78 wrote: »

Expanding the case that much when fireforming, doesn't weaken the brass? What's the expected velocity? Looks like it will be a screamer.

Most folks are getting 3000 - 3100 fps out of a 105-108 class bullet. The G1 B.C. of the Berger 105 Hybrid's is .547 and that's the first bullet I'm going to try.
The brass from Lapua is excellent and shouldn't weaken with one fire-forming. Back in the 80's I competed with a 7-30 Waters 14" barreled Contender and had
to neck down 30-30 brass to 7mm and fire-form it in my chamber. That was a radical fire-form and I occasionally lost a piece or two of brass. But 30-30 brass
is quite thin by comparison.

shooter

Ernie Bishop wrote: »

Congrats!
If I was a rifle BR competitor I would likely have a Dasher.
If I was shooting 600 yard BR, I would for sure use a Dasher.

Thanks Ernie. I've got a 600 yard F-Class match this thursday at the St. Louis club and I'd really like to shoot the Dasher but doubt that I can have a load worked
up that soon. Plus, I only fire-formed about 30 pieces of brass yesterday and today it's raining. :tissue:

I'll most likely just shoot one of my 6.5-284's in the F-Open category.

Ernie Bishop

Good luck in your match.

jwv2001

Have you lost any cases while fireforming?

shooter

jwv2001 wrote: »

Have you lost any cases while fireforming?

None lost so far... :up: :up: ..but I have only just begun.