Why is 6 Dasher a thing?

First, although relatively new to PRS, the 6 Dasher is definitely not a fad. It has been a solid, top of the heap choice for the LR BR crowd for many years and has held/holds many records. Recoil is low and performance is high. Where the 6 Creedmoor needs around 42 grains of H4350 to hit the 3,000 FPS number the 6 Dasher can do it with 32.7 grains of Varget. Finding some one who can expertly hydro-form brass is pretty easy DJ's Brass is top of the list) and that brass, unlike 6 Creedmoor is accused of, can take at least 20 firings with no ruined primer pockets or case failures.
PRS, much like USPSA, has become a game fueled by innovation. When others say "that won't work" there is always that person that says "yes it will" and it's worth making it do so.

6mm Dasher is a widely used cartridge for mid-range F Class and shoot one myself. Brass life is very good and some of the people I shoot with have over 3000 rounds down the tube with no deterioration in accuracy. Do my own hydro forming and although a bit of PITA not really that bad.

arm017 said:

So 6 Dasher does not offer improved barrel life over other 6 mm alternatives?

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While I do own a bunch of PRS capable rifles I chose not to take up the PRS game. I don't have a 6 Dasher barrel on one of those rifles.
I do have many 6 Dasher barrels that I use in 600/1,000 Yard BR so my take on barrel life comes from that arena. @padom is spot-on with his barrel life assessment. I was fortunate to shoot a very small 1.86" five-shot group at the 2016 1,000 Yard Nationals with a barrel that over 1,100 rounds down the tube. It had never even been set back. The Berger Hybrids were not needing the lands to be accurate and it was not a problem that the throat had move distance measured in inches rather than thousandths.

I load my Dasher to the low node and avoid Varget, lots of barrel life to be had if you do
Varget is a known throat eater in 6mm applications

padom said:

That is news to me. All the guys I know shooting 6 Dasher in PRS are pulling barrels at around 1500-1600 rounds and use them to fireform after that. I havent seen anyone shooting them still in competition with 3000rds down them... If this was the norm everyone would be leaving them on for 3000rds....

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anyone I run with in prs shooting dashers are having zero issues through the 2000rd mark. I don't know anyone pulling them at 1500 unless they want to fireform with them

My last Dasher barrel went 2700 rounds with Varget in PRS/NRL matches.

delfuego said:

My last Dasher barrel went 2700 rounds with Varget in PRS/NRL matches.

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What was your load?

I've found Varget in my Dasher to be temperature INTOLERANT and a throat eater. AZ has some major temp swings
45 degrees to 120 so I end up with a summer load and a winter load,,,fuck that noise. H4895 is more stable IMHO.
If you could cram enough H4350 or R16 to get decent velocity I would use it. Delfuego has a kryptonite barrel so he's exempt,,,,just kiddin

Most everyone I've heard of in PRS is running their Dasher out to around 1700 rounds before pulling from competition. My last Dasher I ran out to 2k rounds before setting it aside, it lost a tiny bit of velocity and had some throad erosion but still shot great. Only really pulled it because I had another barrel ready to go, and didn't want to risk any velocity loss mid-match.

I've messed around with both Varget and H4895, my understanding is that Varget is actually a little bit better for temp sensistivity than H4895 according to Hodgdon's website. I tested H4895 for temp sensitivity and got around 25 fps velocity increase from 40 degrees to 90 degrees ammo temp. I've just settled on Varget as my go-to powder, and I think probably 90% of Dasher shooters in PRS are running Varget... everyone I know is.

As to "Why Dasher?" for me the two biggest reasons are that it's dang accurate and that it has less muzzle blast and less recoil. I personally shoot better with lower recoiling guns, and it's easier to spot impacts/misses. Any 6BR based improved case falls into that category. Run a 105gr bullet at around 2950fps and you're golden.

padom said:

That is news to me. All the guys I know shooting 6 Dasher in PRS are pulling barrels at around 1500-1600 rounds and use them to fireform after that. I havent seen anyone shooting them still in competition with 3000rds down them... If this was the norm everyone would be leaving them on for 3000rds....

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Padom:

Not trying to contradict your comment just stating that a gentleman who I shoot with (High Master) has just over 3K down the tube and the rifle still shoots very well at both a 600 and 1000. This may certainly be an exception.

Rate of fire has a huge influence

It's also super fun to hit golf balls at like 600 yards while guys with super magnums that recoil like crazy can barely hit an 8" plate. Especially when right before they were talking hella shit. The ability to focus on fundamentals is priceless

BLKWLFK9 said:

What was your load?

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32.5 of Varget with 105 Hybrids. When the velocity started to drop (around 2000-2200rds) I bumped the charged to 32.7/32.8. That brought the velocity back up to 2950-2960. The Dasher is best at/or around this speed. Barrel held vertical amazingly well, even with 2400-2600 rounds on it.

There is a node at 3000-3030 but it should be avoided. Seems real promising, right up until it stops. The higher node also is hard on brass, barrel and brain. If people want the extra speed they should look at 6x47/6Creed/Etc.

H4895 is another good powder, I run it in 6BR.

Marksman10x said:

It's also super fun to hit golf balls at like 600 yards while guys with super magnums that recoil like crazy can barely hit an 8" plate. Especially when right before they were talking hella shit.

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Anytime you let someone shoot it they have this happy but befuddled look. "Huh, did I really just hit that?"

haha so true!!

delfuego said:

32.5 of Varget with 105 Hybrids. When the velocity started to drop (around 2000-2200rds) I bumped the charged to 32.7/32.8. That brought the velocity back up to 2950-2960. The Dasher is best at/or around this speed. Barrel held vertical amazingly well, even with 2400-2600 rounds on it.

There is a node at 3000-3030 but it should be avoided. Seems real promising, right up until it stops. The higher node also is hard on brass, barrel and brain. If people want the extra speed they should look at 6x47/6Creed/Etc.

H4895 is another good powder, I run it in 6BR.

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What kind of barrel lengths are you guys using to get those speeds with the Dasher? Kinda making me want one.

Currently running 32.2gr H4895 under berger 105's. That gives me 3003fps with an sd of 3.7 in 10 rounds. Only 400ish rounds through it at the moment but I could have gone up higher. I stopped at 33gr because why go that hot?
To the original post...
For me I did this as I had enough cash to fulfill a dream rifle. Definitely more work then buying ammo off the shelf and running it through a stock weapon Rem 700. But for me the draw of having a wildcat was the journey into more self reliance and having more influence in shrinking external influences to where I could only blame myself. Probably why I enjoy pool as much as I did since I was 5 in the basement shooting with dad. LOL

26" 1 in 7 twist

Yondering said:

What kind of barrel lengths are you guys using to get those speeds with the Dasher?

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26"-28" barrels.

Don't kid yourself, Dasher is definitely "flavor of the month". Lots of PRS fags (me included) have them, that's why you can no longer find any Lapua 6BR brass anywhere. But... It is a good little cartridge. If you don't beleive me, just look at all the 600 & 1000y benchrest records. However it is not the be-all end-all. It s not a mile cartridge, not matter what the internet says. It is money out to 1200y, but beyond that your pushing your luck.

Just a little advice, you need to clean it, and you need to pay attention to the throat. Little 6mm is a whole different animal. It can be a lot of work to keep it shooting the way it did on a new barrel. Carbon, copper, throat movement, brass, necks, seating, etc, etc.

30" 1:7.5 giving me about 3020 fps with 33 gr of Varget behind 105 Bergers. At our monthly 1000 yd BR competitions the Dasher will outshoot the 284's when the winds are kind but as soon as the winds pick up they are at a disadvantage.

delfuego said:

26"-28" barrels.

Don't kid yourself, Dasher is definitely "flavor of the month". Lots of PRS fags (me included) have them, that's why you can no longer find any Lapua 6BR brass anywhere. But... It is a good little cartridge. If you don't beleive me, just look at all the 600 & 1000y benchrest records. However it is not the be-all end-all. It s not a mile cartridge, not matter what the internet says. It is money out to 1200y, but beyond that your pushing your luck.

Just a little advice, you need to clean it, and you need to pay attention to the throat. Little 6mm is a whole different animal. It can be a lot of work to keep it shooting the way it did on a new barrel. Carbon, copper, throat movement, brass, necks, seating, etc, etc.

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Haha, no worries, thanks for the forthright feedback. I'm shooting (not PRS) one of the 6mm Grendel-based wildcats in an AR now, and the Dasher doesn't sound all that different except a bit more case capacity and longer barrels giving about 200-250 fps more with 105's. It does look like fun and I see the appeal.