F
flatlander
Guest
Tod, I started playing with Dashers in late summer of '04, and have since formed over 1200pcs. of Lapua BR brass. Have stuck with the false shoulder method because it works so well - case loss due to splits is under 1%, and that includes a couple of cases that had small creases in the necks out of the box that split when they were fired.
Initially used a Redding .264" tapered expander button because that's what I had when the 1st Dasher arrived, and I was hot to trot. It worked just fine, but a .257" doesn't work the neck quite as much. I now use a Sinclair expander body with one of their .257" mandrels, and Imperial Sizing Die Wax applied with a Q-tip. Also have one of the K&M expanders, but got tired of the screw head catching on case mouths - not a problem with the tapered Sinclair mandrels.
On the advice of an experienced LR HP shooter who got me started down the Dasher trail, I used 33grs. Varget for fireforming with moly'd S107MKs, which gives nearly 2900fps out of 29"-30" bbls. When a case failed, the split was nearly always at the point where the new shoulder/body junction formed. I used a slightly lighter load (32.5grs.) in a new Dasher last summer, and lost only 1 out of 200 cases formed. Not sure whether the lighter load reduced the strain on brass, or whether this lot of brass was a little better suited to the FF process. At any rate, I've shot several cleans on the NRA 600yd. HP tgt. (MR1) from prone with the 33gr. load, although, as some of you know, these targets have a generous X-ring of nearly 7" in dia., so BR accuracy isn't needed to shoot a good score. Just the same, being able to use FF ammo for any/any matches is just one of the many positive aspects of the Dasher.
I like 'em so much that I'm just waiting on a stock to finish my fifth Dasher project - this one's built around a BAT 3L with another Krieger .236" 8-twist - and there are 300 pcs. of Lapua brass with false shoulders formed, ready to go in the loading room.
Initially used a Redding .264" tapered expander button because that's what I had when the 1st Dasher arrived, and I was hot to trot. It worked just fine, but a .257" doesn't work the neck quite as much. I now use a Sinclair expander body with one of their .257" mandrels, and Imperial Sizing Die Wax applied with a Q-tip. Also have one of the K&M expanders, but got tired of the screw head catching on case mouths - not a problem with the tapered Sinclair mandrels.
On the advice of an experienced LR HP shooter who got me started down the Dasher trail, I used 33grs. Varget for fireforming with moly'd S107MKs, which gives nearly 2900fps out of 29"-30" bbls. When a case failed, the split was nearly always at the point where the new shoulder/body junction formed. I used a slightly lighter load (32.5grs.) in a new Dasher last summer, and lost only 1 out of 200 cases formed. Not sure whether the lighter load reduced the strain on brass, or whether this lot of brass was a little better suited to the FF process. At any rate, I've shot several cleans on the NRA 600yd. HP tgt. (MR1) from prone with the 33gr. load, although, as some of you know, these targets have a generous X-ring of nearly 7" in dia., so BR accuracy isn't needed to shoot a good score. Just the same, being able to use FF ammo for any/any matches is just one of the many positive aspects of the Dasher.
I like 'em so much that I'm just waiting on a stock to finish my fifth Dasher project - this one's built around a BAT 3L with another Krieger .236" 8-twist - and there are 300 pcs. of Lapua brass with false shoulders formed, ready to go in the loading room.
