35gr of varget in my 6dasher

skeetlee

Active member
I did a little tuning today for an up coming 600 yard match. I have lots of varget on hand, and a health supply of Berger 105vld bullets, I set out to find a good load for my 6mm dasher with these components. My rifle is a Bat MB, with a Benchmark 3 groove 8twist barrel. While i was working up the load scale, i kept noticing low velocity numbers,and poor accuracy. I didn't notice anything worth a hoot until i got up around 34.5 grains. Accuracy was better yet at 35grains. I went as high as 35.5grains. Even at 35.5 grains there were no real pressure issues, or signs at all. Is this common with varget in a dasher shooting a 105 vld? Seems like an awful lot of powder to me? My velocity with 35gr of varget was 3050. 35.5gr was 3090. I haven't shot much varget, and i don't shoot my dasher much, as i prefer the short range games a bit more. Anyway, the rifle is shooting one hole 3 shot groups at 200 yards so i hope i am good to go. Temp today was right at 50degrees. The air is damp, and the sky's are cloudy. Is my varget just really slow, or is this common? Or is it my 3 groove benchmark barrel?? I always work up slowly, and even though i wasn't seeing any signs of pressure, i just felt like this was to much powder. The bolt flipped right open, and the primers weren't even flat? Lee

If it matters, i was using a FED 205M primer
 
I've shot 34 grains with 108 BT's and no pressure. It was with a Broughton 5C 8 twist. Maybe your powder is a bit slow. The 50 degree temp may help you get a little more powder in. Matt
 
I would like to go ahead and load up for next Saturdays match, but i am bit reluctant at this point. I dont know what the temp range will be down there in st Louis. Not sure what i will do just yet. I think i better shoot some through the week. Lee
 
Lee, down here in Dixie I can't go nearly that high with Varget without getting too much pressure. I stop at 33 grains in the hot humid climate we have here. I am shooting Berger 105 VLD's in a .236 bore Bartlein Gain Twist (8.25-7.75). I normally shoot 32.0 grains of Reloder 15, but have used Varget, H4895 and 8208 XBR. The XBR is too fast for warm days but works good in the winter. Good shooting...James
 
Lee, I could run as much as 34grs of Varget in the first two Dasher bbls. I had (done by Randy Gregory in Wisconsin), and got comparable velocities to what you're seeing. However, when I started chambering my own Dashers (using a set of PTG reamers that were supposed to be identical to the ones Randy used), 33grs was max, and I'd see ejector swipes if I tried going to 33.5. All those early bbls. were .236" bore Kriegers, with one 5C Broughton thrown in out of curiousity. Even now, using .237" bore Bartleins (4-groove & 5R), I won't go much over 33 of Varget. N150 is just a tick slower, and 34grs is about max with it.

Seems to me that either you've got a slower lot of Varget, or an exceptional bbl.
 
My 6mmBRX in a 8.5 twist Brux .236" barrel handles 33 gr. of Varget with the 108 Berger; no problem down here in NC? The velocity was running 2968 fps in mid August last year. I believe the BRX has slightly less capacity also.
Rich De
 
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