Tikka 6mm Dasher

[MTNGUY]

I am looking at building a do all rifle for myself, and my kids, to use. I want to use if for hunting and banging steel. It will be suppressed with an 18-20" barrel. I am building it on a Tikka Action. I am looking really hard at a 6mm Dasher. I reload so that is not a problem. I am wondering if anyone has build a Tikka in 6 Dasher with a short barrel? I am wondering what kind of velocity I could expect. I planned on shooting the 108 ELDM. I have seen a few velocities on here from 21" barrel shooting 105's. Those were 2750 and 2840 I believe? Am I crazy to think I can get at least 2650 out of an 18" barrel shooting the 108?

 

[Tanner]

I see the appeal of a Dasher but in a Tikka I don’t see the practicality being there over a 6mm Creed. Better brass selection, factory ammo if you need it, ease of feeding (dasher in tikka mags could be a pain in the butt). The option is then always there to run a super mild load in the Creed for the kids…. Just the first few things that come to mind

 

[KyleR1985]

Yes you can expect around 2650 with a 108.

I’d probably go with 6gt or 6creed given no cartridge length limitation with the Tikka.

Both give ability to load down to dasher speed if you wanted, but can get more range if needed. And factory ammo with 6creed.

Seems like a more versatile choice.

But to answer your question, yes. And more if you’re willing to forego temp stability.

 

[grassassin]

I agree, especially in regards to feeding issues in a Tikka. Get 6 creed or even 6 GT.

If you are set on the Dasher then yes, I think you can easily attain 2650 running 108s or 109s. My 6 BR does 2750 running Berger 109 hybrids with a bit over 29 grains of Varget out of a 24 inch barrel. I can't remember the rule of thumb for loss of velocity per inch of barrel length. 5 fps per inch? Anyway I don't think with the BR one would lose more than 100 fps going 2 or 4 inches shorter. Certainly with the increased case capacity of the Dasher 2650 shooting 108 ELDMs would be easy peasy. Of course, follow safe and proven load data and watch for pressure.

But just chamber in 6 creed. As stated in the reply above you can always load the larger Creedmoor to Dasher-like performance. Especially If you want a do all rifle the Creedmoor offers significant advantage in that you can load it hotter to Creedmoor performance and hunt a wider variety of bigger critters.

 

[MTNGUY]

I can see the benefits to a 6 Creedmoor or a 6GT. I have shot a buddies 6mm ARC,and I really enjoyed it. I figured the Dasher is easier then turning a Tikka into a 6mm ARC.

 

[wind gypsy]

@Lawnboi was working on a hunting barrel to match his dasher comp gun iirc.

I want one too.. I bet they are less finicky than creeds and burning less powder and recoiling less is a nice side effect.

I have a benchmark #4 blank that I’m tempted to chamber in dasher but I’ve got plenty of creedmoor barrel life left in front of me too.

 

[Lawnboi]

I just got a 21” alpha dasher barrel chambered for a hunting gun, on an ace #3. Same alpha legacy reamer as my match gun. I havnt screwed it on yet, sometime this spring or summer it will be. As soon as I burn the 22 creed barrel up.

I’m hoping I’ll get a comfortable 2700 with the dasher and 108 eldm. If loading it will be like my match barrels…. Stupid easy to get beyond acceptable accuracy.


For me I’m going dasher over 6 creed because I’m moving my match gun to dasher, Mainly for barrel life. A 6 creed barrel might last me a year of practice, a dasher barrel hopefully will last me double. I don’t like going into a season with a barrel that might go dead if I want to practice.

Less powder, srp. I do have a waters rifleman dasher mag and a few factory mags to try.

I’d have a hard time not going creed or GT if I wanted to go shorter

 

[MTNGUY]

It's definately been something I have wanted to do for a while. I just need to bit the bullet and take the plunge.

 

[Lawnboi]

It's definately been something I have wanted to do for a while. I just need to bit the bullet and take the plunge.

Fisher t&c does tikka prefits and has an alpha legacy reamer. That’s who did my last 3.

I wouldn’t have gone dasher if I had to fire form. Alpha brass/dies/reamers made it an easier choice

 

[RWT]

Fisher t&c does tikka prefits and has an alpha legacy reamer. That’s who did my last 3.

I wouldn’t have gone dasher if I had to fire form. Alpha brass/dies/reamers made it an easier choice

What would be a reasonable barrel life on a 6CM?

 

[Lawnboi]

What would be a reasonable barrel life on a 6CM?

Depends what you deem acceptable. For me it’s been 1000-1500. That’s mostly on match rifles shot for 8-12 round strings where I need 1moa accuracy.

 

[General RE LEE]

I would do 6 GT.

In between a 6 ARC and 6 CM in regards to barrel life and performance. Standard bolt face, optimized for Varget and will feed reliably in a Tikka T3x M mag.

 

[MTNGUY]

The 6GT has been on my mind as well. I think the 6 Dasher and 6 GT would both do what I want.

 

[KyleR1985]

The 6GT has been on my mind as well. I think the 6 Dasher and 6 GT would both do what I want.

I had access to a dasher reamer, and the Howa mini action is limited to functionally about 2.45” no matter how I slice it.

Those two details led me to 6dasher over 6gt for my 16” 6mm suppressed Howa mini hunting rifle.


If my action capacity for OAL wasn’t an issue, and the cost and access to gunsmith work was the same, the 6gt would be my choice for a hunting rifle over the dasher.

 

[Lawnboi]

Dasher if you have varget, gt if you have h4350 would be a good plan. Though guys are shooting h4350 from a dasher now too.

I can’t speak to recoil because I don’t have a GT. But I’m sure the dasher has less recoil being your burning less powder.

GT has more brass or atleast does on paper, you can’t get most of it.

 

[Hydra6]

I shoot 6 Dasher in PRS - you will need a special mag for the Dasher. I will echo the 6GT recommendations so that a special mag is not needed.

 

[khuber84]

Most guys shooting Dasher are in the 30.X gr of varget. To get the same speed in GT with varget, guys are running 32.X gr of varget(lot of varget users in gt actually) so recoil isn't much different in equal weight rifles. I've shot a lot of br, dasher, gt. BRs usually run well high 2700s, dasher low 2800s, gt low to mid 2800s. This is with 109s and 105s. There's a slight difference in br VS gt, dasher is the goldilocks in the middle. But they're all really easy to load. My preference is the 6gt with H4350 shooting dtacs at 2820. This combo has worked in 5 barrels. Powder charge doesn't matter, just however much is needed to get that speed.

This is the dtac load, a 12rd zero check, which was 0.6 moa, and 6 shots at 650y E target, 1/2 Mao.