CaliberAtlas › 6mm Dasher

6mm Dasher Ballistics — Velocity, Energy & Drop

Also known as: 6 Dasher

Common uses: Competition, Long Range

Specifications

Typerifle (centerfire)
Typical load105gr Berger Hybrid Target (BTHP, match)
Muzzle velocity2850 fps
Muzzle energy1893 ft-lb
G1 ballistic coefficient0.536
Case length39.24 mm
Overall length60 mm
Common twist rate1:8"

6mm Dasher Trajectory Table

Range (yd)Velocity (fps)Energy (ft-lb)Drop (in)
028501893-1.5
100267616690
20025091468-3.4
30023481285-12.3
40021951123-27.5
5002047977-49.9

6mm Dasher Extended Ballistics (to 1,000 yd)

At 1,000 yards, 6mm Dasher (105gr at 2850 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 30.3 MOA / 8.8 MIL, retaining 1388 fps (supersonic).

Range (yd)Velocity (fps)StateDrop (in)Elev (MOA)Elev (MIL)
3002348Supersonic-12.33.91.14
4002195Supersonic-27.56.61.91
5002047Supersonic-49.99.52.77
6001905Supersonic-80.712.83.74
7001768Supersonic-121.116.54.80
8001636Supersonic-172.420.65.99
9001509Supersonic-236.925.17.31
10001388Supersonic-316.830.38.80

Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.

Hunting Energy Reference

A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.

Data & Sources

Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.

Overview

The Dasher is a target cartridge through and through: a long-time benchrest and F-Class standout that became one of the dominant Precision Rifle Series (PRS) cartridges, prized for pushing 105-grain match bullets around 2,850–3,000 fps on small charges of Varget-class powder with mild recoil and excellent barrel life. Factory Eagle Eye match ammunition drives a 105-grain Berger Hybrid at 2,850 fps. It is not a mainstream hunting round — brass prep and magazine feeding take more attention than a factory cartridge — but for shooters chasing small groups and wind-beating efficiency at 600–1,000 yards it remains a benchmark.

History

The 6mm Dasher began life around 1999 as a wildcat, commonly credited to gunsmith Dan Dowling and Al Ashton — "Dasher" blends "Dan" and "Ashton." It is the 6mm BR Norma improved: the shoulder blown forward roughly a tenth of an inch to a sharp 40-degree angle, picking up about ten percent more powder capacity while keeping the BR's famously accurate, efficient case. For years shooters fire-formed 6BR brass to make Dashers; today Peterson and Alpha Munitions sell properly headstamped 6mm Dasher brass, Eagle Eye loads factory match ammunition, and in 2023 the cartridge was documented in an official C.I.P. datasheet — an unusually mainstream fate for a benchrest wildcat.

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