Speaking of the 53 Vmax...

DAA

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I'm getting a barrel chambered for the 53 Vmax. It's a 'chuck rifle though, not a calling rifle. Having a 12 twist Brux #8 chambered in .22 Dasher, crowned at 28", threaded for a TBAC. With zero free bore, in honor of the Dasher's short neck and the 53 Vmax short bearing surface. And a tight neck, just because I'm set in my ways.

Will be the fourth barrel on this 700 SA action. Mike Bryant blueprinted it 20 years ago on the first re-barrel. The factory .22-250 and two Lilja .22-250AI barrels all shot very accurately. For a given period of time :D . Still rocking the vintage 1991 first iteration 700VS HS factory bedding block stock. Skim bedded, of course. Old school Leupold 8.5x25 LRT.

With 28" of barrel and the capacity of the .22-250AI in a hell for stout Lapua BR case with a small primer pocket, I think 4,000 should be totally doable. I want to push some Alpha Munitions Dasher brass to failure though :ROFLMAO:. Which is to say, measurably above 4,000 fps could happen.

I have no doubt it will be a 450 yard death laser on 'chucks and very capable of reaching well beyond that on a calm day. I kind of don't think there will be much fireworks with it though. A couple other 4300+ fps combos I've used on 'chucks mostly just do a complete energy dump and don't exit much of the time. Kills the heck out of them. Just doesn't launch them.

I know there at least a few guys on here hot rodding the 53 Vmax on groundhogs. What's your experience?

- DAA
 
I was a huge 22 Dasher fan years ago, but none were fast twists, 12's or 14's, don't recall exactly, but 25" gave me 4200 with 40 BT's. Hell on wheels for coyotes, never lost one or had any splashes.

I had a prairie dog barrel chambered in it, and it died a quick death around the 1500 mark. After that, I dissolved myself of anything 22 Dasher, and made a wholesale move the the 6 version.

I did take up the 22x47 though, which gives up little to the bigger case. 1st barrel was a 23" 8" twist, 80's at 3370. Sold that, and rebarreled into an 18" 12" twist, 52's at 3800. Still a virgin at this point.

Unless I'm reading wrong, the Dasher case capacity is quite a bit less than the 22-250 AI, 1.550" vs 1.920" OAL's.

4000 might be doable.....once.....šŸ˜ƒ

Can't help ya on 53 anything....
 
Try some HBN, Ive only tested it in my BHW 223 so far but I just lubed some 140VLDs for a 30" criterion.

It seems to decrease friction a good bit, I will see with land and groove but with the BHW the lube acts like its dropping your bullet weight. Im loading 65gr bullets at 50-55gr recipes, 53gr TSX with 40gr recipes and im pretty much getting corresponding velocity increases.
 
Oh geeze... Yes you are correct! And thank you for the correction. .22-250AI has a good bit more capacity. I should never trust my memory and neither should anyone else.

I went Dasher for two reasons. I've shot .22-250AI's forever and just wanted to try something else .224. And since I have four other rifles that use the BR case, I already have enough Lapua BR cases on the shelf to wear out a new barrel. And, since I use .22 Dasher dies to load my .20 Dasher I already have dies on the shelf too.

Else I'd have looked afield. But if I wasn't going to do another .22-250AI, Dasher is the easy button for me.

Velocity wise. That BR case can stand some pressure. It's not magic running higher than reasonable velocity on them, it's higher pressure. Just the case can take it and so can the action. Not recommended. But...

- DAA
 
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