Long Range Rifle/Scope/PRS question(s)

Varminterror said:

Around here, most of the BRA/Dasher shooters are still shooting BRA/Dasher, but a lot of 6.5 creed shooters shifted to GT as they upgraded into a competitive cartridge, and a lot of 6 creed shooters have shifted to GT to improve barrel life.

I have Creeds and a Dasher, but I bought a barrel last year to be chambered for GT - I just haven’t gotten around to having it spun up yet. 6BRA and Dasher feed fine, so don’t let that be a deciding factor for you.

Personally, I firmly believe if a guy isn’t shooting one of the six 6mm cartridges BRA, Dasher, GT, x47L, XCII, or Creed, they’re doing something self-defeating. And frankly, I’d usually count that as only 4 cartridges: BRA, Dasher, GT, and Creed.

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Thanks all for the input, I went ahead and ordered the .308 bolt head and was pretty well settled on the GT, until I went out and took stock of my primers. Down to about 1,400 SR primers but still have 5,400 LR primers. Might should go with the CM just based on the availability of LRP brass and current primer supply issues.

And I thought I had a gun buying sickness.

You guys make me feel better about myself

I'm curious if anyone has any sources for a 6mm GT headspace gauge? It seems that I can get every part I need except for that rather important tool. Is there anywhere that rents headspace gauges? I know they aren't expensive, but if you really only need it to set headspace and the one you need isn't available for purchase anywhere...

Thanks I'll probably go ahead and order one from them. I managed to pick up 1k CCI 450s yesterday from Powder Valley for the minute and a half they had them, so I've at least got enough SRPs to comfortably get me started on a barrel.

I took my 6mm ARC out to 600, 750, 1,000 and 1,250 yds for the first time yesterday. It was hammering at 600 and 750, still holding together at 1,000, but seemed to be out of steam for that last 250 yds out to the 1,250, almost certainly subsonic by the time it got there. In addition to my 105gr Matchburner hand loads I also tried some Hornady 108gr factory loads and was impressed. Even though both loads were leaving the barrel right around 2,700 fps, the 108's better BC was quite apparent in the elevation data (14.6 Mil vs 15.7 Mil to 1,250), and in the actual impacts themselves.

Hopefully the extra 300 fps of the Dasher/GT helps with spotting and hearing some of those way out impacts. I could barely hear the 1,000 most of the time, but couldn't hear the 1,250s at all.

I'm curious what triggers everyone is using? I know the TT Diamond is the hotness, but I really don't think I'll be using pull weights below 1lb, so I was thinking about going with the flat bow TT Special and putting the extra $110 towards something else. Would I be missing out on anything other than sub-1lb pull weights?

Also I see that apparently there are versions of the TT triggers with and without a bolt release button. I don't need the bolt release button, but can it easily be removed from versions of the trigger that include it (seemingly more commonly in stock) or do I need to hunt around for the release-less version?

Gtscotty said:

Would I be missing out on anything other than sub-1lb pull weights?

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I shoot my PRS rifles at 4oz in my Jewel and 6oz in TT Diamonds.

Spats McGee said:

*raises hand*

Dasher? I take it that's a cartridge?

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Yes
As an overview the dasher is by parent case a 6 mm br Norma, moving the shoulder forward .100 and change to a 40 degree angle creates this full blown race cartridge named ..Dasher..

Walkalong said:

I'm not that light with my Diamonds, but am under 1 pound. My buddy Jeff has the special and likes it a lot. Kicked my butt last time out.

I have the primary in my Bergara B14R .22 LR, and like it. It's much better than the stock trigger, but not as nice as the Special or Diamond.

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Interesting on these trigger weights. I got a new rifle on order with the Special and wondering if I should have gotten a Diamond. I run my hunting rifles at a little over two pounds and my paper punching rifles around 8 oz so was thinking a PRS type setup would work for me somewhere in between at around 1.5 but I might find out I want it lighter.

Thanks, I don't plan to get real serious anyway so it may work indefinitely. My health issues (bad back and neck) will keep my from playing hard and limit my ability in various positions. I don't plan to get competitive but I'm intrigued by the PRS game. I wish PRS had been around when I was young and in better health.

I’ll echo @taliv’s sentiment - the game has changed a lot. “PTR,” swat, sniper matches were few and far between, but the courses of fire were built on the back of wild imaginations. I traveled with some compatriots in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s to some PTR type matches, it was hard enough to find them, I largely gave up interest and pursued the blooming 3 Gun game until PRS came around.

But also, a lot of the structures/obstacles/props used were on the less-than-stellar side. I recall shooting from on top of a doghouse which I can only assume was about to collapse at its original site before they transported it to the range/field. Climbing on top with a Rem 700 PSS, we were all certain we’d end up laying on the ground before finishing the stage. But the CoF’s were gritty and challenging, for all 10-20 guys who might show up...

Even just a few years ago, PRS matches were much more varied than they are now. Some of the major changes, rather omissions, I have seen: Shooters complain about tricks and traps which might be advantageous to one or a handful of shooters, juking the results, so we don’t do “odd skill” stuff much - laying on our side, blind stages, swingsets, spinners, etc. We’ve also seen a safety shift (and a “I don’t want to carry extra crap just for one stage” shift) away from any pistol shooting. We also don’t see physical stressor stages any more - go prone, shoot one round, drag a tire, shoot one round, drag the tire, etc... Weapon manipulation stages are relatively uncommon, conceding to safe handling - MAYBE we’ll be forced to change mags, which often consists of drop and replace the same magazine, in concession to the new shooters which only own one $80 magazine.

It’s a sport now, so you know what you’re going to get. Kinda like going to Olive Garden instead of some local dive when traveling out of state - you never experience anything new, but you are never surprised by terrible food.

Some of the unique matches out there, non-PRS matches, team matches, sniper matches, ruck matches, etc can still be pretty cool. And PRS matches are cool - just different challenges.

The best way I can describe it - shooting PRS matches and practicing for them still make me a better shooter. But I get better at the same skills, rather than learning and burning new and different skills.

LOL I'm talking back in the late 70s and 80s. If those type matches existed we were not aware of them out in the sticks. We learned Kentucky windage keeping groundhogs out of the alfalfa fields. That was the Triple Deuce, 22-250 and 25-06 days...and good ole days they were.

I understand what you are saying if the sport becomes routine.

taliv said:

PRS are barricade benchrest trigger pulling and wind reading competitions

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I love this analogy

Walkalong said:

Crows etc out of cornfields here. .222 Mag.

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black bears and raccoons/tree squirrels out of the syrup buckets