Did anyone pick up a alpha dasher resizing die (they went live yesterday and sold out)

[craigos]

6mm Dasher FL Sizing Die Custom Honed for Alpha Dasher Brass | Alpha Munitions

This die is custom made for Alpha 6mm Dasher Brass. Sizes the case neck, shoulder, and body Deprimes and expands the case neck Allows the case to be re-chambered in...

alphamunitions.com

Anyone get one and can they report how it helped?

Many of us who thought we could move from Lapua to Alpha brass are of course not in a happy spot, we see people dumping their alpha dasher brass in the classifieds - do those folks think this will help in any way? I just dont see it.

 

[lte82]

Well there’s a few ways to approach the heavy bolt lift problem with Alpha brass. Use a small(er) base sizing die like that, use a reamer with a little extra clearance at the base, or use less powder and keep pressures really low. I personally opted for keeping my standard dies and spec’d a reamer with a little more clearance at the base / datum line. Remember a “small base” sizing die is “small” relative to the chamber it’s being fired in. So if you open up the chamber diameter by .001 (I opened up mine .0015 relative to a normal dasher chamber) then your standard die is effectively a “small base” sizer now.

The real problem is the brass is plastically deforming too much due to low yield strength. Small base dies / larger chambers are only a bandaid fix. Yes, it can work, but the ultimate fix is changing up the mechanical properties of the brass through selecting a totally different material for the cup or improving the hardness and yield strength through mechanical manipulation.

Edit: IMO, this feels a lot like the Norma dasher brass ordeal. Brass dimensions are different, needs it's own reamer and dies, etc. Then it turns out the brass was too soft to push hard anyway. I want to support alpha, they are a great bunch and based in the US, but it's hard to when I can shoot a straight 6BR faster than alpha dasher without heavy bolt lift, and no need for custom chambers, dies, etc.

 

[craigos]

totally agree with you

 

[Raufoss]

Well there’s a few ways to approach the heavy bolt lift problem with Alpha brass. Use a small(er) base sizing die like that, use a reamer with a little extra clearance at the base, or use less powder and keep pressures really low. I personally opted for keeping my standard dies and spec’d a reamer with a little more clearance at the base / datum line. Remember a “small base” sizing die is “small” relative to the chamber it’s being fired in. So if you open up the chamber diameter by .001 (I opened up mine .0015 relative to a normal dasher chamber) then your standard die is effectively a “small base” sizer now.

The real problem is the brass is plastically deforming too much due to low yield strength. Small base dies / larger chambers are only a bandaid fix. Yes, it can work, but the ultimate fix is changing up the mechanical properties of the brass through selecting a totally different material for the cup or improving the hardness and yield strength through mechanical manipulation.

Edit: IMO, this feels a lot like the Norma dasher brass ordeal. Brass dimensions are different, needs it's own reamer and dies, etc. Then it turns out the brass was too soft to push hard anyway. I want to support alpha, they are a great bunch and based in the US, but it's hard to when I can shoot a straight 6BR faster than alpha dasher without heavy bolt lift, and no need for custom chambers, dies, etc.

You touched a point but in the wrong way.

Building a rifle with a wildcat caliber require you to select proper critical components like reamers.

I don’t think it’s Alpha fault. It’s people that think they can do whatever they want without checking dimensions and think they are qualified to build customs when they should not.

Got my reamer setup as per Alpha recommendations and my own measures and I have no issues at all. It runs Lapua brass perfectly too btw.

That Forster die is set for their brass and reamer dimensions to allow proper sizing without oversizing the shoulder and base. It’s not a cure if you use the wrong reamer like 99% of the guys complaining everywhere.

 

[lte82]

You touched a point but in the wrong way.

Building a rifle with a wildcat caliber require you to select proper critical components like reamers.

I don’t think it’s Alpha fault. It’s people that think they can do whatever they want without checking dimensions and think they are qualified to build customs when they should not.

Got my reamer setup as per Alpha recommendations and my own measures and I have no issues at all. It runs Lapua brass perfectly too btw.

That Forster die is set for their brass and reamer dimensions to allow proper sizing without oversizing the shoulder and base. It’s not a cure if you use the wrong reamer like 99% of the guys complaining everywhere.

Check your dimensions of new alpha brass and new lapua br brass. Are they not the same dimension at the base? The only reason alpha needs a different reamer and sizing die is the brass was a bit soft.

 

[Raufoss]

Check your dimensions of new alpha brass and new lapua br brass. Are they not the same dimension at the base? The only reason alpha needs a different reamer and sizing die is the brass was a bit soft.

I could care less to compare both. It’s not the point

 

[lte82]

I could care less to compare both. It’s not the point

You said you should check dimensions of the brass to make sure you spec a reamer that works. If the brass measures the same initially, why would you spec a different base dimension with even more clearance? I’ve specd a bunch of reamers and custom dies, it’s not difficult. I made my own dasher reamer for alpha brass based on the issues I encountered, the initial dimensions looked fine for the lapua dasher chamber, which was their goal. And while I agree that using their reamer and die specs will make their brass work, I hear they are releasing brass made from different cup material anyway so this is a non issue in the future. They know the real issue and are fixing it.

 

[phlegethon]

I would agree with @lte82. It’s a wildcat but there was a de facto standard with everyone using Lapua brass. Norma already tried modifying that spec, and even though there was good reasoning behind it, that failed. It seemed pretty clear the intent with Alpha was to have a drop in replacement, and we didn’t hear anything about specific reamers until people started having problems.

 

[Raufoss]

You said you should check dimensions of the brass to make sure you spec a reamer that works. If the brass measures the same initially, why would you spec a different base dimension with even more clearance? I’ve specd a bunch of reamers and custom dies, it’s not difficult. I made my own dasher reamer for alpha brass based on the issues I encountered, the initial dimensions looked fine for the lapua dasher chamber, which was their goal. And while I agree that using their reamer and die specs will make their brass work, I hear they are releasing brass made from different cup material anyway so this is a non issue in the future. They know the real issue and are fixing it.

I agree and Alpha reamer Is set with a slight oversized base as you said. Not much but it’s mitigate any possible issues.

I said I didn’t care because I’m not using Lapua brass because I don’t want to form brass.

Only have 40 pieces my friend game me to test in my chamber design.

Yes I saw their announcement for brass with harder case head. I’ll test those when available but kinda wished they would do that from day one..

 

[Raufoss]

I would agree with @lte82. It’s a wildcat but there was a de facto standard with everyone using Lapua brass. Norma already tried modifying that spec, and even though there was good reasoning behind it, that failed. It seemed pretty clear the intent with Alpha was to have a drop in replacement, and we didn’t hear anything about specific reamers until people started having problems.

They had a reamer design since day one. No body cared to ask them that’s it.

People assume they would be the same.

 

[Dthomas3523]

I could care less to compare both. It’s not the point

It absolutely is the point. You said you need to check measurements and use the correct reamers and such.

So......how would one go about knowing brass is going to be soft when the brass is geometrically the same as the brass normally used with the reamer and dies?

Also, they advertised it as fitting the same reamers as lapua. It was advertised by the manufacturer to be a direct replacement for fireformed lapua brass.

Also, let’s not forget the same manufacturer has had many issues with the 6gt brass which was designed around the only reamer and dies available when the product was released.

The case heads are soft and now they are releasing “optimized case head brass“ which might as well say “we found a problem but aren’t going to admit it.”

Quit trying to justify shitty products.

 

[260284]

I don't want to form Dasher brass either, so it will be Peterson brass for me. Had some issues with their early 6.5 Creedmoor brass having too shallow of primer pockets and they replaced it all plus 100 more. I will give my business to companies that stand behind their products.

 

[Texascbr]

Darn it! Found this thread while trying to decide which Dasher dies to choose. I see this thread is a year old but I just ordered 500 Alpha OCD Dasher brass. https://www.bluecollarreloading.com/products/alpha-6mm-dasher-brass?_pos=1&_sid=292694045&_ss=r . I am just starting down the Dasher path with a barrel ordered this evening. Has Alpha improved their offering? Should I cancel my brass order and choose another option?

All that being said which dies are suggested. This will be for a AI AT-X using a Shouldered pre-fit barrel, AIAT-X, 6 Dasher (.272nk .130fb) 26" from Southern Precision Rifles.

 

[Feniks Technologies]

Darn it! Found this thread while trying to decide which Dasher dies to choose. I see this thread is a year old but I just ordered 500 Alpha OCD Dasher brass. https://www.bluecollarreloading.com/products/alpha-6mm-dasher-brass?_pos=1&_sid=292694045&_ss=r . I am just starting down the Dasher path with a barrel ordered this evening. Has Alpha improved their offering? Should I cancel my brass order and choose another option?

All that being said which dies are suggested. This will be for a AI AT-X using a Shouldered pre-fit barrel, AIAT-X, 6 Dasher (.272nk .130fb) 26" from Southern Precision Rifles.

All reports about the OCD brass indicate it’s a good product.

I know many who weren’t happy with gen 1 dasher and 6gt brass who are very happy with OCD.

 

[huntnh]

Are the short action dies worth the extra cash? As opposed to a set of Redding or rcbs comp dies?