I am interested in a 309 JDJ. I shoot a TC 10" 30-30. I am looking for around 2500 fps with a 150 grain bullet. It is my understanding that the 309 will do that. How will recoil compair with the 30-30? I don't wont to go over 10" with the barrel. What kind of time are we talking to make the cases and how hard are they to make?

I have a .411JDJ which is in the same family of cases based on the .444Marlin. I would think that going from .444 case mouth to .309 ( .135 drop)would take a two step operation and maybe even a fire forming step. I know some of JD's calibers require this but don't know if the .309 is one of them. He and his bunch are real good about answering email about their products.
As far as recoil goes all of his stuff are right there at the upper limit of the power curve with the resulting increase in blast and recoil. There are some people who would say that his stuff overloads the Contender platform. I know at least two custom Contender smiths who will not chamber for any of JD's .444 based calibers , but I like them and find them to fit right in with the way I use my pistols. IMO I would think that unless you have that 10 inch barrel ported or braked some way you would have a real hand full compared to a 30-30.

Have you looked into the .308 Bellm? Uses standard .308 F/L dies (much cheaper to purchase).

No, I have never heard of it. Is it a shortened version of the 308. I know that the 308 is to much for a Contender. Don't tease me tell me more.
Like where do I get one and how bad is the recoil.

Hello I shooter

I am looking into exactly the same thing except I want to rechamber a 14' 30/30.
I spoke to Mike Bellm via email and it sounds to me like the 308Bellm and the 309JDJ
are verry similar. As far as recoil goes I asked JD if you needed a muzzle brake on the
309JDJ like on the 375 to keek a scope intact and his response was you should only need MNP.
I think MNP is magnaport.) With that being said I think the recoil should be less but
we could find that out for sure if someone with a 309 could tell us.
I think recoil acceptence is a personal thing. I can shoot 50 rounds from my 375JDJ
and it doesn't bother me. I've left some hefty guys
shoot it and they wouldn't take a second shot, I've let a scrawny little guy try it and
if I'd have kept giving him ammo he would have shot it all, he loved it.
Mike

308 Bellm is esentially a rimmed 308 chamber that is set so "normal 308 rounds" can NOT be fired in the chamber. (Bellm's drawings show case oal of 2.225 and 1.755 to the start of the neck)

Several (most/all??) of Bellms chamberings use 307 or 444 brass run into a "standard" 7-08, 260, 308, 358 die and are short chambered to keep from one from loading a standard round into the chamber.
Keeps ya out of the 65 buck set of dies to reload for your TC!
That said I doubt you will see 2500 fps in any 10" barrel with 150 grain bullet. I think ya had best get a good grip on any of the bigger 30 caliber rounds in a 10" barrel.

LouisB

[ 11-07-2002, 06:48: Message edited by: TCLouis ]

I Shooter, Both the 309 JDJ and 308 Bellm are good 30 cal handgun hunting rounds. Mike Bellm has a good comparison of various 30 cal Contender rounds at his website. I've got a good friend w/ a 309 JDJ who has a hard time getting 2500 fps from his 14" barrel. The latest Hornady manual shows two loads reaching 2500 fps from a 14" barrel. Certain types of T/C factory barrels are known to get less fps when rechambered to 309 JDJ/308 Bellm than do custom barrels. You're not going to get 2500 fps from a 10" barrel. Don't really think I'd want to as I suspect the muzzle blast would be awfully heavy. Recoil is a subject thing. One's tolerance of recoil clearly improves w/ experience. When my friend got his 309, he was fairly new to handgun hunting and thought the recoil would bother him so had it Magnaported. He'd not been shooting it very long before he realized he didn't really need the MNP in order to handle the recoil. If you want 2500 fps, get a 14" barrel. If you want a 10-12" barrel, get a 300 Whisper (AKA 300/221). Gary T.

I get 2600fps with my 16" 309JDJ.... so I dunno about 2500 from a 10"

If I evey stumble into a heap 10" ,30 varrel I'd like to have it rechambered to 309.... think it might be a fun flamethrower of a gun, though not very efficiant.

There is a 308 Bellum for sale at the single shot forum. Lone Hunter

Thank you all for your help. I think the problem came in when I was going through Hornady reloading manual. They used 10" barrels for the 30-30, 30 Herret and the 300 Whisper then went to a 14" on the 309JDJ. I like the way Sierra does it, 10" on one page and 14" on the other. Any way I think that I will go with the 30 Herret according to all the books it is the best of the .30's. Thank you for your time.

I shoot a 309 JDJ , great shooter and a meat caliber. It lets you know there is recoil but not a sharp kicker like the 357 Herrett I have. Never lost a deer that I hit. No big thing to size the 444 cases down. Moon

Hi Ishooter,

I have been shooting a .309JDJ for the past ten years. I've used it to take 47 Whitetail, 2 Mulies, an elk, a Blesbok, a Hartebeest, and a whole bunch of varmints. My barrel is a rechambered .30 Herrett and is every bit as accurate as my friend's premium grade barrel. This barrel is not ported and I do not believe a brake is necessary either.

I mostly shoot 150 grain Ballistic Tips at 2350 fps. This velocity gives me full length penetration on most of the deer I shoot. I've taken several deer and the Hartebeest at 300 yards with this barrel. I do have some data I worked up for the 165 Speer Grand Slam, and the 165 & 180 grain Ballistic Tips if you are interested.

I can not seak one way or another about the 308Bellm as I have not handled or shot one. However, I am completely happy with the performance I have gotten from my .309JDJ.

I own a 14" 300 B&S (307 win brass resized and loaded using 300 savage dies), rechambered T/C 30-30 barrel. Recoil is very pleasent. Never even considered a brake.

It is my understanding that the 308 Bellm is not a shortened rimmed .308, it is rather a lengthened .308. The 444 case is midway between a .308 and 30-06 in length. The .308 Bellm uses .308 win dies set off the shellholder, and then a 444 body die is used to size the head of the case.