I recently purchased a 21 inch carbine barrel in 257 JDJ. Now I need load data. Does anyone here shoot this cartridge?

Jim Miller

470FAN,
I shoot the 257 JDJ in a 14" Contender. Haven't done very much load development work w/it yet. Most of my load work, albeit it little, has been w/ the 90 gr Sierra HP and RL 15 (about 2650 fps, as I recall). The gun came w/ a number of fireforming loads already loaded 75 gr Hornady HP/Fed primer/ ??? gr of 748 at 2650 fps). I think I'm going to be VERY pleased w/ the gun. If you'd like, I'll snail mail you the load data JD mailed me last spring. Over the next week or two, I'll be in the process of moving (have been in the same house 17 years....) so I may not find the load data right off the bat.... I bet you'll be very happy w/ your barrel. I'd curious as to what type of velocities you get from the 21" barrel.

Re-15 is definitely the way to go with the .257 JDJ. I no longer have one, but mine (a 14" SSK barrel) loved the 100 grain Nosler BT, and I tended to use that bullet for everything as it seemed to kill better than the 85 grain BT, the bullet that JD actually recommends for medium game. With the 100 grain BT and Re-15, start at 32 grains and work up a half-grain at a time.

By the way, at the velocity you'll be launching the bullets at, a 100 grain BT is almost certain to exit on any broadside presentation on deer-sized game, and it will still expand sufficiently to the outer limits of the cartridge's effective range.