Quarter bore cartridge for the Contender

[ken613]

I'm interested in having a carbine length barrel chambered for a .25 caliber cartridge.  It will be used for eastern whitetails.  90% of all shots are <150 yards and most <100 yards.

Just looking at my options.  So far the 257 JDJ is looking pretty appealing.  It doesn't appear to be but just 150 fps or so slower than the 250 Savage.  From what I can gather, the 250 isn't chambered in the Contender by anyone any longer.

So what's everyone's recommendation?

Ken

[stubshaft]

MGM makes a Tender barrel in 25X30/30 Ackley Improved.  You might be able to find a Bulberry chambered for a 25 Bullberry.  I wouldn't order one from them now as their delivery time is about 1 year.  I called to check on a barrel I ordered in September and they said that's when I should get it?

[Graybeard]

The .257 JDJ is an excellent little round. Mine was a 14" handgun barrel and I was able to get "almost" 2600 fps from 100 grain Nosler BTs from it. I say "almost" even tho I did reach it with a load or two those loads either seemed too hot or gave poor accuracy. I had several loads tho at 2550 fps or so that were highly accurate.

I'm sure a rifle length barrel would easily add another 150-200 fps to what I was getting. It is perhaps my favorite of the JDJ rounds really.

[Ladobe]

While the 257JDJ is my second favorite JDJ out of SSK (behind the 375JDJ) and I've had two of them, I never would have used them for mule deer way back when i hunted them in the high Rockies.    Just not enough "anything" for the long ranges I commonly had to shoot my deer at in those days.    Those who shot a 25 for deer back then in my area generally shot a 25-06 or 257 Roberts.   Naturally I shot a 270 Win for deer/elk/pronghorn as a Jock O'Connor fan.   Later when I got my two 257JDJ's they were used for predators and varmints, and they excelled on them even at long range.

The 257JDJ will probably do just fine at your much shorter ranges for deer, but I'd still probably opt for a 25X30-30.    Old habits die hard. 

Some more quarter bore possibilities.   I have others on my "Contender" list, but since I choose not to suggest or promote them they were removed.
25-20 Single Shot
25x45
25-20 Win
25-25 Stevens
256 Win Mag
256 Super Mag
257 JDJ
257 TCU
25-35 Winchester
25-35 Ackley Improved
25x30-30
25x30-30 Imp.
25 Classic
25 Bullberry
25 Bullberry Imp
25 Whisper

[Bruce A. Hering]

I have had some experience with the 25/30-30 Imp.  I do not currently have it but I am going to get another.  Shoot 1" all day long with good loads and I just think the cartridge is way cool.......

I am a nut for the Imp 30-30 based chamberings

[ken613]

So what are the case capacities of the two:  257JDJ vs. 25-30/30 IMP???

[Ladobe]

You can do a search as easy as I can (might be easier to find 225 Win vs 30-30 Win case capacities though).

[ken613]

Sorry Ladobe, thought I would ask the ones that actually had experience with them.  Besides, the 225 and 30-30 are the parent cartridges right?  And they're both improved (the JDJ more radically if I remember reading correctly).

[Graybeard]

Not really. The .225 parent case is already pretty well an improved case while the .30-30 benefits a lot more from the improvement. I've honestly not ever compared the capacity of the two but the .30-30 after forming will give you ever so slightly more capacity but is a weaker case and will not last as long especially when pushed hard as most folks seem to do with such wildcat rounds. I think you'll usually see a couple grains more capacity with a wildcat off the .30-30 vs .225 case if both are equally improved and necked to same caliber.

The difference in the various JDJ vs. JDJ #2 based on the two cases is generally listed as 100 fps by SSK with the bias in favor of the .30-30 based #2.

[David D.]

My choice for a quarter bore would be the 257JDJ. Mine is a 16" OTT made Encore barrel and it is extremely accurate. (check my avatar) My brother hunted for years with a Tender 14" SSK 257JDJ and has taken several deer with his. Some day I plan on using mine for deer hunting, but my love for the 6.5JDJ keeps getting in the way!

[sweetwyominghome]

Graybeard wrote: "The difference in the various JDJ vs. JDJ #2 based on the two cases is generally listed as 100 fps by SSK with the bias in favor of the .30-30 based #2."

The small-caliber JDJ #2s (other than the 6mm JDJ #2) are actually based on the .307 case and not the 30-30. Most #2s are no longer recommended or offered by SSK as too many folks red-lined things and got into frame-stretching territory.
--

There is no short case life associated with 30-30-based wildcats as long as the brass was formed correctly in the first place. My 7mm Bullberry is a perfect testament: I have one particular batch of brass that is now on its 24th or 25th firing (I'd have to pull the boxes to verify but it is at least 24). Cases have not been annealed, neck tension is excellent and the primer pockets are not an issue. And every load fired through this brass has been typical full-power hunting loads.

Right now, I have a batch of my 6.5 Bullberry IMP (aka 6.5x30-30 AI) brass on its 10th go-round with no associated problems, either.

But if you do not begin with new, squared-up brass and the cases are not fully formed on the first go-round and in a manner that fully supports the case (bullet to the lands and a compressed load), then all bets are off as I doubt you'll get more than 5-6 firings before you'll start losing cases to splits, etc.
--

As to comparisons,  there isn't enough difference between the .225-based and 30-30 based wildcats to make a nickel's worth of difference in the field.

I've had and used both quite a bit, and either would serve you well.

[Graybeard]

Ya know I think you're right. It's been so long since I owned a TC I've forgotten too dang much of what I once knew. It was the .307 not .30-30 the #2s were based on.

[David D.]

Ya know I think you're right. It's been so long since I owned a TC I've forgotten too dang much of what I once knew. It was the .307 not .30-30 the #2s were based on.

Just a couple weeks back I received an email form JD at SSK concerning the 6.5JDJ#2. He did not recommend them. And if you check his web site he does not list them or I couldn't find it. Probably for the reasons Bobby just mentioned. 

[FredWT]

I have a 24 inch Custom Shop barrel in .25-35. It is very enjoyable to shoot and it is accurate. A .25-35 Improved would give it a bit more velocity, which is not a bad thing. .25-35 brass is usually available and the fire forming is pretty much straight forward. I bought mine from Ed's Contenders which was in stock and a reamer job would make it the Improved for less cost than a new custom barrel and without the year wait. Something to think about.