Elk barrel??

[DropTheHammer]

Got a buddy in the USAF whos stationed in Montana.  This will be his second season hunting there.  Sounds like hes got the access pretty well figured out, so I'm planning to possibly go out for Elk & Deer next season.

He's got a connection to do a back country Bob Marshall Wilderness hunt in September - centerfire for bugling elk....  he may be able to squeeze me in for next year.

I'm a newbie to the T/C handgun business, and thus far have a G2 w/ a couple barrels, none suitable for Elk.

Assuming I won't be going Encore anytime soon and want to start getting familiar with a capable cartridge for Elk,  which should I be checking out??

Had an itch to get a 14" .375 JDJ awhile back thats starting to resurface....

[palgeno]

.375 JDJ with 270 gr hdy sp ought to work fine----don't know if I'd use the 220 gr factory ammo though----maybe if up real close....pg

[Hawkeye]

You have many choices in the Contender. You could use the .35 Remington, it has a good history for taking big game and there are some of these barrels on ebay, and this site sometimes.
.309JDJ with 180grn bullets. It shoots as hard as an 30-06 w/150grn Partitions.  :grin:
338JDJ, 45-70 for fairly close work.
.375JDJ w/220grn or 270grn bullets. I have the 309JDJ and the 375JDJ and either will do a number on Elk if you do your part. There have been many elk killed with lesser calibers but it's nice to have a little extra in case something about the shot is not right.  :eek:
Some you will have to reload and some you can buy factory. If you are into reloading, I would get one of the JDJ rounds. Check Ed's Contenders. He usually has several good Elk/Deer barrels from 3rd Party sellers.  :agree:
http://www.edstc.com/edstc/index.html
I will be using my 375JDJ this Nov. for a cow elk in CO.

Good luck.

Mike

[jhalcott]

don't forget the 358JDJ ! 200-225 grain bullets should work great for elk.
 You also need practice with what ever you decide to use! Field position practice,not shooting from a bench.Try trotting/running a couple hundred yards(from the target back to the shooting bench area) then shoot 1 or 2 shots from sitting or kneeling. Quit using the elevator at work and use the stairs. Carry a backpack with you on the stairs. IF(big if) you are in shape ,the caliber of gun used will not matter as much.Gasping for breath and shaking from stress will make aiming VERY difficult.Elk have been taken with the 44 mag,BUT have been missed with 340 Weatherby's!
  good luck and let us know how you make out!

[DropTheHammer]

The fact that the .375 JDJ is now a factory barrel offering appeals to me....

Is porting a necessity for this animal when used primarily for hunting?

[jhalcott]

The animal being the 375jdj? how well do you handle a 44mag? Recoil is very subjective. Some people think a .308 kicks hard.I know a young lady that shoots a .375 magnum quite well.She says the recoil is "stiff"!
If you can find someone with a 375jdj in your area try to get a few shots before you buy one.  Personally,I'd rather see you with a 35Rem that you can handle,than a gun you are uncomfortable with.If that means using a .44mag, 35 rem, or even a 30-30,you and the elk will be better served.

[DropTheHammer]

I've had limited range time with the .44MAG.  I was forewarned that the 10" .44 MAG had an appreciable recoil in its own way before I bought it.  So far I have put several boxes (200 rds) of CCI Blazer 240 JHPs thru it just to get a feel for the gun.  I don't have any problems with it, haven't developed a flinch yet anyways!  

Sure it barrel flips a tad, but as long as its a surprise when the hammer falls, I'm good.  Actually I have a light framed .357 MAG that seems to flip significantly worse than this.  I'm thinking the CCI Blazers are probably loaded a bit on the weak side, and will probably feel a little more wallop when I get back to the range to try the handloads I recently worked up for it.  

I know its true, but its hard for me to believe it when people tell me the 10" 30-30 or .444 has less felt recoil than the .44MAG!

I'm a big guy 6'4" pushing 300lbs with a big paw to match, so I'm pretty confident the felt recoil won't become an issue hence I will avoid porting a .375 JDJ if at all possible.

[Ladobe]

...
I know its true, but its hard for me to believe it when people tell me the 10" 30-30 or .444 has less felt recoil than the .44MAG!

I'm a big guy 6'4" pushing 300lbs with a big paw to match, so I'm pretty confident the felt recoil won't become an issue hence I will avoid porting a .375 JDJ if at all possible.

A 10" octagon 44MAG with top loads can be a handlful without good grips and shooting regime, but the nastiest TC I had was an unbraked Encore 454 Casull that I was shooting max loads of H110 in pushing 260's with the crappy facoty wood.   I shot it one-fisted and got away with it (strong hands), but a buddy shot it two-fisted and got some bloody knuckles.  Lots of torque - lots!

I'm on my third 375 JDJ (have 8 other JDJ's) and I have zero problems shooting it unbraked, mostly one fisted.   Have had one with the SSK Arrestor MB and another with the 4-port MagNaPort - about all they did was take some of the torque out (the SSK MB is the one to have if you want one) and make them very noisy to shoot.   Not much muzzle flip with a 14" bull barrel - mostly just straight back.  The 375 is very managable for a big guy, and you're about 3" and 50 pounds bigger than me.   I would't get it braked - that from someone who has tried them all out on the 375JDJ.   BTW, don't discount the 375 Win on a Contender for elk either - even the 7X30 Waters will get the job done if the range is reasonable and you can put em where you want em.   (Jack O'C and I killed a hell of a lot of elk with a 270 Win in the old days)  :wink:

BTW, the 338#2 is an awesome elk getter too.

Larry