Info on Contender calibers

[Ahlosojoe]

I am interested in getting something in 6.5 X 55 Swede. My question is will a Contender handle this caliber? 
If so who makes a barrel?
 
I appreciate your help.
 
Thanks, Joe

[Rol Page]

Without checking catalogs or web sites, I believe the answer is no..  The ballistics of the 6.5x55 Swede are very similar to the 260 Remington that I do have in an Encore.  The 260 Remington is not available in the contender.
I believe the potential for reloading max. loads above acceptable pressures could stretch the contender frame and/or be dangerous.

[Ladobe]

As said, the 6.5 Swede needs the Encore platform, too much for the Contender.   Closest you can get to it on the Contender I think is a 6.5X30-30 now days (or the 6.5 Super Bower way back when it was still available).  Any of the after market barrel makers could do the 6.5X30-30 probably, I know at least Bullery will.

[eskimo36]

SSK makes 250 Savage in contenders. That is close to what you are looking at, but about the max in contender.

[Cemo]

30-30 cases have a tendency to stretch about 1/2" from the rim, thus have a very short case life. I love my 7-30 Waters, but is suffers with that issue as it's made from a 30-30. If the 250 Salvage is available, that would be a good choice. I think the TC offers a barrel in the 6.8 Rem. I think it would perform well out of a Contender. The Contenders are wonderful, but have their limitations, as all things do. It has been taken to limits way beyond it's initial start as a .22 rimfire. TC Encore is where you need to look for more performance.

[pastorp]

Just to clarify Eskimo's statement that SSK would chamber a 250 savage barrel for the contender.  When I talked to JD about that he was very carefull to point out you could only load the 250 savage at lower pressures in the contender. No + P loads or even hot standard loads.

 Honestly I believe the contender & the 250are not a good match. To easy to get in trouble with pressure issues. And what if you decided to sell it they you have no controll over what the next guy does. A Encore or other SS is a better platform.

Regards,

[Slowpoke Slim]

About the most you can run in a Contender and 6.5 bore would be the 6.5x30-30 Improved/6.5 Bullberry Improved (since as Larry said the Bowers are gone). Will get close to the original 6.5 Swede with lighter bullets.

I would not go near a 250 Savage in a Contender. You're trying to get the frame to survive something it was not intended for.

I have also seen a Contender barrel chambered in 7x57 Mauser. That to me is equally foolish and I told the fellow so. Same as above, he said he "downloads" it. But what about the next guy? What is the point of chambering it in something you must immediately download to not blow up?

Better would have been a 7 JDJ or a 7-30 Waters Improved. Never the temptation to just grab a box of factory ammo.

[shawlerbrook]

The 6.8spc is an excellent option in a factory barrel.

[Camp Cook]

I second the 6.8SPC choice imagine a rimless 30-30 case (30 Rem) slightly shortened and necked down to 270 cal combining two of North America's favorite cartridges.
 
I am working on loads for my 23" s/s bull 6.8SPC barrel right now it is a saami spec chamber 1-10" twist my 18.6" 1-11" twist barrel spec 11 chamber (longer leade/throat) Robinson Arms XCR-L in 6.8SPC.
 
The spec 11 chambers can handle higher pressures and produce higher velocities which is why I can't just switch my top spec 11 loads between guns also the COL for my Contender loads are 2.4" compared to having to fit the round to the mag 2.29" COL for the AR mag XCR-L.
 
The best hunting bullet avaialble in the 6.8 right now are the 95gr Barnes TTSX they are designed to open/expand down to 1600fps in soft tissue I load these to appr 2800fps which makes this combo a 300 yard plus deer capable round that has minimal recoil.
 
The newest bullets that are supposedly even better than the 95gr TTSX are the new 80gr brass Cutting Edge Raptors and recently experiments are going on loading heavier bullets like the Berger 140gr VLD Hunting bullets or the 130gr Speer HotCore's I haven't been able to find any on a shelf yet but if I could find the 120gr Hornady 120gr SST's these would become my all round choice for cheaper plinking/hunting loads.
 

[LHitchcox]

Mike Bellm will cut a rim on a 6.8 SPC so you can use cheap and readily available .30-30 brass. I really prefer rimmed cases in a Contender.

[Camp Cook]

I've seen that sensored site and spoke to him about it I am thinking of getting it done.
 
I just came back from the range I've been having a bit of trouble working up a load for my 23" s/s bull 6.8SPC barrel.
 
Well that is not an issue any longer it all came together today.
 
Very top grs AA2200/95gr TTSX/Rem brass/Win LR primers/2.290" COL/slight Lee factory crimp die crimp = 2 shots into one hole and 1 less than 1/2" away @ 100 yards first shot at 200 yards = 1" low and 1" left @ 200 yards.
 
I'm going blacktail deer hunting in the morning (opening day) only have 8 loaded rounds left so didn't shoot any more.
 
I didn't have time to chrony my loads tonight so can only guess that I am pushing 2850fps.

[eskimo36]

Everyone makes their own choices and that is a good thing, but to set the record straight.  I have owned 2 SSK made contender barrels in 250 savage.  JD Jones made them and sold them.  No disclaimer.  I never had a problem with the frames.  Never loaded hotter than a factory load.

[Hopalong7]

     Been shootin' the 6.5JDJ for 23 years now and have never looked back.  It is my "go to" barrel for most anything.  I started out with about a hundred rounds of 225Win brass.....shoot 'bout 100 rounds /year...bought up a few more batches of brass, but have never used them...still using the original brass...split 3-4 necks...lost 5-6...the rest is still in good shape.  Along with one other SSK barrel, it is by far the best shootin' barrel I've ever had, and I've had/have a lot of barrels.  Yep...it's my all time favorite barrel...hands down!!!
    My huntin'/shootin' buddy got 2 6.8 carbines for his grandsons...was never satisfied with either and has gotten rid of both.
Walt

[Ladobe]

As per Walt, the 225Win brass is quite strong making almost any wildcat based on it doable with long brass life if you dot your "I's" and cross your "T's" with loads (the 225Win wildcats can be pushed too hard for the Contender frame and the brass).  While I loved the 6.5JDJ's I've had, for my uses the 257JDJ's out shinned them and were my favorite 225Win based JDJ's.   Still have 500 new 225Win brass for a 30 Merrill that never happened before I sold all of my Contenders.   I think it would have been a favorite too, and over the 309JDJ's and maybe even over the 30 Alaskan Bower's I had.   Even so all my 375JDJ's were my "go to" JDJ's for shear fun in shooting along with all the 17 Ackley Hornets.   I owned a h*ll of a lot of barrels over the years, chambered for a h*ll of a lot of different catridges... commercial, long defunct commercial and wildcats.  Each had its good and bad points, all had a use, but the 375's and 17AH's were the easy favorites for me anyway.
 

[Camp Cook]

I really like the 375JDJ as well it is my favorite Contender combo.
 
I have a s/s 21" factory tapered barrel that came from the factory in 375 Win I had SSK Ind rechamber it to 375JDJ loaded with 260gr Accubonds @ 2280fps it is by far my favorite Contender combo and is amazingly accurate out to 300 yards with this load.
 
CC

[Ahlosojoe]

Thanks to all for your info. I got several hundred years of experience on my post. That is what I really appreciate about Graybeard...