358 win contender?

[38 super]

check out this auction for a 358 contender barrel. am i missing something, i would think a 358 win in a contender would be to hot. could this guy just not be loading to maximum loads. what gives

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=29060400

[casper_zip]

:grin:  :grin:  :grin:

Hey 38 Super:

I'm also missing something. I have and shoot the 358 Win. in my 15" Encore with Muzzle Break, and that baby is some potent. You are right, the 358 Win in a T/C contender would stretch the frame in only a few shots. I had the 300 Savage and 250 Savage in 15" T/C Contender barrels and they were both too hot with factory loads. They were made by JDJ, and I sold them since I had to handload way down to not harm my frames.

That guy is asking for a lawsuit big time, shooting 358 Win in the Contender frame. For what it's worth, the 358 Win is the most overlooked cartridge in America. It will kill anything that walks or crawls with ease.

All the best,

Casper_Zip  :grin:  :grin:  :grin:

[Jim S]

The problem is the fact that all of these cases use the standard  
308-30/06 case head size. The pressure on factory loads from any of the above ,,except the 358 which is way too hot for  a Contender. I had thought , from literature only, the 250 & 300 savage would work at 45K but I guess the heads are too big and will streach a Contender at 45K. I have a 7.62X39 barrel with a .308 bore and it is a handload only TC round . It does not cause trouble with loads tested at 45K but also a much smaller head size. On the other hand  factory loads with their 51K loading would wreck a Contender in short order. I'm glad I read the comments about the 250 Savage because one had been whispering in my ear. I guess I'll go to a 257 JDJ if I have to have a hot 25 . I have also read that the JDJ rounds will loosen up a Contender if you shoot them much ? Any comments on that ?

[Lone Star]

I've not heard of JDJ rounds stretching frames, but of course they could do so if loaded too hot.  I've fired about 1000 rounds of .300 Savage in one of my frames, all at max loads according to the manuals, and some factory ammo too, and the frame is as tight as when new.  That's a nominal 46,000 cup with an '06 head size.

I did stretch a frame twenty+ years ago with hot .35 Remington and .45-70 "JDJ" loads.  It was one of the weaker "old style" hard-to-open frames, and T/C replaced it with a modern easy open frame for free.  So I do know what a stretched frame is.  None of my current frames are stretched at all after many thousands of shots, but I don't do stupid things like overloading any more.  If the fired cartridge extracts even slightly sticky, it is probably too hot.