Does anyone know if this round can be safely chambered in a contender? It seems like it would fit the bill for my grandsons if it can be. They have barrels in 223 and 7-30. Just need one more for each of them. Looking for one that will serve larger needs than the 7-30. This one should be better than the 35 rem if it will work.

Thanks.

Hello, That case is based off the 376 Steyr . Very large diameter case like a belted magnum, no go in a Contender. Would be a good round for the Encore though.

Sounds like a case for a .375 JDJ.

Thanks. Had the chance to talk to J D Jones today. He confirmed -- no go. Since neither of my grandsons reload, I was looking for a "factory" round. Guess its either 338 JDJ#2 & me load for them or on to the encores.

I hesitant to move them all the way to the 375 at this time. My 338 has less recoil than the 375.

There has been a whole bunch of great big animals killed with the .35 Remington, if you are looking for factory loads.

What about the .375 Winchester? Less kick than the JD's but still viable near 200 yards. The factory load performs well at handgun (14") velocity. I think the .338 ME would be a bit of a handful in a pistol.

I had forgot about the .375 Win. That would be a nice choice.

And there is one for sale in classifieds right now. I have one w/ a brake. Not bad at all. Just got it a few months ago and no game taken yet.

Bill in OR

I agree. I talked last night with a friend who lives in Ohio. He also recommended the 375 Win. That is the caliber that he chose for his "new" FA single shot. After I talked to J D yesterday, Blackie was up at SSK and they discussed my question.

J D mentioned to me that he believed one might encounter headspace problems with the 35 Rem factory rounds in the contender. His opinion was that the factory ammo varied quite a bit --- enough so that a round might not fire and another might not allow the gun to be closed. I have no experience with that cartridge.

Based up what I have learned here and from them, I think that I will go with the 375 Win for the grandsons.

Thanks.

Another change ---- I e-mailed the order to J D for the 375 Win bbls. He called me. He stated that the last factory ammo that he had chronographed through the 14" bbl was only doing 1550-1600 fps. After a lengthy discussion, the order was changed to 375 JDJ. With breaks on the barrels and with lighter loads as starters, the grandsons should be able to handle them. As they gather experience, the loads can be increased.

The only issue that remains is the ammo. Guess I had better get out my old dies and get ready. Actually, the ammo is likely not that big of a deal. I do not expect them to run through a lot of it, at least not for starters.

Thanks for all of your thoughts. Expected that you would like to know the final decision.

SSK Industries lists .375 JDJ ammo in stock.

For all of your information. Hornady no longer produces 375 JDJ ammo. Into the foreseeable future, it is handloading only. Hornady wanted $40,000 to produce the ammo.

This cartridge is a piece of cake to reload. No trouble at all, really.