309JDJ 12" or 14" barrel?

[billjoe]

Does anyone have experience with a 12" barrel in the 309JDJ? 

How much would you give up vs the 14".  What about muzzle flash?

Also how would it compare to the 375JDJ for recoil since it has the shorter barrel? I know my 375 shoots 220Gr with considerably less recoil than 370Gr.  If the 309 shoots 165Gr I'm thinking it should be very manageable, even in a shorter barrel. 

Could it still get to 2400FPS in the 12"?

bj

[Ladobe]

I've owned two 14" SSK 309JDJ barrels and four 14" SSK 375JDJ barrels going back over 25 years.   The dif between a 12" and 14" in the 309 is you will loose a little bit of velocity, but won't add much to either muzzle blast or felt recoil.   
What you get velocity wise shooting 165's will depend a lot on your altitude.   Even in a 14" barrel at 5000' elevation they can't quite reach 2400 according to JD's load data.   I only shot heavier bullets in mine.

As for the 375JDJ's, IMO they are not all that much more recoil wise even with the heavest bullets.  IOW, if you can handle a 309 you can probably handle a 375.

[HHI-7420]

billjoe, is the bbl. a 30-30 rechamber or a SSK original? It does seem to make a difference. Mine is a TC bbl. rechamberd by JDJ. I cut the brake off so it is only 12-3/4". With 150 nbt and h-4350, about all I can get is 2,250+ before there is resistance to opening. With 165blt and the same powder about 2,150-2200. Very accurate though.  Pat

[billjoe]

The barrel I am considering is an original SSK.  I have a 375 and don't mind the recoil but I seem to have a hard time shooting good groups with it and I think it's because I haven't learned how to really handle the recoil well enough to control it.  I was hoping the 309 would be a little easier to hold, but if not, I may as well stick with the 375.  I shoot a 7-30 and other smaller calibers with no problems whatsoever.  They are all 14" barrels.

Good comments.
bj

[Ladobe]

BTW, "I know my 375 shoots 220Gr with considerably less recoil than 370Gr.  :"   Has to be a typo... 300's are the top.   Should read 270gr I'll bet.

I think where the biggest difference is with the TC factory 30-30 barrrels is the vintage of it... ie, the old land/groove config or the newer config.    Bower 30 Alaskan's were always chambered on the early barrels for that reason.

The trick is to learn not to control the recoil, but learn how to roll with it.   I hold my handcannons so loosely you'd think they'd get blown right out of my hand, but they don't.    But then, I've shot 375JDJ's for over 25 years.   With range sessions it was not unusually for me to shoot 200 rounds, and I only shot the 270's 99% of the time.   Even my Encore 416 Rigby 10" was manageable for me, although I did hold range sessions to way fewer rounds.   

Easy answer if you want to get a little less recoil without buying a 309 is to shoot lighter loads/lighter bullets in your 375 to approximate a 309's ballistics if that's what you want.

[billjoe]

You are correct about the 370.  Should be 270.  I tend to hold too tightly when I shoot and I discovered that it's a big mistake when shooting any of the hand cannons.  I'll work on that with the 375 and 220Gr.  I will chrony the 220s as well and see how they stack up with the 309.

bj

[Ladobe]

Shooting the handcannons is all about learning the technique that works for you.   Those that are nervous with them tend to try to over control and pay the consequences.

With the 220's in the 375JDJ I think you'll find about the 1800 - 2400 range depending on powder and charge.

[hunterspistol]

Range sessions of 200 rounds? Ladobe, it sounds as though you're back!

[Ladobe]

Range sessions of 200 rounds? Ladobe, it sounds as though you're back!

You'll never know how much I wish that were true, but my comment "with range sessions it was not unusually for me to shoot 200 rounds, and I only shot the 270's 99% of the time" is all past tense (it was vs it is, shot vs shoot).   My hunting and even shooting days have been over for a long time and won't be back.

[Ken ONeill]

In my experience, there is a very, very significant difference in the recoil of a .375 JDJ with 270's @ 1950-2000 fps vs a .309 JDJ with 165's @ 2400. Even a 220 @ 2200 fps is heavier than the .309. Naturally, though, there is also a significant difference in killing power on large game that makes that recoil worthwhile. My .375's aren't for sale.
My 14"  SSK unported .309 JDJ barrel runs 165 Nosler bt's @ 2400 using Re 15 without problems, but each barrel is potentially different. I once owned a  stainless T/C Hunter 12" barrel that SSK rechambered to .309 JDJ. It was unsatisfactory to me from the standpoint of both accuracy and velocity. My memory is quite hazy on this, as I sold it at least a dozen years ago, but I think I was getting about 2200 fps with 150's - not all that much better than a 14" .30-30 would have yielded.
Personally, although I've tried 12"ers ( and still have one in 6.5 JDJ and another in .45-70) I prefer 14" barrels in Contenders chambered for bottleneck cartridges. The velocity is greater, and the muzzle blast is a bit further from the face. For most straightwalls, I prefer 10".