I looking to get another contender pistol barrel and I like the looks of the 309 JDJ. Does any one out there have any advice on the 309 or anything that would be comparable?

It is a fantastic round. I had a TC Hunter 12 inch 30-30 barrel rechambered by SSK to .309 JDJ and it is one heck of a shooter. It is mild recoiling and highly accurate. At 300 yards I can turn in 3 inch groups on the norm but that is me I am sure. Ever now and then it will turn in a group or two half that size so I know it is the shooter, not the gun or the round. At 100 yards it is easily a 1/2 MOA shooter with most loads and the load mine likes best seems to be a favorite in the .309 with it being .444 Marlin brass formed in a .308 Winchester die then fire formed to your chamber, then loaded with Nosler 165 gr. Ballistic Tip seated .030 off the lands, Federal 215 match primers, IMR 4350 powder, charge of 50.5 gr. for a velocity of 2304.2 fps.
As to how it compares to others, I'll let you do that. A friend of mine took the 4th largest (at the time) mountain goat to be taken with a handgun with a .309 JDJ Contender at over 150 yards, so the round will do the job, all you have to do it get the bullet to the target.

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If I get it I wll probably get a 14" barrel and a few hundred brass from SSK. From everything I've found it seems like a good choice for ND and the open country.

I shoot a Super 14" T/C Contender in 308X444 Improved and load for it using a set of modified 30-06 Ackley Improved dies. Same basic round as the 309...

Necking down the full length 444 Marlin case to .30 caliber and fireforming it in the guns chamber, gets you a fully formed case that is ready to load...

My full power loads are loaded with IMR-4350 and my accuracy loads are loaded with H-4895...

I shoot this gun out to 600 yds. on a regular basis and it topples a 70 lb. steel silhouette ram with much authority...

When it comes to shooting deer and hogs, Sierras 165 gr. B.T.-H.P. Game King bullet is very hard to beat. It will shoot well under an inch at 100 yds. and make a pencil size hole going in and a golf ball size hole (or bigger) going out....

A

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