7.7 Arisaka 99 reloading : what bullets recommended.

[milprileb]

From your experience reloading for the Arisaka Type 99, what
weight and brand of bullets have performed best for you ?

Would you know the bullet weight and MV/ FPS of the issue Japanese round of WWII ?

Thank you in advance.

[ThirtycalGB]

I believe MrNambu reloads use 150g .303 bullets (british 303)

-Thirtycal

[daveccarlson]

My understanding is that the 7.7mm Japanese Arisaka used a 181-gr. projectile. I have seen contemporary reloads with 174gr bullets, and apocryphal info I've received is that some folks pull the bullets from Russian 7.62x54r cartridges and load them for the Type 99 Arisaka.
Arisaka info online:
http://www.carbinesforcollectors.com/arisaka1.html
Wound ballistics study of Imperial Japanese WWII weapons:
http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksd...cs/default.htm
http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksd...cs/default.htm

[tanegashimatomurata]

When I loaded ammo for the T99 and T2 that I used to own I found that the best bullets I tried were 174gn copper jacket spitzers pulled from old British .303 cordite ammo that had split necks or corroded cases. A lot of the cheaper heads sold for reloading .303 here in the UK at the time were copper washed steel jacket (Czech?) and they didn't shoot well in the Arisakas.

[CW]

I thought the 174 grain bullet was the standard ball round for the T99? Having only a few examples on hand I've never pulled one. I do have plenty of AP for the T89 MG and they weigh out to 162 gr give or take two. I bought some 180gr flat tail bullets that I've been wanting to try out. It would be nice to try and duplicate the original load.

[FlipFlop]

My most accurate load was using the Hornady 150 gr. .312 pushed by H4831. It measured 2 1/4 inch at 100yds. in my Kokura 20 series. I've used the 174 gr. Hornady .3105 with success also and the Sierra 180gr. bullet has worked well. A lot depends on the rifle and the load combinations to find the best load and I'm still looking...

The "Japanese Type 99 Arisaka Rifle" book says the T-99 used a 183 grain bullet but couldn't find the MV listed.

[8mmman]

I've pulled down several original 7.7 rimless rifle rounds and found them laoded with a 174 grain flat based bullets. I had some late steel cased 7.7 standard ball rounds and they had 154 grain flat base bullets in them.


They looked identical to 7.7 ball bullets just a bit shorter than the 174 grain ones.

[smzeigler]

Skip,Check the stickys. A reloading article i did on 7.7 may be there. If not i'll see if i have it with me. If not, maybe someone else does. IIRC MV was apprx 2460. I have chrony data as well. I like to plink with 7.62R heavy ball pull down. Good stuff and my experience with czech and hungarian powder is as well.Shannon