Got my Lee 7.7 reloading dies,need loading info.

[jeep]

I have one box of Hornady factory loads. Alot of ww748 . I intend to load Hornady .312 150 gr. flat base spire point. Does anybody have data? I hear 30-06 can be trimmed and reformed. Thanks in advance

[jmoore]

If I may be a bit blunt- You ordered dies, and you know what bullet mfg. you intend to use, but you didn't get their loading manual whilst ordering/buying the dies?

Hornady has carried loading data for the 7.7 and 6.5 Japanese for years. I even bought one of their new manuals just to get the 6.5 Carcano data.

[jeep]

I have a Speer N-13 with no data for 7.7 and went on Winchesters site and no data for WW748. I will have to search Hornadys for info. I was hoping one of you guru,s would have been there and done that. Thanks starting Japanese collector and shooter. I have used the ww748 in 8mm,303, and 308 with great results and thought it would be perfect for the 7.7 Jap. It was made for the U.S. goverment for the 308 and was made not to cut and burn the rifleing with gas cutting in machineguns.

[Milsurp Collector]

No need to reform brass. Get the Prvi brass Graf Sons - PRVI BRASS 7.7x58 JAP UNPRIMED 100/BAG (http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/12653)

For powders consider IMR 4064 or H4895, both are commonly available. For 150 gr bullet, the Hornady manual lists for H 4895 a starting weight of 36.6 gr and a max of 43.2 gr. For IMR 4064 starting weight 38.4 gr and max of 44.1 gr. Cartridge overall length was 3.000".

[303Nut]

Hodgdon Powder Co. has data using their powders with the 150gr. and 180gr. bullets. I've used IMR 4064, H4831, and Varget with good results. Check http://stevespages.com/312 also.

[jeep]

Found some data on gunsandammo website,keyed in arisaka and came up with data for ww748 and 150gr. bullet 40 gr. start and max 45gr. Good article.

[riceone]

Doubtful anyone will shoot a 7.7 enough to burn riflings with any powder. riceone

[jeep]

Ok tryed to size once fired Hornady 7.7 . Was lubed like the 30-06 or 8mm I load,but the 7.7 got stuck and pulled the rim off. The dies seem way to tight I knew when I sized it that it was trouble. I,m gonna send the die back to Lee with the case tuck in it and one once fired Hornady 7.7 case. Something wrong here. Lee will correct it Darn Riceone how I will I burn the barrel up in the T99 LMG. I will order a few 100 Priva cases. Can the chambers in the Japanese guns be that oversize? By the way the Hornady loading shot very good.

[riceone]

Thought you were talking about a 99 bolt action. You can usually tell when a case is too tight to resize in one stroke. I have found that it you push it in and pull back and re-lube the shoulder area the next shove will re-size the case and it will pull back out. riceone

[jeep]

I will try that . When I get the die back from Lee. I was able to load some new privi cases ,but I did not resize them just primed and set the bullet. They feed smooth will test fire them in a Beater ^th series 99 rifle. The 99 LMG does not belong to me ,but a friend who amnesty it in 1968 after finding it in a old house in the wall of the house he was rehabing back in the day. Thanks for the info on the half and half resize tip.

[jeep]

Lee sent the die back today,(4 day turn-a-round). They pulled the stuck case and put new deprimer in it for free!! Great service. The lube I used was the Frankford Arsenal case lube. Lee says this is not recommended. First time I tryed the Frankford lube and the last. It was given to me and now I know why. Will use the Lee lube which works for me. To hot in the garage to try it,but I have plently of tumbled cases ready to go. The 7.7die was in spec.

[jeep]

Lee 7.7 dies working great with hornady bullet lube. Its wax type will even winterproof boots! 42.grs. of ww748 and the 150gr. work great.

[riceone]

Drill a hole and tap it out to 5/16" - the take a 5/8" nut and set on the end of the die over the case with rim pulled off. Take a 5/16" cap screw with a washer and screw the cap screw into the base of the case till it is pulled out.

There was nothing wrong with your die. All 99 chambers are bad oversize and produce a bulge that makes it hard to resize. Lube the case, push it in part way, pull out and relub may have to do it again.

The very best lubricant I have found is a product sold by dealers who sell PVC underground pipe that use a rubber gasket to seal the joint. It is water soluable and come in different size containers but the quart size will last alife time. I'll try to remember tomorrow and get the name and post it here. riceone.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I have done the drill/tap trick myself, and found the whole business rather annoying, since the stuck case could have been driven out with a steel rod from above IF the decapping rod assembly had also been removable from above.
Having had several bad experiences with various milsurp cases (Arg. Mauser, Carcano, Arisaka, Martini-Henry) for exactly the same reason, I now follow 2 basic rules:

1) In all cases where a neck sizer is available, use neck sizing only. That is the best solution for brass life AND improved accuracy.
2) If no neck sizer is available, remove the decapper from the full-length sizer, and use a separate decapper as a precautionary measure against stuck dies.

and if someone could tell me how to do it without FUBARing the dies, I would, for instance simply grind out my full-length sizers just enough to suit the above-mentioned rifles.

Patrick

[ireload2]

Just learn to clean the dies out well then generously lube the first case. Take it easy sizing the first case until the lube is transfered to the die surface. Imperial Case Lube works well as does several others. All stuck case problems are operator problems. Either not enough lube is used or the wrong shell holder is used.

[jeep]

The lee die has a die as a friction nut on the mouth exspander ball rod which can be loosened and so you can hammer out the case with it.