Type 99 Range Report

[Jet Fixer]

Finally got the "new to me" long rifle to the range. Made a box of handloads using IMR4895 varying from 43 to 45.5 grains pushing 150 grain Speer softpoints. The best group was the 45 grain group measuring about 1.5 inches at 50 yds.

I did notice though that there seemed to be a fair amount of soot on the cases. I don't see any signs of bulging or splitting anywhere. The primers don't seem to be popping or flattened.

This is my first Japanese rifle and I haven't seen sooted cases like this on my other rifles, so I'm curious if there is an issue with the chamber or headspace. It did seem to get better as the loads got heavier.

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Information

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[Parashooter]

Two likely causes of sooty cases -
1. Pressure too low to expand cases fully.
2. Brass too hard in neck/shoulder; needs annealing. (Not uncommon with PPU brand.)

Nothing in photos indicates chamber/headspace problem.

[Jet Fixer]

Two likely causes of sooty cases -
1. Pressure too low to expand cases fully.
2. Brass too hard in neck/shoulder; needs annealing. (Not uncommon with PPU brand.)

Nothing in photos indicates chamber/headspace problem.

My load table says the max load for my combination is 48 grains. The closest I got was 45.5. Yesterday I built up from 46 to 48 in half grain increments. I'll give them a try and see what happens.

I did notice that there were three cases that were significantly more bulged at the head than the others when I ran them back through the FL resizer die. Took a little more effort to get the ram down.

[BJung]

Hello, I found your thread by chance and would like to know what your latest range results for your T99 currently is.

I started shooting test loads in my T99 again and would like to share information with you.

My first tests used Speer 150gr SP .311 bullets and resized military brass. The initial brass was sooty but by just neck sizing the fireformed brass, the cases were less so. My accuracy at 50 yards was the same as yours, about 1-1/2" at 50 yards. I forgot which powder I used but I think it was the same powder.

I slugged my barrel and it came out to .3115". Hornady .312 bullets shoot better groups than the .311 Speer bullets. The heavier 174grain bullets were more accurate than the 150grain bullets. I tried the Barnes .311 TTX bullets and results were ok. Woodleigh has a .312 all copper bullet I might try if I can't find a Hornady GMX .312" bullet. I use Reloader 15 and 19.

[browningautorifle]

Not so often you see a range report on a Japanese rifle, so this is interesting. Yes, seems to be a bit of gas blow-by causing sooting... Primers are also a bit rounded at the back so pressures aren't up to flatten them like regular pressures do.

[Jet Fixer]

I have loaded some others up to 48 grains but havent shot them yet to see the difference.

[Calif-Steve]

These are .30-06 cases? Or PPU 7.7mm cases. I shot my 7.7mm Type 99 with PPU cases and no trouble to report. It was an very early (1939/40) Hiroshima gun and near mint. Very well made, as well.

[Ovidio]

Very interesting indeed, thanks for sharing.

[bob q]

I did not know there was that much interest in the test shooting of Arisaka's . I have load tested my over 250 Type 99 rifles and 80 ish Type 30's and 38's . With the 6.5 rifles I have many that show great accuracy and have won matches with some . I once shot an original Type 97 as a 2nd rifle in a national Benchrest match . I did a five shot group average with 5 targets of 0.875 and a best group of 0.63 . Type -99's are not inaccurate as a rifle , but are hard to get a good group average with the large peep sight . I can cut my groups in half with a small hole clip on aperture for the rear sight . 6.5mm rifle are all over the board on what bullet and load they like depending on bore size and what type barrel they have on them . The 7.7mm's seem to fall into two groups , chrome bores and non-chrome . In most 7.7mm rifles the Hornady .312 150 sp in the best bullet , the .312 174 rn will help with some really large bore rifles . Speer bullets are bad and the Sierra's are just ok . With the chrome rifles it seems the faster you shoot them the better they shoot .

---------- Post added at 02:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------

Also for the OP . Type -99's have large to extra large chambers and PPU cases are too small , plus dies make the case too small . You can see the soot ring around the case head where it was too small to seal and did not expand enough . Neck sizing fired cases with a 7.62x54r die will help .

[Jet Fixer]

These are .30-06 cases? Or PPU 7.7mm cases. I shot my 7.7mm Type 99 with PPU cases and no trouble to report. It was an very early (1939/40) Hiroshima gun and near mint. Very well made, as well.

Not 30.06 cases. PPU 7.7.

---------- Post added at 10:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 AM ----------

I did not know there was that much interest in the test shooting of Arisaka's . I have load tested my over 250 Type 99 rifles and 80 ish Type 30's and 38's . With the 6.5 rifles I have many that show great accuracy and have won matches with some . I once shot an original Type 97 as a 2nd rifle in a national Benchrest match . I did a five shot group average with 5 targets of 0.875 and a best group of 0.63 . Type -99's are not inaccurate as a rifle , but are hard to get a good group average with the large peep sight . I can cut my groups in half with a small hole clip on aperture for the rear sight . 6.5mm rifle are all over the board on what bullet and load they like depending on bore size and what type barrel they have on them . The 7.7mm's seem to fall into two groups , chrome bores and non-chrome . In most 7.7mm rifles the Hornady .312 150 sp in the best bullet , the .312 174 rn will help with some really large bore rifles . Speer bullets are bad and the Sierra's are just ok . With the chrome rifles it seems the faster you shoot them the better they shoot .

---------- Post added at 02:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------

Also for the OP . Type -99's have large to extra large chambers and PPU cases are too small , plus dies make the case too small . You can see the soot ring around the case head where it was too small to seal and did not expand enough . Neck sizing fired cases with a 7.62x54r die will help .

I have never neck sized any brass. I only have full length dies. I have heard that you can neck size with a FL die. Is that true, and if so how do you do it?