Ammunition for “Type 38” & “Type 99” Arisaka rifles

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/category/categoryId/164

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/category/categoryId/239

I purchased the brass and 140gr bullets and loaded 50 for about what the box of 20 loaded ammo cost, the brass was 20$ at a local gun show and the bullets were 18$ a 100. Maybe you can find some comparable deals and start loading them yourself, it is enjoyable and you will enjoy shooting the 6.5

Graf makes top shelf stuff IMHO. If you are not enjoying them very often it is a good way to go. One word of advice...6.5 is pretty soft shooting all in all...7.7 is in a nut shell 3006 levels of recoil. 93 is getting up there....I don't know how to say this, but it might be a bit much. Broken bones at that age is pretty hard on them, recoil pads, jackets, or even a lead sled might be a good idea.

PLEASE STOP !
Do not use the ammo made by Precision Cartridge, Inc (sold by Grafs, amongst other sellers). They have very poor quality control. Grafs does not make that ammo; they just offer it for sale, but it is made by PCI in Hobart, Indiana Grafs does not load or sell their own, or Hornady-made ammo for the Type 38 or the Type 99 Arisaka. The PCI ammo is crap quality that can damage your rifle. Many people have had squib loads from their ammo (bullet only travels part way down the barrel and gets lodged in the barrel). Firing another round onto the squib will damage your rifle and get you hurt.

Instead, I recommend that you either load your own, OR you can buy from this company with confidence: https://www.steinelammo.com/product/7-7-x-58-japanese-arisaka-150gr-sp-light-recoil/



I had 400 rounds of the PCI ammo for the 7.7x58 Japanese (Type 99 rifle). After getting one of their bullets stuck in my barrel, I pulled and discarded all of the bullets and dumped all the powder from those 400 rounds. I reloaded the primed brass with 43 grains of IMR 4064 and using the 150 gr spire point Hornady bullets (diameter .312, the proper diameter for the Type 99 rifle). Some of the PCI rounds, in fact whole boxes of them, had such light neck tension that I could literally pull the bullets with my hands. Others needed a tool for pulling the bullets but most of them had poor neck tension and the bullets they use are .310, too narrow for those rifles.

rmorman said:

Honestly had not thought about that. Thank you! Don't know how we would enjoy a beer and a cigar afterward if he was busted up!



Thank you for saving me from myself. The boxes I bought 2 years back came from Hornady. I had the PCI stuff in my basket and had not yet pulled the trigger, so to speak. It looks like Steinel is pretty competitive. I did also just leave a message for a "local" (about an hour away) brick and mortar ammunition re-seller as the shipping for 40 rounds was going to be $20. Probably won't do any better, but I can at least say I checked. Not TOO many places close to me here.

Thanks again to everybody for their help here. I'm definitely NOT an expert.

Click to expand...

The Prvi Partisan Arisaka stuff is pretty good as well. I have a box or two of the PCI stuff from about ten years ago but have never fired it. Stick with the 6.5x50 in the T38 as it has pretty light recoil in the full length rifle. The T99 recoil is about the same as the British SMLE or No. 4 rifles firing .303 British.

For both of your enjoyment, http://www.castle-thunder.com/ is a website on Japanese small arms and weapons.
The datasheets page has downloadable documents so that you can tell your rifle's history, maker, etc. http://www.castle-thunder.com/datas.htm Tells you how to decipher Kanji script that is stamped in a number of places on the rifle. If you want replica slings, cleaning rods, dustcovers, monopods, and the like, SARCO, has them http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/japanese.aspx?page=2 . They are neat rifles and ironically some of the early ones are probably made from American scrap steel that we sold them.

The graf deal is new to me, before I started loading for 30 Remington I bought a few boxes of their stuff and had no issue.

I wonder if this was an issue that went to other cartridges or just the Japanese. I also know those 30 Rem had cases marked GRAF. So they must be having someone put their name on the head stamp.