Although the effective range of the cannon was only 150 meters (490 ft), the Ho-301 was light and rapid-firing for its caliber.

The round used an internal propellant chamber at the rear of the projectile containing a ten gram silk bag filled with smokeless powder.

Drilled into the base plate of the round are twelve 3.8 millimeter diameter exhaust holes.

Because of the low muzzle velocity (245 meters/second or about 804 ft/sec - equivalent to a moderately powerful air rifle)[1] the weapon was only suited to attacking bombers; even here the extremely low muzzle velocity made it difficult to achieve hits from any position besides directly astern the target aircraft and well within the range of defensive counterfire.

The modern Russian VOG grenades fired by the GP-25 grenade-launcher use a similar principle.