In developeing loads for and playing with the 7.5x55mm 36 MASI had a couple pleasant surprises. It is brand new and the inside of the barrel has a bright mirror finish and it shoots accurately.

The front sight had to be adjusted and while doing that the sight blade was substantially thined for finer sighting. Looking over the rear peep sight these old eyes saw a very blurry front sight. Looking thru the small peep apature the front sight became cleary visable!!

I've noticed a similar effect when viewing my digital alarm clock closely over my finger but this is the first time I saw this thru a sight. This does not happen to me when using something like Buck Horn sights. There is the rear sight, the front sight and the target and they are all in a state of fuzz.

It is intended, now, to open up the rear apature. If fate is kind perhaps this rifle will not become another scout. Perhaps!! roger

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
...If fate is kind perhaps this rifle will not become another scout.

Sounds like a fine plan to me.

Hey Roger, Before you go Hogging Out the Peep, would it be possible for you to make some "Test Peeps"(in larger sizes) in cardboard and hold (or tape) them next to the current Peep?

If you get the hole too BIG, your Fuzzy Focus Problem may come back.

If you can see through the current Peep and the Front Sight is in Focus, that is what " I " would want.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
...If fate is kind perhaps this rifle will not become another scout.

Sounds like a fine plan to me.

Hey Roger, Before you go Hogging Out the Peep, would it be possible for you to make some "Test Peeps"(in larger sizes) in cardboard and hold (or tape) them next to the current Peep?

If you get the hole too BIG, your Fuzzy Focus Problem may come back.

If you can see through the current Peep and the Front Sight is in Focus, that is what " I " would want.

Neat idea ,Hot Core. I'll just do that. My old sporterized Carcano had a Williams peep that I used without an appature and at that time, 40 years ago, it worked great. Thankks pard. roger

Roger,

I'm so jealous you have one of those firearms. I intended to pick one of the new in wrap ones up and missed my opportunity. Enjoy that fine old creature. BTW, I can relate on the sights too.

Regards,

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bartsche:
Hey Roger, Before you go Hogging Out the Peep, would it be possible for you to make some "Test Peeps"(in larger sizes) in cardboard and hold (or tape) them next to the current Peep?

I will be trying a bunch of different .308 loads in the 7.5 tommorrow using the sight as is.

The appature hole diameter is .055". I opened up the primer flash hole on a 7.62 x39 case in a couple steps and it is now at .106" diameter. At this diameter a little bit of front sight clearity is sacrificed but the field of vision is substantially increased and the target is much brighter and more easily obtained. We shall see. roger

Hey Roger, Best of luck with the rifle. Unlike Dave, I don't know beans about that rifle.

Sounds like you have a good grip on getting the peep Sight the way you want it.

Is this to eventually be a Hunter, Plinker, Target Puncher or some combination of all three?

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Is this to eventually be a Hunter, Plinker, Target Puncher or some combination of all three?

In my dreams it is all three. In truth I stopped deer and elk hunting in 1994. The body just doesn't have the stamina it once did.

I put together rifles as the mood moves me and I sporterize fair numbers of military rifles that realisticly will never kill game in my life time unless someone barrows one to use on game. Probably the only deer hunting I'd be up for any more would be the bean field varyity. When I lived in the mountains of Colorado I did live a full out doors life many would have liked to have lived. Now I play, test, remember and dream. I still shoot more than most and enjoy doing it.

I think I would like to kill a pig some day. Never done that. roger

Took the MAS out today and put a number of different loads thru it. The loads were a little bit under suggested max. for the .308. This was done with the rear peep unaltered. Of about fifty shots almost all would have hit a beer can at 50 yds.

It is hard however to quickly pick up a target of hand in the normal back ground setting at 135yds. That which is clarifying the front sight is distorting the target image and illumination.

While I contemplate my next modification I'll try to develope some accurate loads. All the loads so far really appear mild and some down right dirty from low presure burning.

Of some interest, The same powder charge was used with 110gr. 150gr. and 165 gr. bullets. All three velocities were within 35 fps of each other. The 110grain bullet produced a loot of soot and some gas in the face. The 150 produced a little less soot and no gas in the face. The 165 produced a lot less soot and no face gas. It was noticeable on the 165 grain loads that the case was swelling a good bit. This is understandable as the 6.5x55 RP cases I neck up are greatly undersize as compared to European manufactured cases. Nothing I can't live with, however.

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
...It is hard however to quickly pick up a target of hand in the normal back ground setting at 135yds. ...

Hey Roger, This may sound a bit goofey as I describe it. But when using Peep Sights, I tend to look "over" the Peep long enough to get the front sight on the Target and then snug my cheek into the proper position for viewing through the Peep.

Huuumm, come to think about it, I do the same thing with regular old V-shape or Buckhorn rear sights too.

It is amazing what we get into a habit of doing and don't realize or think about "how" we are going about it.

I also like the Target (Deer, can or paper) normally setting atop the front sight. However I do hold the rifle on a Deer so the front sight is just up a couple of inches on it inside 150yds or so.

As my head snugs into position the Target tends to "blur slightly" as I focus on getting the front sight clear as possible regardless of what the Target happens to be.
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You mentioned the Cases being a bit undersize for the Chamber. I'd guess you will be using the old "L-shaped" Feeler gauge to make sure you don't end up with any Insipient Case Head Separations. That could be bad news if it separated a Case Head.
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I was just trying to find that cartridge in some of my older Load Manuals and the closest I can get is a 7.5mm Schmidt Rubin(Swiss). Is that the same thing or totally different?

If it is the same thing, I noticed the Case dimension just forward of the extraction groove being 0.493" and the Rim diameter 0.495".

Since the rifle feeds and extracts the 6.5x55 Case with a Rim diameter of 0.476", you might want to consider forming some Cases out of 284Win cases. If you can just locate 2-3 of them, use some Imperial Sizing Die Wax and squash them in your FL Die, you might end up with a Case that fits the chamber pretty close.

What do you think?

The Swiss head diameter is .491" The Swede head dia. is .477", the .284 head dia. is .500", the French head dia. is .482"

I'll probably go to Graf and buy some of their brass unless someone knows why that is not a good idea. roger

Hey Roger, Before you buy a bunch of 284Win cases, I'd still recommend you try a few first.

You will of course need to expand the Case Mouth which should not be a problem. But you just never know.

And the 0.500" dimension might or might not taper enough to go into your specific chamber afer the Re-forming.

Surely your local Gun Shop has a few onhand or knows of someone who shoots a 284Win in your area.
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On the other hand, if they DO NOT WORK and you had a hundred (minus 5 or so), then it would be logical that you would need to buy a 284Win so the cases don't go to waste.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hot Core:
Hey Roger, Before you buy a bunch of 284Win cases, I'd still recommend you try a few first.

Actually ,HC, I meant buying Graf 7.5x54 brass. roger

Hey Roger, I do like that idea the best. Much better than Reforming cases. Reforming is just one of the reasons I'm no longer interested in Wildcats.

Glad to hear you were able to find the proper Cases. Best of luck to you.

I to have a problem with "tired ol' eyes" but I came up with a solution than mimics the use of peep sights.

I simply poke a very small hole through a piece of electrical tape, attatch it to the best location on my shooting glasses, as far as sighting is concerned, and shoot away.

It may sound crazy, and I'm sure it looks goofy to others, but it works for me on my un-scoped guns and pistols.

I found out later that Lyman make a Hawkeye Optic Aid that works on the same principal but uses a sucktion cup. I bought one but actually found my tape idea works more easily and just as well.

JJB

Here's a link to some information that might help you in your reloads or for forming brass.

http://www.gunsworld.com/75/fr_75_rel_us.html